Coolabah Swag Bag Video and Written Review
 

So I've been at the camera again and after the simple tents guide I was really taken by the rather large, but also rather small ;-) Coolabah Swag bag... I've made a short video review and written a rather more detailed review too :-)



Coolabah Swag Bag

Choosing a tent to take overland is never an easy task, do you go for weight? What about material? Cost? All very important questions, but ultimately I think it boils down to how you work with the tent and how it works for you in return.

I know, slightly strange to be talking about forming some sort of bond with something as silly as a tent, but after all this small, insubstantial shelter is going to be your home for the next goodness knows how long, why not take some care in what you chose? Why not take into account how you feel about your home?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2027/...e4ceb234_m.jpg

With that in mind may I introduce the first tent that has made me feel something about how it’s put together - the Coolabah swag bag from Burke and Wills - distributed in this country by The AussieShop

It’s completely made of canvas, both it’s best and worst point. I remember when I was a kid camping with my dad, a massive six person tent that took up the entire rear of the car, and took about a week to put up. It smelt bad when it rained, if it rained for more than a couple of hours you’d get a fine mist working its way through the material. But it seems even with the oldest tent material in the world we can have a bit of an update.

I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is, but it’s more ‘waxy’ and even though I’m yet to test it in the wet I can quite believe the claim from Burke and Wills that once it’s been wet, the seams expand and it’ll deal with everything but the worst of the weather. They suggest before you use it you take it out and give it a good hosing. Makes sense.

It’s certainly a ‘choice’, once I’d decided that I didn’t want to take a tent that took a lot of time to put up, and decided that I didn’t need a tent that I could get changed in etc, then the one man options became more sensible, the problems as ever boiled down to how you get in and out when it’s raining and where do you sit if it rains.

I’ve looked at a lot of one and two man tents, but all the modern ones just seem to be far to complicated. I’ve been looking for something that I can pull off the back of the bike un-roll and get in - complete with sleeping mat and bag. With the Coolabah I’ve finally found it. It ships with a foam mattress that frankly I’d be comfortable with as my main bed, but practically it’s just too big and doesn’t roll to a sensible size. I’ve now replaced that with my Exped Downmat (from Traveldri-Plus) and my sleeping bag - it now rolls up to half the size but it’s still fairly wide. If you’re on a narrow bike with no panniers you may struggle to find a way to fit it on. My bike, just like me, is quite wide and with 54 litre panniers on either side this isn’t going to cause me a problem.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3277/...3b248cab_m.jpg

The attention to detail is superb. As you get into the tent through the very accessible top door and put your head on the pillow you notice immediately how well put together it is, how close all the stitching is and how good the material is. I was very impressed when I saw a handy little loop for my torch and a series of pockets just above my shoulder for those little things like phones and glasses. I was slightly concerned about storage for things like my camera, but actually there’s so much room down by your feet that I stowed both my stills and video camera there without noticing them during the night.

There’s enough space inside to comfortably move around during the night and even change your undies and put some trousers on, but putting a top on is a bit difficult and you’ll need to poke your head out to achieve the more space conscious dressing activities.

The design is perfect, rather than the usual crawling into your tent you use a door on the top of the tent, very coffin like. In reality this means you can lie down and look out at the stars, either directly or through the mosquito net before pulling the canvas door over your head for a totally dark night. There is a door at the very end you can crawl through - but frankly - I don’t fit - I do like the fact you can leave the canvas on the end open with the net down however.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2067/...ddcb99c1_m.jpg

In summary, a great tent, very well made and once you’ve pulled out the supplied foam mattress and replaced it with a more sensible version just right for putting up each night very quickly. The only issues are with the size once rolled up - if you can deal with that and can find a sensible way to cover yourself in the rain (think tarp and poles off your bike) then go for it.

coolabah swag bag
 

a tiny tent that packs up enormous, takes longer to put up than my decent sized khyam eiger, is made out of heavy canvas that 'is waterproof once the seams have expanded' and costs a whopping £215?

even "the biker swag" is £125, and its just a bivvy bag.

great video as usual though Matt, keep em comin

nice review matt, but i honestly cannot see many bikers going for this one , it look,s like a huge, and i dare say fairly heavy setup , what with it being made of canvas, also it look,s like there is not a lot of space inside , that,s important when you have to spend a lot of the day inside due to lousy weather . i think i will stick with my trusty old kayam dome tent .
ps ... are you going to do a video review of your new Eeepc ? .

