Easy Hacks That Transform Your Basic Campsite Into A Luxurious Glamping Experience

Venturing into the wilderness beyond our secure, indoor lives is a common endeavor for people all over the world. The thought of getting shuteye under a brilliant kaleidoscope of stars (and sometimes planets) is exciting, particularly for city folks. Check out the best European sites for stargazing. Camping offers a sort of callback to our ancestral nature and a dynamic change of pace, and waking up in the great outdoors adds a wholesome relaxation to the mix. It also provides a hard reset for the plugged-in lifestyle common today. 

This is surely partly why so many people love getting away from it all and spending quality time with friends and family in a tent rather than on the couch. Tens of millions of people identifying as "campers" live in the United States, with a marked uptick in participation in the years since the pandemic short-circuited what might be considered normal activity. In addition to active campers, quite a large portion of the country reports a desire to go camping. Holding them back might be a lack of time or wariness to commit to purchasing the requisite gear. 

But for plenty of would-be campers, the conditions are likely a big reason. It's common to think of camping as a sort of down-and-dirty activity. No running water and a lack of cell coverage are just the start. But camping doesn't have to be intimidating. With these quick fixes, it's simple to enjoy a camping-turned-glamping experience that's entertaining, relaxing, and abundantly rewarding.

One of the most noticeable features you'll find detrimental to general comfort when camping is a lack of space. It might be somewhat funny to think about, but all that open space around you doesn't equate to having enough room to stretch out and get comfortable. Even after a day of hiking or exploring around a lake or outdoor recreation area, you'll return to the tent you'll call home for the duration of your camping trip. If it's too small, you'll feel cramped as you wind down or sleep. Similarly, waking up in such a tent size will start you off on the wrong foot.

The type and size of your tent can dictate your camping experience. Rough and tumble campers might look for a sort of minimalist approach; in this case, a small tent becomes an asset. But anyone hoping to camp comfortably and luxuriously will want to select a large tent that provides ample room to walk around. More to the point, walking around inside this shelter is really what sets glamping apart from camping. 

If you have to crouch inside your tent, you aren't lapping it up in luxury. A tall tent that allows you to stand at your full height is a must. Once you've checked this feature off your list, you'll want to look into the internal area your tent provides. Some of the largest camping tents can offer as much as 20 feet of clearance from the front entrance to the back panel, providing enough interior space to support a whole family.

Your camping experience can be far more enjoyable when you pack good food and plenty of drinks. However, taking full advantage of this addition to your campsite requires keeping things cold. Not all coolers offer the same level of longevity for this task. A well-insulated cooler should be high on your priority list when seeking to transform a routine camping trip into one that features luxury. You should also bring along a box of salt for additional temperature management. This will give the ice in your cooler plenty of time to stay in its frozen state.

The best coolers on the market can keep ice frozen for days, ensuring your campsite remains well-stocked with cold beverages. It also maintains a safe environment for food items. You'll also want to think about size; a larger cooler will give you more space to keep important food items but will naturally be heavier and, therefore, harder to move around. Finding the right balance here is a personal decision, but the insulation level is a non-negotiable feature of a comfortable camping environment.

Campers have their own opinions on air mattresses. Some people like them, while others can't get cozy on these sleeping tools. Fortunately, two approaches can be helpful when seeking to make your camping trip more comfortable. For those who enjoy a good air mattress, opting for a double-high model is a great way to introduce the comforts of home into your camping environment. These air mattresses lift you off the ground thanks to an increased volume of air in the support system. This mechanism improves firmness and comfort levels, making it feel like a standard mattress than your typical inflatable sleeping device. The result is a bit of mimicry in which your tent might seem as relaxing as your bedroom.

On the other hand, campers who don't like using air mattresses can get more than enough relaxation out of an extra-large insulated camping pad. Camping pads can be rolled and carried quite easily in most instances. An extra-large variety delivers enough padding and space for sleepers who might need that extra heft and room to roll a bit. Whether you're a cot or a ground sleeper, a camping pad with an extra large dimension is a great way to introduce plenty of softness and comfort into your tent as you doze off to complete a day of exploration.

Sleeping bags certainly have their place in the average campground. They are a core component on the camper's packing list, especially when the temperature is set to dip into frigid territory overnight. But campers looking for glamping levels of comfort in their tent will want to amplify their sleeping amenities with additional items.

A set of sheets for your air mattress or camping pad will round out the item you're sleeping on substantially. This single addition to your packing list can make for a more visually enticing sleeping area. It also improves the feel of your sleeping gear, too. Finish off this segment of your packing list by bringing a comforter from home to complete the transformation. In warmer environments, this pair of items can completely replace the rough and tumble nature of your sleeping bag. On a colder camping trip, combining the comforts of a sheet and blanket with your sleeping bag can make all the difference in keeping you warm and happy as you settle in for the night.

Those who need a morning cup of coffee to get going aren't likely to set this ritual aside just because they're in the wilderness rather than in their own home. All manner of coffee-making tools exist on the market, and plenty of campsite coffee makers can be found to support this morning habit for those on a hiking trail in the great American wilderness or camping in one of its countless campsites. These can be large or small devices, but they frequently have one thing in common: The coffee they make usually isn't great. 

