To help you go from campsite to glampsite status, we’ve assembled this Humble and Free guide to help you create a glamping ambiance that will turn heads! You’ll have every neighbor in camp passing by to take a look. You’ll probably make some new friends too!
Let’s get your Glamping on!
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What separates camping from glamping? We believe… it’s those EXTRA details. The things we don’t need but bring to enhance our camping experience. Here we’ll go over the essential elements of a glampsite, share our favorite campsite ambiance accessories, show you where to buy them yourself, and we’ll provide some helpful tools for setting up your glampsite!
Whether you’re a novice camper, a budding glamper, or a self-proclaimed glampsite connoisseur, this information is an excellent resource for future camp outings!
You may be wondering… why bother going through the hassle of creating an ambiance AND glamping out your campsite? Well… that’s not something we can easily answer because it’s all about the vibe you feel!
Please don’t take our word for it, though! Catch us on the road, and we’ll gladly welcome you into our glampsite to catch the vibe yourself.
Are we experts??? Who knows??? I do know though we’ve set up more camps than I can count from music festivals, Burning Man, and various other destinations. At every camp, we’ll get people stopping by to see what we’ve got going on.
Straight to the goods? Check out our favorite GLAMPsite essentials on Amazon using the link below!
Campsite to GLAMPsite – Ambiance Essentials
(Disclosure: This is and all product links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
How to go from campsite to GLAMPsite
“Bring the ambiance you want you to see in the world!”
-Gandhi on camping with Humble and Free
(Just kidding… but we think it’s something he might’ve said after camping with us!)
Elements of creating a GLAMPING Ambiance
There are a few elements that contribute to a stunning glampsite ambiance. Include something from each of these categories below and you’ll elevate your average camp to glamp!
Let’s start from the ground up.
Ground Cover
Ground cover is mandatory glamping gear! Let’s face it; you’re not going to want to take your shoes off and relax in camp if you’re walking around on dirt.
Our favorite ground cover is a woven polypropylene (plastic) camping mat. They’re water-resistant, easy to clean, and reversible!
A wise man once told us, “a doormat is a sign of integrity.” We think that applies to camp as well. These heavy-duty doormats are perfect for glamping!
To make things cozier, we always bring along a few Mexican-style blankets to put down on our camping mat. We also recently picked up white faux fur rug!
Somewhere to Relax
To go from campsite to glampsite, you’ll have to rethink those old folding chairs. Sure they pack up easily and give you a place to sit, but are they that comfortable?
Our, unexpectedly, FAVORITE glampsite addition is our inflatable couch! Yep, we bring a couch with us. I was reluctant at first, but Jessica was right on this one! Before sinking into this comfort queen, we cover it with a blanket or a spare fitted sheet (king size is best).
As for chairs… we think we’ve found the perfect balance between glamping comfort and camping function. These chairs are known as moon chairs, saucer chairs, or butterfly chairs. They fold up for easy packing and are far more comfortable than conventional camping chairs. Oh! And don’t forget the inflatable footstools!
No glampsite is complete without a place to lounge, whether that’s swinging between two trees or on the ground, staring at the stars. We suggest trading out that nylon parachute hammock for a soft cotton hammock and bring along a memory foam ground pad!
The Cuddles and Snuggles
Pillows and blankets! For pillows, we prefer a lumbar or bolster style pillow. Square pillows just aren’t that comfortable. We also included a body pillow because, well… they’re amazing! Blankets are a must too! When the nights get chilly, nothing beats a soft warm blanket.
Tables & Surfaces
While a table, might not be something that comes to mind when you visualize your next glampsite, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be an essential piece of your set up. We always travel with one medium size table and two side tables.
Pro tip: To create some additional table space, throw a tapestry over an emptied gear tote. Your the only one who will know what’s under there. Saves money and space!
Lighting
After setting up countless camps together, we’ve learned the secret to creating a head turning glamping ambiance is in the lighting.
This isn’t just something we think, either. We’ve received gazillions of compliments from friends and other campers on our lights. So much so, that’s what inspired this post. We hear so many people say – they could never imagine camping without a fire. Well… with our ambiance lighting, a campfire will soon become a thing of the past!
