This is the Australian-made AOS Bushman Deluxe Apex Swag, it comes with a 10 year manufacturing and workmanship warranty, and it’s one of the best examples we’ve seen of the famous Australian one-person tent.
Swags have a long history in Australia, they originally started out as waxed-canvas bedrolls that were used by bushmen and jackaroos (Australian cowboys). These early swags were typically made up of a wool blanket rolled up inside a canvas bottom sheet with a leather belt to hold it all together.
Over the past couple of hundred years or so the swag has evolved a little but it still maintains its minimalism, low weight, and simplicity.
Modern swags typically keep the waterproof waxed canvas construction but usually now include a high-density foam mattress for better comfort when sleeping, they also typically have a canvas roof to keep the rain or snow out, as well as a fly-screen to stop bugs getting in.
When compared to a typical tent and foam mattress combination the swag can tend to be more convenient as it rolls up as a single unit and can then be tossed in the trunk, strapped to your hiking backpack, or tied to the back of your motorcycle.
In more recent years the Aussie swag has become popular with road tripping motorcyclists thanks to the fact that they’re lightweight and can be rolled up into a manageable size.
The AOS Bushman Deluxe Apex Swag shown here uses a no-pole design, instead you simply tie the head end to a tree, motorcycle, car, or another suitable object. The total time required to set the swag up can be under 60 seconds for those with experience, and the swag provides a cozy, dry, and bug free space for sleeping.
These swags are all made by hand in Perth, Western Australia and they come with a built in mattress, a FineTex mesh window to keep out bugs while maintaining airflow, and a waterproof canvas roof and floor.
Editor’s Note: This product sells from an Australian website and so the pricing you see is in Australian dollars. At the time of writing the price of $328 AUD works out to $238 USD and they do offer international shipping.
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
