The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Need to update some of the camping gear, and this time thinking maybe a swag too?
so anyone here use them, and how do you find them in use?
any recommendations? there sure is a heap of manufacturers of em.
some are fairly bulky to fit in a Subaru tho......
Thanks

Wilbur would be the one to ask about swags as he uses his all the time and had no trouble with it when he was driving his RX

not a fan, personally. a little claustrophobic for my liking.


but, some info into what i have
pics:







some more specs...here

the website shows pictures of and specifies stats from the older model.
I have the newer model, which features side windows, synthetic ripstop material and a couple of other minor bits and pieces.

according to the site, it weighs 18kg, but using some bathroom scales, the weight is closer to 20kg. This does include the heavy duty carry bag, telescopic poles (for awning) and heavy duty tent pegs (the fattest ive seen in a while!! quite generous amount of pegs too, i managed to lay a tarp down as an extra bit of ground protection, the tent on top of that, all the guy ropes, and even lend four pegs to my mate, and still manage to have about six left over!

the only qualm i have with this tent is this - packed in its bag, its 2 metres long. It did fit inside the old sooby though, i always had the rear seats folded down. it only just stuck out a tiny bit past the two front seats, but not enough for it to bother me. Was easy to pack around it also.

Sure, the price wasn't exactly at the cheapest - $899 putting it into the more expensive side of the spectrum of tents, but with anything....you get what you pay for



alex

Smoov,

Love that car....

Where are u camping there, looks nice and green. I hope that XXXX beer was just a box u picked up for garbage. Or were u in QLD, that would be ok i supose. Whats that saying about Rome...

Fred - Not sure about your area, but my local Boots Outdoors has a good selection of swags. From my own knowlege of them, they range from a ground sheet and a cover that u slip youself and a sleeping bag into to a fully enclosed hooded and flyscreened & poled minature tent. Prices as Smoov state can be cheap to rather expensive for the top of the line (durable and will outlast u) units.

That caravan & camping show a few months ago would be the pick of the places to learn about whats out there. Might be work looking when the next one is before u buy if you are not ready to buy yet. Might be another alternative that suites all of your needs, could be worth looking at if you have not already done so.

Smokey.

I only recently bought a tent, but I use my swag alot more. You want to get onto Mr Swagmans website http://www.mrswagman.com.au/ I use one similar to this http://www.mrswagman.com.au/economy-mitchell.shtml and couldn't be happyer. It used to fit on tht back seat of the rx with a 50L icebox beside that. Just make sure you use a good waterproofer for canvas. Other people just soak them in water but I've never been wet with it properly errected. That includes some decent rain.

just to complete this thread...bit of a review on the swag i got, had it for a year now, no regrets really....


easy to set up, just minutes actually.
comfy too, for a 72kg fellow like me, as good as mattress at home.
keeps dry inside from rain
durable canvass

cons - well its canvas, at rolling it back up is bit of an effort, especially if still a bit wet.
and......the amount of room it takes up in your subaru....this is probably the
main problem for us Subaru owners.....




the swag is from the burke&wills range - made here in Australia,
better than those cheapo imports

if u do decide to buy a swag, make sure its Aussi made because they are MUCH better quality than non-aussi made ones. mine isnt aussi made and its ok but i would much rather a aussi one. they are just better.

A swag was one of my best investments You can take it anywhere just incase you do stay out, get stuck etc plus their to easy to use even when drunk you can still manage to undo two clips and give it a kick then its done a cosy nights sleep and also improves the rating of your sleeping bag. Personally I prefer one that you dont have to a frame when you don't want to. But make sure you get one with a mozzie net!

yer ive got a swag from OZ trail, goes real well, has three dome poles in it so its super roomy, mozzie net and rolls up pretty small.

sarmajor thick canvas just the basics nothing to go wrong