The Macpac Express is an extremely light, three-season sleeping bag. I used the bag during a kayak and camping trip to Pigeon Island in Lake Wakatipu and in Te Anau autumnal conditions.

At just 830g, it was no surprise to see the bag packed down into a small, easily-packable bundle. It comes with its own dry bag stuff sac, making it perfect for kayaking or wet tramping. It’s a great innovation, and one I haven’t seen before.

The 400g of down is evenly distributed and fluffed up to a light cloud after a couple of shakes, showing the benefit of the 800+ loft. I was comfortably warm despite the cool 6oC air temperature and the bag’s comfort rating of 2°C.

The Express is a tapered mummy shape with enough room to roll over and not feel too claustrophobic around your feet. It comes in different lengths, with left or right zips in case you are inclined to zip up with someone-else. I managed to get the zip caught in the casing in the dark but this is preventable with a bit of care. The bag can also open at the foot for cooling purposes.

The Pertex fabric is light but tightly woven and there was no sign of down leakage during my testing. The hood includes a drawcord which pulls in snuggly. Macpac has provided two loops to allow you to hang the bag to air.

This is an expensive bag, but it hits the mark between weight, volume and warmth.

– Beth Masser