Great review Matt.I think most people outside of Australia miss the point concerning the swag although I can't blame them as we live in "the dry country".If I were to live in a wet climate I would probably not consider the swag either.Easy to erect,easy to pack down,you could'nt ask for more than that after 600kms in the saddle and ready for some rally partying.If you were travelling the world in a wet climate then this is'nt the accomadation your looking for even if it is totally water proof.I own both a tent and swag and I like the choice depending on what I have planned.Anything up to a week and the swag is fine,anything longer and a tent would probably be my best option.Weekend travelling is probably the swags best attributes,arrive at your destinaton,throw the swag down then go exploring or hang out around the fire with your friends,simple.Did you know that you can also get a double swag for you and your loved one to share.I spent a week travelling with a swag and had no problems what so ever.
Nev and A2 ride the High Country - ADVrider

Although on my next trip I took he tent.
Ride To Recovery (Australian High Country) - ADVrider

To summarise,if your looking to throw your "sleeping quarters" down quickly then the swag is hard to beat for the short haul.If your looking for space for the long haul then a tent might be for you.

Cheers
Andrew

Hey guys - yes I know exactly what you mean - all problems I initially had with it until I took it out and just saw how easy it went up, with everything inside.

I'm genuinly not concerned about getting it wet on the trip to Russia more than a couple of times at most, and as I'm crossing fingers that wet will be the exception I'm hoping my little shelter idea (tarp, bike, poles ;-)) will provide somewhere dry where I can sit and keep the worst of the weather off the tent.

I've still got loads of tents to test before I go, but I do have to say how impressed, and surprised I was by the Swag bag - I think it must be a little like Marmite - you either love it or hate it!

Andrew - yes I take your point about how long you're on the road - if things go to plan we'll get to see how it works over four weeks in most of Western Europe and Russia.... (double swag... I don't think Mrs C will like that very much - she much prefers these things she calls 'hotels' I don't understand the concept myself but there you go!)

m

Matt, great video as usual. I enjoy watching MattTV on the HUBB! ha ha. However I think it should only be shown after the 9pm watershed as the "Blair witch" section is still giving me nightmares!!!:eek3:

Surely if you take your sleeping mat and bag out it'll pack really small. What does it look like when packed a seperate items? Although I suppose that defeats the object of it at least the width would be reduced.

you should be on telly matt, i cant think of any programmes on at the moment that do anything like this. i suppose the caravan show does, but we need a caravan show type "bike touring show featuring Mattcbf600"
anyone remember a show on beeb2 called 'no limits'? [phoar jenny powell......] apart from that i remember a certain ray mears starting off here with little 5min skits

Hey thanks guys :thumbup1:

Packed up in sep items is a good idea - I gave it a try last night - but it didn't really work - my sleeping bag is massive, I am a rather large chap! - but the exped (get it from TravelDri Plus) goes down really small. In three sep packages I still couldn't get it into the Ortleb - the problem is the Swag doesn't really fold in half, and I'm trying to avoid folding the canvas.

However, I'm just happy with the pack as it is, it's not wider than the bike and the ability to just roll out my 'home' each night and have it ready to go in under 30 seconds with one peg just sells it to me.

Blair Witch? Me? Thought you'd all like that - there's actually a lot more of it but I cut it to keep the video sub 10 mins.

DAVSATO - thank dude :thumbup1: I really enjoy making the short vids - but I have no ambition to be a TV person - there are much better people at that than me - I'd just be happy to get a format sold into TV which I could produce - now that would be fun! There's a woeful lack of this kind of thing out there right now.... I'm working on a treatment for BBC Four, but I don't hold out much hope... and let's be honest.... I'm no Jenny Powel!

I'm not convinced
 

But if you like it mate...

Looking at the video it seemed to take you about 1.5 minutes of faffing about to get it up. Now admittedly you were on cam and talking, but it still seemed a fairly long time. I can get my two man single pole tent up in about the same time and when it's up I've got a nice porch to sit under in the rain.

