I've used my swag on both the ground and stretcher, but the stretcher is so much more comfortable.
When on the beach the underside of the swag doesn't have sand stuck to it when folding up and when on uneven ground you don't have that rock or tree root digging into you.
i suspect the original comment was more directed at why have a swag and a stretcher, instead of a bunker arrangement...
and i suspect the answer is that the bunker style has only been around for a few years, whereas stretchers and swags have been around for ever.
no point in buying a bunker, if you already have a swag that you like, when you just need to add a relatively inexpensive stretcher to complete the combo...
i bought the bunker because we don't have swags and i like the general setup of it better than a swag/stretcher combo...
each to their own... anything to get up off the ground, IMO...