Quality Sleeping bag and swag

I recently bought a cold mountain bag. I have not yet had the opportunity to test it at very low temperature but the quality of manufacture is excellent

Mate I just got back from camping out on the Murray River for 3 nights. Mind you each night was around 1 to 3 degrees C. I was camping in a tent, not a campertrailer. It would get so cold at night that it felt like the cold air was flowing down onto my face making it numb. I can't say much for Darche sleeping bags, but I can swear by my Black Wolf -10 sleeping bag. I only had shorts and a tshirt on too. The only thing cold was my face, which was exposed. I'd recommend sleeping with an additional beanie or balaclava. After all, you do lose 30% of your bodyheat through your head!

Cheers,
Will

G'day Dave
We have been using swags for the last 15 or so years.
They are not the perfect solution to sleeping accommodation. I guess that doesn't realy exist just like the perfect boat.
We have ones that are locally made in our area by a saddler. They don't have any zips & have press studs instead. This leaves nothing to break when you don't want it too.
We once had one with a zip which, as all zips do, failed while on tour. It was a narrow useless thing with a short top flap & short in overall length.
You want a swag to take a 7 foot long x 3 foot wide x 4 inch mattress, plus sheets, good pillow, a thick sleeping bag & a mossie net & still be able to roll up.
The top flap has to go over the top of you & clip in & still be loose enough so you can move around under it without the clips coming undone. That is important.
It also has to be for a tall person. 2.1 metres long & once again the top flap has to have 10 or 12 inches overlap at your head & feet. This flap is the thing that keeps the rain out. If it doesn't have overhang the water will run back in.
Now this is going to set you back a few hundred dollars without a mattress if you buy a decent one.
Another alternative is to buy a quality 12 x 12 canvas tarp. Just lay it out flat on the floor & roll your bedding up in that all folded up neat. That is about the most practical & cost effective swag out there.
When not in use at home you have to unroll the swag & let the mattress expand. If you don't do this you compress it & it won't last 12 months. That is the other reason it is best to get a full size mattress. You can store it in a bed.
The swag I use is over 15 years old & I would have well over a years worth of nights sleeping up on it. It still has a fair few nights left in it though she is getting thin. Now days I waterproof it about once a year but I sleep under a tarp if it looks like rain.
Good luck hunting one down.
Fatso

hi David c2.
yes i own one it is rated at -3d and i must admit most nights it is unzipped and used as a blanket, the mistake i made when buying it was getting one that looked like a" mummy" if i was buying another one it would be a larger size, also i do sleep in a swag but most nights now the swag is in a tent i just can't pick those dewy nights, and to answer your question the -10 would be ideal cheers for now bill.

David,

I have 2 swags a smaller one made by a local canvas maker which is fine for in a tent or the back of a car, my biggest issue is lack of room or having canvas over my face, I feel like I cant breathe.

So I went and bought a burke & wills simpson swag, not cheap, and takes a little extra to put up with the hoops at your head and feet but the canvas is off you and plenty of room. The swag has a full inner fly so I have slept in it just under the fly looking at the stars 3 feet from the river.

Again I have 2 sleeping bags one rated to -5C again I hate being tied up or restricted so I have a jumbo size and I also went for flannette interior for warmth. The second bag again is over sized but a +5C bag both are trailmaster brand.

Best piece of advice I can give is to make sure that the bag and swag open up on the same side

:)

Hello David,

I spent a very cold month at Innamincka about six years ago and as soon as I got home I bought a -5/-10 sleeping bag with a hood. The next year at Innamincka I was ready for the cold. Unfortunately it was a lot warmer and I boiled every night. I ended up getting bitten alive by mosquitoes because I had to open up the swag and sleeping bag. Sooo.. I decided to get an enclosed swag. The ones with hoops each end and a mosquito net built in. I get teased by the traditional swaggers but I can unzip the outer canvas cover and each end if required and keep cool/warm and mosquito free. My swag is a "The Jolly Swag - Shiralee" and it cost about $400.00. I have added another mattress, an egg shell underlay and a woollen underlay and I sleep very comfortably every night. I spent three months in it last year and am just about to head off for another two months of joy.

Ideally it would be nice to have a selection of sleeping bags to cope with different temperatures but storage space means a choice has to be made.

Regards,
Bob

Dave

here is a reply to a question just done



Depends really
Mate has the "rolls Royce" of swags
click here



My own swag is A bourke & Wills Warratah, 12 years old and good too.
http://www.burkewills.outfitters.com.au/products/swags.html#swag_2
I also have a hi density foam, waterproof matt, brought from Clarke rubber, as a ground matt. A little bit of extra comfort for these older bones, and helps protect the PVC base.
I re-waterproofed it, 2-3 years back, with some stuff they do horse rugs with. Just brilliant.


I always get "-10c" rating, sleeping bags, from a good camping supplier.
Costs a little more, but you will not regret it.

Cheers
Bucky

Hi Dave,

I am a person that feels the cold very easily! I bought my 1degree sleeping bag from Anaconda and it their home brand "Spinifex". As mentioned above, I got the extra large so there is room to move and it also has a hood.

A recent trip away saw the temps get to -1 with smoke coming out of our mouths in the morning but I was toasty warm! I have a tent so it's not used inside a van or anything. I have had it for about 2 years now and would recommend.

cheers,

Hi Dave ,
Not sure if you ended up picking up a Darche Cold mountain sleeping bag, but just thought i would let you know that i have had one for a year now and they are great bags .
Plenty of room and damn warm , I have used it in the Vic high Country at temps around -2 and ended up unzipping it , can be also used as a huge doona ..
I suppose any thing Darche produce is great quality , thats what they are known for ..
Good luck and keep warm