Malachowski 300 Ultralight Gear Review

[frenchy_84]

I have been supplied a Malachowski 300 Ultralight sleeping bag from Kasia at Globewalker free of charge for the purpose of a product review. This first post will be more a first impressions post rather than a comprehensive review which I will update as I get further use from the bag. Unfortunately due to freight delays I have had only one weekend to test the bag, missing the cold snap we had a fortnight ago which would have really been a test of the bags credentials. Last weekend I was able to take it out for a Saturday night but due to no fault of its own I had one of the worst nights sleep possible so at the moment I haven’t had a chance to get a full appreciation of the bags ability. During the night of the first test I had a flu which resulted in a fever during my sleep, where I would wake up freezing yet still be sweating profusely, and then later on in the night when I was feeling slightly better, my exped sleeping mat did what expeds do best and deflate, so without any proper insulation underneath me the rest of the night was rather cold. Under these circumstances I don’t think its fair to judge the bag yet so I will stick to my first impressions.

The 300 ultralight retails for $420 from Globewalker (Bushwalk.com members do get a discount from Globewalker) which is attractively priced when you consider that the similar spec Western Mountainering Summerlite bag (300g vs 275g goose down, 590g vs 525g total weight) which can be found online via Australian retailers for $585. Yet it does not appear to be cheaply constructed, the bag has a well built feel to it and while parts of the bag highlight it light weight credentials they still appear to be of a high quality.

The manufacturer claim a comfort temperate rating of +4 to -6 degrees. I spent the night at a campsite approx 700m ASL, in nearby Strathgordon (4oom lower elevation) the minimum overnight temperature was 6 degrees. I went to sleep with only a silk liner and no thermals and I felt that without everything else that happened that night I would have been perfectly comfortable. However I would imagine that a lot of additional clothing would need to be worn if using the bag at the lower end of its comfort scale.

I chose an extra large bag, as I was on the border between sizes (large and extra large) so decided to err on the larger size as I don’t like the restriction on my shoulders of some bags. And it is huge! If you were 7+ foot you would have no problems fitting in to this bag. I didn’t find the extra space an issue as you have the draw string around the next to close it in around your shoulders to stop warm air escaping, but if you are between sizes you may want to err on the smaller size rather than larger. It also negates some of its ultralight potential as there is extra weight with the extra down. The XL bag weighs in at 800gms including the supplied stuff sack (Globewalker claim a bag weight of 590g for a medium). I do like the shape of the hood as its nice and deep and it doesn’t slip off your head easily.

The 300 Ultralight comes with DWR coating which should provide some water repellence. There were no signs of dampness on the bag after its first night, however I was sleeping in a mesh inner tent so this way change completely after a night in a Nallo with all the extra length of the bag at the bottom of the tent. Due to its lightweight aspirations, the zipper for the bag is also rather lightweight nowhere near as sturdy as a zipper you would expect from OnePlanet etc, yet it still is a YKK zipper, only time will tell if its last the distance.

The bag does come with a little temp gauge which does seem a little gimmicking however comparing it to temps in a room set by a heat pump it did seems relatively accurate. Malachowski is a Polish brand and so the labels come in Polish too. It would be nice if there was an English translation sticker placed over the labels but this is only minor nit picking. It does came with a storage bag which is a nice touch so that the bags are not stored compressed.

Overall I have been impressed with the 300 Ultralight and am looking forward to testing the bag further to see how it handles cold temperatures.

[frenchy_84]

Some more images.

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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416301967.656730.jpg (336.52 KiB) Viewed 3039 times

[kasiapilch]

Thank you for the review Frenchy. I am looking forward for more extreme impressions on the bag
As per the weight of the bag, size XL has got 50g more down to compensate for additional size.
Size L weights 664g together with compression sack.
Cheers, Kasia

[frenchy_84]

As abit of a follow up to the review. I've spent quite a few nights in this bag over spring and summer and it is a great bag. It's become my go to bag and will be used for everything but the coldest forecast. Every night spent in the bag has been warm enough wearing nothing but a silk liner. So I'm quite confident that with wearing thermals and other camp clothes then it will be able manage 0 deg and slightly below temperatures. The bag shows no evidence of wear and tear.