What is 'Glamping'..??

[cbrdave]

I recently built two glamping huts for a local campsite, more like fancy shaped sheds to be honest, owner reckoned it was popular with people who can't afford all the tent and stuff and want to experience the out door life, kind of contradicts itself I reckon,
Spoke to a young couple who rented one of the huts, they said it had been all over TV and a lot of it was tenting but getting a local fast food place delivering food, having electric for TV and music with a shower block near by,

I'd prefer to rough it with a tent or in the back of my shogun, cook on a fire rather than find a take away,

Each to there own I spose

 

[crwydryny]

glamping is going into the wilderness and taking you home with you.


on a personal level I absolutly hate glamping *shudders* I grew up building shelters in the woods. picking berries and hunting bunnies. to me if you're going to go camping all you need is a knife, anything else is just a luxuary

ok...ok I'll let you have a sleeping bag and a tarp if you must

 

[dewi]

and what i've seen of most glampers on the hundreds of campsites i've stayed at across the country they probably dont know what i'm talking about and for that reason i find them hard to relate to and of little interest....and as for the ones that blast music out, floodlight their area, hog the space, clang and bang, have their children and pets running riot i have nothing but contempt....its not arrogance or snobbery.....but i still wish theyd leave the campsites to campers and stay at home.

I'd love to respond positively, I really would... but if you don't see what is wrong with what you're saying, there is no hope.

I've stayed at a variety of campsites and I can honestly say that some are like trying to have a peaceful night at Glastonbury midway through a festival and others are so tranquil you could hear the playing cards being shuffled two tents over. Some people make a lot of noise when camping and the campsites permit it, if they make a lot of noise at other campsites, they'd be asked to keep it down.

Some people are afraid of being completely quiet, others afraid of the dark and yes, some have children who enjoy themselves boisterously, but they want to enjoy the outdoors. If I don't like their way of camping, I'll find somewhere else, somewhere that offers quiet as a prerequisite, somewhere that promotes dark skies or in the extreme, a site that doesn't allow children.

To be blunt, what makes you more of a camper than they are? Why is your way of camping the right way? And really... they should stay home???

Arrogance and snobbery does not even begin to describe what you're displaying!

 

[Robbi]

I'd love to respond positively, I really would... but if you don't see what is wrong with what you're saying, there is no hope.

I've stayed at a variety of campsites and I can honestly say that some are like trying to have a peaceful night at Glastonbury midway through a festival and others are so tranquil you could hear the playing cards being shuffled two tents over. Some people make a lot of noise when camping and the campsites permit it, if they make a lot of noise at other campsites, they'd be asked to keep it down.

Some people are afraid of being completely quiet, others afraid of the dark and yes, some have children who enjoy themselves boisterously, but they want to enjoy the outdoors. If I don't like their way of camping, I'll find somewhere else, somewhere that offers quiet as a prerequisite, somewhere that promotes dark skies or in the extreme, a site that doesn't allow children.

To be blunt, what makes you more of a camper than they are? Why is your way of camping the right way? And really... they should stay home???

Arrogance and snobbery does not even begin to describe what you're displaying!

+ 100% ! Well said Sir, I / we would be happy to share a site with you ( with electric hook up )

Robbi

 

[dewi]

( with electric hook up )

And the chandelier don't forget... essential part of the experience if you have the £'s to spend on a fancy bit of metal to hold candles that is! We forgot ours this last time, but kind of glad because we had a beautiful spot surrounded by stars.

 

[Robbi]

. We swapped the chandelier for the rotisserie last week ...should have seen the rotisseried pork joint for Sunday lunch.

 

[dewi]

I was so jealous of a fella that appeared on the campsite we stayed on this year... he rolled up in an estate car, emptied out a bucket with a grill balanced on top of it, two pallets and cooked himself a meal... relaxed under the stars leaning on his pallets, then climbed into a duvet in the back of the estate car. He looked so content and relaxed.

Oh, relevant to the thread, he was playing music from his car... when my wife was on her way to the bathrooms onsite he politely asked whether the music was too loud. My wife said not at all, but she was putting the kids to bed in an hour... he turned the music down half an hour later.

