Love it or hate it, ‘glamping’ has quickly gained in popularity in recent years. Once shunned by outdoor diehards, it has now become a common means for new and old campers to enjoy the outdoors.
Glamping, a combination of the words glamourous and camping, is synonymous with luxurious camping. And with luxurious camping comes luxurious camping equipment.
From the mundane to the extravagant, glamping equipment comes in many shapes and sizes. But, whatever it may be, they make camping a lot more comfortable and accessible, so it’s not all bad.
What is Glamping All About?
The term glamping is a combination of the words glamorous and camping. As the name implies, it harkens to a style of camping that is geared towards comfort. Most, if not all aspects of glamping revolve around maintaining a genuine camping experience but without all the hassle.
So, instead of sleeping on a thin foam pad, in a tiny tent with only your body heat keeping you warm, the glamping experience is the Shangri-La in comparison.
Say hello to mattresses that rival your bed at home, tents that mimic a mansion, and heating systems that can weather a localized polar vortex!
Additional comforts like hot showers, on demand electricity, or even a portable toilet are items that help folks physically limited or unable to enjoy the outdoors to do so as well.
To me, the argument about glamping boils down to if more people are able to share and enjoy the outdoors and nature, then why not?
Who is Glamping Geared Towards?
First of all, glamping is not for everyone, but everyone can try it. I like to use the resort analogy when describing who would enjoy glamping and who wouldn’t.
Some people plan vacations so that they travel to an all-inclusive resort. No need to worry about your accommodations, what you’re eating or drinking, or even what activities you can enjoy.
It’s all nicely ‘pre-packaged’, and great for families, parents with young children, and older adults who want to travel stress-free. Nothing wrong with that.
On the other hand, some travellers need more fluidity with their vacations. For an authentic vacation, they tend to stay closer to the locals, hop from city to city, and partake in less “touristy” things. Again, totally cool and acceptable.
These two travel types, in a way, reflect the difference in glamping and regular camping, and who would most likely enjoy either.
Now, campgrounds and parks are actively advertising their glamping experiences – furnished and fully stocked cabins and yurts are in high demand during peak periods. They’re a virtual home-away-from-home which makes them so popular.
So, consider glamping if you’re:
- New to camping and want to give it a try
- Camping with very young children and need less things to worry about
- Don’t have sufficient equipment for a specific camping trip such as a music festival or winter camping
- Are physically limited or need additional comfort away from home
7 Luxury Camping Items
To have that genuine glamping experience you need to have the right equipment.
No more sitting on a stump around the campfire and sleeping on a 1-inch foam pad with rocks jabbing into your kidney. Having a foldable reclining camp chair fit for a king, and an inflatable mattress is heaven on earth.
Below are 7 glamping items that are absolutely over-the-top. They aren’t in anyway essential, but make will make your camping experience very comfortable, laidback and extra accessible.
1. Screen House
An annoying aspect of camping we all have to deal with at some point are the bugs, specifically the flying around your head, constantly biting and landing on your food kind.
Bees, flies and mosquitos can reign havoc and terrorize the coolest of campers. And, at certain times of the year, it can feel like Moses just conjured another plague just by the sheer number of them swarming your body.
But, not only do you need to worry about being bitten or stung, they can also carry diseases that can infect your body, cause an allergic reaction, or contaminate your food or drinks.
So, instead of spending an exuberant amount of time and energy swatting the air, attempting to locally eradicate this flying vermin, or using chemicals to keep them at bay, a screen house solves your problem.
Built to keep bugs out, screen houses are quick to erect and will help keep you sane. You can place them over a picnic table, set up your chairs inside, or even a picnic blanket.
They also double as a sun shade which helps keep you cool on those long summer days, and dry if it starts to rain unexpectedly.
Here are a few screen houses that are perfect to take camping:
Coleman Instant Screen House
Gazelle Pop Up Portable Gazebo
Outdoor Sports Instant Screen House
2. Hammock
A mid-afternoon nap is a camping staple. And what better way to catch up on some z’s than cocooned in a hammock.
Seriously, unless you’ve experienced it for yourself, you have no idea how comfortable they make you feel. You don’t even have to sleep in it! It’s a great place to enjoy a book, listen to some music or lay down and rest your legs and back.
Kids go bonkers for hammocks. It doubles as a swing and you can use a hammock to lull babies to sleep. And, if the weather permits, you can sleep overnight in a hammock, keeping up off the ground.