So as far as I can see the only perk to the swag is the fact that everything's stuffed inside it, but that makes it big bulky and heavy, and if you have to faff around for a couple of minutes outside anyway I don't see the point.

Nice for a dry climate yes, but not I think as versatile, nor as easy to pack, nor as light as a more conventional tent, mat and bag.

I'm sure it'd be possible to come up with a "EuroSwag" though, which would be somewhere between the two.

going off on a tangent, but bear with me....

anyone read julian may's "many coloured land" sci-fi novels?
theyve got it all sorted out in the future you know, they have an indestructable inflatable material called 'decamole' and you just pull out a pingpong ball sized lump and press a button and in a few mins its a log cabin with built in furniture, or a sailing boat or a bridge.
i cant wait

I know what you mean - I've now decided I'm definitely taking it to Russia with me ...

Looking back at the video - you're quite right - it took me 1.5 mins - didn't feel that long! I'm going to have a little crack at it over the weekend and time how long it takes from pulling up on the bike, to having the tent and mat ready.... perhaps in Derby we could have some tent races! Now that would make good telly.

I'm going to combine the Swag with a basha for those times when it really is wet, which will obviously increase my put up time, but gives me greater flexibility - and allows me to give the bike some measure of protection - in all honesty though - if it really is throwing it down - I suspect we'll be in the local hostel rather than out in the woods... but one has to be prepared. (oh yes - bought this too - Army Issue Poncho from Surplus and Outdoors / Waterproof Clothing)

Euroswag is a really interesting notion though - I was talking to Les over at TravelDri-Plus (go buy things from him, he's amazing) - and he recommended the Tatonka Narvik - it's a small tent, really quick to put up, made from modern materials and packs really small - everything you'd look for in a new tent - but you can't leave your stuff in it and I suspect it doesn't go up as quick as the swag.

But when it comes down to it - like I say in the first part of the review - buying a tent is an incredibly personal choice, much like buying a house - I can't understand for the life of me why some of my friends love their tiny little flats in the centre of London with all the noise and fuss going on around them - but they love it. Me on the other hand? I got as far out of London as I could to a place a near fields as possible.

Can I order one now?

This may be defeating the point but a mate that I often go away with also uses a swag but what he does if the weather is 50/50 is roll his cheap $40 tent up with his swag.Horses for courses I guess.One thing to remember is we have a large choice of swags in Austarlia.

Swags
Mine is fairly light weight compared to some others but that is all I need.I think it cost me $149 on special.

Cheers
Andrew

One perk to the swag though, if you're catching a ferry you can take it on board and just find a quiet corner to doss down in in private.

That said I did that with a 2 Second tent, but they're a bit hard to transport on a bike I think.

Funnily enough Stace is taking one of the 2 second jobs to Russia - it doesn't quite fit properly on the bike but he's found a way to fix it securely without it looking like an early warning radar aircraft.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/226/4...37cc21c340.jpg

We've just booked the ferries over to Holland - and because we're on the overnight crossing they've made us have a cabin - wont let you dos down in the corridors any more :( we weren't counting on that and it's hit the budget slightly.

Andrew - yes that's quite a range! The AussieShop here in the UK seem to be the only people stocking the Burke and Wills kit which seem fantastic. I'm totally sold on the idea and I'm pretty sure it's going to prove itself on the trip to Russia.

id be interested how stace has put it on his bike, ive got a quechuo 2sec tent and its not that bad a tent but packs up into too awkward a shape to carry easily

Another video there then.
 

Go on Matt, give us the 2" Tent video, but you have to pack it without practising beforehand, just following the instructions given. Maybe it's my warped sense of humour, but I found watching fuzzy-headed people try and fold these up immensely funny last year at the local rock festival.

And back to swags: I'm wondering how they are to pack when wet? I would have thought rolling everything inside a heavy wet canvas bag would have been a)very heavy and b) a recipe for a wet sleeping bag.

