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What Do I Need For A Camping Holiday?

As the credit crunch hit hard, with budgets remaining low, camping has re-emerged as an alternative way to holiday with friends and family. But this is not camping as we used to know it; this is ‘Glamping’. So if camping has always been your idea of holiday hell, prepare to think again!

Glamping or ‘glamorous camping’ is a new camping trend which is an excellent compromise between traditional camping and staying in a hotel. It combines all the luxuries of contemporary travel with the excitement of getting close to nature. This section brings you five essential things you should always consider when going on a Glamping holiday.

Glamp camp

Forget about gazing at a green nylon mess tangled on the floor, when Glamping you can lodge in luxury. With a variety of accommodation to choose from, including yurts, bell tents, camper vans and deluxe canvas tents, the extent to which you ‘glamp’ is up to you. For those looking to add a touch of glamour to your usual outdoor escapades there is an exciting range of retro designed tents available. High-street chains such as Marks and Spencer and Millets are just a few picking up the trend.

For a holiday camper, the design of the tent is crucial. Too big and it can take hours to put together, too small and you can end up sleeping face-to-face with the loudest snorer in the camp. Fortunately, with the Glamping trend gaining in popularity, there’s a new tent in town which is spacious in design, simple to construct, and easily adapted to suit your comfort desires. The ‘Bell tent’ is typically four metres, easily sleeping six. It can be used as a plush open-plan bedroom or living space, perfect for accessorising into your own little haven or party area. The 5m tent is bigger than most living rooms, and would make a brilliant chill out room oncea few cushions have been added.

Fancy the tent experience without figuring out the pegs and poles? ‘Yurts’ are the posh person’s bell tent. Available already constructed at campsites, yurts are becoming a popular alternative to hotels in the UK and world wide. Yurts are perfect if you’d like to be close to nature and the great outdoors, but even closer to home amenities such as a shower, flushing toilet and even a mini bar!

See goglamping.net for more information on Glamping accommodation and locations.

A good night’s glamping

No-one likes sleepless nights or waking up like a bear with a sore head! A good nights sleep makes a big difference to the next day, so say au revoir to sleeping on the hard ground and hello to double duvet comfort.

With luxury being the essence of Glamping, most Glamping sites come fully equipped with yurts and huts containing beds already made, but if you’d prefer to be that little bit closer to mother nature and experience the joy of setting up camp yourself, there are great options available too.

Our favourite way to add glamour to your nights rest is the silk sleeping bag liner – the camping equivalent to Egyptian cotton sheets. Available in a range of colours and so small when packed you have even more room for other home comforts like your favourite pillow. For silk liners and more visit travelwithcare.com.

Around the Glamp fire

You pop open a bottle of wine; the satisfying aroma of grilled honey-glazed salmon beckons you to dinner. No it’s not a five star hotel its camp side cuisine Glamping style!

Ok, so it’s probably not going to be a culinary masterpiece, but you can certainly do better than cold baked beans and burnt sausages. We would recommend the book ‘Campfire Cuisine’ by Robin Donovan, it offers simple but delicious recipes using minimal ingredients that are perfect for the great outdoors. Recipes include Spicy Orange Chicken, Grilled Steak Tacos, Lemony Couscous Salad, Cinnamon Baked Bananas, and much more!

Of course, with all this tasty food you’ll need something to cook it on and a portable barbeque is a great investment for a camping holiday, festivals, picnic in the park, in the country or at the beach.

Our favourite is this little spring green number from Heals; it’s light, practical and fun - perfect for glamping.

For a wide range of BBQ's from fold away to electric, visit heals.co.uk.

All the trimmings

When it comes to accessories the world is your oyster! As camping has become more fashionable, partly thanks to celebrities such as Kate Moss and Sienna Miller being seen camping at festivals, a huge range of accessories has become widely available. From indoor and outdoor lighting, heaters, portable showers, camping toilets and more, ‘roughing it’ has never been so easy.

Aside from equipment used for practicality, there is also a great range of accessories on hand to add a touch of glam and fun to camp.

You can ditch the plain aluminium flask for one with vintage prints; replace the unexciting cutlery with a trendy polka dot design, throw in a chunky wool rug, add some boho inspired floor pillows, and even add a doormat in front of your tent to complete the alfresco set up.

Take a look at dotcomgiftshop.com for some more inspiring ideas!

Don’t forget good music! Glamping’s not about singing Kumbaya around the campfire, a radio or an iPod and a good set of portable speakers should definitely be on your list!