There is absolutely NOTHING about camping that appeals to me.
(I’ll pause while fellow Canadians draw a sharp intake of breath. Yes, it’s scandalous, I know. So while I’m at it, I also dislike beavers, toques and totem poles.)
A few years ago, before little boys and toys were even a thought, a couple of friends asked my husband and I to go camping with them.
“Camping? Lena?” he snorted. “Her idea of roughing it is a 3-star hotel.”
He was telling the truth, of course. I’m just not an “outdoorsy” person – if I’m going to have breakfast somewhere other than the breakfast table, it’d better be in a big, comfy bed and delivered by room service.
I just don’t see the charm! Bugs, bears and bathroomless quarters are just the tip of the iceberg. The beauty of the outdoors? Bah. I’m a firm believer that nature should be observed from the inside of an air conditioned car or within the safe confines of an Art Gallery.
And so I am particularly fond of this new trend called “glamping”. It’s like camping – for prissy sellouts – like me!
To Glamp, you simply require a selection of luxury camping goods (think Coleman portable ovens, coffee makers and deluxe air beds), a safe, non-threatening landscape (preferably your backyard) and the ability to retreat to more favourable conditions at the first sign of a spider.
Plus, if someone says, “Do you own a tent?” – you can say “Of course!” They just don’t need to know that you hitched it in grandma’s backyard. In under 60 seconds. And connected wirelessly to check your e-mail while the kids jumped around in it.
Hence, when Coleman asked me to check out their latest designer camping gear – all very glamping-friendly – I agreed that the boys would love their Instant Tent 8 – the world’s easiest Large-Capacity Cabin Tent – which sets up in 1 minute or less!
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