Can you buy a swag in Germany for a motorbike?
 

So here's how I imagined my trip. Me rocking up into a town with my swag rolled under my headlight. I stop at a camp site, roll out the swag and go to sleep. Quick easy and entirely self sufficient.

Swag (n): A single person tent or bivouac which includes mattress, insulation and a single tent pole to create an area for the head. Me Ol’ Swaggaroo… the Australian ‘Swag Bag’ | Path Of The Paddle

Turns out it's just an Australian thing or maybe I can't find the right name for it. I've been looking up biwaksack (German for bivouac) and you get some truly chilling results: [url=http://www.globetrotter.de/de/shop/detail.php?mod_nr=113440&k_id=0500&hot=0]W

Probably a bit wet in Europe for that sort of canvas johnny. Reckon it would get wetted out and weigh a ton in no time.

Maybe something along the lines of a hooped Gore-tex bivvy is what you are looking for?

This is a terra nova jupiter:

Terra Nova Jupiter Bivi Bag - FieldAndTrek.com

About the best on the market and what I use for overnighting in the mountains. Expensive though. You can get them cheaper than this, of course, and there are more economical, if less good, brands available.

Ex army gore-tex bivis are available for as little as around £30 on ebay in the UK, but they have drawstring hoods and wouldn't be much fun in a rainstorm. Plus they are not always waterproof. I suppose it depends on how well the squaddie has looked after it!

Good luck! :)

matt:)

Thanks mate. Are these the sorts of things that include a mattress and insulation in them: as in can you just sleep in them without anything extra?

No, its just a waterproof bag. You'd need to use it in conjunction with a mat and a sleeping bag. There's nothing stopping you rolling them all up together, though. In fact that's what I do. It means you can, like with an Aussie swag, just unroll it, stick in your pegs to keep the hood up, and jump in (OK wriggle in!). I was up in the scottish mountains in horrendous winds recently and it only took a minute or so to pull it out of my pack and set it up.

It'll stand up to brutal treatment. I was up with a few mates, all in similar pieces of kit and we had no problems. I'm guessing 99% of tents would have ended up 20 miles away! :)

I just had a thought - if you you are buying in Germany you might be able to get something ex-german army from a surplus store. A while ago I bought an ex-german army "gore-tex" jacket on ebay for £13. It is totally waterproof and seems very breathable. Once I'd cut the pixie hood off it makes a great bad weather over-jacket when I'm on the bike! :thumbup1:

Matt

Genius! Will give it a shot and let you know how it goes. Any idea about how to find an ex-army surplus store in Germany?

Try these:
 

Zelte - Bundeswehr, Bekleidung, Verkauf

Lindsay.

And these:
 

bivi bag | eBay

Lindsay.

Right on! Sweet lead!

Swags
 

Swags are loved by Australians as there's something romantic about just rolling out your bedroll under a sky full of stars. However comfy they are - and they are that - they take up a huge amount of space when rolled up. Also, for somewhere like Europe, could you stick 2 or 3 days in the pouring rain in a swag? At least a tent + sleeping bag gives room to move, cook, play cards, change clothes, stay warm and dry, talk to the girlfriend, read or whatever. Not for me.

I agree about the size, I have a swag I picked up several years ago in perth. Its one of those with the fitted foam mat, and when its rolled up its around 600mm in diameter and 1000mm long. Without the mat it packs up smaller.
To be honest due to the size & practicality I`ve hardly used it, and may have to consider what I`ll do with in the long term

To swag, or not to swag. That is the question.... :clown:

People are very nostalgic about swags but they are big and heavy. They were conceived for transporting on a mule or a camel and nowadays on a UTE(pickup).

There's nothing special about it, its just a bivouac sac, a sleeping mat and a sleeping bag rolled up.

I would prefer a tent though, many bivouac sacks don't even allow you to take your boots and/or your backpack inside.

In European temperatures this time of the year you must have a goretex bag, otherwise condensation in the bag will make your sleeping bag wet and then it gets cooold.

I've one of the Burke and Willis Waratah Swags and whilst it's really comfy, like has been said already, they are really bulky. Mine's been used mainly at shows when I was working so had plenty of room to fit it in a vehicle. Did have 4 nights running of heavy rain at a show in wales and it kept the worst of the water out - not all of it but enough not to worry too much.

I also have one of the ex MOD goretex bivi bags and with a thermarest type mat inside it and a decent sleeping bag, have had a few good nights sleep in it. Takes up a whole load less space compared to a swag too.