Author	Message
OZJoel Guest	# Posted: 15 Jun 2005 09:43:37 Hi all, I'm going with a friend to Europe in August, and we're backpacking around most of the Western Countries. As we have a modest budget, we will be doing some camping to save money. My questions are: Has anyone on here taken a swag on their backpacking holiday? If so, was it too inconvenient/heavy to take away? Should i buy a decent sleeping bag instead? Will a sleeping bag be too cold in Europe? For anyone that doesn't know what a Swag is, check here: http://www.downunderswags.swag.com.au/elsewhere/index.html Thanks for any help.. Joel

JaMeZ Moderator Amsterdam	# Posted: 16 Jun 2005 01:58:33 Hi Joel, I've never gone backpacking with a tent myself, but know many people who did. Those swags look quite decent to me, though a bit heavy to backpack around with. I noticed the lightest double person tent is a whopping 6.4 kg. For the same price as quoted on the website you could get a regular tent that weighs under 2.5 kg (check out the Eureka Moonshadow Duo for example). Being able to cut down on the tent's weight will save you a lot of inconvenience. I'd suggest to look for a tunnel shaped tent, since they comprise the best space to weight ratio and thus make them ideal for backpackers. You can probably get by with a sleeping bag alone as well. Be sure to get a mummy shaped one that will keep you warm enough to get through cold nights (Europe won't be that cold in the summer by the way) and don't forget to bring a mattress. A few downsides of just having your sleeping bag would be that you don't have any protection for all your stuff (backpack lies in plain view) and the fact that you'll unavoidably get completely soaked if it rains... ;) Hope this info can help you a little further in your decisions and search for a tent. All the best! James "It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase 'As pretty as an Airport' appear." - Douglas Adams
OZJoel Guest	# Posted: 16 Jun 2005 10:49:00 Hi JaMeZ, Thanks for the reply mate. Yeah, thinking about it now, it would be a lot of hassle carrying a swag around. I'm going to buy a mummy shapped sleeping bag like you suggested, but I'm not sure what mattress I'll buy. Those inflatable ones are quite expensive, and I'm not sure how comfortable those foam mattresses are? Have you used one of them before? Can I get away without taking one? Much appreciated, Joel
JaMeZ Moderator Amsterdam	# Posted: 16 Jun 2005 20:33:50 Hey Joel, Just noticed this on the main page of the swag website: "perfect for car-camping and other occasions when you don't have to carry it." - that says it all I think ;) About them mattresses. The advantage of the inflatable ones is that they offer more comfort than the foam ones. On the other hand, they are more expensive (in my country they start at about 35 EUR / 55 AUD), and they have the tendency to get punctured, so you'll need to bring a small repair kit with you too. If you don't care much about how comfortable you'll lie, you can easily go for a non-inflatable one. And of course you can also try to go without a mattress if you like it really rough... :) If after a few nights you decide you still would like to have a mattress, you can always buy one abroad - there are plenty of outdoor travel gear shops in Europe as well. "It is no coincidence that in no known language does the phrase 'As pretty as an Airport' appear." - Douglas Adams