Does anyone know if they're made in anything other than canvas? I can see why canvas is great in the Australian climate, but for the northern-European, I would have thought goretex or similar would have been better? I like the design I'm just not certain of the materials for us "oop north".

just making it out of ordinary tent ripstop would do. that would also make it loads lighter and smaller packing, making it a more viable proposition.

what i need, Matt, is a sleeping bag video. im about the same size as you, hate sleeping on my back and wriggle like a maggot when im asleep. i love my vango nitestar XL, its a great big warm bag with loads of room for manoeuvre, but unfortunately packs up the size of a small duvet.

ah okay some requests :-)

Sleeping bags is on the list to do in the next month or so - Patrick may well be presenting that one - but he's quite large too - not 'big' like me - just quite large in a well proportioned way! I think I'm trying to say he's not fat.

Alex - yes I know what you mean - I'm going to put the swag under a hose for a few hours next weekend with some paper towels inside (good way to test for moisture) then roll it up for a few hours and see what happens.

The important thing though is considering how to pack it / pitch it - I wouldn't put this up in a middle of a field in pouring rain - if it really was chucking it down and we'd decided that we didn't want / couldn't afford / couldn't find a hostel for that night then I'd look for some cover - combine that with the Basha and I'm expecting to keep all but the worst of the weather off the swag.

Yes you do lose the speed of putting it up if it's raining as you consider where to pitch and adding the basha - but my theory is that we're traveling across Europe at it's driest time of year, and that most of our journey is in southern Europe - so I'm not expecting massive amounts of rain. (Famous last words).

I'm definitely taking it and will report back on how it does.

Dave - forgot to mention - I've asked Stace to give me a photo of how he's got the 2 second job on his bike. Alex - putting it away without practicing - you have got to be kidding - I don't do comedy ;-)

m

Oh, looks like it'll be me doing that video then?

I like the basha idea though, they're such versatile things, and combine them with trees, handlebars etc to tie them on to and you've got a quick and easy shelter, get some bungee cord (can you buy it by the metre over there like you can here?) and with the combination you're set for all sorts of situations.

We're looking at them as a way to keep ourselves and/or the RZRs out of the worst the weather can chuck at us (although of course I'm planning on using mine to keep the sun off while I siesta.

Seeing is believing I assure you....I'm trying to remember if we have a pic of how he does it but Matt will remember if we do better than me.

For now just think AWACS meets HONDA VFR....and you're not a million miles away :)

I don't have one of the current version (which is half the size) but I just found this one of the old one... the bike isn't fully loaded, just enough for the weekend - but as you can see - doesn't exactly fit on the bike.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/...jpg?v=0http://

Stace is going to write a paragraph or two for the blog with some photos of how he's managed to get the current one on the back - works well actually. I'll post a link here when he's written it.

m

Forgive my stupidity,but what's a basha?.I may have mentioned this before but I don't take my swag if it looks like there will be a lot of rain forcast (not much chance of that in Oz:cool4:) and I always take a light tarp with me anyhow just in case there is rain.

Andrew

In that case you're already taking a basha. Well something very similar anyway. Basha I think is a British Army term (Indian perhaps) for a lightweight waterproof square/rectangle of waterproof material with pre-punched and eyed holes in the corners and along the edges. Some of them are more poncho like and have a hole in the middle with hood as well. I have fond memories of basha building from Army Cadet days when our bashas were circa 1950's things made of heavy rubberized material which was full of tiny holes.

Yes, sorry Basha = Tarp specifically designed to be used by the Army...

Lightweight Ripstop Basha in bag from Surplus and Outdoors / Waterproof Clothing

They've moved on slightly and are now made with ripstop, rather than rubber - although the rubber does sound fun ;-)

Here's the wikipedia entry but no more information on where the word comes from though...

Basha (tarpaulin) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

However, a little more research shows me that...

"Basha: a Bengali word meaning house or home, derived from a Sanskrit root"

Kinky, does your wife know? OH and have you hosed yourself down yet? In the swag I mean?

Dirty sod - no that's next weekend. Honestly.

well I'm in South Wales and it's throwing it down like him upstairs is trying to drown us - so - I'm off out in said rain with Poncho and Basha + swag and we'll see how it holds up... No video but I'll take loads of pictures - wish me luck!

