Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag Review
Kings Deluxe Single Swag Review
In this post we review our Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag that we have been using for well over 12 months in lots of different conditions.
Swags are as Aussie as you can get and have been used in Australia since the 1800’s originally by swagmen. Swagmen were usually unemployed labourers who travelled the rural areas of Australia by foot seeking work with all their possessions rolled up in their bedroll which they called a swag. The swagman is most famously represented in Banjo Paterson’s poem (and arguably Australia’s second national anthem) “Waltzing Matilda”. With this Australian history lesson, you would think it would be probably best for us to be using a well-made Australian swag. Unfortunately, this is not the case as there are hardly any swags made here in Australia now days with most companies importing them from China. Where we can support locally made products, we try our hardest but in this instance most swags that you see for sale are imports so it really comes down to your requirements when choosing which swag to go with. In our case we chose to go with a cheaper brand at the time for the amount of use we thought it would get, but overall we regret this decision. Read our post below to find out more.
Why We Chose Kings Swag?
Kings as a brand do not have the best reputation in the marketplace for several reasons. Firstly, the big one we believe is that because their gear is cheap some people have little respect for their Kings gear. Being cheap there are Kings’ products that will fail easily however we have used a few different Kings products and not all are terrible. So being cheap and sometimes easily damaged, people that do not respect their gear and are basically not decent human beings, think it is ok to abandon things at campsites leaving a mess. Unfortunately, when good 4WD Adventurers explore these places and find crap left behind and it usually bears the same bright blue “Kings” logo, generalisations are going to be made. However, there are many a good 4WD Adventurer out there that use Kings’ gear and have a whole lot of respect for our country. Adventure Kings as a brand though definitely need to do more with improving some of their products so they last far better as well as educating their customers on what to do if something fails.
Now that we have got that out of the way, the reason we decided to go with a Kings Deluxe Single swag and thus this review, was for several reasons. Firstly, using a swag is the least common sleeping arrangement for us. We only use a swag when one of us is travelling on our own and we are not taking our camper trailer, DOT373. If we are both travelling without our trailer, we use our Oz Tent RV3. As we have already invested a considerable amount of money in our Australian made Drifta camper trailer with its Bundutop roof top tent and our Oz Tent RV3, our swag purchase was going to be on the cheaper side. Another reason we chose the Kings Deluxe Single Swag was because they are actually not that bad. Kings have been making swags for quite a few years now and have made some improvements over the years. They obviously have a few issues but overall, they are ok for the dollars you spend. We picked up the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag for $165 delivered.
If we only used a swag, we would most definitely have chosen a completely different brand of swag. But if you are on a tight budget then this might be a good option for you, if you are willing to deal with the issues. Let us get into what we think about our Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag.
Swag Mattress
We will start with the mattress in the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag as we believe this to be one of the most important parts of any swag. This will of course depend on your age. If you are in your teens or twenties then this might not be of much interest to you. But as you get into those thirties and start fast approaching those forties, the mattress is one of the most important factors in any camp sleeping setup.
The Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag comes with an average 50mm “high density” (open cell) foam mattress. We have used quotation marks around high density as we believe some of these product descriptions are loosely used for marketing purposes. Let us just say that the mattress is average at best. If you can sleep on the hard ground and wake up feeling good the next day, then this mattress will be ok for you. However, for me, a side sleeper who likes a firm mattress has found the mattress in this swag to be extremely uncomfortable. I have woken up with sore hips and after a few weeks of touring have had bruises and pain on my sides for a few weeks after. If you are back sleeper then you might not have any issues, although it will not be comfortable. There are quite a few other swags in the market that have thicker mattresses, but they do come at a significantly higher cost.
As a result, we decided to replace the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag mattress with a Black Wolf self-inflating mattress. We will write a post on this mattress soon but let me just say that this was the best upgrade we could ever have done. The Black Wolf self-inflating mattress is 100mm thick and allows you to add more or less air for a firmer or softer feel depending on your preference. Sleeping in this swag is now luxury without any aches and pains the day or weeks after. It has taken the total cost of our swag to $365 as the mattress cost $200 but this is still not expensive when you look at other brands in the market. Another benefit of the self-inflating mattress is how much smaller the swag rolls up compared to before.
Swag Size
The Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag is as the name suggest a single for one person. It is the perfect size for a large man measuring in at 2,100mm long, 900mm wide, and 800mm high when setup. Packed away or rolled up, it measures 900mm wide, 350mm high, and 350mm deep. When setup the Kings Deluxe Single Swag is roomy, and you do not feel to claustrophobic as you can inside smaller swags. As is the issue with most telescopic pole supported swags, the canvas in the middle of the swag can bow in slightly which does make it feel less spacious inside. But a swag is for sleeping in, so for a sleeping pod the Deluxe Single swag is big enough for a comfortable night’s sleep. Rolling the swag up is extremely easy and when rolled up it is not bulky at all.
