The palace of all swags

Great swag

Really good quality tough canvas, had some great sleeps in it thanks to the comfy mattress and how dark it stays all zipped up, making the morning sleep ins a lot easier. I paired it with an oztent rs-1s stretcher and it fits perfectly.

Great SWAG

Picked up a couple of Ridgedome swags from snowys. There were no instructions/manual included, however assembly is relatively straightforward and quick. As the unit slopes from head to feet, the three poles are slightly different length. We have marked the poles for easy identification in future. The SWAG has lots of room and accommodates my big build (6'4") comfortably. A 70mm mattress is included which is comfortable on most surfaces. There is a loop at the head end with plastic ring (I assume for hanging a small light). There are also two pockets for valuables (wallets/mobile phones etc) on either side underneath the windows. The windows on either side have zips from top to bottom, however they cannot be zipped across the bottom. This allows some minor ventilation for condensation. There is also a window on the inside at the foot end which can be opened for ventilation and is protected on the outside via the storm cover. The head end fly (on the inside) can be zipped down for a third entry or to close the canvas from inside the swag. Given the premium nature of the swag I was disappointed a storage bag was not included. I highly recommend you assess the Ridgedome swag if you are considering purchasing a SWAG

Raising the Stakes

On this trip I am trying out the Darche XL100 stretcher with my Ridgedome King Single swag (best swag I have ever bought). I wanted to see if the set up and pack up of the swag could be done without getting down and dirty, if my sleep improved and if I was more comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, I love sleeping on the ground and the comfort the 70mm mattress provides as well as the speed of set up and pack up, but sometimes a change is as good as a holiday (which reminds me I need a holiday). So far I have used this set up three nights and I am happy with what I was looking for. The XL100 is simple to erect and pack up and the Ridgedome swag fits perfectly lengthways and hangs over 5mm each side, perfect if it rains as the water runs off instead of pooling on the stretcher. The comfort is fairly good with no side to side movement and only a little amount of movement end to end. It is a “softer” sleep but I do tend to always end up in the middle as the stretcher dips. I am able to roll up my swag on the stretcher so that saves my back and my knees. It will be interesting to see how much the stretcher material stretches over time and also the strength of the seams. I will keep you posted. Glenn Marshall Travel Writer, Photographer, Adventurer

Darche Ridgedome - Best swag ever!