Lining
A lining is a separate inner fabric hanging inside a jacket, distinct from a bonded backer, which is part of the fabric itself.
Its job is comfort against skin and hiding the membrane or coating. It adds weight and packed volume, which is why the lightest shells do without one.
Lining, backer, or print
- Hanging liner: a separate fabric, used in 2-layer builds and most insulated jackets. Comfortable, bulky, and it flaps.
- Bonded backer: a knit layer laminated to the membrane in 3-layer builds. Most durable, behaves as one fabric.
- Printed protection: a sprayed pattern in 2.5-layer builds. Lightest, and can feel tacky against bare skin.
These are three answers to the same problem, at three weights and prices. See 2-layer, 2.5-layer and 3-layer shells.
Why it matters for travel
An unlined membrane against bare arms in warm weather is genuinely unpleasant, which is a real argument for accepting the volume penalty on a jacket you will wear rather than stash. It also affects how the garment looks, since a lined jacket hangs more like a coat.
VEAR's construction
The VEAR Jacket lists a 100% nylon lining and a second 100% polyester lining alongside its 100% polyester shell, so it is a lined garment rather than an ultralight. That is a deliberate comfort choice and it costs packed volume.
Related terms
- 2-layer, 2.5-layer and 3-layer shells: how linings fit the builds
- Face fabric: the layer on the other side
- Packable vs structured travel jackets: what the lining costs in volume
- Glossary: all terms