These are just in: Wild Canvas Australian Swags! Based on authentic Australian swag designs and years of experience camping in swags, Wild Canvas, makers of tents, yurts and canvas products have begun producing these for sale in the UK & Europe – as far as I know they are the only Australian swags available to buy in Europe.
For more details see this full post here on Path Of The Paddle.co.uk
Or more background on swag camping with your Land Rover here:
This is great movie, showing a couple of youngsters getting out in the bush with their Dad and trying out Swag camping for the first time. It makes quite a good job of explaining how a swag works – these OzTrail swags are a bit more sophisticated and complicated to set up than most true Australian swags, almost like a mini tent and they don’t quite have the ‘roll and go’ quality that I like with the simpler more traditional swags, but as the chap says in this video they are probably good for a youngsters first time out in a swag.
For more about swags and why they are a great piece of 4×4 (meaning Land rover of course) camping gear see our main post and another short video.
if like me you’re fascinated by these and the swag tradition and history from Australia then you can read my full article on that subject here: http://pathofthepaddle.co.uk/index.php/australian-swag/history-romance-of-the-australian-swag/
The Australian swag is a tough durable bedroll that can hold your sleeping bag and blankets and has a built in mattress. It can withstand heavy rain and simply rolls up to go – perfect for Landrover camping without the need for a full tent. although made for the Australian bush as demonstrated by Ray Mears here, it’s just as good in our climate and conditions, we just don’t need the scorpion-proofing as much, and thankfully so – one of the great delights about UK camping is the complete lack of dangerous insects and animals! No excuse not to Get Out & Stay Out as much as you can then. But the thick, solid canvas serves to keep out windy and rainy weather, and we have just as good a night sky as the southern hemisphere, and this is the way to enjoy it – for almost 3 seasons if the weather’s clear a swag can get you sleeping out under the stars in style and comfort – it’s THE way to go in my opinion. Just throw it in the back of your Landrover and your ready to go anywhere, stay anywhere! Here’s a video of a test of a genuine imported Australian swag from www.theaussieshop.co.uk:
