Do I need a sleeping bag for camping at Uluru or in the outback?
It depends on the trip, and it is worth checking before you fly. Most swag-camping trips need one and will hire you one. A few — the Nullarbor crossings — say sleeping bags cannot be hired and must be bought. The furnished-tent trips need none at all.
Checked on 6 October 2026.
A swag is a canvas bedroll with a mattress inside — it is the bed, not the bedding. So on most outback camping trips you sleep in a sleeping bag inside the swag, and whether you need to bring, hire or buy one varies by operator.
The three situations
- Needed, and hireable.The most common. Kakadu, Kangaroo Island camping, the Kimberley runs and the west coast trips all say a sleeping bag is needed and can be hired if you do not have one. Usually a small charge, arranged when you book.
- Needed, and you must buy one.The Perth to Adelaide and Adelaide to Perth crossings state plainly that sleeping bags cannot be hired and must be bought. If you are doing the Nullarbor, sort this before you go.
- Not needed at all.The furnished and permanent tent trips — the Safari range at Uluru, for instance — provide bedding. The 2 Day Uluru Safari says sleeping bags not required.
What the trips say
| Trip | Where you sleep | Sleeping bag | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Day Uluru Safari | Furnished Safari Tents | **Not required** — bedding provided | $679 |
| 3 Day Kakadu Tour | Safari tent or swag | Needed — **can be hired** | $729 |
| 5 Day Kakadu & Koolpin Gorge Safari | Private Safari Camp | Needed — **can be hired** | $1799 |
| 2 Day Kangaroo Island Camping Adventure | Glamping | Needed — **can be hired** | $869 |
| 6 Day Margaret River & Esperance Tour | Camping under the stars | **You must provide** a bag and pillow for the swag | $1299 |
| 10 Day Perth to Adelaide Tour | Bush Camping | **Cannot be hired — must be bought** | $3000 |
| 10 Day Adelaide to Perth Tour | Camping and Farmstays | **Cannot be hired — must be bought** | $3000 |
| 10 Days Darwin to Broome | Camping under the stars | Needed — **can be hired** | $3149 |
Check your own trip page, because operators differ. Prices update on their own.
How warm does it need to be?
- Winter in the Red Centre gets below zero overnight.June, July and August — the operators' own notes say so and recommend thick socks, layers and a warm jacket as well. A summer-weight bag will not do.
- Summer in the outback is the opposite problem.Nights stay in the low twenties, and several trips suggest a sheet or a sleeping bag liner rather than a bag.
- The Top End is warm year roundbetween 19°C and 26°C overnight, so a light bag or liner is plenty.
- Tasmania and the southare cool whenever you go — pack for cold nights.
Buying one in Australia
- Alice Springs, Darwin, Cairns and Perthall have outdoor shops near the hostels, and a basic bag is not expensive.
- Hiring is usually cheaperif the trip offers it and you are only camping once.
- A liner takes up almost no roomand is worth packing if you are travelling in summer or unsure.
People also ask
- Where do you sleep on an Uluru tour — a swag or a tent?
- What is Uluru like month by month?
- What is included on a tour?
- How do you cross the Nullarbor?
Where this comes from. The what-to-bring and inclusions notes on each trip's own page here, which come from the operators' own sheets. Overnight temperatures are Bureau of Meteorology averages.