Buying a Swag

When buying a swag, I guess we start with, ‘how much do you want to spend?’ A basic swag can be purchased for a little over a hundred dollars. Buying a sway with all the bells and whistles will sell for several hundred dollars.

Cooper – Mr Swagman

To help you work out how much you might spend when buying a swag, I have provided a few tips and some questions you might like to ask yourself.

Constant or periodic use

• How often will you use it? Not much point buying a swag for $800 and only using it for two nights a year!

• How long will you be using it, a couple of nights here and there, or for weeks? Heavy-duty, robust zips and the highest quality manufacturing if used daily.

• What areas are you camping in? In other words, does it need to work across alpine regions, the monsoons of the North, insect-infested coastal mangroves and the heat of inland Australia?

Clancy

Size matters

• What size? Single or double swag? If you have a partner, consider buying a double swag. If you are big-framed, get a swag with ample room for turning. Big swags take up space and are bulky; if you are on two-wheeled transport, make sure you can carry it!

• HD foam Mattress or inflatable? I think inflatables are too much trouble; high-density foams provide good insulation from ground temperature and are both comfortable and durable.

Waterproof

• Waterproofing? Most commercial swags are reasonably waterproof. However, If you want full waterproofing ensures that any flaps have adequate overlap, that the base of swag is heavy PVC, there is a hood over the entry point, and that the top is a minimum 14-17oz canvas.

Brumby

• Sleep Cool. If you are camping in the interior or north coast of Australia, zip-off tops with sand fly netting (sandflies are a lot smaller than mosquitoes and will crawl through mosquito netting). There is nothing worse than sweltering in canvas on a 40-degree C night and not being able open it up due to a million biting sandflies or mosquitoes.

Extras

• Hoops. The ‘hoops’ in larger swags create space inside, providing room to sit inside and even get dressed. So, hoop swags are really a tent but roll up in the traditional style of a swag.

• Accessories. If you are an ‘accessory’ person, you might consider buying a swag with inside pockets. They holds keys, phone or torch, and bags for guy ropes or pegs.

My swag roll 1979