Easy Access
The Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag has two large entrances on either side making it extremely easy to access. Both these entrances can be rolled up leaving just the fly screens closed when camping during the warmer months of the year. The large entrances do make getting in and out of the swag extremely easy. The one issue with this style of swag is that having the large entrances does lead to a slight sag in the middle of the swag. This can be reduced slightly when securing the corners and guy ropes with pegs, but it will not be eliminated with the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag. We have seen far more expensive brands that do not seem to have the same issue. Either way, the large entrances to provide easy access as well as great air flow when you need it in summer.
Type of Canvas
The Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag is made from waterproof 400GSM ripstop polycotton canvas. The GSM in canvas refers to the weight per square metre and is used to show strength and durability in most instances. The 400GSM means 400 grams per square metre. Ripstop canvas is usually evident by the grid pattern you can seen in the canvas. This pattern is thicker due to additional thread and increases canvas strength. It also assists if any tearing does occur as it slows it down or stops it due to the strong thread in the grid. All Kings swags are made from 400GSM ripstop canvas. We have found the canvas to be strong and durable to date. The only issue we have found is the amount of condensation you get with this canvas. Even when it is not raining, if it is cold you will wake up with the inside of the canvas extremely damp. This is a massive downside to this swag.
Swag in the Rain
The canvas has held up ok well over more than 24 months. We have not noticed any fading at this point in time, but we do not really leave our swag out in the sun very often as it is usually packed away first thing in the morning when we are on our way to the next stop. Regarding how waterproof the swag is, we have used it in rain on several occasions and have had minor issues with water ingress. Usually we are setup under our awning so the swag is well covered from the rain. When we were not under our awning and the swag has been saturated we have found small amounts of water ingress which appears to be coming through the floor and zips. We do usually setup under our 4WD awning so in most cases we do have additional cover which does help. The base of the swag is made from a PVC floor which is supposed to add to the protection however, we have found that we have a few small holes in the floor. As a result, we have had issues with some moisture getting in from the floor.
Seasoning the Swag
We did of course season our swag when we first received it. If you do not know what seasoning is, it is basically saturating your canvas with a low-pressure hose, allowing it to dry completely in the sun, and then completing the process one more time. Seasoning the canvas ensures that the threads and stitching have time to expand which increases the canvas’ water resistant properties. Some people recon it is nonsense, and I might have to agree a little bit with the Kings swag, as we have had some water ingress.
Moisture Build Up
Although we have found the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag to be ok in the rain, when camping in colder conditions we have experienced large amounts of condensation on the inside of the swag canvas. This can be a problem for most swags and tents in colder conditions due to the large change in temperatures from inside to outside. We have been able to reduce the amount of moisture by leaving the two window flaps on either end of the swag slightly open, but it has been impossible to eliminate this. Just be aware that this will occur and try and leave some ventilation if you have a warm enough sleeping bag to protect you from the cold. This can be a problem for other swags and tents, but we must admit that we have seen other brands of swags which have had far less moisture build up in the same conditions. This does create quite a few problems when touring with the Kings swag as you usually pack up first thing in the morning. When there is moisture build up on the inside, as soon as you roll the swag back up, your sleeping bag and mattress get damp. This is far from ideal, and the biggest downside of the Kings swag.
Need to Replace Swag Bag
The Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag comes with a polyester carry bag that seems spacious when it first arrives. However, the mattress inside is vacuum sealed so once this is removed the swag will just fit inside the bag provided. This is a massive issue as it means you cannot roll up any bedding inside the swag. We tried this and no matter how tightly we rolled up our swag it was impossible to fit it back inside the bag. This meant we needed to carry our sleeping bad separately which was a nuisance with storage. As a result, we replaced the bag with a canvas bag. Initially we were going to go with a Drifta swag canvas bag, but they did not have any in stock. A few months later when we thought about it again, we noticed that Kings now made a canvas bag specifically for this swag. At $38 delivered it was a no brainer as it was the perfect size for what we needed. This bag is slightly bigger than the polyester one that comes with the swag and is made from the same 400GSM ripstop canvas material which is durable and water resistant. With our Black Wolf self-inflating mattress, we are now able to easily roll up our Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag with our Black Wolf sleeping bag and fit it comfortably in the Kings canvas bag. This is by far a better option for storing your swag as it makes it much quicker to setup and pack away.
The bag upgrade has increased the total cost of our swag investment to $403 which is now starting to get to the price point of some of the more popular swags in the market.
Easy & Quick Setup
The reason swags are so popular is because they are so easy and quick to setup and pack away. The Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag is no different. Setup and packing will be complete in less than 5 minutes when you are able to leave your bedding inside the swag.
When setting up you first roll out the swag. Then you insert the two poles on either end of the swag which is quick and easy due to the pole clips. Once these poles have been connected you then insert the telescopic pole in the centre and adjust to get the correct tension and lock in place. Once you have added all three poles the swag is free standing which it is designed to be. Ideally though you need to peg down the four corners and then the two guy ropes that open the large storm flaps on each end. By pegging these sections down and providing more tension you will reduce some of the canvas sag in the centre of the swag. You do want to have the storm flaps open as this will allow you to continue to receive airflow if you have the swag side access doors closed in bad weather.
