Camping from a bike - tent or swag? Which is better?

In this vid I weigh up (literally) some pros and cons of tent vs swag.

[@JasonHarris-jx2ux]

Gday Kieth. I enjoyed your vid as I had the same dilemma before riding the Holland track in WA. I went with the swag and after long days in the saddle was glad of the short setup time of the swag. I used Green Chillie Adv gears uprising soft luggage rack to strap the swag and drybags to my KLR650 which also meant my gear was safe from rain. Ultimately you have to go with what you are most comfortable with as a good nights sleep is so important on bike trips. Keep the rubber side down mate.👍👍

[@BikerBytes]

I love the idea of a swag, just haven't found the right one yet. On the topic of keeping stuff dry I always pack a bike rain cover and leave all my kit on the bike under cover 👍

[@whatupg1]

Thanks Keith, Love your real world approach and attention to detail. Thanks mate!

[@affleckempire3588]

Roll the poles into your swag. I do a couple of rolls to get a tight roll then chuck the poles in and continue rolling.

[@alteregoklause1694]

uuups - never considered to leave the sleeping bag and mate in the swag... Never saw this before in Europe🙂 In general it sounds like a practical idea. Thanx.

[@ride4adventure]

I will be interested to see how it works out in practice. In my neck of the woods (WA) a lot of the ground is hard and rocky so it's difficult to peg a tent down. It's not too hard to find a free standing tent but a swag needs to be pegged out so it could be problematic. Your swag, mattress and sleeping bag combo packs well and if the forecast is right, it could be a solid alternative.

[@Ed00032]

Leave the swag poles at home, try tying the head end to the bike and use a stick for the bottom end

[@djr60]

Cheers Keith, Roll with the swag and do a follow up vid on how it went, I am undecided on tent or swag, was thinking carrying a light weight hiking tarp and swag so if it’s raining u can set tarp up first then unpack everything else so it stays dry, 🤷‍♂️

[@an177919]

Hi Keith, i use both tent and swag like you demonstrated. One big issue with the small light swag is condensation. i have even added extra airflow vents at each end but still have the problem.

[@peterdd4994]

Tent for me, 1. wet weather 2. room to move, stretch out and store stuff 3. away from insects and other creepy crawlers 4. Dingoes carry kit away

[@PissTakeProduction]

Ive invented a new bag setup where I use a Nelson Rigg Backpack sit it vertical on the rear carry rack and feed the dry bag into the back straps. And or feed a swag into as a second option. Anyway you can see it in a recent video I made. The ever evolving bag setup on a bike 🎉

[@Jester123ish]

The difference in time to setup is negligible, the real issue is convenience vs comfort. But, I’d experiment. What if you use the tent like a swag, put all your bedding inside like the swag, roll it up, roll it out like the swag, this would probably work with these little tents?

[@KaiMundsinger]

I've tried my swag (older dune 4wd tracker) which turned out too bulky and heavy for my liking. I prefer to just stuff the tent and sleeping bag into whatever space is available, instead of packing them into their pack sacks, and strap the poles somewhere. My swag is 42L packed volumen at 5.9kg vs my tent plus insulating mat which together are 10.5L and 2.5kg and give me so much more space when set up.

[@seanfrench1029]

I think the trip determines the choice between the two but, tent is lighter, more options and I like the headroom. If it's safe and good weather, keep the tent rolled up and sleep under the starts. One thing that's a no-brainer for me is never to use inflatable mattresses again. Self-inflating are just so easy and compact and work all the time. If it's not comfy enough, check into a hotel. The only inflatable item I use is my pillow.

[@keithjob]

I agree (now) on the mattress. I forgot about the amount of prickles out there and spent all night waiting for it to go down 😱. I ended up carefully sweeping the sand, then putting my jacket and various bags under the mattress. Not ideal but it did work.

[@dannyfrommiami]

Amazing content Keith.

[@keithjob]

Thanks!

[@stevenjohn4]

Tent 👍

[@bigals.ktms.9937]

yep the old kiss theory. good job Keith.

[@dodgierogie68]

roll the bedding up in the tent like a swag

[@morehanthanchewyproduction6823]

nice one keith

[@davidjohnson6440]

Grey hair suits you

[@SimonBrisbane]

Good vid - TY.

[@keithjob]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Zobby447]

Yep swag it mate much easier

[@Alquilaplat]

Vaya no deja traducir el video esta vez.

[@jcfc8197]

Go ultralight and use a Gore Tex bivy sack.

[@joebiggs6813]

Great review Keith - for some reason i can't see the links to the gear (swag mainly) that makes so much sense to me, is your swag waterproof (guessing so)

[@keithjob]

The swag I bought at Anaconda a few years ago. Dune 4WD Tracker.

[@johnanthony6141]

I need a tent for 2, always picking up a lady. Lol