Considerate camper... but damn he looked chilled out in the simplest of setups! I meanwhile was sat in a comfy chair beneath fairy lights drinking a nice bourbon wondering whether to watch the new Dracula film or not

 

[Goatboy]

There's as many types of campsites as types of campers. Have stopped at some sites in the past and thought "No, not for me." Others have been great. Also had places that I've used in the past that have over the years become populated by booze fueled nutjobs due to their proximity to large population centres. Makes it a worry that favourite sites will be taken over but it's up to the owner/managers to set the ground rules. The camp site I used to run won all sorts of top awards but it's not the sort of place I'd choose to stay.
If staying on a site I want it to be clean, well run, pretty quiet and not hard on the landscape. (Comrie Croft is a favourite). Also a place up north that was adults only. Don't mind kids per say but when they're tottaly feral it's usually an indication that the parents will be too.
Because of my choices then I tend to stay away from large sites with a pool and a bar because they're not my thing. But other folk should be allowed to go there; if nothing else it means that they're not on sites I like. Usually anything that's Caravan Club run means that I wont be staying there. It's a bit akin to a private golf club where they all have Pringle jumpers on - I just dont fit in.
As long as we dont trash the country side or annoy each other then theres space in the countryside for us all.
I'm sure a lot of them don't want me in my Tipi with the woodburner going, chopping wood and cooking good food when they have their shiny double wide with the sat dish on the side. So saying every time I'm away in it passers by are asking if they can come in and have a look. (Should start selling tickets I think ).
Some folk here may think the Tipi is a bit OTT, and they're right. I bought it for R&R while I was unwell. I've done my apprentiship in snowholes, leantoos, batledges, bothys and bivis, so I feel a bit of comfort now and then isn't a crime.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[dewi]

Same happens to us... hasn't been a single campsite where people haven't shown an interest in our tent... probably because it looks kind of weird the way I set up the tarp outside... but they are fascinated by a canvas bell tent, tarp or no.

I enjoy it for the most part, I now consider it as a conversation starter... and you meet all sorts of people on different sites. Met a taxi driver this last time who looked blue from trying to blow up an inflatable bed, so I took over my battery-powered inflater... he was over the moon Had a good natter... helped one of his kids find a lost ball.... it was good

Now... tickets. Hadn't thought about doing guided tours of the tent.....

 

[santaman2000]

.........Some people make a lot of noise when camping and the campsites permit it, if they make a lot of noise at other campsites, they'd be asked to keep it down.

Some people are afraid of being completely quiet, others afraid of the dark and yes, some have children who enjoy themselves boisterously, but they want to enjoy the outdoors.........

Ironic isn't it? Some people love to here the wildlife at night: wolves/coyotes howling, crickets chirping, owls hooting, etc. Yet if human children make a natural sound it sets their teeth on edge. I guess they just don't believe we're also part of nature,

 

[dewi]

Ironic isn't it? Some people love to here the wildlife at night: wolves/coyotes howling, crickets chirping, owls hooting, etc. Yet if human children make a natural sound it sets their teeth on edge. I guess they just don't believe we're also part of nature,

Completely understand the argument made about out of control children... its not pleasant when you can't do anything about it. Using a similar analogy to your own, its the equivalent of a pack of wolves roaming about while you're cooking dinner... sniffing in when they feel like it.

But generally, children enjoy the outdoors, but they do it with much more vigor for the most part than adults. We recently took our kids to Sherwood Forest. Youngest is 6 years old and eldest is 16. All 3 took what they wanted from the forest and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, but a day later at Castle Rock, the eldest enjoyed the exhibits and structure of the buildings, while the two younger kids enjoyed the constructed playground forts. They all had fun and will remember their time in Nottingham and Sherwood Forest... the two younger ones believing in Robin Hood, the elder imagining life under the harsh tax regime of King John before the Magna Carta came about.

Either way... anyone wants to complain about their enjoyment and their journey, fair play... but they are taking the outdoors for themselves. I took other things from my journey to both places, and again, my wife took other things more personal to her. We're all different. We all want to enjoy life and take in what is around us.

To say there is a singular way is somewhat arrogant, to look down on how others enjoy the outdoors is somewhat snobbish, but most of all, to discourage others from seeing, experiencing and living the outdoor life, however they choose to do it is bordering on... well... fill in the blank. I would prefer to go back to the positive aspects of what glamping is, why its good to engage new people who are used to modern life to the outdoors, and most of all to really encourage a sense of togetherness outside. Those noisy kids, show them how to make a bow n rod friction fire... those interested in music... show them the simple pleasures of singing a campfire song. Anything and everything so we're together... all of us, enjoying the outdoors, enjoying all it has to offer.

 

[Robbi]

Let me tell ya.....if I hear wolves / coyotes howling......I'm off !