Of course, beggars can't be choosers, but there is an alternative that's equally portable and allows you to brew a far superior cup. The French press is an intuitively simple coffee-making device that only requires beans and water. They come in insulated and small formats, meaning you can brew a single cup for yourself or save some for later in the same container without worrying about it going cold. French presses make a decadent cup of coffee, and all you need to do is boil water and press down the lever to separate the beans once the implement has worked its magic.

Ambiance can dramatically alter your state of mind. All kinds of mood-setting amenities feature in the standard glamping experience, so it's only reasonable that a few of these creature comforts can achieve the same outcome in a less glitzy campsite. Even the most basic camping area can be spruced up with mood lighting and a few other additions like scented candles and perhaps some flowers.

Addressing your dining space is a great start in this regard. You might consider bringing colorful or vibrantly patterned tablecloths to drape over the area that will support your meals. Even this change alone can go a long way to making your camping experience feel more glamorous. Many campsites will have picnic tables and other similar amenities available for campers. The tablecloth and some seat cushions transform the humble picnic table into a comfortable dining area that translates thematically into the rest of your experience in this setting.

Light is an important feature of any area you'll spend time in, so illuminating your campsite and tent is a natural extension of the glamping process. Solar-powered string lighting is a great choice here. Opt for warm LED lights if you can; they are solid insect repellents as well as mood-setters. These mood-setting tools draw power from the sun before it sets and then kick on after it starts to get dark.

Setting them up on the guy lines that connect your tent to its anchoring system is a simple but powerful change to the camping environment. Of course, having enough light to see is an important consideration, but ambient lighting to provide your surroundings with soft illumination goes a long way to setting a scene of luxury and comfort. String lights are easy to pack and can make a major difference in the experience you have while out in this natural environment.

One of the biggest changes you'll see in transitioning from indoor to outdoor living is the buildup of dirt, grass, and other natural debris. Trudging around a hiking trail exposes you to plenty of elements you'll likely track back into your tent at the end of the day. A simple addition of an outdoor mat can change this picture. Rather than tracking dirt and grass into your tent and then feeling it under your feet as you walk around, wiping off your shoes before you enter the tent on a durable outdoor mat allows the "inside" environment to remain clean and tidy. 

This is a simple change, but it makes the camping experience feel more relaxed in a subtle but powerful way. You might also consider bringing those few outdoor mats to lay inside the tent. These can add just a bit of extra padding to the floor you'll be walking on. The result can be transformative, giving your feet a crucial reprieve from the bare earth and more closely aligned with the warm and comforting presence of a carpeted room inside your home.

Any good camping checklist will feature a few key elements in the world of entertainment. A bag of board games and a deck of cards is a great place to start. But this list shouldn't end there. Music lovers will want to bring a wireless speaker to improve the atmosphere your DIY glamping experience is looking to create. You might even opt for a guitar, too, if someone in your group is musically inclined and can provide a decent live rendition of your favorite tunes.

A solar-powered speaker, in particular, is a great option when camping. This is especially true for lengthy periods on the trail or in off-grid camping environments that don't provide connections like WiFi and power outlets. The ability to draw juice directly from the sun allows these speakers to remain viable entertainment sources long into the night before charging up again the next day to support continuous gameplay, conversations, and bonding experiences.

In addition to the packing essentials you'll want to bring to upgrade your camping space and enjoy a more luxurious living situation, one particular item is of tremendous value. A set of tarps might not sound like a luxurious inclusion on your must-have checklist, but they will do a considerable heavy lifting to provide a genuine glamping feel to your stay. One of the main comfort killers in any camping setting comes from contact with the ground. Super high-end tents may be able to reduce many or all of these effects on their own, but the majority of campers will have to deal with the effects of dampness and moisture. 

As the sun rises, a change in humidity results in a layer of dew forming across the ground. When the ground becomes wet, anything touching it also starts to experience a moistening: This includes you and your tent. Many campers will have undoubtedly awoken to find the inside of their tent ever so slightly damp in the morning. Avoiding the chilling effect of a damp sleeping area is as simple as laying down a tarp underneath your tent before you set it up. To round out this moisture barrier, lash a second tarp to overhanging trees in order to create a rain cover above your tent. Used in tandem, these tarps will introduce far more dryness to your sleeping area and help you wake up on the right side of the "bed."

As you look around the typical campsite, you're sure to find plenty of things to sit on. Those who prefer to sleep on cots have a built-in "couch" for relaxation inside their tent, while others might congregate around picnic tables or sit on logs. These kinds of seating arrangements are missing the level of coziness the amenities you have at home offer. Camping items that can double up as seating tools simply aren't as comfortable as campsite chairs.

Indeed, the campsite chair is a wonderful addition to your outdoor living space if you're looking to add some important creature comforts to the equation. These chairs fold and are relatively easy to pack away. This makes them portable, offering a viable option for those who will be setting up frequently outdoors. Campsite chairs may not be simple to use for campers pitching their tent while following a multi-day trail. However, for overnighters setting up to enjoy the company of friends in a stationary campground, they're hugely valuable. This is because they provide a premier camping environment filled with the comforts of home while also bringing in the best of outdoor living and exploration.