DIY Glamping Ideas for a Luxury Camping Trip

As more people opt for staycations this year, accommodation is becoming scarce. A lot of the best places for glamping are starting to fill up as people decide yurts, pods and shepherd’s huts are the next best thing to a hotel. But if you’re running out of options you could take a luxury camping trip this year with your own tent. All you need is the following DIY glamping ideas to make your trip something to remember. Plus once you have all the essentials you can holiday like this again and again.

We’ve been taking camping trips since our kids were small. And 30 years later we’re still going camping, at least for a long weekend, on a regular basis. I certainly don’t like ‘roughing’ it, and I make sure when we’re camping that I don’t have to. I like my comfort! With these glamping essentials I’m sure you can really enjoy a camping holiday.

Going camping for the first time? You’ll need these camping essentials.

The Tent

Choosing the right tent is key to the perfect glamping trip. It needs to be easy to put up and have enough room for you to feel comfortable in. None of this one person pop up little thing where you sleep on the ground and there’s no room to stand up! A good tent will have at least one bedroom area (more if you’re taking children) and a kitchen/living area. Most tents these days are either put together with a pole structure or they’re inflatable. We have the Quecha Arpenaz 4.1 tent for 4 people which I think is just the right size for a couple. I feel it would be a little on the small side for four people! The tent is put up with 3 colour coded poles and is best done with two people. Me and my husband put it up fairly easily, but there are videos you can watch if you’ve never put a tent up before. It has a good sized bedroom area and a living area big enough for a kitchen equipment, two chairs and a small table.

DIY Glamping Ideas for Sleeping Comfortably

You’re looking for a DIY glamping experience so I would advise buying the best airbed/campbed you can afford. There’s nothing worse than an uncomfortable night’s sleep in a tent. It can put you off camping forever. Our current airbed is the Coleman Inflatable Camping Mattrass for 2 people and gives a very comfy sleep. Remember to take a foot pump to blow it up. We forgot to take ours once but luckily there was a shop nearby that sold them.

I’ve noticed as I get older that it gets a little harder to get up off an airbed in the morning. Older joints just don’t seem to be able to mobilise as quickly as they used to! So if you prefer not to sleep so close to the ground you could add a folding camp bed or an inflatable camping bed base. The inflatable bed base comes in a single size but two can be combined to turn it into a double so you can cuddle up to your other half. This makes it so much easier to get up without crawling on your hands and knees.

As for bedding, we usually take a duvet, sheet and pillows from our spare room. A good DIY glamping idea would be to add a nice fleecy throw to put on top of the air bed (but underneath your sheet), for extra comfort. But there are some excellent sleeping bags on the market, if you prefer, if single or double sizes.

Luxury Camping Kitchen

One of my favourite things about camping is sitting outside the tent, early in the morning, with a nice cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich. Although that is vegetarian bacon these days. So even if you’re planning to go out and about for lunch and dinner, it’s still worth having a camping stove. You’ll also find a folding camping kitchen unit is handy for putting your camping stove on, and also for storing pans, cups, cutlery, plates etc. And don’t forget the gas canisters or you won’t be getting any breakfast!. Every campsite I’ve been on has a washing up area, so you’ll also need a washing up bowl, washing up liquid and a tea-towel. If you’re planning on eating al fresco a lot on your luxury camping trip then a portable barbecue would be a great DIY glamping idea.

Dining

Eating outdoors definitely one of the joys of camping. But sitting on the ground to eat isn’t my idea of fun. And like the bed situation, it’s hard to get up off the floor! Your DIY glamping experience should include a table and chairs. There are a range of picnic tables to choose from, including folding camping tables for 6 to 8 people down to a low level folding camping table. For me, it’s the chair that’s most important. You’ll probably spend a lot of time relaxing in it, so make sure you choose an extremely comfortable folding camping chair. And preferably one that reclines so you can really relax.

To add a touch of luxury to your outdoor dining experience, there are some really pretty melamine or bamboo picnic sets in places like Home Bargains, B&M or The Range. They look good, they’re inexpensive and difficult to break.

Relaxing

I love to read when I’m camping. Something I don’t seem to get the time to do when I’m at home. We also take a couple of board games with us too. It’s so nice to get away from the television and do something as a couple. Again we could play board games at home but we never seem to!

If you’re going to be sitting inside or outside your tent, especially on an evening, you want to feel comfortable. So some DIY glamping ideas to help you relax would include throws, cushions and maybe a rug. Make your camping area look as cosy as you can and I can guarantee you’ll want to do it again. Even on a summer’s night it can get a little chilly when you’re camping so these little extras are worth packing.

Lighting

Most people take a torch when they’re camping. It’s helpful when you need to visit the bathroom in the dark. But adding some lighting around your tent can help boost that luxury camping experience. From camping light bulbs, to flexible light strips, to a string of fairy lights. Put them on the tent’s guy ropes or string them up inside the tent to get a really cosy feel. Adding some to your bedroom area can give a really romantic vibe (if that’s what you’re looking for), and they’re also great if you want to read in bed. The lights shown below are all battery operated or solar powered. Do not light a real candle anywhere near a tent!

Extras

Some people are really put off camping by not having access to their own bathroom. So some DIY glamping ideas to make your camping trip really feel like luxury are adding a toilet tent and/or a wardrobe tent. Your toilet tent would be an extra tent area when you could put a portable chemical toilet suitable for camping. The wardrobe tent is similar to the toilet tent but has shelves and pockets to put your clothes and toiletries in. Great if you don’t fancy living out of your suitcase.

I’ve always found the toilet and shower facilities on campsites to be really good. Especially on the smaller campsites. They’re well looked after and cleaned often. Most of them will have a hairdryer attached to the wall and there are usually sockets for things like straighteners and shavers. If you’re camping without children you may prefer to find a campsite that’s just for adults. But usually a good campsite will put adult only campers into a different area from families. Websites like Pitchup have good filtering features so you can find the best campsite to suit your needs.

If you’ve never been camping and think it’s all about getting muddy, too many insects or you’re too old, I can honestly say I’ve enjoyed every camping trip I’ve been on. And I didn’t think I would be the type that liked camping, I hate creepy crawlies (you very rarely see them in a tent). If you try some of these diy glamping ideas then I’m sure you’ll have a great holiday, and even want to go again!

If you’ve been camping before, what things have I missed that would add that touch of luxury? Let me know in the comments.