Packing away is as simple as doing all the above steps in reverse and then rolling up the swag as tight as you can. Rolling the swag back up is extremely easy as it is only 900mm wide. There are two straps on each side that need to be clipped together and tightened to keep the swag nice and tightly rolled away.
Fly Screens / Mesh
All the large side entrances and the window on each end have fly screens or mesh. These screens work well in keeping flies, sandflies, mosquitoes, and midges out of the swag. We also have not had any issues with tearing or damage to the mesh which is good so far. We have had one issue while camping on the beach where we had the canvas entrances rolled up during a windy evening to find the swag filled with fine sand later that night. This is not a product issue just a community announcement to remember to keep the canvas doors closed on whichever side the wind is coming from.
Internal Compartments
Inside the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag there are two storage pockets where you can store your phone, keys, or anything else. There is one located at each depending on which direction you sleep. We have never actually used these as we find they are in an awkward position right behind your pillow. We usually just throw everything on the side of the mattress which is far easier to access. By everything this is usually just a phone and headlamp.
Issues with the Kings Swag
Overall, we cannot complain too much about the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag as it was extremely cheap but, there are a few issues that you should be aware of.
A big issue is the mattress. As we discussed earlier this might not be a problem for you, but this will really depend on your age and how you sleep. We did not expect a super comfortable mattress when spending under $200 for a swag so this was to be expected. The provided bag is just too small which means you are unable to roll up any bedding inside the swag which defeats the purpose. You will need to replace the bag with either the Kings canvas bag upgrade or any other canvas bag available in the market.
Another issue which we have discussed above is the canvas sag in the centre of the swag. The free-standing design of these types of swags seem to have this problem but it is not as noticeable with more expensive brands. This can be reduced by pegging down the ends and corners, but it is still quite noticeable. It is not a massive issue but be aware that it will not feel as spacious inside the swag because of this sag. We have also found that the eyelets for the telescopic pole have come loose and fallen out. These are easily replaced as you can buy them from any hardware store which we have not currently. But little things like that are the sorts of issues you face when buying cheaper quality products like this swag from Kings. Overall, this has not affected anything, and we have been using the swag without one of the eyelets and the hole has not gotten any bigger. We have also found that there is nowhere inside the swag to hang a small light if this was ever something that you wanted to do. The internal pockets are also in a difficult to reach spot once you have all your bedding in the swag. We never use these as we find they are not practical but this might be different for others.
The final and biggest issue we will raise again is the moisture build up inside the swag in cold weather. My father uses one of the tiny little Kings swags that is basically a sleeping bag with a dome at your head. This swag is made from the same canvas as our Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag. In one of our Simpson Desert trips in winter, my dad woke up every morning saturated in water from all the condensation. The amount of moisture he had build up was bad. We of course have not seen anything like that as we have more ventilation points and a far bigger internal area. But the amount of moisture generated on the inside canvas does seem to be far more than what some other brands of swags have seen in the same conditions. This one issue is one that would push me toward a more expensive swag as it does create many problems, especially when packing up first thing in the morning.
Overall Verdict
Overall, for what we paid for the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag the issues we have had are expected for a cheap overseas made product. If we had experienced the same sort of issues and spent well over $400 then we would feel differently. The biggest issues with the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag are the mattress and moisture build up. As we mentioned we replaced the mattress with an expensive self-inflating mattress which has made all the difference. But the mattress replacement has increased the cost of the swag to $365. Adding a decent canvas bag so that you can roll up your bedding takes the total cost to just over $400. With both these upgrades we are now in the price category of some decent swag brands. To name one, the Crashpad King Single which is similar in size specs but comes with a 70mm mattress and a good canvas bag is priced at around $400. We have not tried the mattress, but we are sure the Black Wolf self-inflating 100mm mattress is far more comfortable. But this gives you an idea of what other options are out there.
If you are young and can sleep on anything and do not have much of a budget, then you will be ok with the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag. If you only use a swag and like more comfort when it comes to your mattress then do not buy this swag. If you are on a tight budget, then look you know you will have a few issues with the Adventure Kings Deluxe Single Swag but as long as you are aware of these and can live with them then you will be ok. However, my advice if you have the budget is to stay away from the Kings swag and buy something that has been made with better materials. You will get a better mattress and an overall better swag. Upgrading the mattress in the Kings swag does increase the cost and defeats the purpose, so you might as well just buy a better quality swag.
This is not a sponsored post but our honest review on this swag that we purchased ourselves. If you would like to see the swag we purchased check them out here. If you would like to see the swag canvas bag that we purchased you can find them here.
For more of our gear review posts check them out here. To keep up to date on any of our future posts and become apart of the 4WD Adventurer community please join up here. If you have any comments or feedback please comment below and we will get back to you. Thanks for reading legends.
The thoughts of Peter.
