Ironman 4x4 Ridge Pole Swag review

The humble swag has come a long way since the thin roll of canvas that served as bedding for the pioneers, explorers and drovers of this country in the early years of the colony. The canvas is now waterproof, tear-resistant and is supplemented by a mattress, mozzie netting and support poles.

Nowhere is the latest generation of personal swags more epitomised than in the new Ridge Pole Swags from Ironman 4x4. Not only does it come with all the aforementioned features, but it has a veranda and a place to keep your boots dry and critter-free!

The Ironman Ridge Pole Swags come in King Single and Double sizes for $439 and $479, making them great value for money. We got our hands on a King Single version and have used it on a couple of trips in the Victorian High Country.

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Unpacking the Ironman swag for the first time, it was great to see it comes with a heavy-duty canvas bag which always comes in handy to protect your swag from the elements if you’re carrying it in the back of a ute or on the roof of your 4x4.

Also in the bag are all the tent pegs and guy ropes you’ll need, the ridge pole and awning poles, mattress and separate boot bag. I’ve since been using the boot bag as a place to store all these ancillaries when they go back in the big bag. And yes, it does all fit back in the bag at the end of the day.

The swag is relatively easy to erect. Flexible, elasticised bows snap in place at each end and the ridge pole extends in place between them to keep the swag upright. Loop a guy rope through the hoods at each end, secure them with a peg and the swag is ready to jump inside.

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I’ve owned double-hoop swags before and, while they are a great design, I’ve found that no matter how taut you secure the ties at the ends, the canvas inevitably sags in the middle and encroaches on the interior space. The ridge pole design alleviates this problem by keeping constant pressure on the end loops, to maintain the shape of the swag. You could even use it without tying down the ends if you needed to get in quickly in poor weather.

The main material is 420gsm polycotton Ripstop fabric, while the base is PVC to prevent dampness creeping in. The canvas is water-rated to 800mm and seems to have a water-repellent coating on it. The zippers all feel like good quality units that should last years of use.

Inside the Ironman swag is plenty of room for one person, and a couple could even sleep in here at a pinch. The King Single is a full metre wide, while the 2150mm length should accommodate all but the tallest people. The Double Ridge Pole swag has the same length but is 1400mm wide. The 700mm of height allows you to prop up on your elbow and move around a bit, but you can’t fully sit up to put your boots on in the morning.

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There are internal pockets to store belongings, and loops at the top where you can hang a light if needed. The panels at each end zip open to allow flow-through ventilation and are protected from the rain by hoods that pull out with the guy ropes.

Need more ventilation? Both sides of the swag fully zip open, and you can either roll the canvas up and secure it to the ridge pole with the attached loops or prop them up on the awning poles for a covered veranda open to your favourite camp view.

With the sides open you are still protected from bugs by the sandfly-proof mesh, which again can be opened up on both sides, making this a very versatile swag.

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The included mattress is a thick 70mm high-density foam piece that takes up the full floor area of the swag. I have been mounting my swags on a stretcher for a few years now, so I was a bit concerned about dropping back on the ground with this swag. I needn’t have been concerned as this mattress is made for comfort and I barely felt the ground beneath me and got a great night’s sleep on it.

The only negative of the thick and comfy mattress is that it means the swag rolls up quite fat, but I rolled it up with my pillow and sleeping bag left inside and it still goes back in its protective bag without much of a fight. Fully packed up like this, it only just fits under the hard tonneau cover of an N80 Hilux.

To date, I’ve had a few windy nights with some light rain in this swag but haven’t encountered heavy rain yet. The previously mentioned water-repellent canvas should protect against that, but so far no problems with any water ingress inside the swag. And the wind didn’t bother it, either.

On clear, warmer nights I’ve opened it up for more airflow and enjoyed the breeze and sound of a nearby river – the perfect camp.

I’m looking forward to more time in the Ironman swag as it’s become my favourite, and I’m no longer carrying a stretcher around as well. Not only is it doing a great job, but for the price the Ironman swag is great value.

Pricing

RRP: $439
Available from: www.ironman4x4.com/swags