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Camping is the perfect way to enjoy the wonders of nature, but if you find it a bit of an endurance test then glamping (glam camping) could be the one for you. It’s the best of both worlds. You get to appreciate the tranquillity of your surroundings but not at the cost of a good night’s sleep.
Simply packing a few of these glamping essentials below can upgrade any camping experience to glamping. If you prefer to forgo the tents altogether, you can find some amazing glamping accommodation that is already well-equipped. In that case, I’ve included a few extra options that are guaranteed to take your luxury trip to the next level.
Whether you’ve booked glamping accommodation or you’re planning to spruce up your camping holiday, it’s important to consider your environmental impact which is why I’ve made this packing list eco-friendly. So, here’s my ultimate guide to sustainable glamping equipment, the only one you’ll ever need:
For your accommodation: If it’s camping DIY
Photo credit: Scott Goodwill
- A large tent or bell tent, preferably with a porch or gazebo to relax under if it rains.
- Comfy bedding. The key to glamping is comfort and a good night’s sleep. Bring along a sturdy blow-up mattress, a pump, sheets, a duvet, pillows and plenty of warm blankets to snuggle into.
- A small, foldable bedside table to put your reading material, water and other personal effects on. It’s not essential but the whole point of glamping is that you have some home comforts.
- Light up your glamping site with a string of solar-powered fairy lights or lamps like these ones.
- Make a comfortable seating area inside the tent or outside it if the weather’s good. Invest in some good camping chairs with cup holders, bring along a few bean bags, hammocks and a table to put your snacks, music and drinks on.
- Camping doesn’t mean you have to rough it in the kitchen. Make cooking fun by packing a cast-iron dutch oven. You can slow-cook your meals by hanging it over the fire or in the coals. To even out the heat distribution you can put hot coals on the lid or turn the lid over and use it as a skillet. Need some campsite cooking inspiration? Check out these awesome recipes!
- A campfire kettle for when you want a hot brew.
- Bamboo cutlery, cooking utensils and reusable plates. They’re much more eco-friendly than their throwaway plastic alternatives.
- Recycling bin. Whether you’re camping, glamping or road tripping, it’s important to take care of the environment and leave it exactly as you’ve found it. As a bonus, sorting all your rubbish into recycling to take home with you will make your trip that little bit greener.
- Bin bags for non-recyclables.
- Toilet roll
- A pest-proof drinks and snacks station that people can enjoy at their leisure. Add a few cocktail ingredients and a cooler for beer, wine and soft drinks.
- A portable handwashing station. There’s nothing worse than feeling unclean while camping. At least with a handwashing station, you have a little bit of hot water and soap.
- Washing up equipment if it’s not provided.
- Reusable wine glasses, cups and stainless steel camping mugs to enjoy your favourite campsite tipples in an eco-friendly way.
Read more about the importance of being eco-friendly on holiday with my guide to sustainable travel.
If it’s glamping
Photo credit: Andrea Davis
If you’ve booked a hut, yurt, glamping pod, treehouse or geodesic dome then most of your camping comforts are provided for you. Glamping sites vary in the level of equipment they have so it’s a good idea to look up where you’re staying to work out what you actually need.
You most likely don’t need to bring your own bedding unless you’re staying somewhere that’s essentially just a roof over your head. If that’s the case, then I would treat it like a DIY glamping experience. Otherwise, check out my glamping accessories below:
- Warm blankets. You might have your bedding sorted but it’s always nice to bring a few of your own blankets just in case.
- Reusable cutlery, cooking utensils, plates, cups and dutch oven if you’re cooking over a fire.
- Torches and solar-powered lamps to create an ambient mood when it starts to get dark.
- A picnic basket and blanket in case you want to have lunch in the countryside (glamping around the UK? Here’s my list of favourite walking trails).
- Recycling bins.
- Bin bags
- Toilet roll (just in case)
Find out how ecotourism can be the ultimate sustainable travel activity here.
For yourself
Photo credit: Jorge Fernández
The key to packing for a camping or glamping trip is to pack fairly light because you don’t want to fill your accommodation with bags – especially if you’re taking a lot of extra equipment with you. Here’s what I pack:
- Reusable water bottle or flask. A water filter bottle is a great way to reduce single-use plastic and it will provide you with safe drinking water in most cases.
