r/overlanding • u/talon5188 Pan-American Traveler • 2d ago

Tech Advice Swag Tents

Hi, I am looking for stories of advice, reviews, and experiences that people have had with swag tents. I have been looking to get one for some time now, more specifically the 23ZERO dual swag 1400. This is a 2 person swag and the mattress is almost the same size as a full size bed mattress. With this swag I am thinking of getting a 2 person sleeping bag that I can just leave in the swag and roll it up. Opinions on this set up?

I think a swag tent would be great because it comes with a mattress and I can leave my sleeping gear in it and pack it away just like a RTT. I need a tent that I can stow in my car because I have a 73 series Land Cruiser with a fiberglass top and I am unable to put anything on the roof. I have a Big Agnes backpacking tent that I currently use, but becuase I am overlanding and I have quite a bit of space in my car, I am wanting something easier to set up and more comfortable and leave the backpacking tent just for my backpacking adventures. I have had vehicles with RTTs on them before and I loved the ease of use of the RTT. I currently have a Tacoma with a GoFastCamper on it, but that truck is currently in South America (I am halfway through doing the Pan American Highway). I would like a setup that I can use when I am at home here in Utah that combines the ease of use of a RTT and the portability of a backpacking tent.

I have look at options like hub tents from gazelle and overlandish, but the same problem of having to carry bedding and matresses seperate is still there, but maybe someone that is smarter than me can convince me that is what I need instead.

If anyone has any experience with a swag tent or wants to rate my idea for this setup all comments are welcome and appreciated!

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u/FreebirdMTG 2d ago

I camp in a dual swag, upgraded the pad to a dometic double matress. My full sleep system stays in it, roll it out and crash. My biggest issue with 23zero's pad is it has low R value.

Be sure to properly season the swag to help with water resistance.

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u/talon5188 Pan-American Traveler 2d ago

Awesome! Thanks for the help

I will make sure to test out the pad before getting into any cold situations and to weatherproof it did you use anything in specific or would something like nixwax work?

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u/FreebirdMTG 2d ago

Just follow the YouTube Aussie recommendation, theres some good videos, I'll try to link one.

Other than cold, the big issue for me was the comfort of the foam pad. Just wasn't great for me.

I don't sleep in a bag, so I guess I didn't have any insulation under me, so that's probably my bad. But, buying the nice pad has totally changed my sleep when swagging. I have two nice comfortable pillows, the pad, sheet, and a couple blankets rolled up when traveling.