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Last Updated on August 24, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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What Is The Difference In Glamping vs Camping 5 Criteria
Camping and glamorous camping, also known as “glamping,” have the same underlying premise — spending the night in the great outdoors. Beyond that, you should know many subtle and subtle differences. Let’s look at camping vs. glamping to see which option is best for you.
Key Takeaways
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- Camping vs. Glamping: Traditional camping emphasizes self-sufficiency and a minimalist lifestyle, whereas glamping offers luxurious and comfortable outdoor experiences.
- Location: Camping typically occurs in remote, natural settings, while glamping sites are often closer to amenities or in high-end resorts.
- Shelter: Campers use simple, portable shelters like tents or hammocks, whereas glampers enjoy elaborate tents, yurts, cabins, or luxury RVs.
- Cooking: Campers cook over portable stoves or open fires, dealing with limited equipment and safety concerns, while glampers have access to full kitchens.
- Water Supply and Hygiene: Camping involves purifying natural water sources and managing basic hygiene with limited facilities, whereas glamping offers clean, reliable water and luxurious hygiene amenities.
Summary
Camping and glamping offer unique ways to experience the great outdoors, but they cater to different preferences and levels of comfort. Traditional camping involves stepping away from modern conveniences to embrace a more primitive, self-sufficient lifestyle. It usually occurs in remote locations where campers set up simple shelters like tents or hammocks, cook over portable stoves or open fires, and purify water from natural sources. Hygiene can be challenging, with limited facilities and the need for improvisation.
In contrast, glamping combines the allure of outdoor adventures with the luxuries of modern living. Glampers stay in elaborate shelters, ranging from posh tents and yurts to cabins and luxury RVs, often at high-end resorts or locations with easy access to amenities. They enjoy full kitchens for cooking, unlimited clean water, and top-notch hygiene facilities, making the experience far more comfortable and convenient.
Ultimately, choosing between camping and glamping depends on personal preferences and budget. Camping is ideal for those seeking a rugged, low-budget adventure and an opportunity to enhance survival skills. Glamping is perfect for those who prefer a more relaxed and luxurious outdoor experience, though it has a higher price tag. Regardless of the choice, both activities offer valuable time outdoors, promoting health and well-being.
Traditional Camping
The traditional form of camping takes you away from most of the luxuries of home. It brings you back to a more primitive lifestyle, testing your skills as an outdoor adventurer and putting you out of your comfort zone. While some aspects of camping may be temporarily uncomfortable, the overall satisfaction of being self-sufficient makes camping such a timeless experience.
After all, what we call “camping” is how every human on earth used to live during the dawn of the species. They were hunters and gatherers, sleeping in crude shelters and cooking over open fires — just like people do at modern campgrounds today. Camping takes us back to our ancestral roots, and that’s why it will always be a popular outdoor activity.
Location
You can technically take a camping trip anywhere, but it’s supposed to take place in the wilderness so you can fully immerse yourself in nature. Some people have private campgrounds they can retreat to, but most campers use public campgrounds at local, state, and national parks.
Although several of these sites are in remote locations, they offer a wide variety of activities that attract people from all walks of life. The big three are hiking, fishing, and cycling. You might also find hunting, swimming, boating, bird watching, and more opportunities.
If you’re an avid outdoor enthusiast, you can also take advantage of special campground discounts and benefits with camping membership programs. Some memberships even offer fuel discounts and give you access to exclusive campsites.
Shelter
Traditional camping usually takes place in a temporary shelter, which is lightweight and easy to assemble, such as a tent or hammock. The most extreme campers don’t bring anything and build a survival shelter using the elements that nature provides. Others bring a sleeping bag and sleep under the stars.
If these options seem barebones, you can stay in a car, trailer, or RV. Many of the aforementioned public campgrounds accommodate RVs. Van life or dwelling is another option that has become popular in recent years. People convert a bus or van into a permanent shelter and travel from campsite to campsite.
However, if you want the best traditional camping experience, you should take a minimalist approach. Bringing an elaborate shelter almost defeats the purpose of camping: spending the night outdoors.
Cooking
In traditional camping, cooking should occur over a portable stove or open fire. These are the primary cooking methods when you don’t have access to a kitchen. Both options have advantages and disadvantages.
Portable stoves are easier to cook but can also take up much of your limited storage space and weigh you down. Cooking over a fire solves this problem, but you must worry about cooking your food unevenly. Safety is particularly important with maintaining campfires—particularly if cooking late, as 49% of deadly fires happen overnight. Stoves are better for many campers because they are similar to a standard kitchen and pose less fire hazard.
