# Swags



## Guest (Aug 10, 2007)

Hi guys

I no longer have any camping gear and with some camping weekends coming up I am trying to decide whether to buy a tent again or go for something completely different, a swag.

Can you guys recommend a particular type or brand of swag to get?

Can I get a good nights sleep in a swag and will I stay dry if its pouring rain?

Am I better off looking at a tent?

If I was to buy a tent it would just be something very small so thats why I'm thinking swag, although I have never owned one before so thats why I'm asking these questions.

Comments appreciated 

Cheers


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

Ive never owned a swag but have used a few (not sure of brands) and i think they are a far better option than a tent, much quicker to setup and much warmer, any good swag will be waterproof from rain and will provide a good night sleep  
Ive got a couple of tents big and small and now im going to get a swag for sure, far better in my opinion, especially down here in cold Canberra.


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## wolfy (Apr 27, 2007)

I have tents of various sizes and a swag. I think that a swag is fine for lumping around in the back of the ute in the northern territory or something. I found mine to be useless in the colder climes... it is bulky, heavy, and inconvenient.. and even when I do use it I put it up inside a tent, as does almost everybody else I know. You need to get a good light tent so at least you can move around in the rain or cold, and get some shelter. Much better off with a light tent, good mat and sleeping bag.


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## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

Sel,

A good swag is way bigger than a tent to pack and to carry but it is also a better sleep option.

Kayakers in the US are favouring the Hennesy Hammock, sort of like a tent slung between two trees.

There is an agent for them in Brisbane somewhere. I would check them out before getting either a tent or a swag especially if you are planning on camping from your yak at some stage.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Sel
I prefer a tent for its versatility, and on a hot night you can strip off and get plenty of air and be mozzie free as well as be snug in winter with a sleeping bag.

At the Poona outing, Tony/yaker had a small rectangular dome tent [not square as most] and it had a huge arched doorway along one of the long sides making access much easier than the average dome; from memory was a 2 man, and on special at $99 [normal was another $50-100] at Anaconda, and often pops up in their brochure.

It was his first use and was very impressive, roomy, well ventilated and light weight and rolls to minimum and beaut with the kayak methinks, also with a self inflating mattress he had good headroom sitting up....worth a look mate


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## Guest (Aug 10, 2007)

Dodge

Wise words from a wise old man 

I think you just talked me into a tent.

Anaconda here I come, call in tomorrow on way home from Ewan Maddock.

Thanks Dodge,

Cheers


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

MacFish said:


> Anaconda here I come, call in tomorrow on way home from Ewan Maddock.


Sel
Might pay to just check it out mate tomorrow, and wait until a members night to buy, there is another due in the next fortnight I think, and see what specials come along, unless they will do a deal on the spot


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Never used a swag so I cant comment on that, but I have used lots of small tents over the years. Tents are cheap these days and quick and easy to put up, plus you have plenty of room for all ya stuff. 3 man is a good size for one person, that way you have more than enough room.....yes I like to spread myself out. 

For a sleeping mat, I prefer the thicker self inflating type (usually about $100 for king size), air mats are OK until they get a leak, but are a cheaper option.....dont forget to get a cheap 12 volt inflator for the air mat.....unless you have big lungs.

Also it may pay to get a few heavier duty tent pegs as most small cheap tents only come with very weak pegs that are useless a lot of the time.


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## crazyratwoman (Feb 26, 2007)

i have never used a swag, always thought them to be a bit cumbersome. but i recently bought a 2 man tent for the kayak, $20 reduced from $69 from pauls warehouse. i've had it up to check it out, its roomy enough for 2 people to sleep in (ummm maybe not 2 men who aren't a couple  lol) but takes up minimal room in the yak. will be great for summer, can't wait to use it!


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## WayneD (Jul 11, 2006)

Here's what 5thNovember is using during his trek and he has given it some wraps on his website

http://www.tentcot.com/1.htm

Looks the goods.


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## garrick (Sep 2, 2006)

I am also more of a tent person. And by this i am talking of at least a 3 man tent. Most important for me is the posibility to stand up straight in the tent. Any tent where I dont need to bend over all the time is automatically also big enough for all my stuff to keep out of the wind and rain. Besides i hate to put on pants by sitting on the floor.


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## rawprawn (Aug 31, 2005)

I use swag if Iâ€™m going alone these days for overnighters. Any longer I take the tent. Some swags these days a so full of poles and tent paraphernalia that you may as well just buy a bloody tent.

