Table of Contents

swags for camping and sleeping

see also:

  • I don't sell any of these nor do I receive any remuneration if you buy them, and I have not personally reviewed all of them, they are listed here to give you perspective
  • a wet, cold swag will make you cold - if rain or dew is forecast, cover it with a tarp or 4WD awning and consider elevating on a stretcher bed
    • most swags need to be seasoned
  • after a frosty night, the car awning for your swag may not be able to be rolled up and the zippers of swag and awning may not work - you should take ratchet straps as a backup until they are thawed out
  • if I was designing them, they would have 3 layers for the entrance(s) - but they only have 2
    • the mesh layer is obvious for ventilation, insect protection and ability to see the stars (although many do not allow a clear view of the sky above)
    • the wind/rainproof layer is obvious and this needs to be outside the mesh and zip downwards to optimise rain proofing which is a bit unfortunate as you have to open the mesh and let insects in to adjust this layer
    • as a 3rd layer, I would also like to see a privacy internal layer which zips UPWARDS from the bottom to not only give you some privacy whilst you can still see sky above, but it allows you to adjust ventilation at body level without having to unzip the mesh - on cool clear star gazing nights, you may want the breeze off your head and such a layer would help achieve this but still allow star gazing.
    • its not as if such a layer would add excessive weight - they are already too heavy for hiking so a bit extra weight is not important
  • It is also a pity the mattress is included and not an optional extra - you may wish to go with your own mattress such as a self-inflating mattress
    • before going camping, allow it to fully inflate for 24hrs and then lie on the fully inflated provided mattress for at least an hour to ascertain if it will work for you - you may need to add a mattress topper or even replace the mattress, or perhaps you may wish to get a stretcher to mount your swag

Introduction

  • swags are generally best when used OFF the ground on top of a stretcher bed and under a tarp or awning
    • this gives better water insurance from flash flood situations in a storm and allows a more comfortable sitting option with legs over the side when putting boots on, etc
    • the problem with nearly every swag stretcher is that you cannot adjust the leg heights individually - this means you have to choose your site carefully so your head is not downhill which can be problematic if you are setting up under a 4WD vehicle side awning with limited options
    • one of the few stretchers with individual adjustable leg heights is the Wanderer Premium King stretcher BUT this is not really designed for stretchers as it is not flat and has some padding
      • nevertheless some 2 hoop 90cm wide swags may be able to be rigged so they sit nicely on it
      • I am thinking the Darche AD900 Air Volution might work well - would love to try it but unfortunately I only have the stretcher
      • the Darche AD 1100 Air Volution might also work but would overhang the sides by 4“ on each side but the extra width gives greater versatility

Pros

Cons

Bivy

Hiking swags

Compact motorcyclist swags

Car camping swags

air pole swags

insulated swags

air inner tents

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