ARB SkyDome Series II single swag and bag review

I’ve been sleeping in a wide variety of swags for so long it’s hard to remember when I first caught my slumber in a bed roll protected by canvas.

Since then swags have been improved and been upgraded, and I’ve long-since graduated to a dome shaped tent-like swag, and when my previous Aussie-made swag required replacement, I borrowed my son’s ARB swag to check it out.

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Impressed, I went out and picked ARB’s latest Skydome Series II Single Swag, grabbing a Swag Bag at the same time and throwing both into the Hilux before heading out into the desert for five weeks.

Now let’s get the elephant out of the room quickly. Yep, these swags and bags are made in China, but if China can launch rockets to the moon it can certainly make a good quality swag and bag, and there’s no doubt both the ARB swag and bag are up at the top end of the quality stakes, no matter how you measure it.

JUMP AHEAD

• Swag bag
• SkyDome swag
• Specs & Pricing

The swag bag

The bag itself is available in two sizes, small and large, with the small one being suitable for the swag I wanted to protect.

The outer shell of the Swag Bag is made from tough Oxford weave PU-coated fabric while all seams are heat sealed and taped to ensure protection from rain and dust.

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The large top opening features a roll-up closure with straps and buckles to create a good seal from dust and water ingress, as long as you don’t try and stuff too much into the bag – there are no zips or velcro to help seal this top opening so you need to ensure that the roll-up is secure.

There are grab handles at each end and a removable shoulder strap which I quickly gave the heave-ho. All in all, the bag is extremely durable, ensuring its contents remain clean and dry.

The swag

The ARB SkyDome Swag comes in single and double configurations but with Viv insisting she has already spent way too much time in a swag, I opted for a single swag for my solitary travels.

When fully erected the swag is very roomy, measuring 2150mm long by 1400mm wide, and having a height at the head and shoulder end of 800mm, meaning most people would be able to sit up without any issues. Foot height is 450mm, and there are plenty of storage options inside with four internal storage pockets, as well as two hanging hooks and a torch holder.

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For sleeping comfort there is a 75mm thick high-density foam mattress featuring anti-microbial treatment with a machine washable cover.

The all-important material for the top of the swag is heavy duty 500gsm water and rot-proofed canvas, fully tested to meet Australian standards. The 970gsm PVC base with its 75mm high-tub design offers excellent protection against water ingress, just in case your swag ends up in a big puddle of water – not unknown when camping in our outback. As a second defence, corners are welded and sealed and PVC anchor tabs are used to prevent water wicking through the seams.

All doors and windows feature excellent YKK zips, while a rain gutter is integrated into the main entry door to inhibit water ingress. The sewing on all seams is first class ensuring the best possible wear and tear characteristics. The swag also features additional canvas flaps and insect-proof mesh in the roof zone and at each end, helping enhance airflow for increased comfort on those warmer nights.

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Durable, elasticised 11mm aluminium bows (way better than fibreglass bows) keep the swag upright and taught. However, having three bows and two lengthwise support struts means the swag is a little slower (say a minute or so) to erect and pull down than others with just two bows and one lengthwise pole.

But the room inside the swag and its ability to withstand the elements when in the wild makes the extra support and time to erect well worthwhile. All up weight of the swag (without sleeping gear) is 10.5kg.

Like any canvas product you are strongly advised to wet the swag down before you use it, so I duly erected it and then hosed it down thoroughly before leaving on my trip. This ensures all sewing and seams have the thread swell to fill each and every sewing hole.

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Throughout our ensuing five week trip, even though it was cold and wet on a few nights, I had no issue with water ingress.

On this latest trip I set the swag up on my old camp stretcher (ARB has its own) and while there are flaps at each end you can open to allow more airflow, it was so cold on our trip (below freezing on a few nights) opening any flap was not an option. Still, they can be fully opened or partly opened with guy ropes to hold them in place if need be – I didn’t!

I’m impressed with this swag and I reckon it’s one of the best available on the Aussie market. It’s roomy and comfortable and proved to be wind and waterproof.

Its top quality materials – canvas, tub, zips and mesh – point to a long and durable life and I look forward to many years of travelling and sleeping in it.

Specs

• Weight: 10.5kg
• Length: 2150mm
• Width: 1400mm
• Height (head and shoulder): 800mm
• Height (feet): 450mm
• Mattress: 75mm thick high-density foam

Pricing

• Single swag: $549
• Double swag: $699
• Single bag: $159
• Double bag: $189