Must Have Glamping Gear
I’ve always loved camping ever since I was a little girl. We started out in the back of my Dad’s truck on an air mattress with all of our food and supplies in bear boxes, then we started camping in a tent and eventually moved to a fifth wheel trailer. As I started to camp on my own in adulthood I started out in a small tent that was a hand me down from my parents and my supplies were sparse. My camping gear consisted of some paper plates, plastic silverware, a used Webber propane bbq my Dad gave me, and a sleeping bag. I was as basic as I could be with my setup. After a few summers of camping trips I upgraded my supplies and collected more hand me downs and started to build up a little stock of my own gear. When my husband and I got married we did a few trips with our combined tent camping supplies and after a couple years we got the opportunity to use his Grandfather’s pop up tent trailer. Having the pop up trailer seemed like a royal palace in comparison to being in the tent. You could stand up to get dressed and there was a small counter to place food, drinks and supplies which was much more ideal than on the floor in the tent or all shoved into a bear box. We loved the upgrade but after a couple of summers of camping in the tent trailer we decided it was time to buy our very own trailer. The older we got the more we wanted to have the convenience of our own bathroom. Using the vault toilets at a public campground, especially in the middle of the night was one of my least favorite things about camping. At first we were looking for something used and an older model in which we could possibly fix up a bit. We looked and searched the internet for almost 6 months or more and wasn’t finding what we really wanted. One day we decided to look at new models just for the fun of it and to see what was out there in the r.v world. We didn’t want anything fancy just a little more space and a bathroom. We weren’t planning on actually purchasing a new trailer but once we saw all the different floor plans to choose from we finally landed on the decision to buy new and now we have upgraded to GLAMPING!
We ended up going with a 2018 Highland Ridge Open Range Ultra Light 24′ travel trailer. We loved the spacious feel of the interior and the layout. We even did a little rearranging to make it more perfect for our needs and removed the dinette table and four chairs and moved the sofa into it’s place in the slide out. This freed up the space at the back-end of the trailer and gave better access to additional counter top space. We purchased two folding tray tables that fold up and when needed can be pulled out to use while eating. We always eat outside on the picnic table unless its raining so the space the table took up didn’t seem necessary to us. This trailer is perfect for us!
Our first summer camping in our new trailer we tried a few different lakes and campgrounds and worked out the kinks and started accumulating more r.v accessories. Our second summer we decided to sign up for a seasonal spot where we could set up our trailer and leave it for the entire summer season that offered full hookups and even wi-fi. We figured if it was setup already we would get more time on the weekends and wouldn’t be wasting time hauling it up the mountain, backing it in, setting it up and then breaking it all down a couple of days later. Our first season was AMAZING and I couldn’t wait to come back the next summer. We are now in our second summer at our lake side camping spot and we have pretty much got our setup fine tuned. I’m proud to say I’m now a seasonal GLAMPER!
Below I have shared with you the basic glamping gear I would recommend if you’re ready to get your glamp on! I’ve listed all the gear outside the trailer that makes your camp setup a little more luxurious. Besides your trailer, there are a handful of must haves in my opinion that make a campsite just right.
Outdoor Rug: This one is a must if you want things inside the trailer to stay remotely clean. I searched for a while before deciding on a rug as I wanted it to be practical and cute! I found that a lot of the options for r.v outdoor rugs were horribly designed and super cheesy or cheap looking. I wanted something that would be easy to clean and could withstand the weather but was also modern and stylish. I ended up finding a large patio mat in a classic Greek key design in black and white, which matches our black and white trailer perfectly. It is a plastic woven design which allows the dirt and sand to settle between the layers. It brushes off quickly with a broom and is great for wet feet, swim suits, dogs, and the weather. It’s held up great so far and makes it feel as though we’re extending the interior living space to the outdoors. I can’t remember exactly where I found my outdoor rug but you can find one similar below.
