What to Pack for Your Own Glamping Trip
Combine the great outdoors with the comforts of home with your own glamping adventure! Forget cramped tents and sleeping on the floor. In this ultimate packing list for glamping, we’ll give you all of the essentials (and luxurious extras) to create your own idyllic glamping experience.
What is Glamping?
The word glamping is, as you probably guessed, a mashup of “glamour” and “camping”. Glamping comes in a few forms. On the higher end of the luxury spectrum, you have five-star commercial accommodations where hotel suites are essentially installed in a more outdoor setting, while some glampers like to do it themselves by transferring their home comforts to the outdoors.
How is Glamping Different from Camping?
Camping has always had connotations with “roughing it”. With camping, you usually have to give up some home comforts, especially if needing to pack light to access remote campsites on foot. Glamping, on the other hand, takes you to more accessible sites where either a glamping accommodation is already set up for you as a commercial operation or you can pack all your home essentials to an accessible campground and create your own glamping setup. In this glamping packing list, we’re going to help you to achieve the latter.
Glamping Campsite Packing List
What you need to prepare for your campsite, i.e. where you’re going to live and sleep, depends on where you’re staying. It could be a scenic campsite in the wilderness or it could even be your backyard. With glamping requiring more supplies than traditional camping, one thing we will say is that you’ll want your campsite to be accessible by vehicle.
The Essentials
- A yurt, canvas tent or a rooftop car tent + the appropriate tools to erect it
- Queen-size bed or luxury airbed + pump
- Pillows
- Thick duvets and extra blankets
- Head torch
BLUETTI Power Station
Deserving an entire section of its own, power stations are one of the most important essentials of glamping! Having reliable access to electricity really upscales camping to a glamping experience. One of the cleanest and most reliable options we’ve found is the BLUETTI power stations. Their EB150 power station combined with a PV200 solar panel (or two) is widely used not only as a backup power supply for household appliances but as an all-in-one buddy for your long adventure.
Optional
- Throw pillows
- Hammock
- Fairy Lights
- Faux candles
- Lanterns
- Bedside table
- Small plant, rug or other touches of home
- Movie projector + screen
- Camping chairs
- Camping table
- Picnic blanket
- Small electric heater
- Brush (brush out the tent before packing it).
Glamping Food and Kitchen Supplies
Although you could just stay in a holiday park where you’ll find well-equipped communal kitchens and barbecues, glamping experiences tend to feel more “special” if you manage to keep your experience private and exclusive. With that in mind, you’ll need to bring your own kitchen gear and gourmet ingredients.
Again, your BLUETTI power station is essential to power some kitchen appliances (depending on how luxurious you want to go). Still, we at least advise one to power a mini fridge and a small electric camping stove.
The Essentials
- Mini fridge
- Electric stove or gas stove + gas canister
- Lighter/waterproof matches
- Cast iron pan
- Cooking pot
- Eating utensils
- Knife
- Wooden spoon
- Tongs
- Can opener
- Bottle opener/corkscrew
- Kettle/billy
- Coffee plunger
- Cutting board
- Plates/bowls
- Mugs
- Water bottles
- Food containers
- Rubbish bag
- Bowl/bucket for washing dishes
- Eco-friendly washing liquid
- Dishtowel
- Dish sponge or brush
- Bottle opener
- Ice packs/freezer packs
Gourmet Food Essentials
- Crackers
- Salami/chorizo
- Cheese (halloumi is a hard durable cheese for camping)
- Dips
- Marshmallows
- Wine
- Beer
- Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc.
- Your favourite breakfast food
- Rice
- Pasta
- Salt/pepper (and other preferred herbs and spices)
- Olive oil
Fresh food to pick up in supermarkets and markets on your way to your destination:
- Sliced bread
- Vegetables
- Meat
See The Best Camping Meals, Inc. Camping Food List for meal ideas and food shopping lists.
Clothing for Glamping
Practical outdoor clothing is the usual go-to for a camping trip, but glamping means you can kick it up a notch with some extra snug clothing – comfort is key!
Essentials
- Sneakers/walking shoes
- Flip-flops (jandals)
- Rain jacket
- T-shirts
- Quick-dry pants/hiking pants
- Mid-layer (fleece, hoody, sweater, etc.)
- Underwear
- Woollen socks
- Sunglasses
Glamping Options
- Slippers
- Dressing gown/bathrobe
- Pyjamas/onesies (whatever makes you snug)
Warm Seasons
- Sunhat/cap
- Long-sleeved shirts
- Shorts
- Swimwear
Cold Seasons
- Thermal tops
- Thermal bottoms
- Warm jacket
- Beanie
- Scarf/neckwear
- Thick socks for sleeping
For more tips on winter camping, see How to Stay Warm When Camping.
Toiletries and Hygiene
Keeping fresh is all part of the glamping experience. Don’t forget your toiletry and hygiene essentials (of course, only pick what applies to you):
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Eco-friendly soap
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Hand sanitiser
- Deodorant
- After sun/moisturiser
- Prescription medication
- Feminine hygiene products
- Contact lenses/glasses
- Hair tyes/bands
- Hairbrush/comb
- Toilet paper
- Eco-friendly laundry detergent
- Clothesline and pegs
- Solar camp shower
- Laundry bag
First Aid Kit
- Plasters/bandaids
- Disinfectant wipes
- Gauzes with clips/tape
- Tweezers
- Paracetamol/ibuprofen
- Antiseptic cream
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Antihistamine
- Imodium
For a more in-depth first aid kit list, take a look at Health Tips For Travelling in New Zealand.
Miscellaneous
Finally, for all of those things that don’t fit into a category but are still worth packing for glamping:
- Camera
- Phone
- Laptop
- Music speakers
- Appropriate chargers (use a power station to charge devices)
- Travel games/playing cards
- Book/e-reader
- Outdoor games (frisbees, kids’ games, etc.)
- Quick-dry travel towel
- Multi-tool
- Duct tape
- Bungy chords
- Campsite pass.
Power it All with the BLUETTI Glamping Ready Sale!
As mentioned, a power supply is essential for an upscale glamping experience. The deeper you explore nature, the further you are from the utility grid. Living off the grid, however, doesn’t mean you have to camp without power at all.
Make sure you’re well prepared before heading out on your glamping adventure by making a stop at BLUETTI’s Glamping Ready Sale, available from 16 to 30 September. It will help you save big on a huge range of power stations!
More About What to Pack for a Glamping Trip
That’s it for our ultimate packing list for glamping! For more packing lists and camping tips, take a look at our other awesome guides:
- How to Get Electricity When Camping
- Camping Essentials Checklist
- 11 Golden Rules of Camping in New Zealand
Finally, if there’s anything we’ve missed, you’re likely to find it in our complete guide to Camping in New Zealand and Vanlife: The Guide to Living in a Campervan.
Author
Laura S.
This article was reviewed and published by Laura, editor in chief and co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. Since arriving solo in New Zealand over 10 years ago and with a background in journalism, her mission has been to show the world how easy (and awesome) it is to travel New Zealand. She knows Aotearoa inside-out and loves sharing tips on how best to experience New Zealand’s must-dos and hidden gems. Laura is also editor of several other South Pacific travel guides and is the co-host of NZ Pocket Guide’s live New Zealand travel Q&As on YouTube.