I spend most of my days in a large and noisy metropolis and the hikes around the mountains are always a moment I look forward to for winding down, exercising and reconnecting with nature. When that happens, I always wish I could spend the night right there in the woods wrapped up in a huge leaf like in the movie Avatar. I guess this is some kind of primordial longing shared by many, because I have discovered many designers have put some thought on it and come up with modern  – i.e. safe and comfortable – solutions to spend the night in wilderness and under the starry sky. A new term has even been coined to define this trend: “glamping” a mashup of glamour and camping.
Here are some of my favorite glamping solutions:
THE BUBBLE
I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it a couple of years ago. A night under the starry sky, undisturbed by humidity and mosquitoes (not to mention somebody a little larger), becomes a reality with Bubble Tree. It is available in different sizes and it’s modular. A pump positioned several feet away in a soundproof box, keeps the pressure constant, filters and dehumidifies the air inside. The Bubble Tree lodge is made of 100% recyclable materials and it is manufactured in France according to European Union safety and health standards, beware of unsafe imitations!
THE TENTSILE
Part hammock, part tree-house, part tent it’s a tentsile. Mark my words: the tentsile tent, a.k.a. the suspended tent, is THE TREND of the moment for outdoor vacation, and there are no doubts about the reasons for this success: versatile, modular, easy to set up (15 min.), safe and soft. The tentsile is made of tear resistant polyester and feature an under roof mesh, to stop even the tiniest sand flies.
Tentsiles are available at most camping & outdoors equipment retailers. The one pictured below is the Stingray and it is available from Tentsile.com, cost $ 650.
THE POD
As the tentsile evokes adventure and high-tech, the feel the Roomoon© , another suspended, or better hanging, tent, is totally romantic and organic. The cover is made of canvas (water-proof, stain and UV resistant) and the floor consists of light pine boards that can be rolled up for transportation, while the collapsible frame is made of aluminum rods. The Roomoon is definitely not ideal to carry around for a long time, but rather to set up in a quiet corner of the garden and enjoy throughout the warm season.
The Roomoon is handmade in the UK, it costs 5,000$ and can be ordered at Hanging Tent Company.
THE COCOON
Similar concept of the Roomoon, but bigger and therefore much less portable (it weighs 200kg/441 lbs!), the Cocoon Tree is actually a solution
aimed at hotels and resorts rather than individual users. The Cocoon is 3 m/ 10 ft wide, it features an aluminum frame, wooden floor and it is covered with customizable truck tarpaulin. And for the perfect glamping hanging village there is a separate bathroom pod, the Splash Cocoon.
Available to order at Cocoon Tree. (cost 7,000$)
CAMPING SITES
As you can see these solutions require not only a certain financial commitment but also the availability of private outdoor space where they can be set up, and for many city dwellers like me it’s not always easy to fulfill both these requirements. But do not despair, there are campsites and eco-resorts where you can see enjoy your night in the woods no strings attached.
Located in Dorset (UK), Camp Katur offers several original accommodations including the Unidome (pictured above), the Hobbit house and yurt-style tents. Definitely a must for the adventurers with a propensity for the fantastic and the unusual. Prices start at $100/night for the Unidome.
Like gigantic bird nests with a touch of hobbit, the treehouses of the Free Spirit Camp, near Vancouver, are perched up there among the tree tops. They are the ideal solution to observe the life of the woods from a privileged position and without disturbing it. The tree houses are available in 3 sizes and the prices start at $ 137/night.