Just make sure they are made with heavy-duty canvas and zippers, netting etc look like they will last. I would only buysomething made locally which will cost you but it should also last you.

Mine is fairly simple and very comfortable. It has a built in mattress and a mosquito net. You simply tie a line to the loop at the end and tie this of to a tree of what ever. This keep the mosquitos and weather off your head.

Some to look at http://www.jollyswags.swag.com.au/cgi-b ... 158#Drover


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## pescado (May 17, 2007)

Sel

Having worked in a camping store for a while i can say that both tents and swags have their pros and cons. Swags are going to be bulkier to carry but are much easier to set up cos you pretty much just roll them out and crawl in whereas tents require a little more effort but you have more space and it can keep all your gear and you dry. Swags, IMO are more of an option for throwing in the back of the ute, whereas tents are much more portable.

Whatever you decide to go for remember you really do get what you pay for here. Swag brands i would go for would be Downunder and Burke and Wills. If you are going to be using it a lot check stitching quality, denier of canvas, features such as poles (aluminum is much stronger than fibreglass), thickness of the matt, strength of buckles etc. I saw lots of returned cheaper swags with broken buckles, snapped poles and ripped stitching but none of the quality ones ever came back.

Tent wise, same thing applies. Ask about waterhead (which is the PU coating on the fly which keeps water out!), thickness of flooring, thickness of the fly, tapesealing on the seams (keeps out water), how easy it is to set up, how much room it has in there, the size of doors and one of the most important things i reckon which is ventilation. If the salesperson in the store doesnt know about this stuff go somewhere else. Affordable tents can be ok and it really does depend on how frequently you use it.

Personally i use the dart 2 which cops a hiding, is fully waterproof and has a lifetime warranty. 
http://www.seatosummit.com.au/showprodu ... gory=Tents
It rolls up to about the average size of a sleeping bag and with a self inflating mat is unreal. Other good brands are Fairydown, DMH.

Good luck on the hunt


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

I regulary camp in the snowies in a swag. Nice and toasty. The thing you need to look for is get a fully enclosed hoop swag. It's basically a 1 man tent, I have enough head room in mine to actually read books in there if the weather turns foal enough to hide. Fully waterproof. I think mine is made by outback swags. These ones are a bit more pricey, but ultimately easier than setting up a tent, you bang the hoops in and nail the ends down.


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## wobbly (Jun 13, 2007)

Guys,

I was in the snowy mountains just off Long Plain Rd on a fly fishing camp in late October and had a top time fishing but the camping was another experience altogether.

Was tenting in a quality 2 man jobbie designed with fibreglass tent poles, it was raining when the tent got setup and some water must have got inside the poles, anyhow the cold of night -5 froze the water in the poles froze and broke in 1/2 !! Hey presto no tent.

Thankfully I got out the trusted swag out of the truck and relocated for a comfy nights sleep only to wake up toasty warm under 6 inch blanket of snow.

There are many opinions about what camping equipment to buy and its toooo big a discussion topic to enter into but what is clear from my experience is that if car camping in places where sub zero temps are to be experienced always have an emergecy contingency plan to save your life. The swag was never meant to be a contingency because the back seat of the car would have been ok but a swag provides a better environment to sleep in and my jobbie is loaded with the sheets and quilts from the 4 poster. For the real adventurous one rolls out the swag inside the tent for double luxury.

The missus was grumpy with the early morning relocation but she got warmed up real quick and was a happy camper in the morning. She is a top sort, and real eye candy too. Bitch caught a 1.5kg brown on her 3rd cast after eggs and bacon brekky, I would marry her if I could but that would mean no where to run so prefer the modernism view of living as a perpetual work in progress.

So the swag is a big plus because its a 30 second setup but the downside is the head needs to get used to the no ceiling sleep. After a few sleeps in a swag a tent is a 2nd option. A trick is to setup an awning above the swag to keep the morning dew off the swag and table and chairs and camping is home from home.

Happy and healthy

catch u all soon.


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2007)

Thx for all the comments guys

I'm finally get a tent after all, might pick one up today there is a sale at my local camping store. Was going to buy an Oztrail 4V Dome but the wife now wants me to spend the extra bucks and get a Black Wolf Tanima 4V Dome.

Decisions, Decisions :roll:

Cheers


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