What Are The Different Types Of Camping

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When people think of camping, they imagine a tent in the forest surrounded by friends and family. However, there are different types of camping you probably haven’t heard of.

One of the most popular is called ‘Glamping’. Unknown to many, the idea of glamping dates back as far as 1100 when Mongolian tribes lived in yurts, protecting them from strong winds while they moved around seeking new shelter.

However, this is only one of the many different types of camping you can find nowadays. In this article, we are going to take a look at the 6 most popular types of camping and how they differ from what you would consider ‘normal’.

What Are The Different Types Of Camping?

The type of camping you choose varies depending on your location, equipment, and the season. Some locations may allow for all the camping styles listed below, whereas others may only allow for a handful.

Glamping

If you like luxury hotels, then you’ll love Glamping. Glamping is camping, but with a dose of ‘Luxury’ chucked in.

It’s considered a luxury because most of the time you stay in big tents equipped with everything you need such as beds, chairs, rugs, and in most cases, electricity and running water.

However, with such a range of appliances, some people prefer a more traditional style of camping. Here are some ways Glamping differs from typical camping.

• Luxury – As glamping becomes mainstream, more and more campsites are popping up around the World. Some of these are similar to hotels in terms of the quality they offer.

• Types Of Accommodation – Depending on where you’re Glamping, you will be able to choose from different types of accommodation. For example, some campsites offer their customers big tents, whereas others offer cabins, teepees, and much more.

• No Hard Work – With normal camping, in most cases, you’re required to deal with the stress of bringing equipment and setting up your tent. With Glamping, this won’t be an issue as the accommodation will be filled with everything you need including beds and chairs.

Glamping is great for most people, however, some people prefer typical camping and see glamping as more of a ‘luxury resort’.

While they differ in difficulty, both options allow you to see the great outdoors and create amazing memories with family and friends, which is what camping is all about.

Car Camping

Car camping is the most popular kind of camping and involves pitching your tent next to your car, starting a fire, cracking open a beer, and creating amazing memories.

As you’ll be using your car, you can bring anything you want, providing it fits. Your car also allows you to travel to different campsites while seeing different parts of the country. Here are some benefits of car camping.

• Health Benefits – Sleeping outside in a tent has been proven to increase your mood, allow you to breathe better, and even reset your sleep schedule thanks to the lack of ‘screen time’ you will be getting.

• Better Sleep – Most people assume 8 hours of sleep each night is enough. But what about sleep quality? Sleeping outside drastically improves the quality of your sleep thanks to the fresh air.

• Storage And Mobility – When car camping, you won’t have to drag unnecessary items around with you when exploring, as you can put them in your car as long as they fit, making it great if you want to go hiking.

If you’re new to camping, we recommend sticking with car camping as it’s the easiest option and allows you to explore new places relatively easy, just pack your stuff and hit the road!

However, car camping does come with some downsides. One of these is that you will have to set up and take down your tent at each campsite you visit, which can be an annoyance.

Wild Camping

Wild camping involves pitching your tent wherever you want and calling it home for a period of time.

Wild campers typically stay away from campsites. In fact, in most cases, they stay away from all civilization and live completely from their backpacks for a certain length of time.

While living anywhere you want sounds fun, it’s not recommended for complete beginners as it requires a certain degree of skill. These skills include map reading, using a compass, and staying away from areas that contain bears and other dangerous wildlife.

However, if you decide Wild Camping is for you, here are the benefits that come with it.

• Freedom – You will have complete control over where you want to camp, the sites you want to see, and the food you eat. It’s important to be aware that in some places, Wild Camping is illegal so you may want to check first.

• Stories – With Wild Camping being such a ‘free’ camping experience, you will come back with some great stories you can tell your family and friends – It’s like going into the unknown.

• New Skills – After spending time Wild Camping, you will learn new skills you wouldn’t have otherwise known. While these skills won’t help with your day to day life, if there was a zombie apocalypse, you will have peace of mind knowing you can survive in the wild!

A common misconception is Wild Camping can only be done solo. While you may prefer to be by yourself, it can be done as part of a group if that’s what you desire.

Bivvying

Bivvying is a less common type of camping that involves sleeping in a Bivvy bag as opposed to a tent. The Bivvy bag is waterproof and designed to protect you from the elements.

As you don’t have a tent, Bivvying is not technically considered camping, making the rules on where you can camp a lot looser. However, we still recommend checking the local rules of the country you’re ‘Bivvying’ in.

This type of camping is typically done in the wild and requires some knowledge of how to read maps, use a compass, and an understanding of which areas are considered dangerous.

If you think Bivvying is right for you, here are some benefits…

• Easy To Use – A Bivvy bag is smaller and more lightweight than a tent, allowing for an easy setup. You will also benefit from not having to carry around metal pegs, mallets, and telescopic poles like you would if you had a tent.

