Going camping in the Australian wilderness is one of the most exciting things 4WD owners can do for a weekend getaway. If you’ve just gotten interested in exploring the vast Australian outback and wilderness, you’re probably looking at all the different 4WD products online that are meant to improve your trip and make it more enjoyable. But before you start investing a ton of money on bull bars, side rails, roof racks and RVs, you need to make sure that you’re actually going to invest yourself into going camping more than once or twice a year before opening up your wallet for all of the aforementioned accessories.

When shopping for camping and 4WD products online, the first thing you need to buy is a shelter. The two most popular types of camping shelters are tents and swags. While there’s no right or wrong choice when deciding between a tent and a swag, there are still a couple of differences between them that the inexperienced camper needs to be aware of, in order to make the best choice for them.

Swags

Modern swags offer utmost protection and comfort against pests like bugs, snakes and other types of vermin. They usually feature a hoop, a short pole and mesh panels to elevate the roof above the bedding, and waterproof floor materials and ground pegs have made modern swags resemble small tents. That being said, swags are ideal for a pair that wants to spend the night snuggling inside the swag and gaze at the stars by opening the top panel.

However, on the downside, there’s nothing worse than seeing a bunch of heavy raindrops drop onto the canvas. With that said, swags aren’t great for camping when there are chances of heavy rain. Luckily, Australia is known for its warm weather and sunny days, so a swag would definitely be a great fit for most Australian campers.

Tents

While there are many different types of tents available nowadays, all which have different features, most modern tents are weather-resistant, can easily be erected, and are typically designed of synthetic materials that are durable. When shopping for tents, it’s important to pay close attention to its size. The size is represented by the number of people that the tent can accommodate, but oftentimes, manufacturers are deceptive and they may list a tent as a 4-man tent, but realistically, it can only comfortably accommodate 3 people.

As briefly aforementioned, different tents have different features. If you plan on going for one-day trips, you’ll need a tent that’s easy to take up and take down. On the flip side, if you’re looking to stay in the wilderness for a week, a quick-erect tent is probably not your best option.