- Solar-powered portable chargers. You might have access to electricity but if you don’t you can always rely on one of these to keep your electronics charged.
Clothing and accessories
Photo credit: Alice Donovan Rouse
- Enough underwear for your trip
- 2-3 t-shirts
- 2-3 long-sleeved tops
- 2 lightweight fleeces
- Thick socks
- 3 normal pairs of socks
- 2-3 leggings
- 1 pair of shorts
- Trainers
- Flip flops
- Wellies (for the mud)
- Pyjamas
- Waterproofs for when you’re out walking
- Swimwear in case you have access to a sauna, hot tub or beach.
- Sarong (if applicable)
- Sun hat
- Sunglasses
- Day pack
- Torches for when you need to get up in the middle of the night
Toiletries
Photo credit: Karolina Grabowska
- Quick-dry travel towel
- Reef-safe sunscreen to protect yourself and the environment
- A wash bag you can hang up to keep it from getting dirty
- Toothpaste
- Bamboo toothbrush
- Bamboo toothbrush case
- Liquid-free shampoo, conditioner and soap bars (they’re less wasteful than liquid versions with plastic packaging)
- Solid toiletries tins
- Skincare products
- Mooncup (if applicable)
- Hair towel wrap
- Hand sanitiser
- Dry shampoo
- Biodegradable wet wipes (if no shower is available)
- Hairbrush
- First aid kit
- Stainless steel razor (depending on your preference)
- Eco-friendly lip balm
Read More: How to Pack a Carry-On for Anywhere in the World
Entertainment
Photo credit: Balkan Campers
- Your favourite books
- Offline maps (in case you can’t get any phone signal)
- Audiobooks
- Offline music
- Headphones
- Portable speaker (just be mindful of other campers)
- Tablet
- Film projector if you have the equipment to set it up
- Campfire games, including cards and board games
- Musical instruments (again, be mindful of other campers. Not everyone wants a rendition of Wonderwall.)
- A notebook and pens for creative ideas
- Camera to make memories
Read More: Top 10 Responsible Travel Books to Inspire Your Wanderlust
Food and drink
Photo credit: Alexey Ruban
Most glamping sites are self-catered so you will need to bring your own ingredients if you want to cook your favourite dishes. For your glamping packing list, make sure you include enough food for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as snacks and treats for the duration of your trip. Depending on the dishes you want to make, ingredients can include:
- Tinned tomatoes
- Cooking oil
- Seasoning
- Cereal
- Stock cubes
- Sauces
- Rice
- Pasta
- Pesto
- Baked beans
- Responsibly fished tinned tuna
- Biscuits
- Fairtrade chocolate
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Onions
- Wine
- Beer
- Juice / cordial
- Popcorn
- Nuts
- Dried fruit
- Sandwiches
- Crackers
- Food storage boxes
- Food waste container
- Cooler for perishables
- Pizza toppings if your glamping site has a wood-fired pizza oven! The dream, right?
Extras for a luxury eco glamping trip
Photo credit: Tim Peterson
However fancy you choose to make your glamping trip, here are some fun extra glamping gadgets to boost your eco-luxury needs:
SPORT 25 Solar Kit
Photo credit: Boutique Camping
I’ve already mentioned how useful a solar-powered battery bank can be but why not go the whole hog with this super handy foldable power kit? This lightweight little gadget is two chargers in one pack: the Sport 25 power pack and the Falcon 7 foldable solar panel. The power pack and the solar panel can charge most 5v electronic devices, including smartwatches, tablets, phones, GPS and GoPros so you don’t have to worry about running out of juice if you happen to be in the middle of nowhere.
Price: £105.00
Where to Buy: Boutique Camping
Black Cold Rolled Steel Fire Pit
Photo credit: Boutique Camping
Make your glamping trip that extra bit cosy with this chic portable fire pit. Its modern and easy-to-carry design makes it perfect for small barbecues or a campfire setup. The fire pit is designed to last with its heavy-duty high-temperature resistant paint and all it needs are firelighters and wood pellets to get it going. Most glamping sites do have a fire pit to use but if not, this fire pit is a fun way to up your campfire game.
