Review: Kings Adventure Big Daddy Deluxe Double Swag

In a similar vein as my review of the capable and functional SnugPack Stratosphere Bivy, and from the same birthday purchase splurge last year I also picked up a luxury camping item from Kings Adventure in the form of the Big Daddy Deluxe Double Swag.

Though I tend to prefer hammocks for the "off the ground away from pests" and low footprint aspects. Having a good flat lay can be hard to achieve in a suspended hammock, and its nice to have company that isn't all pressed elbows and knees or bunk-stacked hammocks. For this reason I looked for a double bed style swag.  

 

Kings Adventure was on my radar as source of gear, having seen them at Melbourne Camping and Caravan ShowMelbourne Camping and Caravan Show and having bought my camping stove from them having bought my camping stove from them . A happy medium between tent and bivy bag, a swag like this aa swag like this a self contained bed and shelter system.  

Constructed from waterproof & Ripstop 400gsm canvas, with a heavy-duty waterproof 450gsm PVC bucket floor base. The two arc ends are supported by tent poles with clips, fitting to pegs held in split rings at each corner, have been upgraded to 10.2mm diameter for extra strength. The ends are held up by a telescoping alloy spreader pole, which also connects to polyester clips to lift the roof and keep the whole structure taut and self-standing. Corner pegs and end-flap guy lines help keep it secure and stable. 

Side flaps open all the way with heavy duty zippers on both sides, allowing easy access for either person ( as its a double) and bug-proof mesh with full zippers round out the build. Set up, the Swag is a spacious 2.15m (7') long and over 1.55m (5'1") wide, at the peak of its arc it is 96cm (3'1") high. Internally, both head and foot ends have a zippable window panel, behind more bug-mesh, and under storm flaps, allowing good airflow without compromising comfort. The real selling point for me, beyond the large footprint, was the included mattress. The ripstop fabric covered and free-floating pad is 7cm (2.75") thick, fully expanded. It's so comfortable. 

Not only was it soft and padded, it also breathed and I could lay on it without matt or blanket without getting sweaty. The ceiling has loops for tying up the side flaps if they are up, but when down they serve as good tie-in points for a lamp or in my case to store my glasses whilst sleeping. 

The heavy 400gsm canvas is weather proof and shady, allowing for afternoon naps as well as shelter from harsh sunlight as needs be. 

Overall, I enjoyed sleeping in the Swag far more than I did in the Stratosphere Bivy, primary because of the mattress but also the roominess. Not having the skin of the Bivy pressing down on me made it a lot more comfortable. No shade on the bivy, but the more tent like Swag was a treat. 

Tactical Baby and I camped out over a couple of nights and we did side-by-side camping, swapping after a night from bivy to Swag and we both agreed the swag was the more comfortable. 

We hiked in to our site, and initially I had rolled the swag up in a single layer, so was a wide bundle at a little over 1.55m (5'1") wide, I carried it draped over a shoulder but I had rigged a sling to carry it at the small of my back on the way back which was more convenient but still wide. 

The swag only weighed 14kg, so its no trial to carry, even with the regular camping load, but once home I found I could double it over and roll it up to make a much more manageable bundle at 80 cm long x 50 cm across. This was possible with the built-in straps and double-D-shackle binders. The bundle was thus smaller and more manageable to transport and pack out and in the vehicle. It's obviously not as easy to ruck in as a bivy, but the luxury it brings is palpable and welcome, making up for the minor inconvenience . Better than hauling a full sized tent for sure. I haven't had opportunity to put it through a solid storm-test, but the construction seems solid and the stitching tight.

Review: King's Adventure Stove

 During the opening rounds of Covid lockdowns in the summer months of 2020 it occurred to me that disruptions might linger on till at least winter. Though I live in a temperate city, which rarely dips below freezing, I wanted to ensure I had a source of heating for both warmth and cooking that was off-grid. I have a variety of BBQ's both charcoal and LPG (I also acquired spare LPG cylinders). At the time
I even had a cast iron wood-stove I was restoring. I had seen portable wood stoves for ages and even camped near some on occasion and thought they would suit my projected need quite nicely. Bigger than a backpack pot-stove but not as big as one of my kettle BBQ's or the cast iron one. I wanted something I could use to burn household and reclaimed timber if needs be, more so than logs and branches that an open-fire pit might be used for. Portability was also an important consideration.  

