There are a vast range of different swags currently on the market and it can be a little tricky to determine which product to choose. But when it comes to quality the Darche Brand have established themselves as the leaders in consistently manufacturing superior, quality made products.

They are a little more expensive than other brands, but you certainly get what you pay for when it comes to swags and camping equipment. We have hand picked the top 3 Darche swags that we believe suit everyday campers and represent the best value for money.

 

No 1. Dusk to Dawn Range – 3 Sizes – BEST VALUE

Out of The Box – What’s Included?

The dusk to dawn range are a large free standing design with two hooped black aluminium poles that are positioned at each end. The swag has a nice waterproof pvc bottom that makes for easy cleaning when packing up. The poles located at each end are extremely sturdy which is what you need when dealing with a thick canvas. A broken or bent pole would pretty much ruin the overall use and comfort of the swag if you were away camping. In the event that you accidentally bend or damage one of the poles, Darche include a pole repair sleeve to get you out of trouble.

Make sure you keep that somewhere handy like inside your peg bag for example. Next, running between the two hooped poles is a thick black telescopic pole that is operated via a lever that allows you to extend and retract for easy setup and pack down. Each swag comes with a handy little peg bag and 6 sturdy steel pegs that shouldn’t need replacing.

When you remove the mattress out of the box you will notice it comes in a vacuum sealed bag and first impressions leave you a little underwhelmed. Once you break the seal and let the mattress expand and settle for a few hours it looks like the real deal.

When you give it a quick test its pretty comfy and will easily soak up the odd bumps you encounter when setting up your swag out busy. Which is quite a relief in my opinion, there is nothing worse than having an average mattress to sleep on when camping.

The entire Dusk to Dawn swag is transported in a quality bag that’s made from the same canvas the swag is made from and has two handles at each end and one in the middle. The bag also has compression straps that allow you to compress the swag once its fully inside to reduce space when travelling.

This quality compressible well sealed bag makes it easy to chuck the swag on your roof racks or similar and you wont need to worry about anything getting wet.

The Setup –

Step One:

Find a nice flat clear area free of tree roots and overhanging potentially dangerous branches. If the nearby ground is somewhat sloping, always have your head pointing uphill.

Step Two:

Next, take your packed Darche swag out of its transport bag, roll it out and peg each of the 4 corners down.

Step Three:

Assemble the two black aluminium poles that are located at each end of the swag. Then feed the black poles through the provided channels and clip each end into the anchors at each of the corners. The anchors are small metallic bolt like pieces that are attached to the rings of the swag. You will be sure to notice them when you are pegging the swag down. Once the aluminium poles are in place, proceed to clip on the black guide clips that will be located at each end of the swag in close proximity to the aluminium pole. This should be pretty self explanatory when your doing it yourself.

Step Four:

Next grab the main telescopic black pole and open the lever to extend it to its required length. Each ends of the black pole are designed to fit snugly into the aluminium rings at each end of the swag. The aluminium rings are located at the top of the swag at each end, you can’t miss them. Once you have the pole ends inside each of the rings, undo the orange lever and extend the pole until the swag appears fully erected. Then attach the two black guide clips on the top of the swag for additional support.

Step Five:

Lucky last, there are two orange guide ropes attached to each end of the swag. Hammer in a peg around 800-1m away from each end of the swag. Then attach the guide ropes to the peg and tighten. This will help to provide extra stability and tighten any loose hanging area’s of the swag that will ultimately increase the space inside the swag.

It helps to minimise the drooping essentially. There are a couple of additional poles inside the swag that can be used to create a small annex type setup. We don’t think its really necessary given the size of the swag, but you can give it a try and decide for yourself. That’s it, you should have your Darche Dusk to Dawn swag setup in as little as 5 minutes or less.

Verdict:

Our Dusk to Dawn Darche Swag Review final verdict is a big Yes. A genuinely great piece of camping kit!

What we Love:

• Practical Design that allows for quick and easy assembly and pack up.
• Made from High Quality Materials.
• Plenty of room
• Breathes well on Hot nights making it easy to get a good nights rest.
• Reasonable mattress that soaks up underlying bumps. (Probably the most important)
• Spare parts to fix broken poles.

What we Dislike:

• The mattress could be a fraction thicker, this seems to be the case with all the swags on the market. This is super easy to fix, just put down another doona and boom, sorted!

If you are genuinely serious about using your swag on a somewhat regular basis, then do yourself a favour and buy this quality piece of kit. It will last the test of time, trust me. Make sure you don’t choose the smallest size they sell, go medium or Large for additional room and comfort.  

Darche Swag Review - What’s in The Box:

The Superdome Swag range are one of the most popular highest selling swags on offer by Darche. Being a double swag it is quite roomy and has a width of 1.4 metres and includes 3 aluminium poles. One black aluminium pole is included at each end and one located just off centre toward the bottom. The same bit’s an pieces are included with this swag as the dusk to dawn range. Pegs, carry bag, quality aluminium poles, 70mm mattress, guide ropes and some spares. Make sure you take the mattress out of its packaging and give it time to breathe and settle well before its first use.

Again, remember to pack an extra blanket for added comfort. Before you use the swag it’s important to give it a hose down that allows the thread to swell and correctly seal the swag. This is pretty common practice with most camping gear including tents and the like.

The Set Up:

Step One:

Remove your packed Darche Superdome swag out of its transport bag, roll it out and peg each of the 4 corners down.

Step Two:

Next, assemble all of the three black aluminium poles and feed them through each of the provided channels. You should be able to identify these pretty easily. If you do struggle, refer to the instruction booklet that is provided.

Step Three:

Once the poles are through the canvas channels attach then to the anchors located on the aluminium rings attached to the swag. Again, refer to instruction booklet if you encounter any problems.

Step Four:

When the aluminium poles are in place you will notice 4 black clips, attach those to the aluminium poles. This will help the swag take its correct shape and provide additional support.

Step Five:

Hammer in a peg around 800-1m away from each end of the swag and attach the provided guide ropes and tighten. Then presto, your superdome swag should be fully set up and ready for use.

What We Love:

• Simple, basic design that promotes easy setup and pack down.
• Made from the highest quality materials.
• PVC bottom to prevent any water ingress
• Lifetime warranty

Our Verdict:

This is our personal opinion, but we would like the option to have the opening a little larger on this model. While it already breathes well, having a little more opening would be welcomed. I suppose we are splitting hairs here, but that’s our only gripe with the product.

Overall, its another excellent product that will last you for close to a lifetime.