Price: From £59.00 (in the sale)
Where to Buy: Boutique Camping
Natural Eco Wood Firelighters
Photo credit: Log-Barn
Fires are a wonderful part of the camping/glamping experience but they require a little thought if you want to make sure that they’re environmentally-friendly. A simple solution is to use certified and sustainably sourced firewood and add these eco firelighters to your camping packing list. These firelighters have been made from recycled wood flour from FSC certified wood and coated in a natural wax to help them burn for up to 10 minutes. You only need one firelighter per fire and they can be used in all types of fire, including barbecues and pizza ovens.
Price: £16.49
Where to Buy: Amazon
Rex London Large Storage Bag
Photo credit: Rex London
It’s all very well taking lots of cosy stuff with you but they won’t be much good without the right storage equipment. These large storage bags are perfect for all your bedding, laundry and clothing needs and they’re durable, lightweight and foldable. The material is made from 90% recycled plastic bottles and you have a choice of thirteen patterns to choose from. If they get a bit grubby, simply wipe them down and you’re good to go.
Price: £4.95
Where to Buy: Amazon
Looking for more ethical products to spruce up your travels? Check out this gift guide with a range of budget options!
Recycled plastic rug
Photo credit: Green Decore
Jazz up your glamping site with one of these recycled plastic rugs by Green Decore. Each one of these beautiful rugs is soft underfoot and water/mould resistant, making them easy to clean and practical. Choose from a range of sizes and vibrant reversible designs to add a touch of glamour to your glamping experience whether you have it inside the tent or outside to lounge on.
Price: From £42.00
Where to Buy: Green Decore
Ooni Karu Wood and Charcoal-Fired Portable Pizza Oven
Photo credit: Ooni
The glamping site doesn’t have its own outdoor wood-fired pizza oven? No problem, you can bring your own. Ooni is a leading brand in the portable pizza oven industry. This model can be fuelled by real wood or charcoal to create perfectly cooked pizzas in just 60 seconds. It’s also compatible with an Ooni Gas Burner. Weighing just 12kg, this little pizza oven is super portable with all the power and heat of a full-sized oven. It’s a delicious way to upgrade your campsite dinners!
Price: £249.00
Where to Buy: Ooni
Minipresso GR Portable Espresso Machine
Photo credit: Rave
Worried you’ll miss your coffee fix while glamping? Keep your early morning routine with this Minipresso portable espresso machine. This handy little gadget is lightweight, compact and compatible with any type of coffee beans so you can still bring along your favourite blend. The Minipresso grinds up your beans to create a high-quality espresso shot that packs all the flavour you could want in a fine-quality cuppa.
Price: From £46.94
Where to Buy: Rave Coffee
I hope these glamping essentials help to inspire your packing list. Levelling up your camping is so much easier when you know exactly what you need to bring. Most importantly, get creative and have fun because that’s what glamping is all about!
Have any burning questions? Feel free to share them in the comments!
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I LOVE the idea of luxury camping (although I guess the only times I have been glamping was when we visited a fully equipped site (like staying in a gypsy caravan…) I never considered bringing so much on a camping trip. I think bringing a whole giant pizza oven might feel like we were making a joke of it all! 😀 Having said that, last year, we did manage to do 4 hour slow-roasted lamb at a camp site – that dinner was amaaazing.
Thank you! Yes, bringing a pizza oven is definitely lavish haha. Slow-roasting a lamb for 4 hours is quite an achievement, I’m so impressed!
Great post Francesca! Definitely all the essentials you need for a nice glamping trip! I have a minipresso and I never have to go without great coffee 🙂
Oo amazing! Having a few home comforts makes all the difference!
So much of this looks fun! As a North Carolina native, I grew up enjoying camping. It was odd when moving to Switzerland. All of our mates organize multi-day hikes and their version of camping is a guesthouse with built in restaurant. I’ll admit, it’s a nice method! It doesn’t count though! True camping like much of this is such a great allure, especially a personally constructed fire of which you can cook with! Lovely post! I quite enjoyed it!
Thank you! A guesthouse? That’s so funny and definitely doesn’t sound like camping. Staying in a tent or glamping pod is half the fun as long as they don’t leak!
This is way more advanced camping than anything we have ever done. We thought backpacking hammocks were a whole next level of comfort. After reading this I need a portable pizza oven for my deck at home.
Haha, yep it’s pretty luxurious! A pizza oven would be the absolute dream to have at home.