Tag Archives: Canvas

Easy set-up sun and rain awning for your 4WD — gear & photos

A quick-erect sun and rain awning is a very handy addition to any four wheel drive vehicle. Rather than purchasing an of-the-shelf awning, I have developed my own from some surplus gear in my camping kit. There are numerous different awnings available on the market that bolt semi-permanently to roof racks — examples include those available from ARB, TJM, Bushranger, and OZtrail. While I could have easily purchased an off-the-shelf awning, I have … more »

Black Wolf Turbo Plus 300 tent purchase

I purchased a BlackWolf Turbo Plus 300 today from Down Under Camping at the Caravanning Queensland 2010 Pre-Christmas Caravan & Camping Sale. On our last camping trip I performed the tent set-up in a stiff 20-knot breeze coming straight down the Noosa River to our camp site at the Noosa River Caravan Park. Erecting our 10-person Jackaroo dome tent proved to be a problem in the wind. I had to erect a wind break … more »

How to clean a Burke & Wills swag mattress cover

My Burke & Wills Ironbark swag is easily my favourite piece of camping equipment. I have stuffed a queen sized cotton doona and full size pillow into it. The swag is so comfortable, I have been known to leave my bed and sleep in it at home when my partner is sick – perhaps a little too willingly at times! While I use my swag in a tent, it is rugged enough to … more »

Traditional swag review and purchase of Burke and Wills Ironbark swag

Burke & Wills Ironbark swag

After using a traditional swag and enjoying how comfortable it was, I decided to purchase a Burke & Wills Ironbark swag to add to my camping kit. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, I think that a swag is a more practical solution to self-inflating air mattresses (the big ones can be time consuming to roll up and are still bulky) and sleeping bag (sleeping bags are not easily washable; a … more »

How to make a traditional swag using simple materials

Making your own traditional swag or bedroll in the style of an original Australian swagman is easy using just a sheet of canvas, mattress, blanket, pillow and rope. Today we do not have to carry a swag long distances on our back so we can add in a few extra creature comforts, but why spend $400 or more on a top-of-the-line mass-produced swag when with a little ingenuity you can be sleeping just as … more »

Darche tent and shelter set-up

I have worked out a set-up for my Darche camp shelter. I have set up my canvas touring tent standard, but without the awning poled out. On the Darche camp shelter, I have used two double guy ropes with springs from my camping kit on the pole ends of the camp shelter. I have also run a 4 mm rope as the ridge of the shelter. The poles and ridge rope will stand on … more »

Canvas tourer tent comparison

I am in the market for a canvas tourer tent. These tents are fast to set up and can be considered the original quick pitch tent. They are also heavy and bulky, but this is not a problem if you are touring in a car. Having made the decision to buy a canvas tourer tent, I decided to conduct a comparison of the main features of the various extended tents on the market … more »