Press Releases

Outdoors: Camping for those who don’t want to rough it!

06/06/2013

Friday, May 31, 2013 by:TU Magazines

Let’s Go Glamping

By Gillian Scott/Explore

Photo: Getty Images/Ryan McVay

Interested in sleeping under the stars but not on the ground? Love a good campfire but not intrigued by cooking over one? Looking for solitude but not willing to hike for miles with a heavy pack to find it?

Welcome to glamping. Short for “glamorous camping,” glamping is for the rest of us — aka those unwilling to rough it.

Glamping is a way to get outdoors without leaving the comforts of home behind. Options vary from the somewhat primitive to the somewhat luxurious, and from the affordable to the expensive. Some locations even include meals, leaving glampers with nothing to do but relax and enjoy themselves.

Photo: courtesy Camp Orenda

For those who want all their needs provided for, Camp Orenda in Johnsburg is all-inclusive, offering furnished tent cabins, all meals and activities. Camp Orenda’s five-canvas tent cabins and two open-air pavilions are scattered over an acre of land. Owner David Webb once worked as a chef in New York City; now the camp offers meals made with local ingredients, cooked over an open flame, and served at a communal dinner.

Webb says the camp is attractive to those who might be lacking outdoors gear but still want a wilderness experience. Tents include beds with linens, including down comforters, and wood stoves for cooler nights. “They can come in and don’t really have to worry about anything. They can bring some clothes and everything else is taken care of,” Webb says.

All visitors need to focus on is getting a real taste of the outdoors. “There’s a river running right through the middle of Orenda,” says Webb, noting that some of the cabins are located on the river’s banks. “People just absolutely love it. It’s very peaceful and serene.”

Best part of glamping say aficionados? Bugs hardly matter. Yurts have screened windows while tent cabins feature mesh “flys” that keep the bugs out. Animals generally aren’t a problem either, although the sound of them moving around outside may carry through the canvas wall.

“You do hear animals, which is nice,” says Webb. “It gives people that feeling that, wow, we’re out there. But then they roll over in their down comforters and think, ‘This is not so bad. I can do this.’”

Upstate glamping options

Here are a few different places to check out if you’d like to give glamping a try. 


 

Tent cabins

A tent cabin is a canvas tent on a frame, typically built on a platform. They’re tall enough to stand up in and often have screened windows as well as a screened “fly” on the door flap.

Camp Orenda, Johnsburg (Warren County)

camporenda.com; 347-287-7359

Five custom-made, furnished canvas tent cabins adjoining Mill Creek. Accommodate 2 to 4 guests. Woodstoves for cooler months. Linens provided.

  • Facilities: Double-toilet bathhouse and a heated outdoor shower.
  • Food: All meals, including snacks and beverages, provided.
  • Cost: $160 per night per adult; $85 for children 10 and under. 18 percent administrative fee added to all charges. Open May through mid-October.