• Cheaper – If you’re going to be Wild Camping in a bivvy bag, the cost of equipment will be more expensive. However, the Bivvy bag itself will cost you a lot less than if you were buying a tent. In fact, you can get high-quality Bivvy bags for $100 or less.

• Close To Nature – With no walls separating you from the outside, you will be as close to nature as possible. However, depending on your preference, this may be an issue if you enjoy the illusion of safety a tent provides.

A Bivvy bag can be folded down into a small bag allowing you to move from place to place easily and effortlessly.

The downside of a Bivvy bag is you will lack privacy compared to a tent. We recommend sticking with a tent unless you’re going to be completely in the wild with nobody around.

Hammock Camping

If you’re a solo adventurer, then Hammock Camping is great for you! Who doesn’t love sleeping in a Hammock?

Hammock Camping involves tying your hammock to two objects, which supports the sack in the middle, allowing you to enjoy a peaceful sleep without it breaking.

When positioned correctly, sleeping in a hammock aligns your body into its natural sleeping position helping to decrease any aches or pains you may experience.

The swaying of the hammock will also help you fall asleep faster, while the fresh air ensures you get quality sleep which can be an issue for people sleeping in tents.

We purchased Eno Hammocks over 6 years ago. They have been drug through the mountains, on long trips, and used in the yard or at the lake. The quality is amazing and they are still going strong.

If Hammock Camping sounds like something you may be interested in, check out the benefits below.

• Storage – Hammocks are easy to store meaning you can change locations when camping without having to set up and take down a tent. When buying a hammock, they typically come with a bag for storage and transportation.

• Heat – If you’re going to be camping in warmer temperatures, a Hammock will keep you cooler than a tent as heat is able to escape through the bottom. On the flip side, a tent circulates your body heat which is why they become extremely hot in warm temperatures

• Position – When sleeping in a hammock, most people assume you sleep parallel. However, we recommend sleeping at a slight angle. This helps you sleep better and more comfortably. You can also purchase a Hammock with a built-in asymmetrical system making sleeping at a slight angle much easier.

If you want to give Hammock Camping a go, we recommend borrowing one first to see if you can sleep in it.

If you tend to move around a lot during the night, a hammock may not be the best option for you. However, if you tend to stay still while sleeping, a hammock is a great choice.

Winter Camping

Winter Camping comes under all categories of camping, it just takes place in the Winter. It’s often done in extreme conditions such as rain and snow and requires a range of skills compared to normal camping.

Some of these skills include how to start a fire in harsh conditions, navigation methods, how to stay warm, and even how to fuel your body correctly so your body keeps warm.

With so many important skills to learn, we don’t recommend starting with this type of camping right off the bat. Your best bet would be, to begin with Car Camping, Survival Camping and move onto Winter Camping once you have built up the necessary survival skills.

If you’re an experienced camper and know all the essential survival skills for camping in harsh weather, then here are the benefits of Winter Camping.

• No Bugs – One of the issues with camping is those annoying bugs that constantly bite you. With Winter Camping, you won’t have this problem. In harsh conditions such as snow, the only insect you will come into contact with is the snowflea, and they don’t even bite!

• Stars – When Winter camping, you’ll have little sunlight due to early sunsets, meaning you can spend more time looking at the stars.

• Stories – While going camping is relatively common, tell people you have been sleeping outside in -20 degrees and they will assume you have something wrong with you. Everybody will want to know what it was like and how you did it.

Winter Camping is not for the faint-hearted and should be treated with caution, as, in most cases, you will be out there alone. There are not many people crazy enough to camp in the harsh conditions that Winter Camping is known for.

What Is Camping Without A Tent Called?

If you want to go camping without a tent, you have three options. You can use a Bivvy bag, hammock, or even just a sleeping bag.

All of these are good options but require some type of rainfly to prevent you from getting wet. If you’re looking for a good rainfly, then the Wise Owl Rainfly Tarp is your best bet.

What Is The Best Tent For Camping?

With so many different tents available, it depends on which type of tent you require.

A good starting tent is the Coleman Sundome Tent. It’s waterproof and comes with a built-in rainfly for added protection.

You will also be protected against winds of up to 35mph allowing you to camp in all types of weather.

With multiple size options, this tent can hold anywhere between 2 and 5 people depending on what you choose at the checkout.

Each person in the tent will be comfortable thanks to the large windows and ground vent that increases ventilation, making it great for hot weather.

If you’re going to be using this tent in hot weather, we also recommend getting a UV protection spray to prevent it from becoming damaged after long periods of use.

Conclusion

I’m sure you’re itching to get out there and try all the different types of camping in this article, but we recommend starting with car camping if you’re inexperienced as this is the most beginner-friendly option.

Once you have tried car camping, you will have a deeper understanding of how everything works and can move onto a more advanced type.