Chairs: Camp chairs are a must when you’re hanging out outside most of the time. When your camping you’re sitting down by the lake shore, relaxing at the campsite playing cards, or sitting around a fire roasting marshmallows so you need some practical and comfortable seating. I had my Dad scope out a pair of camp chairs for me when he made a trip to Sam’s Club and he came back with these grey and green fold-able director style chairs with an attached table. At first I wasn’t too thrilled about the side tables, but let me tell you what, they are handy and I’m SO glad they have them now! The table space is so convenient for snacks and the cup holder firmly holds any beverage. The chairs have padded arms and fold in half into a flatter, smaller size and offer handles for easy carrying. These chairs are quick and simple to fold up and take with you down to the water, although they are slightly heavier than basic folding camp chairs. Good thing for us the water is super close by so we don’t have that far of a walk! You can find similar chairs here:
Foldable Camp Chair with Table
We also have a pair of Cabela’s zero gravity reclining chairs that we received as a gift for our wedding from my in-laws. These chairs are SO comfortable and allow you to lay back and soak up the sun or spend the afternoon in a comfortable position reading a book. They have locks under the arms to lock in your position when you find just the right spot. They are fairly heavy and bulky to carry so these tend to stay put at our campsite. I threw a couple toss pillows in each one to make them even cozier. You can find the same ones on Cabelas.com or similar ones here:
Fire pit: To me, campfires and camping goes hand in hand so you can’t go camping and not have a campfire. Most campgrounds have fire rings in which you can make your own wood burning fire. Unfortunately due to forest fire concern where we camp we aren’t allowed to make our own wood burning fires but we are allowed to use propane fire pits. After a few months into our first season at the lake I convinced Steve we needed one. There was just something missing from the camping experience without finishing the days sitting by a fire. I ended up ordering one online and as soon as it came I hauled it up the mountain to the campground, attached a propane tank to it and turned it on. It feels just like a traditional fire pit but without the smoke in your eyes, its great! This one comes with a lid that latches for easy transport and the flame is adjustable from low to high. I roast marshmallows over it or just sit by it and lose my gaze into the flames while I enjoy my morning coffee. I ordered this one from Amazon. You can find it here:
Picnic Table: Like I said before we tend to eat every meal outside all summer long so we need an outdoor table of some sort. Most campgrounds provide those old wood picnic style tables and usually they are covered in pitch and rough enough to give you slivers. Luckily our campground provides plastic picnic tables and they are guaranteed to be sliver free and are easy to clean. Our plastic table is white which also helps with keeping it cool while sitting out in the sun all day. I had to shim up one side of the legs because there is a slope to the spot where the table goes. A couple of wood blocks and its perfect! I like a picnic style table because you can fit a lot of people around it and it feels like a traditional camping table. I’ve noticed other seasonal campers at our campground bring up actual patio dining tables with a set of chairs and they look super cute and comfortable but I’m just fine with the plastic picnic table!
Tablecloth: Of course I want to spruce up the plastic picnic table a bit so I like to get an outdoor tablecloth to dress it up a bit. I like the tablecloths that are vinyl on one side and a cotton flannel like material on the underneath side. This makes them thicker, sturdier and because they are heavier than those cheap thin vinyl ones they don’t blow around as much. I had a black and white check tablecloth last summer and somehow we’ve misplaced it so I had to get a new tablecloth this season. I ended up finding a very similar grey and white checked tablecloth at Dollar General for only $4. I got 2 and overlapped them as they weren’t quite long enough to cover the entire table. So for $8 I have a much cuter picnic table.
Decor: Since we are seasonal and our trailer stays up from June-August I do a little more decorating than I would if we just were weekend camping. Every time I make a trip home I always have another truckload of extra stuff and my husband rolls his eyes at me.
When you first arrive at our campsite the first thing you see is our sign with our names on it. One year for Christmas my husbands Mom, Aunt and Grandmother surprised us with this custom log sign and we knew our campsite would be the perfect spot for it. It helps our friends find our place if they’ve never been to it and it helps everyone at the campground remember our names. It was purchased from Cabela’s I believe and came with unfinished wood that I then stained grey. It comes with two stakes that you pound into the ground and the sign has holes on the bottom that line up with the stakes securing it into the ground. It’s been a perfect addition to our campsite, and greets everyone who comes by.
We needed a centerpiece for the picnic table so I grabbed from home a succulent planter that my Mom’s friend made for me. It’s the perfect piece to give our table a focal point and add that natural feel. Succulents are easy to take care of so I don’t have to worry about them if I head back home for a few days or even a week. I added two solar mason jar lights flanking the succulent centerpiece to give some ambiance to the table after the sun sets. I made these myself from 2 Dollar Store solar lights and 2 turquoise mason jars, plus a little super glue.
The blank fence screamed for some visual hanging decor so last summer I came up with the idea to make some myself during some of those lazy summer days. I wandered along the beach and collected interesting pieces of driftwood that washed up on the shore and brought them back to our campsite. I painted a pine tree on one and from one piece of driftwood I hung pieces of twine and glued glass jewels onto the twine to create a super unique hanging art piece. I painted a sign that said ‘SWIM’ to give off that lake vibe and I hung all of my masterpieces in a grouping on the fence. I love how it turned out it and it feels good to be lounging in such a cute space.
The whole point of the decor is to make me feel more at home, and by using colors that I love and d.i.y projects that I’ve done, the space feels uniquely ours. Make your space scream your style by adding outdoor pillows and umbrellas in your favorite colors, personalized signs, and d.i.y decor to make your campsite feel exclusively yours.
Since we are up here for 3 + months out of the year it is my home away from home and I want it to feel like home while I’m there. All of these items help make our campground feel comfortable, cozy and a little bit luxurious. I’m sure my list of glamping gear will grow over time but these are the basic necessities you need in order to get your glamp on and camp in comfort!
