So, you are new to camping!
Here are some tips & ideas to start you on the road in our great outdoors. Hi all, I’m Dave from Outdoor Camping Disorder, your online camping store. Today in this blog, I’ll be covering 5 things that you should do when you receive your new swag. I have the Burke & Wills Gibson king single swag already set up.
1/ When you receive your swag, make sure the box has no damages whilst it was in transit.
2/ When you unroll the swag, check the canvas, seams and that the swag has all the accessories, such as the pegs, guide ropes, mattress poles etc.
3/ Set the swag with the poles, pegs and ropes, as you see, I’ve already got this set up ready to season.
4/ Inspect the swag, make sure the zips and mesh are all good, no rips and tears and the zips do zip up.
5/ Now that you have it set up, season the swag at least 3 or 4 times
Why should you season your swag??
Once you have purchased your new swag, in most cases, you will need to season the canvas before you take it on your first camping adventure. Some swags have already been weather treated in the manufacturing process. So the choice is yours but to be on the safe side, you should weather treat the swag before you go. It will not harm the swags that have been treated at manufacture. It will give you peace of mind! Using a garden hose, wet the swag inside & out, remember to take the mattress out. Leave the swag to dry in a shaded part of your backyard, once it is completely dry repeat the soaking process a few more times. This process swells the fibres in the canvas, swelling around the thread of the seams making it water tight. Be sure to let the swag dry out completely before you roll it back up for storage. Even though most quality swags are made with anti mildew treated canvas, storing a damp swag will certainly make it mouldy and rot the stitching. You can also soak it in a bath tub (again, with the mattress out). Do it thoroughly in and out concentrating on all the stitching, and let dry well before doing again, a third time, and even one more for good luck. Note, if you are going to soak it in the bath tub, give the tub a wipe done with a cloth and water before soaking the swag to ensure that there isn’t any soap or chemicals around the tub.
I hope this helps you when you get your new swag.
I’ll see you next time for more tips and ideas.
Click on the link the see our range of swags and camping equipment, and remember, enjoy our great outdoors. Cheers