Swag’s have been one of Australia’s favourite, simple go-to camping solution for people on the move, and campers who like to keep things a little bit more traditional and those wanting a no fuss way to set up camp in near enough to a minute!

Thanks to the time tested mechanisms, such as waterproof ripstop canvas, and comfortable open celled foam mattress and even fly screen to keep the mosquitos out.

So when shopping around for a new swag you can easily get baffled with all the spin and features listed, it’s easy to assume all swags are basically the same, this assumption would do you wrong, we are going to briefly run over all the important features to look out for when shopping for your new swag, and by breaking down all the important features you can easily decide for yourself which swag ticks all the boxes for your new campsite foundation!


MATERIALS

When shopping for your new swag upgrade, one critical factor of the durability of your swag is determined by not just the thickness of the fabrics but also the quality of the fabric that the swag is built from. When analyzing what is available it will become apparent that many makes and models advertise their swags as the toughest, most durable, most waterproof…. Etc. however when looking at the technical specifications, it is clear that all of the manufacturers use similar fabrics, and similarly rated fabrics.

Seeing as the definition of a swag is that it is mostly made out of tough fabrics, what fabric qualities does a good swag have? You might be asking?

The first thing when looking at your new swag fabrics is to find something with not just a strong and stiff canvas but a fabric with extremely tight woven fibers and if you are looking for the ultimate in canvas durability, you should definitely look for something that utilizes a ripstop grid woven directly into the fabric as this form of reinforcement offers the strongest .

Tightly woven cotton is natural100% waterproof, even though cotton does not naturally resist water on its own, it is actually considered “hydroscopic” which means it absorbs moisture, this is made into an advantage, when it is bound tightly its nature of absorbing water means that the tightly bound fibres lock into one another even more than when they are dry creating an impenetrable watertight seal, the dynamic nature of this waterproofing means that if you add more water it gets more waterproof, which is remarkable when compared to many of the “new school” or “high tech” methods of membrane waterproofing which are severely limited in this respect.


The breathability and porosity of the woven fibres still stands strong and due to these open but miniscule pores a woven canvas allows your sweat and breathe to escape as vapor to through the fabric unobstructed, this breathability of cotton canvas means you prevent internal condensation.
Even though it has the reputation of being a tough and durable fabric all woven materials have a warp and weave to them which inevitably gives them a weaker “grain” which will often lend them to tearing when put under a strong enough tearing force on this axis.
Whilst there is the option to use thicker fibers when weaving the fabric the unfortunate thing about the natural weak grain is that when your canvas takes a small tear, it can easily spread given repairs go unchecked, that is unless you have the advantage of a strong ripstop synthetic fibre woven into the canvas in a grid, this is called a poly ripstop or labeled something similar in nature and can only be applied when actually weaving the fabric from its creation.

A ripstop grid is made from high tensile strength low stretch polyester to help prevent any scuffs or pinholes through rough usage from tearing free and becoming a much greater issue to your camping setup!  

MANUFACTURING

Even the best materials in the world have their downfalls and that is how they are manufactured, when looking at the construction of your new swag it’s important to inspect not just the thickness and features of the fabric, but also how your swag is put together.

Starting with your swags stitching, when looking at the way your canvas swag has been stitched together we can tell a lot about how durable it will be and how long it will last over the years,  there are many ways to connect two or more pieces of fabric together, any saddlery or dressmaker can affirm this, however when durability and strength is required then things can get complicated.

A simple single row of stitching is vulnerable, generally if to pieces of fabric are pulled apart at different angles, uneven strain will be encountered by a single row of stitching, additionally the leverage encountered by a “peeling force” means that a single row of stitching is extra vulnerable, this is when double rows of stitching are called for, by simply introducing a second row of stitching  a seam becomes more than twice a strong, being much more resistant to a variety of forces pulling from any number of vectors.

The Adventure Kings Swag Range takes advantage of double rows of stitching at all major intersections on the tough 400GSM fabric, making sure that no matter how windy it is outside the stitching points are one of the last places to give way when the swag is put under strain.

The next most important thing to consider when looking at a swag’s construction is the weather-proof protection of things like zippers and windows. With massive overlapping storm flaps, the Adventure Kings Swags all offer a completely waterproof cocoon suitable for retreating in when the weather turns.

SWAG DESIGN

With many manufacturers on the market, there are almost as many swag designs as there are campers. When looking for your new swag, it is a good idea to look for a swag that can stand up on its own, this is called “free-standing” and whilst many swags require just one peg to help them stand up, swags like the Big Daddy Swag are designed to be able to be setup without pegs at all.

This free-standing nature allows a swag to be set up anywhere including indoors, as designs that require pegging out will not stand up without fastening the swag to the floor.

When shopping for your new swag setup, you have a lot to consider, but when you are armed with knowledge you will have no problems getting out camping with ease!

so do your research and grab a bargain on a top quality swag for an incredible price at https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/products/swags.html