RECOMMENDATIONS
WHAT TO GET AND WHERE TO GET IT
Essentials for camping to glamping to Intents Glamping™
For many of you campers and glampers this will be your favorite section. It’s what we recommend in the spectrum from camping to our most favorite items vetted and used by us. And the most important of all are the direct links to resellers and retailers who can have some of the items to your door in the afternoon or in a few days. Now that’s intense shopping.
Here are the most common questions we get:
- If I’m just camping or starting camping what do I need?
- If I’m an experienced camper what is the latest and greatest tents and gear?
- I’m a camper but my spouse and kids want the comfort and convenience of glamping – what should we get?
- I don’t have a big budget what should I start with?
HOW TO USE THIS SECTION:
On this page, the product information is split into three categories. Basics, Luxury, and Recommended.
ESSENTIALS
AFFORDABLE
Basics doesn't mean cheap. It means essential and starting categories of items you need for camping and glamping. There are many products that are cheaper or lower in cost - however, we don't recommend them. Yes, you can buy hiking boots for under $50 dollars but what if they don't wear well or a grommet breaks on your first hike? Use this as a great starter checklist for your next InTents Glamping event.
LUXURY
NEXT LEVEL
These products are the next step up from entry level items. These choices are usually higher quality with more features and functions. They are also at higher price levels. These items are for people who want or demand higher quality and know they are making an investment in their equipment and gear. When you can buy the highest quality possible. It will improve your experience and last longer.
InTents Glamping™
Recommended
This section is for the items that meet or exceed our InTents Glamping threshold for quality, features, functions and the core strategies of versatile, collapsible, foldable, inflatable. We own or have used almost everything in this section to give you real-world ideas and examples. Remember just because you spend more doesn’t mean you get more. We review and buy tents and equipment at much higher dollars than many things listed, so make sure to align your goals with your gear.
First
Second
Third
Sleeping/Shelter/Tent
What you need for sleeping, shelter. Tents, tarps, bedding,
All tents in this section are of the highest quality and are based on a number of sleep areas and features. Vango is the only family glamping tent line available through Amazon.
Shelter/Tent
Tent/Shelter - Glamping tents (Inflatable) available in US through Amazon. For camping to glamping we recommend high quality inflatable airbeam (biggest trend in tents), multi-zone tents from Europe for ease of pitching, stability, flexibility, standing room, and real clear windows.
Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Vango air beam (no poles) five person, two zone, two window tent
Four person, extra large, three zone, five window, glamping tent from Vango. Our friends own and love this tent.
Six person, three zone, five window, glamping tent from Vango. We (and friends) own this tent and highly recommend if for affordable glamping under $1000 that can be purchased in America. This was our first of many inflatable glamping tents and is the tent that triggered our passion for air tents and InTents Glamping. Once we had a tent with windows and could entertain other adults and kids - whether the weather was good or bad - we were sold. I'm confident once you experience the dozens of attrributes of high end inflattable tents you will be like most Europeans and never go back to traditionally designed and boring poled tents.
Groundsheet
A ground sheet (tarp) under your tent is essential as it protects your tent floor, keeps tents cleaner and the floor warmer. Unless your groundsheet is custom cut for the tent, then make sure to get a length that more than covers the footprint of your tent.
Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
12' X 16' Tarp tent groundsheet make sure to get the one that fits and you prefer.
10' X 20' Tarp tent groundsheet make sure to get the one that fits and you prefer.
14' X 20' Tarp tent groundsheet make sure to get the one that fits and you prefer.
Pad/Mattress
Don't sleep on the ground or some small pad. Great camping to glamping is about rest and relaxation. Invest in a great mattress and enjoy your trip more. Make sure to pick the size you need and fits in your tent.
Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Classic air bed to get you off the ground. Build in electric pump.
Dura beam airbed with built in pillow and electric pump.
Dual motor Serta raised air mattress is the best. Two motors make sure you never lose air and maintain the comfort setting you desire. We love this mattress.
Pillows
Pillows are to sleeping like tents are to camping. Don't go cheap or just grab any pillow. Make sure your pillow is designed for
Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Extra soft and fluffy poly flannel pillow is perfect for travel, camping, backpacking. No inflating necessary.
Ultralight compressible travel pillow with soft foam filling expandable to 4 inchess thck.
Memory Foram Camping Pillow with bamboo derived viscose rayon cover - Adjustable compression with stuff sack.
Equipment
Chairs
Chairs - For tent, dining and hanging out around the campfire. Great chairs make glamping comfortable and enjoyable.
Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Amazon basics foldable camping chair with built in cooler pouch that holds 4 12-ounce cans, a mesh cup holder, storage pocket, and carry bag.
Alps King Kong chair with patented steel frame to support up to 800lbs, cup holders and pockets, 600D fabric and back mesh storage bag.
Coleman Packaway 4-1 Adjustable height table. So many variations make this a luxury item - big table, short table, two tables, different height tables.
Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Small folding table with carry strap and 3 adjustable heights for cooking, cleaning, eating, side table.
Alps Mountaineering foldable two table levels with built in cup holders, side pockets, 600D fabric and adjustable strap system to adjust tautness.
Small folding table with carry strap and 3 adjustable heights for cooking, cleaning, eating, side table.
Coolers
Keeping your investment in food is critical to saving money but also elevate your glamping experience. Don't take a chance of something happening to your food that can ruin a meal. Great coolers can last for decades. More CoolerBasics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Igloo 120Q cooler. Best value and big enough to hold a week's worth of food.