Best of luck! You should have headed north, beautiful day up here today:Beach:
I hope you don't get too wet, yer mad as a bicycle:taz::rain:


Trophymick

Ahh,a hoochie.Sorry this was the only photo I could find.Same thing,different name.
Auscam Australian Army dpcu hoochie hoochy hutchie - eBay Other Modern, Current, Modern, Current, Militaria, Collectables. (end time 29-May-08 12:33:43 AEST)

A2

Good luck:lol2:.I'll be heading to a sidecar rally in 2 weeks where temperatures will be in the -c's and may take the swag.If so I'll let you know how it goes.

A2

To me it looks not practical -- it packs huge and the tent itself is tiny coffin. What you gain is 5 minutes of setup time in return for twice as big pack size plus 3 times smaller tent. :)

I fit 2-person tent, biggest size Thermarest Comfort mattress plus huge syntetic sleeping bag into L size of Ortlieb rack pack (you had XL in the video and seems the tent does not fit there). Yes, these must be compressed down but it makes nice tight bag.

Hope you packed your

http://www.divingmachines.com/supremek.JPG

Be interesting to hear the outcome. And out of interest, are you buying all this stuff or are they kindly sending you it?

Matt,

Sorry mate I just don't get it.

If you need to get in from the top, what do you you when it's slashing it down ?

Ok, so you set up a tarp / basha / poncho arrangement to cover it up. Why not just get a tent ?

I've got a tent that will sleep four, in two rooms and has a central area for cooking that you can park a bike in that packs smaller than your swag bag.

The set-up I intend to use is a two man back-packer tent with a lightweight hoochie to use as an awning / cooking / workshop area if needed. All packs down to 500x150 roll that weighs bugger-all. I've got a spare fibreglass pole that will allow me to set up the hoochie to standing height without the need for trees.

Regards

Hey guys!

Right well it's pee'd it down this weekend - set up the Swag using a simple ground sheet and Basha - got it up in less time than it takes me to set up my 2 man dome tent - in fact 3 mins from start to finish.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/...2a1373.jpg?v=0

The combination of poles and basha gives me a clear dry space to get in and out - and if I move the poles to the left it gives me a clear dry space in which to sit and cook etc.

The swag is dry to the touch, despite 24 hours out in the rain. So my theory goes that 95% of the time the swag just goes up on it's own - but if it's really hideous then I'll use this set up.

Advantages for me are simple - exceptionally fast set up without using a pop-up (1 min when not talking to the camera!). Warm, and simple. Very hard wearing material.

Disadvantages. Large pack size. Additional kit required if it's raining heavily.

Tents are an incredibly personal thing - I'd never expect everyone to chose the same system - but I thought that it would be useful to show a European audience something which is used extensively in Australia. The biggest thing that got on my tits when I last went away was the 5mins each night it took to put my tent up and down - I believe this will solve it for me - not for everyone though I'm sure!

Alex - they have kindly lent me the tent (as mentioned on my blog and the video description) in order to test it - they also rent them out so you can try them - but I am now buying the tent I'm so impressed with it. They're certainly not having it back!

This is an important point about reviews actually - and as I do quite a few I'd like to set out what I do....

Most stuff I test is kit I've bought myself (like the Exped) after research etc - I've paid my own money for. There is the occasional piece of kit where I will review if it's sent to me - but there's no positive review promised - the rule is if I don't like it they have to put up with my posting it! But so far there's only been two of those - the swag and Nickwax - and both in all honesty have been great. I will always say in the video description and on my blog if I've been lent or have been given the kit for free - if it's my own kit I generally don't mention it. Hope that's clear!

m

Thinking along similar lines but for my ex-army bivi bag or a cheapo single skin tent. Also got a Hennessy hammock - can't recommend this enough. Cost me £80, but it's comfortable and well made. Throw my 3/4 sleep mat and sleeping bag into any of the above and I'm hopefully sorted. Should all weigh less than 8 kilos. Well smug!:smartass:

Sorry to butt in.

I was thinking of replacing my tired, patched (isn't gaffer tape great) '58 pattern poncho with their Hex Fly but I haven't seen one in the flesh so haven't made a decision yet. I struggle to justify the fifty quid price tag. I think my ponch was a couple of quid. That was way back when pounds were made of paper and you got a gallon of 4* for that money :(

You rate their stuff then ?

