Let me start by saying, great for some (not for me). There are many different variations of the old swag out there on the market, so like everything else my intimate knowledge is only relative of one of them. But I can see the advantages and disadvantages of this perhaps compared to others out there.
Firstly, according to Wikipedia, a swag is ‘An Australian bedroll.’ Until writing this piece I was unaware that a ‘Swag’ was uniquely Australian, New Zealand gets a mention in there too. A modern swag is a waterproof canvas sleeping compartment that is sometimes insect-proof. All swags come with a foam mattress, and can comfortably be slept in with the addition of a pillow and sleeping bag. When rolled up the swag is relatively lightweight and compact, making it ideal for storage and transport. It is typically easy to erect and roll up can be done quickly. Swags are still heavily used, particularly in Australia, by over landers.
Our swags
We have two swags, both the same, and manufactured by a well-known Australian manufacturer. Our Swags are a relatively new addition to our family, and primarily used by our older boys. They are medium in size and sold as motorcycle Swags. This essentially means that they are slightly narrower than some. As you can see in the picture, ours has the two hops, one at either end, canvas (rip stop nylon I believe) on top and a thick vinyl bottom.
These Swags are quick to erect, can be used with or without the hops, with or without the corner pegs. The mattress that came with the Swags is 5 cm thick and provides an adequate amount of cushioning, especially if you sub 50kgs.
The reason why we bought them – To get the kids out of the caravan. But seriously, our two older children were getting to the age that they were and have been for a couple of years now, sleeping in a small tent alongside the van. This was good for a couple of reasons, it gives them a bit of independence, gets them out of the van so we could downsize, makes them a little more responsible when setting up and packing up. Having Swags has meant there are no arguments over who put the tent up, or who did more than the other one.
The advantages;
• The Swags are compact, and lightweight,
• Contain all their bedding reducing the risk of leaving stuff behind,
• Waterproof,
• Quick and easy to set up and pack up,
• Allows the kids to have their own space.
• Warm in winter – Yes, our kids have been camping in them, woken up in the morning to discover ice all over the ground, but had a good night’s sleep and reckon they were warm.
• Durable both packed up, and set up.
• Ours, like many, has a fly and cover sheet, making them great for keeping out the mozzies.
The disadvantages;
• Claustrophobic – I wouldn’t class myself as claustrophobic, but after sleeping in one of them for a weekend I don’t see myself rushing out to get one for me.
• Hot – summer is a bit of a problem, they can get a bit hot and stuffy in there if there is no breeze blowing. This is caused by the very close woven fly screen. Of course to keep the small insects out, including Midges and ants, it doesn’t breathe as easily as you would think it would.
• Did I mention that they are claustrophobic, oh, yes I did.
To sum up, Swags are great for kids, they seem to like them, and proudly tell friends how they have Swags.
They take up little room on a camp site, and can be placed in spots that a tent couldn’t. They are very quick and easy for kids to set up. Is it just me or are some campsites getting quite small. If you have even a medium size van or camper, and have to squeeze a tent (even a small one) on the site as well there are some caravan parks around that make that hard to do now, whereas Swags can squeeze in anywhere.
Beware though, in dirty or muddy environments, the inside of the Swag can very quickly and easily become very dirty, muddy and wet in no time with kids. And guess who will be cleaning that up.