The Saddest Tent Ever?
My history with Kodiak started with a fun-filled six-person family tent. Now, with my boys scattered and my wife (wisely) opting out of sleeping on the ground, I'm heading out on my own. I needed something simple that beat cramming into my 4Runner—and the Kodiak Canvas Swag Tent was the answer to my new, slightly lonely, solo adventures.
A Quick Note: because my trip was cut short, I only got one night in this tent before this review , so please take that under consideration.
I went all-out on comfort, pairing the swag with a Cabela's XL cot, based on Kodiak's advice.
The first-time setup was a pleasant, dry evening experience. The cot might have been a little tougher to figure out than the swag itself, but the swag fit nearly perfectly on top.
The tension poles went in easily, and I secured the swag to the cot with parachute cord and set the guy wires on the ends. It was nice and tidy. (The top tension pole was out of stock when I ordered this tent, but I think it would work well with my setup.)
Comfort and The "Cozy-Not-Claustrophobic"
I use a large Teton 0° sleeping bag that’s tough to fully zip even on its own. Inside the swag, it felt cozy, not claustrophobic. With everything zipped down and the end vents open, sleeping was perfect in the mid-40s weather.
I did run into one minor ergonomic challenge based on my size and flexibility: Entry/Exit: Getting in was easy enough, but I'm not super flexible, and I wish the middle pole was just a little closer to the foot end. This would make exiting the swag, especially from the height of the cot, a lot smoother.
Final Logistics and Repacking
I know there are a lot of things I need to figure out as I spend more time in this setup: how to best zip it up for rain or snow protection, where to change clothes when I'm not the only one around, and the best spot for my shoes and other gear.
Regarding takedown, the most difficult part was the repacking process. I wasn't quite able to zip everything up all the way (meaning the carry bag wouldn't fully close), but I'm sure that's more about lack of technique on my part with the canvas than a problem with the product.
A Note on Customer Service
I live in Utah, not far from the warehouse. I ordered this on Saturday, and when a beautiful, but wrong, four-person tent arrived on Tuesday, I was worried since I was leaving Thursday morning.
