Fi’s gear review – camping nightie or sleeping bag liner?

Which bedding do you choose when you’re going on a campervan trip?

Because you don’t have to carry your gear in a rucksack, the list of potential campervan bed linen is almost endless. It doesn’t need to be light, it doesn’t need to fit into a rucksack and you (usually) don’t need to worry about keeping it dry.

All very cosy but getting up for a wee often isn’t.

And in our Toyota Granvia, it also needs to fit into a small storage cubby. We obviously choose our bedding for campervan trips according to the season and weather. We often take sleeping bags for extra warmth but love the freedom of movement a big quilt can give.

The quilt is perhaps the main reason our dog loves campervan trips.

When we had Christmas in Scotland in the campervan we managed to squeeze in our big winter duvet from the bed at home. Fred the dog appreciated the gesture and we weren’t cold.

We also keep a pair of thinner single duvets in the van in case of emergencies or last minute stopovers.

But this article isn’t really about the sleeping bag versus campervan quilt argument. I’m a big fan of combining both. But when it comes to sleeping warm, I’m also a big fan of something else.

My Unightie sleep system.

Okay so I’ve reviewed the Unightie before, and you’re right, it’s more a garment than a sleep system. But it does so many jobs, especially on campervan trips that I’ve recently upgraded it.

Because the Unightie does all the jobs you might expect from a warm nightie, a sleeping bag liner, a changing robe, a bed hat and a privacy squat provider (I’ll explain that one later).

I guess you might liken it to a wearable sleeping bag liner but it’s much more than that.

Sleeping bag liner or change robe?

You can read my initial Unightie review here. I’ve used it lots for tent camping but I appreciated it so much on our recent autumn campervan trip to Scotland that I wanted to tell you all about it again.

Here’s why the Unightie is my favourite campervan accessory.

1. Nighties are warmer than pyjamas because they trap more warm air around my body.
2. The Unightie capitalises on this by being full length and having a clever foot pocket that keeps it down around my feet.
3. The Unightie’s hood stays on far better at night than any woolly hat. It also keeps my neck warm and my hair tidy.
4. I’m a menopausal woman and appreciate any garment that allows me to adjust my body temperature without fully waking up. The Unightie’s zip and sleeves do this and the foot pocket means my feet never get trapped in a too-hot position.
5. There’s not much privacy in a campervan but inside my Unightie I can change my bra and knickers with the curtains open and a smile on my face.

The real reason my Unightie is better than any nightie or sleeping bag liner.

Above are five great reasons to take my Unightie on all of my campervan trips but I haven’t got to my favourite reason yet.

The Unightie was designed by a woman.

Not only that, it was designed by a Canadian woman who spends a lot of time camping in the middle nowhere.

And needing a wee in the early morning.

She (Jackie) hasn’t told me that (yet) but I’ve never met a woman of my age who doesn’t.

We only have an emergency toilet in our campervan so nighttime wees are usually taken outside (unless we are on a campsite). On this trip, I had plenty of opportunity for a middle of the night revelation.

Here it is…

Weeing on the floor is much easier if you’re not wearing trousers.

Not only that…

Weeing on the floor is much easier if you’re not wearing knickers.

It’s a case of simple body dynamics really (plus some primary school geometry). Imagine your legs and the floor as a triangle (I have dodgy knees and struggle with a full squat). Clothing around your legs restricts you to a skewed (bum out) isosceles triangle, with a higher distance from the floor and less space between your feet to wee.

This can lead to unpleasant splashback.

Remove the leg-based clothing and, under the privacy of your Unightie, you can achieve something closer to an equilateral triangle with a lower flow height and a wider puddle area.

Vastly reduced splashback.

I would provide diagrams if I was any good at drawing but if you don’t believe me, go out and try for yourself.

If nothing else it will make you smile.

Anyway, my point is that wearing a nightie without knickers makes weeing easier than if you’re wearing pyjamas.

But wearing a UNIGHTIE without knickers is even better because it has magnets.

I know!

Magnets!

I’ll leave you to work out why they are so great, or you can read my previous Unightie review (linked above).