Caravanning family's $25 Kmart solution to common camping problem
Aussie couple Kylie and Tyson have shared some tips on a cheap purchase that will keep you dry in the great outdoors.
If you're an avid camper or looking to take a trip outdoors soon, you might be after some useful tips to get you by unscathed.
Like thousands of others who've jumped on board the booming travel trend, Aussie couple Kylie and Tyson have taken to the great outdoors with their two children, travelling full-time around Australia in their caravan.
So it's safe to say they've picked up a trick or two along the way as they venture across the country, often sleeping in some iconic locations, including how to stay dry and unbothered by bugs when sleeping in swags outside of their van.
Taking to their social media pages this week, Kylie revealed the secret to a good night's sleep while on the road. "The best mattress protector for a swag," she said of a bargain Kmart find which starts at $20 for a single and goes up to $35 for a king.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, she said while it's "nothing groundbreaking", it certainly helps while "camping out in the bush".
Campers rave about Kmart's bug-proof mattress protector
A swag is a portable sleeping unit designed to fit a mattress inside. It's often made using a tough canvas material making it suitable for outdoor conditions. The idea is to zip it up entirely to stop creepy crawlies from getting in, however, some recommend sleeping with the zips open slightly to help stop condensation from forming inside.
For this reason, Kmart's Mattress Encasement could prove useful as it claims to "assist in the prevention of bed bugs entering and escaping" and is "easy-to-fit". It also claims to be waterproof making it suitable for the great outdoors.
Do you have any caravanning or camping tips? We’d love to hear about them! Carly.bass@yahooinc.com
Kylie said they'd previously had issues with their bedding getting wet while sleeping outdoors and hoped the cheap Kmart find could help.
"For anyone that goes camping in a swag, I highly recommend this from Kmart," she said in a video shared on TikTok. "It has a zip along the bottom, along here, and it's double-sided and waterproof."
"On the weekend, we went away and some of the mattresses got a little bit wet, soaking through from underneath. But this would hopefully stop the mattress and bedding from getting wet."
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Caravanning and camping have boomed in popularity in recent times. According to data from the Federal Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Australians took 15.3 million caravan and camping trips in 2023 — setting a new all-time high.
Commenting on her video, others shared some more useful camping tips which would help mattresses stay warm and dry throughout the night — a must if it means enjoying camping outdoors.
"Put a blow-up mattress under your swag mattress, it’s life-changing," one said. "Ground tarp under your swag and leave the zip open slightly," said another.
Meanwhile, a third wrote, "Just keep the windows cracked and you won’t get condensation. Soaking underneath is an issue with the swag".
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