Many people crave getting away from the smog, noise, stress and crowdedness of the city, so they can breathe in the fresh air, see nature up close in its glorious and colorful beauty, and fall asleep beneath a majestic star-filled sky.
However, they are just as passionate about not getting poison icy, not getting devoured by blood-sucking mosquitos, and not having to choose between sitting on an inhumanely painful bench, or holing themselves up in a stuffy, smelly tent. And that brings us the greatest innovation on the travel and tourism landscape since the dawn of room service: glamping.
Glamping — or luxury camping — brings together the best of both worlds: Mother Nature in all her splendor on one hand, and luxury accommodations on the other. And yes, you can ignore hard core camping purists who say that anything less than camping like Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” is inauthentic and snobby. These are the same people who live in wired homes (they may even have an IoT-enabled fridge or washing machine), have multiple digital devices, and choose to live a more sophisticated and elegant life than about 80 percent of the world’s population.
With that out of the way, if you are planning on a glamping excursion — whether it is your first time, or you are a seasoned veteran of the luxury camping circuit — then here are four must-have luxury items that you should not leave home without:
1. A Sky Tent
A sky tent is a tent that sets up between two trees, like a hammock. In addition to possibly having the best night’s sleep in your life, you will be several feet above an ecosystem of critters and creatures that would like nothing else than to turn your bedtime into bite-time.
2. A Non-Electric Espresso Maker
Heading off the grid does not mean you must forgo your daily espresso fix. Several varieties of non-electric espresso makers are available on the market. They kind of look like a large corkscrew remover, and are designed to deliver a powerful shot of water through ground coffee beans. It is fast, easy, and while the rest of the camping world may tolerate the affront to civilization known as instant coffee, you can sit back — and deliciously sip away.
3. Compact Sink
The restroom facilities in traditional camping environments are typically cruel and unusual. Indeed, one is lucky to escape the experience only contracting something that can be killed with antibiotics (or maybe therapy). That is where a portable compact sink comes to the rescue. These lovely items also have plenty of storage space for toothbrushes, razors, soap, and so on.
4. Luxury Travel Chairs
There are ordinary travel chairs — which are not really chairs at all, as they provide zero comfort or stability — and there are luxury travel chairs, which turn sitting and doing nothing into a blissful, Zen-like experience. One of the best that I have come across is called the Air Boss Travel chair, which is available from aero parts supplier AERO Aviation. It is supremely comfortable, supports 300lbs., weighs a miniscule 2.35lbs., and fits easily into a tote or backpack. You will never look at ordinary chairs the same way again. Heck, you may even want one of these for your office.
Happy Glamping!
