Spice Up Your Tent
Standard camping isn’t universally loved; many people remember cold and wet camping trips from childhood that has put them off for life, but glamping offers a middle ground between camping and having a self-catering or resort holiday. What do you do if you can’t go glamping though? The answer is simple – DIY a glamping holiday.
Elevating a camping holiday to a glamping holiday needs some preparation, and a campsite where you can park close to your pitch, saving you the hassle of carting your stuff back and forward from the car park. You’ll need to take all the bells and whistles with you, so make sure you have space in the car for all the things you need. If car space is at a premium, or you don’t have all the kit, you can hire a bell tent from several companies across the UK who will deliver and install it at your desired location, instantly removing a lot of the work and the bulky packing from your preparations.
Many of these companies also offer furnishings to hire with the tents, so you may not need to pack airbeds, chairs, cushions and lighting if you opt for these added extras with your bell tent hire. If you have your own equipment and it will all fit in the car then by all means take your favourite pillows, cushions and rugs to kit out the inside of your DIY glamping tent.
If you’re doing a glamping holiday in a DIY fashion think carefully about the flooring you will have. Most bell tent rental companies also hire out matting for the floor, but you may want to bring a cosy sheepskin rug for next to the bed, or for laying over a camping chair for an extra touch of luxury. Ensure you bring a doormat to wipe muddy boots on, and have a shoes-off policy inside the tent to keep it looking gorgeous and clean.
Lighting is important when you’re camping or glamping, but there are countless solar powered lighting options out there, many of which can be looked at and compared at your local garden centre. Torch style lights which stick in the ground are ideal for lighting the entrance to your tent and illuminating any muddy or uneven ground at night. Strings of solar powered fairy lights can be used to adorn the inside of the tent, or if you bring some windbreaks or garden canes with you they can be used to light the social area or campfire in the evening.
If you’re having a romantic couple’s glamping break, then the lighting can really make or break the mood. Remember to bring a couple of options for lighting, as you probably won’t be permitted to use candles on site, even in a jar. Camping lanterns provide a good level of light, but this may be too strong to set the romantic mood so bring some low lighting, such as LED strings, to set the ambience.
With DIY glamping you won’t have the private bathroom and cooking facilities you would at a glampsite, but you can still have all the other luxury touches that set glamping apart from camping.
