Glamping vs Camping: The 8 Major Differences

Camping and glamping are not the same things. Before you say you’re not a camper, look at this list of differences between camping and glamping. You may realize that you’ll be willing to give glamping a chance with these accommodations.

The 8 Major Differences Between Camping and Glamping

Shelter

Primitive tent camping is just that: camping in a tent. Your only shelter from the elements is a layer of fabric (and maybe a second layer of fabric to act as a rain cover if you’re lucky). That’s it.

With glamping, your shelter can be a camper, RV, yurt, or small cabin. That means the most protection from the elements as possible, keeping you warm and dry if it rains.

Bedding

With tent camping, you will either sleep on the ground in a sleeping bag or on an inflatable air mattress. Some even consider an inflatable air mattress with a beding set glamping.

Glamping means sleeping on an elevated bed with a real mattress, bedding, and pillows.

Bathroom

When primitive camping, you will either have to do your business in the woods or find the nearest bathhouse at the campground you’re staying in, if they have one.

You will be provided with a bathroom when glamping in a camper, RV, yurt, or small cabin.

Showers

The same concept applies to the showers as it does to the bathroom. When camping, you’ll be responsible for finding a bathhouse to take a shower in, and you’ll have to share it with other campers.

This means possibly having to wait your turn to use a shower which can cut into your day if you’re showering in the morning. It can also make it exhausting to try to shower at night when you’re just ready to go to bed after a long day.

With glamping, you’ll have your own shower, so you won’t have to fight anyone for your turn to use it (unless it’s your own family, of course).

Cooking

Tent camping means cooking your food over an open fire. There is no way around it. This can limit the types of meals you cook, which can become boring after a while.

Glamping means you will likely have some type of kitchen to use to cook a wider variety of meals. Plus, you’ll have a designated space to cook the meals and store the supplies, making the whole experience easier.

Temperature

Besides a fire or a portable fan that runs on batteries, you won’t be able to control the temperature at your campsite. This can quickly make it miserable when you are trying to sleep.

Glamping gives you electricity hookups and a climate-controlled environment. You can easily plug-in heaters or fans to control the temperature in your shelter.

Entertainment

Primitive tent camping means finding your own entertainment. You’ll likely want to go hiking, fishing, or swimming when camping. However, what if not everyone in your party wants to do all of those things? You’re limited to what you can do for entertainment when tent camping.

Because glamping gives you electricity, you have more options for entertainment. You can watch TV, charge your phone, and even play video games if you want. This option is great when you have little kids who may need something to entertain them while you cook a meal or take a shower.

Food Storage

Ice, ice, and more ice. That’s what you’ll need to keep your food safe while camping. Well-insulated coolers will help keep the ice from melting as quickly, even on hot summer days, but you’ll still need to purchase more bags of ice to get you through your entire trip.

With glamping, you’ll have a refrigerator or freezer in your camper, yurt, or small cabin. This makes it so much easier to store food and keep it safe.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! Those are the 8 major differences between camping and glamping in all the areas you’ll experience. Primitive tent camping is a great way to get back to nature and rely on the land for survival, but if you’re looking for a more relaxing and enjoyable way to experience some of the same things, we recommend glamping.