A long, long time ago, I took a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii. We had no plans at all, except to surf and get drunk and eat hot dogs at a Mad Caddies concert. With nowhere to sleep and a few measly coins rattling in our pockets, we spent more than a few nights sleeping in the sand, warm Natty Ice in our bellies and a smoldering campfire nearby. Like many of you, I’m sure, we used board bags as mattresses, because sand is only good for napping on, not for a whole night’s sleep.
On one particular night, I awoke at around 3 a.m to a friend yelling. He sounded farther away from me than he was when we both went to sleep, which seemed odd. As it turned out, he had put is sleeping bag down a little to close to the water’s edge. As we slumbered drunkenly, the tide came up, as did the swell. Sure enough, one larger-than-normal wave wound up breaking on top of him. As it returned to the sea, it filled his sleeping bag with water and dragged him down the sand into the ocean. He emerged, still drunk, soaked, sandy, and confused, pulling his sodden sleeping bag with behind him. It was hilarious, and I’m very glad it happened.
That’s just one story of many where the Boardswag would have been nice. Sure, maybe in that exact situation, it probably wouldn’t have done much (can’t help stupid, as they say), but for those who prefer to travel light and throw caution to the wind, this thing is a really good idea. Full disclosure: Boardswag is not affiliated with this. I just saw it on the internet and thought that it looked like a grand idea. The thing holds three boards, an inflatable tent, and has a built-in mattress.
It was “dreamed up by a couple of road-tripping Aussie surfers who slept a night in their board bags to catch the early session at a secluded break,” and according to the Kickstarter campaign the creators have set up, it takes around a minute to inflate the tent.
As is the case with any good crowdfunding campaign, there are early-bird deals, including one very good one: For $1,399 (AU—just under $1,000 USD for the Yanks out there), you’ll get a Boardswag and a Haydenshapes Surfboard. Pick between the Hypto Krypto, Holy Grail, or the Untitled models. Then pack it up, head on out, and be the one who wakes up before everyone else for a few hours of perfect, empty waves. Just don’t set up your inflatable tent too close to the water.
Want to get in on the deal early? Head to Boardswag’s Kickstarter.
