I have been using a Pioneer Tent from Outback Swags for a couple of months now and love it. I did a review of it for the Blog @Blkwgn_wyfee and I do at FamilyOffTheMap.com Since the review I have gotten more time with it, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 nights. I am posting the entire blog below and will follow up with a few updates.
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Swagging across the country with Outback Swags
So what is Swagging?
Swagging is to travel with one's personal belongings in a bundle, and that is what I did from New Jersey to Southern California with my Outback Swags Pioneer Tent keeping me comfortable all the way.
Photograph of a swagman, c. 1901
Swag tents are not very common here in the US, but have a long history in the Australian outback. Swagmen were primarily transient workers who traveled the outback in search of work, carrying their shelter and belongings rolled on their backs. Traditionally the swag was little more than a bedroll.
Luckily for me, I did not have to carry my kit on my back, I had a Subaru Outback to do the work for me.
The Subie
The mission was to pick up the car in New Jersey and see some of what the country has to offer while camping my way back to California. The Pioneer Swag was shipped to NJ where I was to fly in and meet it. I wanted to take a test run at setting it up, but it is such a simple design it really was not needed.
First night along a creek in PA.
The first night in the swag was a warm and humid night (as most on this trip would end up being) so it was great to be able to have the top open to allow airflow but when it started to rain in the middle of the night it was easy to just reach up and close the top. Along with the No-see-um mesh being great for ventilation it also allows great views of the stars.
The full no-see-um mesh top allows great views of the stars floating above Rabbit Valley CO.
Passing through the midwest brought some wild weather with substantial winds, rain, and even a few nearby tornados. While my tarp and jetboil struggled to keep me dry and warm my dinner, the 12oz ripstop canvas of the Pioneer Swag shrugged the weather off like nothing. I was unable to get a picture during the night so you will just have to settle for this post-storm sunrise along the Missouri River.
On the banks of the Missouri River in South Dakota
When deployed it is 7 feet long and 36 inches wide, giving more than enough room for my sleeping bag, along with space for the next day's clothes without feeling crowded There are also two pockets, one on each side that help to keep smaller gear like my book, a water bottle, headlamp and car keys out of the way but easy to find.
Since your sleeping bag and pillow stay inside the swag, set up is quick and simple.
Animation courtesy of Outback Swags
Simply unroll the swag, clip the poles, and guy the ends. That's it. The straps are sewn to the foot of the tent, so they don't get lost and are right where you need them when you roll it back up. At the head of the tent there is a long narrow pocket to store the poles, but I found there was no need to remove them from their position, just pop the ends out and roll it up with them in place.
Now my biggest complaint with most tents is that they are almost impossible to get back into their storage bags. The bag for the Pioneer Tent is the perfect fit. Big enough that you can get the swag in easily, but not so big that there is wasted material.
Pioneer tent with pad, Sierra Designs 30 degree sleeping bag, and Hyperlight pillow rolled and stored in the bag.
Since this road trip I have had 3 more nights in the swag, and the more I use it, the more I enjoy it. There are a couple of things I would like to see in future versions though. When I got the rain in PA, it was still nearly 80 degrees with almost no wind. It would have been nice to have a window similar to what is on the head of the tent at the foot to give a little extra airflow with the top closed. I would also like to see a second zipper pull on the bag. I like to be able to pull from both ends of the zipper and meet in the middle when closed. It seems easier to get the zippers closed when they are done this way, and gives you a backup if one of the zippers should fail.
The gravel was deceptive, solid rock was hidden below at my camp in WY, but the Subie rim worked perfect.
Rabbit Valley, CO.
Mmmm Big Bear Coffee Roasters
Corned beef hash on the Skottle in Angelus Oaks, Ca
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Swagging across the country with Outback Swags
So what is Swagging?
Swagging is to travel with one's personal belongings in a bundle, and that is what I did from New Jersey to Southern California with my Outback Swags Pioneer Tent keeping me comfortable all the way.
Photograph of a swagman, c. 1901
Swag tents are not very common here in the US, but have a long history in the Australian outback. Swagmen were primarily transient workers who traveled the outback in search of work, carrying their shelter and belongings rolled on their backs. Traditionally the swag was little more than a bedroll.
Luckily for me, I did not have to carry my kit on my back, I had a Subaru Outback to do the work for me.
The Subie
First night along a creek in PA.
The first night in the swag was a warm and humid night (as most on this trip would end up being) so it was great to be able to have the top open to allow airflow but when it started to rain in the middle of the night it was easy to just reach up and close the top. Along with the No-see-um mesh being great for ventilation it also allows great views of the stars.
The full no-see-um mesh top allows great views of the stars floating above Rabbit Valley CO.
Passing through the midwest brought some wild weather with substantial winds, rain, and even a few nearby tornados. While my tarp and jetboil struggled to keep me dry and warm my dinner, the 12oz ripstop canvas of the Pioneer Swag shrugged the weather off like nothing. I was unable to get a picture during the night so you will just have to settle for this post-storm sunrise along the Missouri River.
On the banks of the Missouri River in South Dakota
When deployed it is 7 feet long and 36 inches wide, giving more than enough room for my sleeping bag, along with space for the next day's clothes without feeling crowded There are also two pockets, one on each side that help to keep smaller gear like my book, a water bottle, headlamp and car keys out of the way but easy to find.
Since your sleeping bag and pillow stay inside the swag, set up is quick and simple.
Animation courtesy of Outback Swags
Now my biggest complaint with most tents is that they are almost impossible to get back into their storage bags. The bag for the Pioneer Tent is the perfect fit. Big enough that you can get the swag in easily, but not so big that there is wasted material.
Pioneer tent with pad, Sierra Designs 30 degree sleeping bag, and Hyperlight pillow rolled and stored in the bag.
Since this road trip I have had 3 more nights in the swag, and the more I use it, the more I enjoy it. There are a couple of things I would like to see in future versions though. When I got the rain in PA, it was still nearly 80 degrees with almost no wind. It would have been nice to have a window similar to what is on the head of the tent at the foot to give a little extra airflow with the top closed. I would also like to see a second zipper pull on the bag. I like to be able to pull from both ends of the zipper and meet in the middle when closed. It seems easier to get the zippers closed when they are done this way, and gives you a backup if one of the zippers should fail.
The gravel was deceptive, solid rock was hidden below at my camp in WY, but the Subie rim worked perfect.
Rabbit Valley, CO.
Mmmm Big Bear Coffee Roasters
Corned beef hash on the Skottle in Angelus Oaks, Ca
