Getting Ready for Glamping – Part 1
We may still be in the winter period but spring and summer are just around the corner, so now is the time to get yourself ready for your glamping holiday to get the most out of it. Of course, glamping is a time for relaxation and forgetting about the world and our problems for a few days, however when getting in touch with nature and our primitive side we have a much richer experience. There are many activities we can do that go hand-in-hand with glamping and this raises the glamping experience from a relaxing holiday to one you’ll remember fondly for a lifetime.
Glamping, as we know, combines the luxuries of a hotel with the rustic aspects of camping; so crafts and activities in the natural world are an aspect of it that we can’t overlook. There are many levels to get involved at, from doing a scavenger hunt in the forest to carving your own cutlery, and more. You don’t always need to go on a course and learn from an expert, (but this is vital if you want to go mushroom picking), although they are a great way to broaden your knowledge.
Bush craft courses are a good all-round introduction to the skills we need to survive in nature, and while you may have running hot water and electricity in your glamping accommodation, it’s good to learn these crafts and survival tips even if you only use them for fun. There are lots of great bush craft courses for children out there too, which are usually run over half terms and school holidays. Because these are run outdoors they’re Covid secure and therefore a really lovely way of providing the children with something enjoyable and educational to do as a break from schooling.
Children are supervised to build shelters, learn about fire building and fire safety and to identify trees, plants and animals, as well as animal tracks. It’s a fun way of learning some of the knowledge out ancestors relied on in the times before electricity and supermarkets, knowledge which is in danger of being lost. Bush craft courses for adults are also available and often involve a night under the stars in the shelter you have built yourself. Again, because these are outdoor courses they’re pretty safe in terms of Covid security, and also a great chance to meet people – something that has been on hold for months now.
Shorter courses in foraging and nature spotting, which are also held outdoors, are something you can do to enhance your glamping holiday. When you’re living in harmony with nature for a few days you want to get to know your neighbours, whether they’re birds, voles, or even badgers. Learning to spot the signs of each animal’s habitat really enriches a walk in the woods as you’ll be able to see things you would have otherwise missed, and build up a really good picture of the natural world around you.
Being able to identify plants for eating and medicinal use is also knowledge worth having, and while you might not put nettle soup on the menu at home, it is worth a go on your glamping holiday. A fun challenge for the whole family is foraging for the ingredients for a meal (or part of the ingredients). Imagine knowing how to put together a wild salad to go with your campfire burgers!
There are many native plants that can be used in medicinal ways – willow bark, for example, was commonly used to cure headaches and other body pains. The over-the-counter painkiller aspirin was developed from willow bark. Willow bark contains high levels of salicin, a compound which the body turns into salicylic acid. St John’s Wort has been used as an antidepressant for many centuries and is also useful for nerve pain; while peppermint is excellent for soothing an upset stomach. Being able to identify these plants could be a real boon if you’re glamping in the sticks and develop a headache or upset stomach and you forgot your first aid kit, but it goes without saying that you shouldn’t be picking and eating any plants if you aren’t completely sure you know what they are!
Join us for part two of our glamping preparation ideas.
