Rating: | 8.4 / 10 |
Weight | 1.5 / 2 |
Value for Money | 1.7 / 2 |
Durability | 1.7 / 2 |
Warmth | 1.7 / 2 |
Versatility | 1.8 / 2 |
Over the past few months I have been testing out this sleeping bag in a variety of conditions and while I usually prefer a more technical bag that is extremely lightweight and packs down to almost nothing. The only problem with technical bags is that they work well for the conditions that they are designed for but they aren’t very versatile.
If you only ever want you own one sleeping bag you need one with plenty of features that allows a great deal of versatility in a wide range of conditions. The Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag can best be described as an all purpose bag for when you only want one bag.
First up this is the large, rather than the standard size bag. The standard size bag will suit the average hiker. The large size is designed to suit the larger hiker given the bag length is 230cm long (7.5 feet). I wouldn’t want to stretch this bag to the limit but if you are a very tall hiker then this bag is for you. I have size 15US feet so there is plenty of room in the toe box without having to jam your feet in. There is also plenty of width in the chest and hip area so you won’t feel cramped (see image below).
Feature wise this bag has plenty. Excellent zip and neck baffles to reduce airflow. Clips at the top of the bag to keep it closed, zips on both sides of the bag – the left side zip is designed for ventilation whereas the right side zip goes almost the full length of the bag which allows plenty of ventilation if it’s getting a bit hot. There is also a foot box zip to allow for additional ventilation and as Macpac suggests to allow you to walk around while still in the sleeping bag. Other features include a phone pocket to keep the phone warm at night which maintains battery power.
In addition this bag has a couple of other features that from my perspective are less than useful. These are that this bag can zip to another Azure bag if you feel so inclined as well as elastic straps designed to keep the bag in place on your sleeping pad. I am a very restless sleeper changing position all through the night so neither of these features are ever going to be something I am likely to use but you may.
This bag comes in a dull red colour (Sun Dried Tomato) as well as a blue (Poseidon). The blue seems to be the more readily available colour. I must admit when I received this bag for test I was confused by the reddish colour as with a name like ‘Azure’ I expected it to be blue. The other confusing marketing feature is the name of Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag which I expected meant that it contained 500 loft down but instead it actually uses 700 loft down. I’m guessing that reflects the warmth of the bag which will keep the average man warm down to -6°C which is going to suit most hikers in Australia for all but the most extreme temperatures. If a female is using this bag the comfort rating is 0°C.
For me this bag is a bit of a unicorn and if you only ever want to purchase one bag then this is a good candidate. If you are more ‘average’ in size you may want to look at the standard bag rather than the large size but if however you are a ‘big unit’ then the large size bag is a great option.
You can purchase the Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag from Macpac
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AUD $729.99 RRP. Keep an eye out for the regular sales that occur and you may get a great deal
Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag Poseidon colour
Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag Sun Dried Tomato colour
Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag zip open showing hood
Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag show toe box
Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag showing sleeping bag straps
Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag showing sleeping bag in storage sack
Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag showing sleeping bag in stuff sack compared to 1 litre water bottle
Macpac Large Azure 500 Down Sleeping Bag – the facts
This review was done with product provided by Macpac for testing
7 July 2024