So, whether you are car camping or venturing into the backcountry, you can easily carry and string up a hammock.
Forbidden Road Hammock
Easthills Outdoors Hammock with Bug Screen and Tarp
3. Generator
Even though traditional camping is supposed to free us from our ‘connected’ lives, these days we can’t venture too far without our beloved electronics.
Cell phones, tablets, speakers, even camera gear relies on power. And, if you’re planning an extended camping trip, you’ll need to ensure you can juice up your devices.
Sure, you can bring a battery bank which can let you recharge smaller electronics a few times before they are drained. However, if you’re camping as a family, and each of you has a cell phone, that poor battery bank will only last a day, if that.
Solar panel chargers are also very handy, but are slow to charge and rely on constant sunlight. They are also fairly expensive.
If you need reliable, on-demand power, a portable generator is your best bet. They’re compact, quiet and powerful, and able to recharge most if not all of your electronic equipment, all at once.
Pro tip: When you’re not using it for camping, generators are fantastic for emergency situations at home. Wind, snow or ice storms, whatever causes a blackout, you’ll always have access to power.
Energizer 2200-Watt Portable Inverter Generator
Generac 2200 Watt Portable Inverter Generator
4. Portable Shower
For shorter camping trips, it’s easy to get away with not having to shower. But eventually, and inevitably, the stank will build up to critical levels, beyond what’s acceptable. And, you may be re-classified as a biological hazard by your fellow campers, shunned and excommunicated.
So, to maintain a decent level of personal hygiene, and forego any potential relationship redefining conversations, a portable shower is a must.
Portable showers come in many shapes and sizes. Some operate entirely passively, utilizing solar energy to warm water. Simply fill the water bladder and let it sit in the sun do its magic. Then, hang it above your head to enjoy a nice warm shower.
Other systems are more technologically advanced. Rechargeable, handheld shower systems are great for quick trips with the family. Just plop the dual heater and pump end in a bucket of water and flip a switch. A steady, warm stream of water is at your finger-tips.
And for a 5-star shower experience, you can bring along a BOSS… [battery operated shower system]. This little unit powered by 6 D-cell batteries, and a single 1-lb propane cylinder, is the Rolls Royce of camp showers. Great for extended camping and road trips, cabins, and campervans. Portable, durable, and self-contained hot water on-demand!
Coleman Solar Shower
Ivation Portable, Battery-Powered Shower
Base Camp Battery Operated Shower System
5. Folding Bed Cot
By far, the most disliked aspect of camping is having to sleep on the ground. Especially if the ground is rocky, uneven or cold during the fall and winter months.
A good night’s sleep, whether at you’re home or in the woods, is very important. That’s why a solid sleep system that lets you rest and recover overnight is critical.
Typically, a thin foam or blow-up mattress is standard issue. They get the job done, but if you have any body issue you’re going to wake up sore and grumpy. And nobody likes a grumpy camper!
Well, to make sure you don’t wake up as the seventh worst dwarf, invest in a portable camping cot. A cot elevates your sleeping experience, figuratively and literally.
Your entire body is lifted off the ground, so no more rocks digging into your hips. Your body is also better supported, spreading your weight more evenly so you wake up less sore. They’re great for kids and adults, and wonderful for seniors!
Teton Universal Camp Cot
6. Portable Folding Table
When you get to a campground, chances are that a picnic table is included at your camp site. Not only can you prepare, cook and eat at the table, you can also play board games [these are my favourite cooperative board games to bring], do crafts or just hang out around it.
However, if you’re camping in a more remote region, or need to setup a flat working area, a portable, folding table is fantastic.
Smaller, compact tables can be set up next to camp chairs, around a campfire, or inside a tent or screen house. Larger tables can be used for food preparation and cooking.
FE Active Ultralight Portable Table
Coleman Pack-Away 4-in-1 Table
7. Portable Toilet
A big reason some folks are hesitant to camp, especially in undeveloped areas or at music festivals, is a lack of of adequate sanitary services.
While in the backcountry, the old “scoop before you poop” mantra isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Likewise, when you’re at a music festival, the porta potties tend to get obliterated after the first hour.
So, to make sure you can go number 1 and 2 without any issues, consider bringing a portable toilet. I know, it sounds ridiculous but it makes so much sense!
Portable camp toilets are compact, light-weight and leak proof. They are designed with separate fresh and waste-water tanks with a slide valve to keep the nasty parts sealed and secure. And it flushes! Truly, we are living in the future…
Zimmer Portable Camping Toilet
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