The great outdoors is full of beauty but let’s be real, it’s also full of bugs, dirt, heat, and muck. In addition to soaking in the lovely scenery, your typical camping trip also involves sleeping in cramped spaces, eating less than savory food, and leaving your beloved creature comforts behind. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. More often, outdoor adventure seekers are finding new ways to bring their luxuries from home into the wilderness. In fact, a whole new breed of campers bent on luxury cropped up in recent years, taking on the moniker of glamping — a combination of the words glamour and camping.
Glamping allows anyone the ability to experience the wonders of nature without sacrificing small pleasures. If you’re one of those people who likes nature but doesn’t consider roughing it a good time, these are the essential glamping gadgets you need to camp in style.
At A Glance:
- Handpresso Wild Hybrid Coffee Machine — $82
- Vintage Pendleton Camp Blanket — $119
- Kicker Portable BF200 Bluetooth Speaker — $200
- GSI Champagne Flutes — $15
- Stout Bell Tent — $1,986
- Sea to Summit Ultralight Hammock — $98
Handpresso Wild Hybrid Coffee Machine
Many coffee lovers would agree that the worst part of waking up in the woods is how far you are from a Starbucks. If you’re someone who finds yourself staring at those plastic coffee presses with disdain as you fantasize about a strong, well-brewed espresso, the Handpresso Wild Hybrid Coffee Machine is for you.
This easy-to-pack device is less than a foot long and fits into just about any gear bag. Simply pop in a handful of grinds, add hot water, and press up and down like a bike pump. Voila — fancy espresso deep in the wilderness.
Vintage Pendleton Camp Blanket
When you’re glamping, the idea is to keep it classy and Pendleton’s Backcountry Exclusive Camp Blankets are a surefire way to add a cool aesthetic to your outing. Made with a mix of virgin wool and cotton fabrics, and decorated with vintage-style patterns in a range of options, these heritage pieces infuse the fireside with a sophisticated ambiance — not to mentioned being ultra-cozy to snuggle up inside. The high-end materials assure the blanket is itch-free and won’t leave chafe marks on your chin if you find yourself wrapped up during S’mores hour.
As a bonus, the wool is flame-resistant so you can scoot on close to the heat without worries. If you’re glamping in a camper van or trailer, the blankets also work great as ornamental throws and the moisture-resistant properties help if you get caught in the rain or an early morning fog. Furthermore, like all Pendleton products, they’re made in the United States.
Kicker Portable BF200 Bluetooth Speaker
The sounds of nature are surely beautiful but when you’re glamping, you sometimes want to kick it up a notch. Enter Kicker’s brand-new portable Bluetooth speaker, designed exclusively for outdoor excursions. The stereo manufacturer, which typically makes car and home audio units, launched the speaker in 2018 and it’s just what the ultimate glamping trip calls for.
A smaller, more compact version of the company’s Bullfrog BF400 line, this option features dust-resistant qualities that allow you to set it on a picnic table or drag it down to the waterside without fear of roughing it up. The unit is fully waterproof and withstands full submersion for up to 30 minutes — it even floats. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that play for 12 straight hours and USB ports which serve as portable power stations round out the speaker’s handy list of features.
GSI Champagne Flutes
If you’re not pouring a glass of bubbly while glamping, you’re doing it wrong. Luckily, GSI Outdoors makes it easy and affordable (just $7 per glass) to bring along sparkling wine and add a posh element to your wilderness trips. At just $7 each, these copolyester plastic flutes are low-cost and durable with a nesting stem base that snaps into the rim for compact, no-crush carrying and worry-free sipping. Holding up to 6 fluid ounces, there’s no reason not to bring along the Pommery on your next outing — here’s a toast to many more glamping trips to come.
Stout Bell Tent
Nothing says glamping quite like an extravagant canvas tent and few are as luxurious as Stout’s Bell Tent — this tent carries the Pro Series moniker for a reason. Constructed of No Sweat Canvas, the material keeps water and condensation from leaking into your abode as you drift off to sleep on your (likely) king-sized bed (not included, unfortunately). Featuring plenty of screened vents that keep bugs out while still allowing you to take in the night sky, the Bell Tent is the ultimate way to enjoy the outdoors in comfort and style.
With 8- or 10-foot ceiling options, the interior is tall enough to allow anyone the ability to stand freely inside, even allowing them to jump on the bed if they so please. The tent also comes in either a 13- or 16-foot diameter, meaning that king-sized bed will fit nicely next to a dresser of drawers or a small dining table, while still offering plenty of storage for clothes, camp chairs, PizzaDome stoves, etc. If you truly want to achieve next-level glamping, splurging on Stout’s Bell Tent is the only way to go.
Sea to Summit Ultralight Hammock
What spells luxury better than kicking back in a hammock under a gorgeous tree canopy, slipping off your shoes, and reclining in comfort? The problem is that with most backyards hammocks, it’s not necessarily easy to roll it up into a pile of heavy rope and lug it into the woods. Sea to Summit’s UltraLight hammock allows glampers to bring a slice of backyard luxury on camping trips in a pouch small enough to fit in most purses.
Using a Nylon 66 monofilament fabric, the inconspicuous recliner weighs just 5.4 ounces and its accompanying compression sack cinches down to only 8 inches by 3.5 inches. It boasts a light but sturdy aluminum 6061 buckle and a triple bar-tacked webbing loop for durability that holds up to 300 pounds. At the end of a long day hiking, biking, and exploring nature, this definitely beats crawling into a cramped, hot tent to lie down.
