Hi,

I am heading of on Sunday for a month, I will be staying in hostels for the entire
duration and was wondering if I will really need to buy a sleep sheet. I bought a
light weight 2 season sleeping bag but on reading an article on hostels.com I have
discovered that a lot of hostels won't even let me use this on their beds.

Could someone please give me a bit of advice on this and if I do need to buy one,
where in Northern Ireland would I be able to purchase such a strange item.

Thanks (again) in advance

Most department stores and places selling duvets and bed linen will sell you a cotton sheet.

"Elmosca" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Hi,
    >
    > I'm backpacking too on agoust and I have the same intention, but I go to
the
    > Eastern Europe. I've heard this too, so I will bring with me a sleeping back and
    > sleep sheet. If you don't have one, one easy solution is to sew a normal sheet
as
    > a bag. It is the cheapest solution
    >
aren't you guys talking about what we used to call a 'sleeping bag liner'? Maybe I'm
getting old, but they used to be sold at all camping shops, for next to nothing.

To be totally honest I have no idea at all what I am talking about !!! I have just
read that if you don't bring your own "sleep sheet" then you have to hire it from the
hostel, as I am going to be spending about 30 nights in hostels I was thinking it
would probably work out less expensive to just bring one with me.

"The Oik" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    >
    > "Elmosca" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > Hi,
    > >
    > > I'm backpacking too on agoust and I have the same intention, but I go to
    > the
    > > Eastern Europe. I've heard this too, so I will bring with me a sleeping back and
    > > sleep sheet. If you don't have one, one easy solution is to sew a normal sheet
    > as
    > > a bag. It is the cheapest solution
    > >
    > aren't you guys talking about what we used to call a 'sleeping bag liner'? Maybe
    > I'm getting old, but they used to be sold at all camping shops, for next to
    > nothing.

It would be like two sheets sewn together to form a bag.

Robin Goodfellow wrote:
    >
    > To be totally honest I have no idea at all what I am talking about !!! I have just
    > read that if you don't bring your own "sleep sheet" then you have to hire it from
    > the hostel, as I am going to be spending about 30 nights in hostels I was thinking
    > it would probably work out less expensive to just bring one with me.
    >
    > "The Oik" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > >
    > > "Elmosca" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > news:[email protected]...
    > > > Hi,
    > > >
    > > > I'm backpacking too on agoust and I have the same intention, but I go to
    > > the
    > > > Eastern Europe. I've heard this too, so I will bring with me a sleeping back
    > > > and sleep sheet. If you don't have one, one easy solution is to sew a normal
    > > > sheet
    > > as
    > > > a bag. It is the cheapest solution
    > > >
    > > aren't you guys talking about what we used to call a 'sleeping bag liner'? Maybe
    > > I'm getting old, but they used to be sold at all camping shops, for next to
    > > nothing.
    > >

"Robin Goodfellow" <[email protected]> writes:

    >I am heading of on Sunday for a month, I will be staying in hostels for the entire
    >duration and was wondering if I will really need to buy a sleep sheet. I bought a
    >light weight 2 season sleeping bag but on reading an article on hostels.com I have
    >discovered that a lot of hostels won't even let me use this on their beds.

It depends on the country you're going to -- and sometimes might even depend on the
hostel itself. Some of them will charge you a fee (typically
2.50 Euros) to use their sleeping sheets if you don't have your own, others will
provide you with a sheet without any charge.

I've never come across a (HI/YHA) hostel that didn't provide sheets to those people
who didn't have them, so you shouldn't have any trouble if you don't take one, but
you may well save yourself some money if you do.

Off the top of my head, here's a short guide as to whether the cost of renting sheets
is included in the price of staying at a hostel, or whether you have to pay extra.
Bear in mind it was three years ago I stayed in these places, so I could be wrong:

Italy: included Denmark: extra England: included France: extra Sweden: extra Belgium:
included Luxembourg: included

I can't remember the situation in Germany, Austria, Spain or Switzerland.

    >Could someone please give me a bit of advice on this and if I do need to buy one,
    >where in Northern Ireland would I be able to purchase such a strange item.

Possibly your local YHA office would sell them. I bought mine from the Melbourne YHA
head office.

I'm sure some sort of army disposals store would sell them too.

It's nothing particularly fancy - you could easily make one by getting a double bed
sized sheet, folding it over and sewing the end together.

Mine has a small folded over section at the top that you put the pillow in (ie, an
attached pillow-case).

Sleeping bags are too difficult to wash when travelling (hence no-one ever does), and
the hostels are aware of this - if they allowed them, then the beds would be germ
breeding grounds. Sleeping sheets, on the other hand, are easy to wash and dry.

Cheers,

Paul

--
Paul Dwerryhouse

"Why not just have the arresting officer execute you on the spot? If you turn
out to be innocent, they can cancel the invoice for the bullet." -- sharkey

Robin Goodfellow wrote:
    >
    > To be totally honest I have no idea at all what I am talking about !!! I have just
    > read that if you don't bring your own "sleep sheet" then you have to hire it from
    > the hostel, as I am going to be spending about 30 nights in hostels I was thinking
    > it would probably work out less expensive to just bring one with me.

Over 15 years ago, when I was living in the Netherlands, I made three sleep sacks in
about an hour by folding three old sheets in half and sewing them up along the bottom
and sides (not all the way up, as it's easier to get in and out if you only sew them
halfway up). I sewed them by hand using really big stitches, as I assumed they only
had to last for 2 weeks. Actually, they lasted for years, and I'm still using one.

