Tested: Darche Dirty Dee 1400 swag

I recently bought this swag from my mates at Advanced Installation Service in Sydney, because I needed a bigger swag to fit in my wife and our nugget of a Staffy on camping trips.

I was seriously looking at rooftop tents, however the idea of lugging a 22kg dog up a ladder wasn’t terribly appealing.

My wife put my quest to rest with one simple sentence: “There’s nothing wrong with sleeping in a swag.” She’s right, we’ve been spoiled for the last four years sleeping out of my Hilux camper, but it was time to set that free and go back to a simpler set-up.

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Why did I choose the 1400 Dirty Dee? There are a few reasons, namely the large amount of space offered. This swag is the largest in the Darche range and measures in at 2150mm long by 1400mm wide.

I’ve owned a smaller Darche Dusk To Dawn swag for six or so years, and have had nothing but good times with it. The only issue in all that time is that one of the clips used to secure the swag when rolled up snapped, so I just tied a knot in it. It’s been everywhere from the Vic High Country, the Blue Mountains and every beach you can camp on in NSW.

Another reason I went this way is that I asked mates of mine, who basically travel full-time for work, what swags they use. Darche seemed to keep popping up as a solid option that, while not cheap – retailing at $659 – offers great bang for buck. I’ll have this swag for the next ten years, if not more.

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The swag’s design is what sealed the deal, though. The vertical walls provide more space inside, and there’s plenty of headroom, both of which are important. I also really like the ease of set up; once you get the three flexible poles clipped in place, you simply add two spreader bars the length of the swag, and you’re done.

The mattress will probably get turfed for a self-inflating unit down the track, but all-in-all I’m happy with how the swag comes from the factory. The storage bag is a decent size too, and I had no issues rolling the swag up and putting it back in on my own – but it would be much easier with the help of another person.

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Any negatives? Well, it’s a big swag (which I wanted) and rather heavy, tipping the scales at 15kg. So, if my wife and dog aren’t coming along, I’ll probably stick with my smaller swag unless I feel like camping in luxury – with so much internal space, this is nearly a canvas tent.

I’ll keep you up to date with how the Dirty Dee swag performs, especially in the cooler months. Just a note: This isn’t a sponsored piece, I purchased it with my own money. So if it’s not up-to-task, I’d be sending it back – something I have no intention of doing.

AVAILABLE FROM: www.darche.com.au
RRP: $659