Glamping sounds so pretentious doesn’t it? The coupling of the words glamorous and camping 
which in and of themselves read like an oxymoron, solicits thoughts of high maintenance individuals. I don’t think I am difficult or hard to please (although Q may argue the point). I don’t mind digging in and getting my hands dirty in the proverbial sense of the word. And I enjoy camping, I really do. But glamping… well that just has a whole new appeal to me.
Maybe it stems from our first outdoor excursion together in our early years, but tent camping has sat slightly above “pulling out my toenails” on a list of things I’ve wanted to do. Young and passionate about the childhood memories that spirited us on, Q and I set out on our first camping trip during the infancy of our relationship. Proud as peacocks when we erected the tent in lightening speed we headed out to fish for that night’s dinner. But our feathers were soon ruffled when rain forced us to bail on our dinner catching plans and we returned to a tent soaked from above and below. But the straw that broke the camel’s back was when Q had to drive to the campground store and ask them to “nuke” our hotdogs. Enough was enough, we packed our shit and headed home.
Maybe it was the misery of failure, that we as Canadians had to abandon our camp, that we had to cede defeat.. to rain no less! Or maybe it was the freezing, drenched clothing we had to sit in for the three-hour ride home, but something cooled my desire to “tent” camp from that day forward. If anyone mentioned camping my first question was trailer or cabin? If the answer was “tent” my face betrayed my thought of “fuck that”! But if someone had mentioned glamping, in a yurt nonetheless, maybe, just maybe I would have been back in the bush, in a tent long before it actually took me to venture back out under a thin canopy and the stars.
Don’t get me wrong, you can glamp with a regular tent, but yurts take it to a whole new level. I know the very word yurt conjures up visions of Mongolian nomads, but these semi-permanent structures are becoming very popular amongst our many public and private parks across Canada.
So whats the draw to one of these yurts? Well imagine if you will a large tent, built upon a wooden platform. Typically outfitted with electricity and heat these structures are like hotel rooms in the wild where you BYOS (bring your own shit). Most are equipped with the staples of tables, chairs and beds. YES beds.. with real mattresses. See you’re starting to see the sophistication of it all…. You’re starting to understand my love for glamping… And many yurts nowadays come with a bbq complete with a full propane tank, picnic table and fire pit.
Now here is the best part about yurts and why they are so perfect for glamping. There is no setup, or take down. It’s raining? Who gives a shit? Temperature dropped to 0° – I don’t care, I can turn on the heat. These tents can handle sun, rain and even snow! Camping is no longer seasonal in Canada – if you are brave enough, you can head out to the snowy tundra and enjoy winter like never before!
But like regular tents, don’t cook inside the yurt. Carbon monoxide will kill you regardless of whether you are glamping or bush-whacking if you light a cookstove within the confines of canvassed walls. Same holds true for bears. Put all food in a bear container away from your camp or in your car. Don’t leave your midnight snack of Doritos in your bed or you might end up with a grizzly on your chest in the middle of the night.
So although tent camping and I have kissed and made up, I still prefer the heated comforts of home – even in the wild. A nice camp fire… A glass of wine (or marshmallow if you are like Q) and a nice warm bed to flop into at the end of the day – even in the rain. Glamping doesn’t sound so snobbish now, does it?
~True North Nomad
How do you glamp? What is your favourite comfort from home to have in the wild?
If you ain’t got no money take your broke ass home.. GLAMOROUS! – enter your email address top left, bottom right or bottom centre of this post and click “Follow” and never miss an impassioned tale again!
Lily, I’m not a camper by nature, but I might be able to tolerate a yurt after reading your post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I’m not much on tent camping but the yurt was awesome!!! It was just like a hotel room albeit a bare bones one. Thanks for dropping by!
LikeLike
I would take glamping any day. Lived in similar tents when I spent three days at Maasai Mara. Doubt I would be any good in the back to the basics camping.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m not so good at the basics either… I don’t enjoy being cold and uncomfortable. Thanks for dropping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks much more comfortable than a tent! Nice! 🙂
LikeLike
yes it was much more warmer!!! thanks for dropping by!
LikeLike
I suppose we just did some glamping then… in a cave. Though we would have loved electricity and real beds, we were spoiled with flushing toilets instead.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow cave camping – now that is cool! I would have been freaked out thinking there would be tons of spiders or bats in there with me but no flushing toilets – who knew? Lol 😜. Thanks for dropping by!