Water Supply
Every campground is supposed to have at least one water source, whether it’s a creek, pond, or natural spring. Even if the water looks safe, you should always purify it with a filter or iodine pills. If you’re lucky, your campsite will be connected to a nearby well, and you won’t have to worry about the water’s sanitation.
Collecting water for cooking and cleaning might be a hassle, but this chore is a quintessential part of the camping experience. Basic tasks are supposed to be challenging. If everything you need is within arm’s reach, you aren’t camping.
Hygiene
Personal hygiene can be a complicated aspect of traditional camping. If you’re not sleeping in an RV, van, or trailer, you must do everything in the open, and there’s no bathroom or latrine. You need to bring all of your toiletries with you, especially toilet paper. Newbies may have a hard time adjusting to the lack of privacy.
You might go a few days without bathing, but that’s OK. Nobody expects you to stay clean on a camping trip. If you go the entire trip without getting your hands dirty, something is wrong! Camping is supposed to be a rugged experience.
Glamping
On the other hand, glamorous camping, or “glamping,” is a luxurious form of traditional camping. Its origins go back to ancient times when royal travel parties had lavish campsites with ostentatious tents, expensive feasts, live musical performances, and other attractions. The term “glamping” was first used in the United Kingdom in 2005 and added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016.
Glamping is a viable alternative for people who are less confident in their survival skills or don’t enjoy the “roughing it” aspects of regular camping. Let’s review the five factors—location, shelter, cooking, water supply, and hygiene—to see how glamping differs from camping.
Location
There are fewer campground options for glamping than regular camping. If you want to maintain all of the comforts of home, you must find a site close to a local store or trading post. This proximity ensures you can buy any supplies you need during the trip. Any remote campsites that lack basic amenities are off the table.
Other glamping locations include private resorts and tourist destinations like tropical islands and desert stargazing sites. The average glamper is wealthier than the average camper, so they usually have no problem affording these high-end campsites.
Glamping also often includes guided tours of the local environment and special activities such as safaris and spa treatments. Traditional camping activities like hiking and fishing are still popular, even among high-end glampers.
Shelter
Glamping encompasses a much more comprehensive range of shelter options than traditional camping. You can still sleep in a tent, but it will likely be more extravagant than a regular tent. Yurts and canvas tents are two popular options. Most glampers prefer to stay in cabins or lodges with home comforts, including a bedroom and kitchen.
There is some overlap between camping and glamping since both activities allow using RVs and other mobile homes. However, glamping RVs are more advanced, containing features like Wi-Fi hotspots, televisions, and full bathrooms. The goal is to make your glamping shelter as spacious and comfortable as possible.
Cooking
Cooking is business as usual since glamping shelters are usually much more accommodating than camping shelters. You have access to a kitchen and an array of cooking utensils, as opposed to a portable stove and small pan. You can make any meal you want if you bring all the ingredients or the resort provides them.
However, since glamping often occurs in remote areas, you must still be mindful of the local wildlife. You don’t want to attract critters to your campsite by leaving food lying around, even indoors. If you’re going to cook a big meal, clean up after yourself before going to bed.
Water Supply
While camping often has unclean and unreliable water sources, glamping gives you unlimited access to clean water. Even if you choose to stay in a tent and don’t have a sink, you’ll still be connected to the local water supply thanks to the campground’s bathrooms or water pump. No extra purification steps are necessary.
Hygiene
Since glamping spares no expense on amenities, your hygiene will not be an issue. You can stick to your usual grooming routines on the campsite without skipping a beat. The resort might even have fitness centers, saunas, and salons to help you improve your self-care habits.
Camping vs. Glamping — Which is Right for You?
Camping is better for low-budget outdoor enthusiasts or anyone who wants to improve their survival skills. It may be a more rugged activity, especially regarding food preparation and basic hygiene, but it’s more beneficial for your confidence and independence.
Glamping is undoubtedly more relaxing, but it’s also much more expensive. If you want to go glamping regularly, you’ll face a high price for exceptional amenities. You might be able to afford the occasional glamping trip, but it might not become a hobby.
Any Type of Camping is Worthwhile
The glamping vs. camping debate is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer the outdoorsy, rugged style of traditional camping, while others are more sophisticated and want a lavish camping experience. However, any type of camping is worthwhile because you’re spending valuable time outdoors, which is the most important thing you can do for your health and well-being.
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