Two staff members—editor Lynn Norusis, pro-camping, and art director Mike Ramm, pro-glamping—debate the benefits of each.
Food
Team Camping: Camping is the best excuse to use prepackaged foods, and if you do choose to cook on your own, what better way to do it than to cook over an open flame?
Team Glamping: I’ll be able to eat food that tastes good, and I’ll have more options for condiments that I don’t have to carry around.
Lighting
Team Camping: There’s no better lighting than nature’s own lightbulb: the sun or the moon.
Team Glamping: There’s no better lighting than shutting the blinds and sleeping in a little bit later.
Bathing
Team Camping: Water cleanses everything, so really what else do you need?
Team Glamping: What else do you need? Your Spotify tunes while you soak in the tub with candles going and hot water.
Campfire Activities
Team Camping: When you’re camping, you get the satisfaction of building your own fire—you can enjoy it a lot more knowing you’re the one who built it.
Team Glamping: Building your campfire is a chore, so all you have to do is enjoy it.
Drinking
Team Camping: Really there isn’t much difference when you’re camping or glamping. You are on vacation, after all.
Team Glamping: Yeah, that’s a tie.
Stargazing
Team Camping: Usually when you’re camping, you don’t have all the city lights around you, so you really get to see all the stars that are in the sky.
Team Glamping: How many stars do you really need to see?
Sleeping Arrangements
Team Camping: If you pack accordingly, you can make it really comfy. You can have an air mattress, or you can do one better: Bring a hammock and really sleep outside under the stars.
Team Glamping: At least I won’t have to worry about waking up with a messed up back—I’ll be able to enjoy my next day a lot better.
Wildlife Interaction
Team Camping: Isn’t that the whole reason you go camping, to become one with nature? And plus, it would probably make for a good story, if everything goes OK.
Team Glamping: Until a bear comes charging at you and you have no door to close to seek shelter …