Glamping in Northern Ireland does not include being eaten by wild canines, in fact I'd report them to the reception !

 

[santaman2000]

Completely understand the argument made about out of control children... its not pleasant when you can't do anything about it. Using a similar analogy to your own, its the equivalent of a pack of wolves roaming about while you're cooking dinner... sniffing in when they feel like it.

But generally, children enjoy the outdoors, but they do it with much more vigor for the most part than adults. We recently took our kids to Sherwood Forest. Youngest is 6 years old and eldest is 16. All 3 took what they wanted from the forest and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, but a day later at Castle Rock, the eldest enjoyed the exhibits and structure of the buildings, while the two younger kids enjoyed the constructed playground forts. They all had fun and will remember their time in Nottingham and Sherwood Forest... the two younger ones believing in Robin Hood, the elder imagining life under the harsh tax regime of King John before the Magna Carta came about.

Either way... anyone wants to complain about their enjoyment and their journey, fair play... but they are taking the outdoors for themselves. I took other things from my journey to both places, and again, my wife took other things more personal to her. We're all different. We all want to enjoy life and take in what is around us.

To say there is a singular way is somewhat arrogant, to look down on how others enjoy the outdoors is somewhat snobbish, but most of all, to discourage others from seeing, experiencing and living the outdoor life, however they choose to do it is bordering on... well... fill in the blank. I would prefer to go back to the positive aspects of what glamping is, why its good to engage new people who are used to modern life to the outdoors, and most of all to really encourage a sense of togetherness outside. Those noisy kids, show them how to make a bow n rod friction fire... those interested in music... show them the simple pleasures of singing a campfire song. Anything and everything so we're together... all of us, enjoying the outdoors, enjoying all it has to offer.

Well said.

Let me tell ya.....if I hear wolves / coyotes howling......I'm off !

Glamping in Northern Ireland does not include being eaten by wild canines, in fact I'd report them to the reception !

LOL. I'm sure you do have your own examples though.

 

[Robson Valley]

dewi: you understand. Everybody takes some things that they can keep. The more often you do this, the more often the family enjoys having trees and leaves over their heads.

robbi: the beasts don't come slavering at your hammock. Put ALL your food some where else (a bag on a rope in a tree 50yds from your camp.)
You have every right to fight back for the kill aka the food). Yeah maybe they sniff around. The dogs try to figure out what's worth the effort for a fight and usually,
the human campers are the winners.
OTOH, our bears don't take NO for an answer. Most National Park Campgrounds have notices posted if bears are an issue = move on.

 

[baileyrorys]

Camping with a smidge of glamour. This article has some good points and pointers. "Glamping: What you need to know".

 

[mrcharly]

We used to live on a barge moored up next to a farm - a couple of times a year the farmer rented out the field to caravaners.

One lovely summer some caravaners came to complain that our cat had walked into their caravan and nicked a string of sausages. Could we keep our cat locked up? We politely declined, pointed out they were in a field with all sorts of wildlife around and suggested that they kept their doors shut.
That lot wanted to park up in a field, have water, mains electric supplied and all wildlife suppressed.

I don't know why they bothered leaving home.

Worst of all, the cat didn't even bring us any sausages!

 

[Janne]

Glamping is to bring more than one extra pair of underwear and socks with you.
Extreme glamping is to take your mobile, a GPS and a Solar Charger with you.

 

[Nice65]

This is as glamping as it gets for me. No amenities apart from a composting toilet. In the tent is usually a double inflatable mattress with sheets and duvet, or a couple of carp fishing bedchairs. There's a semicircular doormat and some rugs down, paraffin lamp hooked on the pole. Sometimes we string lights up the pole and around the door.

Coolbox in in the car with gin and tonic, beer, wine and foods that need chilling.





i don't know who's monkey this is, or whether it's still alive, but as Samon says, pics do make a thread.

 

[Tengu]

Our Pig arks are £50, a night, -half what some sites will charge. This is not the cheap option!

Wolves and feral children are welcome but must be kept under control.

WE NOW HAVE A SWIMMING POOL

 

[John Fenna]

"Glamping" is taking more kit than I do.
"Roughing it" is taking less kit than I do.

A definition that anyone can use.
I have seen Uncle Ray "Glamping" (200+ cooking pots, tartlet cases, metal tongs, Gurkas to dig his Haangi pit and harvest the Burdock) but then it is known as "Bushcraft"... coz he was kipping under a camo tarp