Solar is our go-to choice for camp lighting. Solar lights don’t require any external power and they turn on by themselves at night! We do also use some battery-powered powered lighting but the majority of our glamp glow is solar.
Pro tip: When it comes to lighting, always choose warm white light – it creates a more cozy ambiance!
Start your glampsite lighting with some hanging lanterns. Moroccan style lanterns are our favorite because of the beautiful shadows they cast. We also love the wire firework lights. We use them as chandeliers!
Ground stake lights can be used to delineate camp boundaries as well as safely lighting walkways. We bring along two types of ground stake lights. The cheap small ones and the more atmospheric faux torch lights.
String lighting is something everybody is familiar with and string lights have their place when glamping. We’ll string these on poles around camp, on our trailer/tent, from our shade structure, on nearby trees, and sometimes spread on the ground.
Atmospheric lighting is an important tool for creating an enchanting nighttime glamping ambiance. The items below are permanently in our gear tote. We love the remote-controlled weatherproof candles for use on tables. The solar-powered multi-color inflatable Luci lights are must-haves for any camper! The remote-controlled multi-color disc lights are waterproof and are great color pops around camp. Our favorite, in this category, are the solar-powered multi-color floodlights; these lights have been a part of our gear for a LONNNNG time!
Glamping isn’t just bohemian chic everything! A good glampsite needs some fun too! We love having these party lights in camp. Our laser projector always wows people. When shined into the trees it creates a mesmerizing light show. A multi-color disco light is also nice to have in the arsenal! The best thing about both these lights is they can be powered by a portable battery pack via USB cable. The cable and battery need to purchased separately.
Shade
Every camp needs shade! Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find a spot in the shade of a tree, but that’s never a sure thing. When you’re in the outdoors, you need a reliable respite from the sun’s rays. Your glampsite won’t feel so glampy if your roasting in the heat!
Shade can be as easy as a pop-up instant canopy shade structure. A pop-up canopy requires minimal effort to set up and is very effective! But, they lack that glamping motif.
Another option to consider that is still easy to set up and keeps with the glampsite style is a dome canopy.
Our favorite and preferred method of shade is something more outside the box. We’ve owned numerous pop-up canopies and lost most of them in wind storms! It’s forced us to evolve our camp shade! Rather than a pop-up structure, we use a tension based system including a combination of shade-sails/shade-fabric and telescoping poles tightly secured by guy lines. This gives us the flexibility to build shade to suit any campsite. This method is more wind resistant and allows for easy adjustment when needed. The downside is it requires some imagination, understanding of physics, a helper, and some practice.
Here are the supplies we use…
If that looks too complicated… here are some ready to go packages similar to the shade setups we create.
Always remember: safely secure and tie down all shade structures! Shake them! Yank them! Try to imagine a 25 mph gust of wind coming through camp!!! It can and will happen. Be prepared for it!
Ambiance in the Wind
In the same way lighting creates an evening ambiance, these additions will take care of the daytime ambiance.
Flags will turn heads from a distance.
Windsocks and wind chimes add to a peaceful vibe.
Shear curtains and macrame fringe create a uniquely beautiful space.
Sound
Glampers need their music. Our two favorite Bluetooth speakers for camping are the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom and the Megaboom. These speakers connect wirelessly, have great battery life, are weather-proof, and above all have AMAZING sound!
Mounting and Hanging
Just recommending our favorite glampsite ambiance accessories isn’t quite enough. The real challenge comes when it’s time to set up camp! We’ve found the best ways to mount, hang, and secure all this stuff through trial and error! Don’t panic!
Creating your GLAMPING Ambiance
Do you need all these accessories to turn your campsite into a head turning glampsite? Of course not! We recommend evolving your set up over time. We’ve collected our gear through the years and realize buying all this at once would be a hefty investment! We’ve provided you with some excellent ideas and great products though!
There you have it! How to go from campsite to GLAMPsite – a Humble and Free guide to creating a head turning ambiance! If you think we’ve missed any awesome glamping accessories, please let us know!! We are always excited to find new inspiration. Please leave a comment if this was helpful. It’s the best way to say thank you 🙂
To see all our glamping gear check out…
Campsite to GLAMPsite – Ambiance Essentials
(Disclosure: This is and all product links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.)
