Camping is the outdoor activity of spending one or more nights away from home. This is primarily in a natural setting such as a forest, beach, or mountains. Camping involves sleeping in a temporary shelter such as a tent, cabin, RV, or even under the stars.
Glamping is a glamorous form of camping. By definition, it is when a person stays in a sturdy pre-built structure. Google lists these structures as yurts, geodesic domes, vintage Airstreams, and even treehouses. These structures are usually not mobile. Notice that RVs (the Airstreams in these cases are stationary) are not listed. The other criterion for glamping is that the camper is provided with premium amenities. It’s more like staying at a hotel in a funny-shaped building.
So what is it called when the two styles meet? Well, we can choose from Comfort Camping, Boutique Camping, and our daughter would love this term, Boujee Camping. Oh, who am I kidding? We definitely fit all three of these categories. We have been camping in some form for years upon years, even in our previous lives. Jim and I have camped in the sailboat, camped in a tent, and two RVs. Needless to say, we have slowly improved our camping experiences to the point of you guessed it, Boujee Boutique Comfort camping.
Our current camper, Betty Deux, is a 32-foot Keystone Outback. We bought her used about eight years ago. She was in very good shape and came with the standard four bunks, a pull-out uncomfortable couch, and a squeeze-in dinette. She had some wallpaper that was peeling as she was left out in the Florida heat for who knows how long. We have since pulled out almost all of these items, added our own furnishings, and of course, painted the walls. Over the years, we have tweaked, added, subtracted, and changed many things so that it’s now more of a home than a camper. It’s comfortable.
But this year we have upped the comfort level by adding some items that kick it more into the Boujee Boutique mode. First there was the ice maker. Thanks to my brother Duane and his wife Barbara we now must have an ice maker. They gave us one on one of our joint camping trips and oh my, how did I ever do without one? Unfortunately, Mom E.’s ice maker on her fridge went out so we gave her ours. She was so happy with it. We bought a new one for the RV and it’s so nice to once or twice a week pour a bottle of water into it and make enough ice for my water and my occasional cocktails. No more ice trays!
Speaking of water we also bought a water softener. Along with the water filters we use this has made such a difference in our skin, hair and better yet our coffee. A water softener also should help our appliances and water heater last longer as it should prevent scale buildup.
The next upgrade was the coffee maker. We’ve always bought cheaper coffee makers, but insist on a metal carafe. After lots of research I came up with the Ninja (I’m a major Ninja fan) DualBrew Pro CFP3500. This coffee maker has not disappointed. Also because of the water softener our coffee is no longer bitter. This coffee maker has many perks, and my favorite is the frother. Jim likes his coffee simple but I think this is one of my favorite upgrades, definitely in the Boujee realm.
The mattress was our biggest, most expensive, and most necessary upgrade. Our mattress was a combination of the original RV mattress and two mattress toppers. The problem with RVs is that they can get very humid, and the mattress can absorb that humidity. It was time to toss that mattress and buy a new one. Once again, we spent a lot of time researching and although we get aggravated by how many of our favorite RV YouTubers plug Brooklyn Bedding, it was the one that won out. We have now slept on it for about three weeks and we both agree it is very comfortable. Even Pretzel the cat thinks it’s the best place to be in the camper. Okay Brooklyn Bedding, bring it on. We’re ready to sponsor your product.
So, do we really camp? Absolutely. Yes our camper is extremely comfortable and has many personal touches that make it more like home rather than an RV. Sure we even have Jim’s 3D printer and my sock knitting machine, but what else would we do on rainy days? But when the sun’s out and breezes scatter the leaves, we are outside enjoying some of the most beautiful scenery in America. We hike, ride bikes and build fires. The sun sets on our happy boujee comfortable lives and we’re all the better for it.
