Here’s How To Find The Perfect Level Of Camping For You

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Outdoorsy snobs might tell you that you’re not truly camping unless there’s a rock digging into your spine under your sleeping bag and your tent is filling with water, but we disagree. There are all sorts of ways to camp, from the admittedly high-maintenance to really roughing it.

Here’s how to decide how far down the tree-hugging, hard-core adventurer scale you want to go on your camping excursion.

1. Glamping

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You want: All the comforts of home, just technically outside.

Glamping is the answer for those who want to camp but are terrified of lighting a fire. You probably won’t do much heavy lifting here, but that’s part of the fun. You’ll be comfortable while breathing in all that fresh air.

2. Camper Van

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You want: Your own slice of #vanlife.

There are a bunch of different ways to do the trailer thing. The trendiest is to outfit a van with sleeping space (it’s oh-so-Instagrammable), but you can also go 90’s dad with an RV or rent a pop-up trailer.

3. Tent

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You want: The classic camping feel.

It’s true — you will be sleeping on the ground. But you can even mediate that aspect of camping with comfy air mattresses. If you’re worried about being cramped, that can be fixed as well. Tents are sized per person, so if it’s you and bae, go for the two-person. You and four pals? The five-person option can fit all your friends and maybe even a pup.

4. Backpacking

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You want: Some hardcore nature time.

It’s just you and the trail. And the serious pack on your back carrying all the things you need to go into the wild. But it doesn’t get much more outdoorsy than sleeping under the stars.