Barbara

"Robin Goodfellow" wrote
    > I am heading of on Sunday for a month, I will be staying in hostels for the entire
    > duration and was wondering if I will really need to buy a sleep sheet. I bought a
    > light weight 2 season sleeping bag but on reading an article on hostels.com I have
    > discovered that a lot of hostels won't even let me use this on their beds. Could
    > someone please give me a bit of advice on this and if I do need to buy one, where
    > in Northern Ireland would I be able to purchase such a strange item.

Hostelling International Northern Ireland state that bed linen is included in their
group bookings; I don't know about individuals. They have a feedback form you could
enquire directly through their website at http://www.hini.org.uk/hostels.html

Scottish Youth Hostels www.syha.org.uk state that bedlinen is provided at most ot
their hostels except about three "where you are advised to bring your own sleeping
bag." If not on sale or rent at the hostels you could try the Scout Shop in Belfast
at: http://www.scouting-ni.org.uk/shop/

Alternatively you could make your own. Directions are at:
http://members.shaw.ca/guideforeurope/sleepsheet.html

HTH

Owain

In article <[email protected]> ,
[email protected] (Owain) wrote:

    >
    > Alternatively you could make your own. Directions are at:
    > http://members.shaw.ca/guideforeurope/sleepsheet.html
    >

Or just fold an ordinary sheet in half and sew across the short side and about 2/3 of
the way up the long side.

I haven't found a hostel in the last few years that didn't provide sheets as part of
the bed price or for an extra fee.

--
Mary Loomer Oliver(aka erilar)

Erilar's Cave Annex: http://www.airstreamcomm.net/~erilarlo

Don't make a sleep sack from sheets because it will be bulky and heavy.

I bought a super lightweight silk sleepsack from an outdoor shop and it's about the
size of a pair of socks when it's stuffed into it's carrying bag.

It's great as a sleepsack or a sleeping bag liner. If you're going to tropical
climates then the silk will be nice and cool and it's all you'll need.

Have a great trip.

db

"Robin Goodfellow" <[email protected]> writes:

    >I am heading of on Sunday for a month, I will be staying in hostels for the entire
    >duration and was wondering if I will really need to buy a sleep sheet. I bought a
    >light weight 2 season sleeping bag but on reading an article on hostels.com I have
    >discovered that a lot of hostels won't even let me use this on their beds.

Robin, "official" Youth Hostels (members of the IYHA where you need a membership
card) in all countries require you to bring your own sheets or to rent one there.
They don't allow regular sleeping bags for reasons of hygiene.

Non-IYHA hostels are probably different, I guess sheets are included with most stays.

Regards
--
[email protected][email protected]+http://www.snafu.de/~wolfi/+IRC:wolfi

feel the rain like an english summer

Me too. It packs up tiny.

BC

"Danny Blue" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Don't make a sleep sack from sheets because it will be bulky and heavy.
    >
    > I bought a super lightweight silk sleepsack from an outdoor shop and it's about the
    > size of a pair of socks when it's stuffed into it's carrying
bag.
    >
    > It's great as a sleepsack or a sleeping bag liner. If you're going to tropical
    > climates then the silk will be nice and cool and it's all you'll need.
    >
    > Have a great trip.
    >
    > db

"Robin Goodfellow" <[email protected]> writes:

    >To be totally honest I have no idea at all what I am talking about !!!

It's a regular bed linen sewn in the shape of a sleeping bag. A "bag" on the top end
to stuff the pillow in, and a large bag at the bottom end to stuff yourself in .
You could sew one yourself from any cotton sheet you might have lying around and
they'd accept that. Buying one at a caming shop is probably easier though.

Regards

--
[email protected][email protected]+http://www.snafu.de/~wolfi/+IRC:wolfi

feel the rain like an english summer

Just use a duvet cover. Or you can try this link;

http://www.ellis-brigham.co.uk

BC

"Barbara Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    >
    >
    > Robin Goodfellow wrote:
    > >
    > > To be totally honest I have no idea at all what I am talking about !!!
I
    > > have just read that if you don't bring your own "sleep sheet" then you
have
    > > to hire it from the hostel, as I am going to be spending about 30 nights
in
    > > hostels I was thinking it would probably work out less expensive to just bring
    > > one with me.
    >
    > Over 15 years ago, when I was living in the Netherlands, I made three sleep sacks
    > in about an hour by folding three old sheets in half and sewing them up along the
    > bottom and sides (not all the way up, as it's easier to get in and out if you only
    > sew them halfway up). I sewed them by hand using really big stitches, as I assumed
    > they only had to last for 2 weeks. Actually, they lasted for years, and I'm still
    > using one.
    >
    > Barbara

Robin Goodfellow wrote:
    >
    > To be totally honest I have no idea at all what I am talking about !!! I have just
    > read that if you don't bring your own "sleep sheet" then you have to hire it from
    > the hostel, as I am going to be spending about 30 nights in hostels I was thinking
    > it would probably work out less expensive to just bring one with me.

You mean hostels don't even provide BEDDING? Where's the saving if you have to drag
all that kind of stuff with you? (Give me a nice, clean hotel, anytime - even if the
bathroom's "down the hall"!)