LikeLike
Hi Lily,
I know Maja. I considered being a travel blogger, but now I blog about blogging instead.
Thanks for visiting my site yesterday and coming to my blog party.
Janice
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hi Janice! I had a great time at the blog party – met some really great people, made some connections! It was great!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice one! We call em gers over here and I’m a total ger lover. One of the best ways to crash out, especially if you have a wood burner. I like the way this one is stilted off the forest floor.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yeah I’m sure raising them keeps the dampness out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
True north- I’m glad I made the Herculean effort to type in your URL. This is a great post! But with me, tent camping goes BELOW “pulling out my toenails”. I will NOT do it EVER again! I’m a grown up nowand you’re not the boss of me!!
Yurts- however…. a real bed?? You MIGHT seduce me into doing one of those trips… I say MIGHT!!
Here from Janice’s St Pat’s Day Meet and Greet. Nice to meet you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hey glad you made it over!! The meet and greet is such a great way to network. Yes, I kept tent camping at arms length for a long time. Now if its below pulling out your toes nails then you must have one great story to tell about the last time you tent camped! The yurt was so comfortable and warm!!! Give it try you won’t regret it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh yeah, well, I was about 11, my brother was 8, so that gives you some idea already!! He kept running his finger on the canvas, directly over my head- only mine! In the rain!! And my sister got a horrendous earache- She was only 3, so I don’t blame her for howling in pain. But, the closeness, and enclosed space made for crazy making!! I wanted to howl too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just wanted to say thank u for liking my posts. U r one of two ppl that do. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome. I enjoy reading other’s thoughts, experiences etc and appreciate the effort it takes to pump out a blog – so keep them coming!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lololololol……..yes glamping!!!!! That yurt is way nicer than some hotels/motels I’ve stayed in lol….. I have lots of fond memories of camping as a child …my parents took us all the time … now that I have a little dude I never want to go camping in a tent lololololooo. …too much work but I will definitely yurt it!!!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh you need to try the Yurt – it was so perfect, especially if you have little ones.
LikeLike
I’ve camped in a tent many times but have always wanted to stay in a yurt – it seems like it would be so much fun, and I love the idea of having a real bed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The yurt was great. There is very little hassle – throw your sleeping bag on the bed and pull out your cook stuff – so easy!!! I also find the bed helped our bodies as we age 😞 but at least there were no aches or pains every morning. Thanks for dropping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That really looks like a home away from home almost. So civilised.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed! And its as warm as home as well. 😀
LikeLike
My husband and I manage glamping with a tent. A couple key things are a propane hibatchi and lots of spare tarps, just in case. We go to a campground with a picnic table and fire pit supplied…also a vault toilet nearby – digging holes is NOT glamping. And we’re right on the river so one can bathe. We were tested with pouring rain on our 5th wedding anniversary glamping trip. There was a sapling by the picnic table, and my husband rigged a tarp tied to the bottom of the tree, draped over it, and then he tied the other end to the far bench of the table. We were able to cook our gourmet salmon dinner on the far end with our propane grill and sit on the table under the big tarp dome to eat and enjoy the evening. I have to admit the rain downpour kept us awake in the tent. There was 4 inches in 8 hours! But we didn’t get wet inside the tent, and it is a story to remember. Glamping rocks!! Bring everything, and remember salmon is as easy to carry as hotdogs. Eat well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are like us – we learned from our first experience tenting that you need to tarp everything!! I like cooking fancy when out camping as well. It elevates the experience and who says you can’t have a gourmet meal in the wild – right? Take care!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The best thing about glamping for me is that they usually involve mattresses on some kind of frame (not on the floor) and the ceiling is usually high enough to stand up and walk around!
I’ve really only “glamped” once and it was in Scotland, on the Isle of Mull. Im hoping this year we can bring some glamping style to our regular tent, hopefully finding some better camping mattresses and bedding!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes you totally understand me!!!! I need some kind of comfortable bed and I don’t want to crouch every time I’m in the tent! Scotland must have been beautiful – lucky you!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting post. Own bed is the best. I saw your great Rocky Mountains in TV by watching skiing, Tour Canada, in Canmore. They were really stunning.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes my own bed is the best as well! Yes the Canadian Rockies are absolutely breath taking!!! Thanks for dropping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person