The ads I'd been seeing pointed me towards https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/ which seemed to be a reliable source for robust camping kit. Kings Premium Camp Oven Stove | Wood-Fired BBQ | Enclosed Firepit | Steel Construction | For Camping or Backyard Use - 4WD Supacentre

It seems the particular model I chose is out of production and the current models are square sided, rather than rounded, but this plays very little part in its utility as a camp-stove. 

The curved sides of the stove feature a welded bar on one side, acting as a hanger for tea-towels, tongs of what have-you, for drying and keeping out of the dirt and off the stove itself. It also acts as a barrir to stop things touching the hot sides of the stove. 

 

Stove pipe sections all fit inside the stove for transport and storage. 

On the other side of the stove a similar bar forms a hinged handle for carryig the stove, briefcase style (before setting up). It could also be used for hanging things, but more care needs to bwe taken as its stand-off distance from the belly of the tove is far less than the fixed bar on the other side.  

The three legs of the stove are hinged and fold flush to the belly when in transit, held in place with pins, each with their own retaining chain. The legs each have a round foot, each with a couple of holes drilled through for tent pegs to secure the stove in place. 

The legs, once unfolded, are held in place by those same retaining pins as used for storage. The rigid stove-pipe sections are easily fitted to the stove-body, which features a small section proud of the cook-top for ease of mounting. Its worth noting that one section of pipe features a flue control valve, just a simple spinning disk on a rod that can be angled to choke down the fire as needed.  The five stove-pipe sections do not feature a spark arrestor, or an end-cap, but it has been easy enough to make one with a re-purposed soup-can and a couple of tent pegs. With all five pipes connected the whole stove tops out at 2.45m (~8'), which puts smoke well out of the way, but well worth staking the feet to avoid any tippage. The stove top measures  45 x 24 cm (1'5" x 9 3/4") and has a trio of divots pressed in for rigidity, as well as a 15 cm (3") diameter removable burner lid, with retaining notches and a recess for a hook to pull it off the fire. 

The door is a simple circle, hinged on one side, with a notched latch to secure the fire closed, or cracked open for air-flow. 

The door is also 15 cm (3") diameter, which along with the internal length of the stove at 43cm (17") or so, limits the sice of the wood it is loaded with, but not unreasonably so. A small curved ash-lip is also provided, and slots in under the door to catch and embers that spill whilst filling or stoking the fire. It also provides a nice rest for roasting foods on a stick, in the stove. 

With the burner lid off you can get quite a a roarimg fire going, especially good once the fuel has all caught and the flue is drawing any smoke through. This lets you build a good bed of coals to cook with. You - could- cook directly on the stove top as the bare metal gets quite hot, but I prefer to put a pan or pot on, to assist with cleaning. I've found that the surface does rust if left in the open so have taken to oiling it, as I would to season a cast iron pan which has helped protect it. Obviously this can lead to a bit of smoke as it burns on, but well worth it to keep the stove in good condition and leaves a great finish.

 

A piece of good fortune came in the form of the thick walled cast iron pot that I salvaged and restored fits perfectly into the burner lid opening, which both speeds the hating process but eliminates any smoke escaping. Its important to keep an eye on the cooking progress as with any wood fired stove, it can develop hot spots. 

Whilst obviously not a hiking stove, all together in its canvas carry bag the stove is quite portable, with space inside to carry the stove sections as well as a couple of fire poker tools. 

I dont have a hot-tent, nor much desire to do much cold -weather camping, but if I did, i'm certain this stove would make a fine addition to camp. My famly certainly enjoy the occasional fire-side, back-yard gather, without the concerns of smoke in the face or embers blowing that an open fire would bring. 

Whether its kranskies on-a-stick, a pot of beans, that old classic marshmallows, or a simple pot of tea, there is somehing magical about having your own fire. 

Easy enough for littlest-coyote to set up on their own, compact enough to throw in the back of the bug-out vehicle.