by Timothy Martinez Jr.
If you’re interested at all in camping, chances are you’ve heard the term glamping at least once. Glamping – the combination of camping and glamor – is a type of camping that gives excessive luxuries to campers who want to venture into the outdoors without getting bombarded with the uncomfortable aspects of nature.
As someone who really enjoys the simplicity of nature and life, I’m here to defend glamping, well at least certain parts of it.
While leave-no-trace campers might be remiss even irked by the notion of glamping, there are a number of positive aspects of glamping, including the fact that older people, who might not be able to rough it in a tent and sleeping bag as easily as they once did. Also, people who are absolutely new to camping, especially those with small children, might be more inclined to go camping if there are some of the amenities available with glamping.
Sure there are things that I abhor about glamping, such as the brightly-colored designer tents and unnecessarily expensive camping gear, but the intentions of glamping are novel, to get people who would normally stay away from nature down in the trenches.
Glamping enables you to sleep on a real bed, often in an enclosed structure away from invasive creatures. There’s usually access to electricity as well.
So, I don’t think the whole idea of glamping is only an attempt to get excessively rich people (though that may be the case for certain celebrities). I see it as a way of slowly weening people off the wired world and getting them connected back to their roots. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to shut off your cells and not check your email for more than a few hours, so glamping is a way to escape to nature for at least a little.
There are also benefits of bringing people who wouldn’t normally go camping to experience the beauty and joy of nature (since glampers also go on hikes, canoe trips, etc.). It helps make a newer generation more appreciative and protective of nature, instead of being distant and alienated from it.
Although it may not be your grandfather’s camping trip, glamping is a feasible alternative to anyone who’s interested in rekindling a fire with nature while not losing some of the amenities of daily life.
If you’re interested in learning more about glamping, read this New York Times article that gives you a number of websites where you’ll find glamping destinations.
