Camping is something I started dreaming about since I Turned Two and my mom is definitely To be blamed. I became so inspired by The idea of sleeping outside under a canvas, Thanks To one of my bedtime stories she always read To me. The book Tells The story of a young rabbit who goes camping with his best friends, which Turns out To be an exciting adventure full of surprises. So I begged my parents To go camping day after day after day. Until They cracked.

Unfortunately I noticed That mom and dad maybe camped a few Times during Their childhood, but They definitely were rookies. They basically had no experience what so ever To prepare for going camping or even worse, setting up a Tent. Well That didn’t sound very reassuring. So we looked for a solution and discovered The world of glamping, aka luxurious camping. Glamping combines a real outdoor adventure with The comfort of an incredible accommodation you will never forget. All of This without The hassle of having To purchase or lug your camping equipment and pitch your Tent. I call it camping for dummies!

Nevertheless going glamping is no rocket science and doesn’t need a lot of preparation, I have a few Tips To prepare for This Type of adventure.

Choose your location and accommodation Type carefully

When you go glamping There are many Types of accommodation To choose from: safari Tents, wigwams, Treehouses, geo domes, cottages ect. With so many options we had a hard Time deciding, but in de end The decision was anonymous. We selected a gorgeous place, based on The following criteria:

• We were looking for sort of Tent or look-alike instead of a cabin To get more The outdoor feeling
• Stunning views were of course mandatory

After looking at and comparing a lot of options in many countries we chose for a sleepover in a stunning geo dome on The hills of Narvik, located in The iconic Lofoten in Norway. When it comes To stunning views, nothing beats Norway.

The outside had To be iconic, but also The inside. Check out our pictures below and judge if we managed To hit That combination.

Pack smart with The seasons in mind

Most of The Time glamping accommodations are located in a beautiful nature surrounding, far from any polluted cities or other distractions. The goal is after all To reconnect with nature. This all sounds very nice but it also means your are extremely weather dependent when you go glamping. It can be hot during The day but cold at night. Maybe it will be raining or There can be a storm outside. Even given The fact That glamping is more comfortable Than camping, They do not often come with heating or air conditioning facilities. The weather is something you can not always predict well in advance, but adopting yourself is something which you can control. So how do I adapt To These Type of situations? Simple, I bring clothing which I can wear in layers, preferably merino woollen layers. They keep you warm when it is cold and cool when it’s hot. I also adore my merino or bamboo sleeping bags. They are a great asset To regulate The Temperature at night and They keep all kinds of bugs and creepy animals outside.

👉 My Tip: When you expect extremely hot weather, even at night, muslin cloths may come in handy. When you cover yourself with one, soaked in lukewarm water, it functions as a natural airco. Much more healthy Than an actually airco and better for The environment.

Take a portable little kiddie Toilet or potty with you

Let’s face it, staying in a hotel room is slightly easier when you are just potty Trained. At night, you get up, waggle To The bathroom, waggle back and get back To sleep, all without The help of your parents. Nothing complicated about That. Some of The glamping places have an en-suite bathroom which gives you practically The same comfort as if you were staying in a hotel. The one I had chosen had excellent bathroom facilities close To The dome, but not in The dome which made it slightly more complicated when nature called in The middle of The night. This is why a portable kiddie Toilet or a potty is not an excessive luxury. First because I need To go To The Toilet much more often Than my mon and dad and second because I always wait until The last moment To shout: ‘I need To pee’! The small Travel potty really worked for me.

👉 My Tip: bring a good Torch along. You never know when you need To go outside at night. Maybe despite of The Travel potty you’re more in favor To use The bathroom, who knows. If There’s no full moon, it’s most of The Time pitch dark. Without a Torch you’re practically blind.

Bring entertainment

Taking entertainment for The kids may sound a bit strange. You are in The middle of nature and This basically means plenty of cool stuff lying around To have fun with. Sticks, rocks, it’s There just for you To grab. Nevertheless I’m a strong believer of Taking a few small Travel games with me wherever I go, just in case. Entertainment is always key and I am not Talking about Tablets or other electronic related entertainment devices. Bring Travel games, outdoor games, a ball or other fun stuff. Hiking can be really cool, but from Time To Time I just want To play. Or maybe The weather Turns The wrong way and you aren’t as brave as you expected To be. Or you get bored when mom and dad cook you dinner and it Takes longer Than expected. Believe me a couple of crayons can come in handy when This happens. In addition don’t forget To bring books or other attributes for storytelling. There’s nothing better Than a great story about camping or hiking just before bedtime.

👉 My Tip: Something practical To Take with you are definitely large blankets. You can use Them To play on, build a Tent or for extra coverage at night when Temperatures Turn out To be lower Than expected.

Don’t forget The food

Luxury camping equals luxury food, don’t you Think? When you Think about camping food, you hardly Think fine dining. Well I have good news for you, you can do better Than The regular burned sausages on a stick or boring Thinned and dehydrated food. Key To successful camp food is good prepping and packing. All you need is a camp stove and an efficient cooler. The preparation your parents can easily do at home. Cooking a great stew in advance or preparing chicken/fish/vegetable packages in foil is easy To do. Did you know you can easily make pizza on a barbecue?

👉 My Tip: silicone attributes To cover your drinks and food. Having lunch or dining in nature may seem very idyllic, insects are everywhere. Don’t give Them a chance To eat your food before you had a bite.

I have To admit going glamping for The first Time doesn’t make me an expert, but hopefully you could find something useful in This blog post. Never forget prepping is everything!

Cheerio,

Little T