Electric cooler and warmer with wheels. 48 Quarts hold sixty cans. No need for ice and can keep food heated. We love this cooler/heater. Make sure to get power converter for AC to DC use.
Yeti for anything Mother Nature can throw at them. This is the cooler for legends and have fatwall design, permafrost insulation and rotomolded construction.
Rope/CordRope/Cord
Great rope can be used for many different situations - from safety, security to games and activities. Different colors are available. Hundreds of uses. More Rope/CordBasics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
3/8" 50 Foot Black Camping Roper - an essential item any level of camping.
850 Black Paracord 100ft. Test strength over 850 with lifetime guarantee.
Paracord 1200. Strong and long. 100Ft. Different colors to match your glamping style.
Tarp
This is a sheet of plastic or material that has grommets and reinforced edges. Tarps can be used for shelter, protection, safety, from tent groundsheet to overhead fly for dining in the rain. We recommend at least two tarps one big and one small. More PillowsBasics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Amazon basics 10X12 tarp.
Heavier tarp than a basic tarp. Rope reinforced edges and 9 mil thick.
High quality tarp yet ultralight ripstop fabric with webbed loops instead of grommets. What makes this tarp so special? A center webbed loop - adds to verstaility and functionality - and that’s InTents.
Plastic Water Jug (5 Gallon)
going back and forth to a faucet wastes time. Make sure to have a 5-gallon water collapsible container with your gear. More Water JugsBasics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Affordable 5 gallon PVC water tank.
5.3 gallon collapsible liquid container with spigot. BPA free.
WaterStorageCube BPA free and collapsible 5.3 gallon.
Bag
Duffel/Gear for carrying everything. I have small bags for activities, medium bags for clothes, GoPro, and gear. Large bags for gear and equipment. Great bags make camping and glamping easier and organized.
Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
These are great small tactical bags. I have several in different colors for fishing gear, camera, electronics, etc. Slightly larger bag for a few dollars more. Pay attention to size.
This is my medium tactical bag and I use one bag exclusively for all my electrical - flashlights headlamps, electric lanterns, batteries and chargers.
This is a really big bag and I recoommend having one. I use it for gear like metal tarp poles, tarps, ropes, axes, blankets, air mattresses, and sleeping bags, etc. Make sure to know what size you need and are buying - this one is really big.
Essential Camping to Glamping Gear
Gear, unlike equipment, is the small or lightweight items that can be easily loaded, carried or is handheld. Everything from bags, lights, hammers, tools, rope, knives, heaters, etc.
This gear section starts with bags so you can carry your different types of gear, from tents to activity based items. Personal gear includes clothing, hygiene, sundries and specialty items for the type of trip. And don’t forget the pets – they require gear too. Included with gear are all the tools to build, cut, chop and repair anything and everything. And last, but most important for InTents Glamping is electrical, lighting and fuel.
All camping and glamping gear breaks into three pricing and need categories from basic low cost to high-end InTents recommended. See our Recommendations pages [link] for items in all three categories.
- Basic gear – what you must have and or entry price
- Luxury gear – what takes your camping to the next level – maybe even the glamping level, and
- InTents Glamping® recommended – what we or our friends have and use and has passed our standards or field glamping tests for quality first and foremost. Then the gear meets our strategies of inflatable, foldable, collapsible and or versatile
Mallet
for pounding in tent or tarp stakes. Don't use a rock or something else that can hurt you or damage your pegs. Rubber is ideal for plastic stakes.
Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Basic rubber mallet. Hook on end but make sure to "soften" stake before pulling or you will bend the hook.
High carbon steel head and hook. Tent stake puller is really nice.
Recommended because it has the small hook on the back and made from steel and non-slip grip. Having a real hammer at your site can be used for many purposes. Our favorite.
Lantern (Rechargeable)
Rechargeable battery lanterns are so much better today than ever. They are brighter (1000 Lumens) and last longer. In addition, most glampers don't want to deal with gas or propane. Remember lanterns aren't just for light but also emergencies. We recommend 18650 Lithium Ion batteries. More Lanterns (Rechargeable)Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Runs 11 hours on brightest setting. Comes with rechargeable 18650 batteries.
Tough LED rechargable lanter - 200 Hours of light on a single charge. 400 lumens.
The Streamlight Super Siege blows away all other rechargeable lanterns out there with 1100 lumens. Where most lanterns light up a tent this one lights the whole campsite. It's my favorite lantern and I own about 15. Nice glare guard to direct light.
Lanterns (Gas)
If you don't mind using gas/propane lanterns then these are great choices. We have both rechargeable and gas for several reasons - for kids and different emergencies. Never use a propane lantern in a tent. More Lanterns (Gas)Basics
Luxury
InTents Glamping Recommended
Great basic propane lantern. Make sure to buy extra mantles and propane cylinders.
Super bright 1500 Lumens propane lantern with camping lanten case. A case is highly recommended. When you want bright - this is the lantern. 400 lumens brighter than the best battery lanterns.
Duel fuel - means white gas or unleaded gas. Not as bright at the Northstar 1500 but bright at 800 lumens. During an emergency you can run this lantern off the gas in your car - that’s up to 25+ gallons and can go for weeks. Get the case and filter funnel. This is our go to emergency lanters and we have several.