Best place to buy ?

Now ponchos :-)

Further testing in the rain

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2388/...jpg?v=0http://

£9.99 from an army an navy store online - not terribly good though - proper plastic - not breathable - but TOTALLY waterproof!

Army Issue Poncho from Surplus and Outdoors / Waterproof Clothing

However..... more 'in the wet' testing from the coolabah

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2265/...jpg?v=0http://


Canvas really really soaked. Inside totally dry - even pushing quite hard on the canvas nothing at all coming through.

However.... the next test was rolling it up totally wet and seeing if it staid that way.

Got home - it's been rolled for about 6 hours now - canvas is still wet when unrolled and the moisture has started seeping through some of the seams - nothing massive and I'd still be able to sleep in it - but enough to cause me some concern.

Lesson.... don't let it get as wet as this... don't leave it rolled up when it's as wet as this!

So as we've been saying through-out this thread...

Advantages - quick, warm, easy, sturdy

Disadvantages - not the best wet-weather gear out there, bulky pack size.

(still taking it to Russia though!)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2189/...jpg?v=0http://

In my view, their stuff is well designed and well made. There's a stack of reviews and most people rave about them. There is a hex fly here for £39 that I'd been looking at - I should have got one in place of the standard fly when I first bought my hammock - the bigger fly would've given me two options.

I've been told about another tarp here for £19.95, but no online selling it seems. They have a branch a few miles down the road from this years Ripley meeting. I'm thinking of having a look when the time comes.

I 'gaffered' a couple of tears in an ex-army bivi bag I got for £10. I love the stuff.:thumbup1:

Decathalon are really good at the moment - went for the first time last week - very impressed with the prices - and the kit doesn't seem half bad at all.

Basha wise - I got this one - Rip Stop Nylon - impressive bit of kit for £29.99

Lightweight Ripstop Basha in bag from Surplus and Outdoors / Waterproof Clothing

Certainly much much better than the hard plastic poncho. :cool4:

Matt. If the 'swag' thing shouldn't be rolled up when wet, it means hanging around till it dries off a bit - defeats the 'quickness' of it all.

Come on mate - take it back. You know you ought to.:(

I totally agree with you dude - quite defeats the quickness of it.

But still - even after todays test in the worst weather - I'm sticking with it - call me crazy if you like!

For me - and this is a totally personal thing - the advantages out-weight the disadvantages.

I just have to be careful to ensure that my basha works (i.e I actually tie it down so it doesn't fly away in the night and leave the swag exposed).

I'd have to agree - and who am I to stand in the way?:thumbup1:

I might even see you, and the now famous 'swag bag', in Russia later on.:smile3:

It might not be waterproof, but I reckon it'll keep the bears out. Now THAT'S a selling point!

:clap: LOL

Yeah would be great to meet up on the road - we leave last weekend in August.

Now... bears....

m

Where are you going to find a veranda to tie the Basha to in the middle of nowhere:whistling:

John

he he! :rofl:

Actually you'd be surprised how small they pack up ;-) It's a little smaller than the swag actually !

In all seriousness though... I'll be attaching the basha to the bike, or some other handy tree / bush / house / barn / hotel / car / back up support vehicle :innocent:

I have used a swag for some years , ok it is with four wheel transport, love it ,
for all year use i have replaced the mattress with a thurmarest and it reduces the bulk a bit ,
thay tend to be a bit hot so try using a army jungle sleeping bag or a US poncho liner in it both very light and hard wearing .

Quilted poncho liner

As for the basha use a pair of basha poles , thay can roll up in the swag and are very light ,

John Bull - Military Clothing

Twodogs

If I can pull my head out my arse, I'm hoping to get going a bit sooner than that. Might be around Eastern Russia/Japan by then.

Twodogs - Thanks for the links - looking into that now - at the moment I'm just using standard collapsed alu' poles that slot into each other - they give good height - but as I discovered if you don't tie them down properly the wind will take them away - but to be fair we did have 70mph winds this weekend!

Teflon - that's a shame - good luck though dude and have a good time.