Tip! This piece of outdoor equipment is very light, made of a strong yet pliant material that facilitates an easy set-up and transport for campers. Some types of camping hammocks have been innovated so as to also provide shelter, shade, and protection from the harsh sun rays, cold rain, nasty mosquitoes, and rough terrain.

The Australian swag has been around for a long time but not in it’s current form.

Swags, or swag bedrolls as they are also known, are becoming the must have camp bed for camping, fishing, outback adventure, motorbike clubs, school camps and staying overnight at friends.

Traditionally they were used in the outback as a travelling bed roll by the station workers (most have heard the tale of the jolly swag man) but more and more they are becoming used by city folk interested in a weekend fishing trip who want a quick, easy, tough roll out bed that protects them from rain and midges.

Essentially the modern swag is a thin tough mattress in a canvas wrap around, sometimes with insect meshing where the vents are.

They differ from tents in two aspects, the first being that the swag is usually made from canvas whereas most tents these days are made from nylon which doesn’t breathe. This means that in rainy weather when you are inside your swag there is no build up of heat and condensation as happens in closed in nylon tents. The second difference is that swags are a lot quicker and simpler to set up (or at least they should be).

There has also been a shift in swag making away from the traditional heavy cotton canvases of the past fifty years which, when wet, became very heavy. Your modern swag is likely to be made from the new industrial canvases being made in Australia which combine lightness with strength.

Tip! Marc Wiltse learned how important good quality hiking equipment and camping gear were after his pup tent flooded with over 3 inches of water forcing him to sleep in the front seat of his 2-seat Honda CRX (translation: research is a good thing). His hiking equipment & camping gear guides & reviews save you time & money.

When choosing a swag you should consider whether you will be using it for more beach or bush as there are different features that suit both. The bush swag should probably have a slightly heavier mattress or some sort of cold stop to contend with the ground cold that can be a factor, particularly in winter, whereas the beach swag should definately have some sort of screening against mosquitoes and midges.

Tip! Go high tech. Prices on freeze dried and packaged camping food are becoming very reasonable.

Remember also that ants, especially green ants, need to be guarded against as a dry swag is just what they love when wet ground is rising.

In other articles we go into more detail as to what you should look for and avoid when choosing a swag as well as how to care for your swag so that it lasts a lifetime.

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