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Glamping Man-cation: Guys Do it Differently

Ask a woman to go on a camping trip and her most likely response will be, “will I have to sleep on the ground?” Ask a guy the same question, and he will say, “when do we go?” The idea of glamping is more about the accommodation for women, and more about the activity for men. Tell her she’s going glamping, and she’ll be excited about deluxe accommodations and spa treatments in the splendor of the great outdoors. Tell him he’s glamping and, well, he might not want to call it glamping (but he’ll still want to go).

The mention of a “glamping mancation” to a red-blooded American male may make him wince. It isn’t that guys are against hanging out with friends on a camping trip and having a few extra creature comforts- that sounds like a great idea. Chances are the kinds of comforts that spring to mind are flat screen TVs, a mini fridge loaded with beer, and a king-sized grill or maybe a smoker for some barbecue. The real trouble comes from the word “glamping,” a combination of the words glamor and camping. No dude wants glamor associated with his camping.

If you peruse Glamping.com, here’s a description you will find on a typical listing:

Great for: Families, Couples, Honeymooners, Corporate Groups

Notice it doesn’t say, “guys on a fishing trip”? So with that in mind, here are some things that could drive a successful glamping mancation:

paws up resort exterior
• Guys won’t be as concerned with the accommodations like fussing over thread counts and turn down service. Guys will usually focus on the activity, as in what is offered at The Resort at Paws Up in Montana, which includes fishing, sporting clays, and snowmobiling.


• Take the activity up a notch by offering something out of the ordinary, like bungee jumping or airboat rides at Westgate River Ranch in Florida, or a sports car/off road experience like the Driven Experience at Gateway Canyons Resort in Colorado.

living airstream interior
• Speaking of driving, another way to get a guy to go on a glamping mancation is to say, “road trip!” The guys will love hitting the road with an airstream rental, like those offered by Living Airstream (Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Scottsdale, AZ).

Guys can do most things like fishing and canoeing on a regular camping trip. But what makes a camping trip a “glamping mancation” is enjoying great outdoor activities and having someone else prepare camp at the end of the day. Coming back after a long day of fishing to a place where the wood is chopped, the fire is made, the beer is on ice and the steak is already on the grill- now that ‘s luxury a man can appreciate, so he can attend to more important things like bragging about the day’s catch.

It’s an old cliché that guys don’t like to talk about their problems with each other, and likewise they don’t like to jabber about “glamping.” But that doesn’t mean they don’t like it. After a long day fishing, hunting, or bungee jumping with his pals, a guy can’t say no to chowing down on some great man food, then kicking back with an ice cold beer by the fire (and maybe sleeping on thousand thread count sheets. Just once. Shhhh!!)

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Adventure Honeymooning North America

We traveled around the world for our adventure honeymoon but we have barely scratched the surface of our own country. We’ve stayed everywhere from five-star resorts in Asia to tree houses in South America and found we gravitate toward properties that embrace the great outdoors (especially when there is a Jacuzzi involved.) We dream of continuing our endless honeymoon throughout North America, and when we do these five Glamping properties are at the top of our list!

2 moab under canvas
Moab Under Canvas, Utah

Southern Utah has some of the most extreme landscapes in America, but Moab Under Canvas has smoothed its rough exterior for unfettered bliss. Adjacent to the geological wonders of Arches and Canyonlands National Park, this luxury camp has a front-row view of the red plateaus and craggy canyons. Its deluxe and suite tents are perfect for honeymooners with more sheltered locations, spectacular views, en suite bathroom, and fireplace. The Under Canvas team can arrange nearly any desert adventure or cultural outing you crave from walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs to river rafting the Colorado.

3 pawsup-cocktails
The Resort at Paws Up, Montana

A ranch that doesn’t involve roughing it, Paws Up treats honeymooners to the pampering they need in the wild west. Built with newlyweds in mind, their Honeymoon Tents and Homes have ultimate privacy and romantic amenities. Book one of the homes and it comes with welcome champagne, a couples massage, a private wagon ride, and a candlelight picnic for two. Take advantage of the rivers, mountains, and their endless list of summer and winter activities like hot air ballooning, horseback riding, skiing, dog sledding, and more.

4 Primland
Primland Resort, Virginia 


If Virginia is for lovers, Primland is their romantic escape. Set on 12,000 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the landscape is made for relaxation and invigoration. Soak at the spa, horseback ride, enjoy a round of golf, stargaze from the observatory, or lounge in your chic cottage. Named one of Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 100 Resorts in the World, they are sure to give honeymooners the five-star treatment.

5 DuntonHotSprings
Dunton Hot Springs, Colorado

A truly unique destination, the resort is a restored Rocky Mountain ghost town, from the days of miners and covered wagons. Using existing historic buildings and period-inspired architecture, Dunton Hot Springs and River Camp marry its rugged past with modern enhancements, like a holistic spa, screening room, vineyard, and fine dining restaurant. Their Mountain Romance Package pulls out all the stops with a luxurious cabin adorned with flowers, chocolate-covered strawberries, and champagne, a 75-minute massage, unlimited use of the hot springs and sporting equipment from mountain bikes to cross-country skis. If your heart is racing at Dunton, it’s not just the altitude.

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Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort, Canada


If North America seems too close to home for a honeymoon, try Nimmo Bay. Only accessible by air or water, this swath of British Columbia is where rainforest and glacier meet for untouched beauty and sophisticated adventure. Wake up with an outdoor rain shower and breakfast in bed…helicopter to a secluded island for a champagne picnic…kayak alongside humpback whales and sea lions…hike atop a 6000′ glacier to enjoy oysters on ice…your wildest wish is their command.

Anne and Mike Howard are creators of the around-the-world honeymoon blog HoneyTrek.com and Trip Coaches for anyone looking to travel the world safely, affordably and off the beaten path. You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @HoneyTrek.

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How Millennials Relate to Adventure and The Outdoors

As a Millennial, one of roughly 80 million Americans born between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s, I know that understanding my diverse generation can be challenging.

While ample research and media coverage has focused on our addictions to cell phones, laptops and social media, more could be understood about how Millennials relate to adventure and the great outdoors.

For insight into this topic, let’s look at the shifting marketing practices of outdoor retailers — those responsible for “selling” nature.

Speaking at an Outdoor Industry Association trade event, Jill Levinsohn, who lead a research project on the future of outdoor retail conducted by design and innovation firm, IDEO, found that “many young people view the outdoors as something that starts at their front door, is part of everyday life and is best experienced with friends and family.” Levinsohn added that to reach Millennials, retailers must “think of it as going from ‘Outdoorsy’ to ‘Outsidesy.’

If you look at the marketing messages of outdoor and adventure retailers, you may notice a shift away from high-octane images, like a solo kayaker traversing a waterfall, to images of groups experiencing a picture-perfect nature scene in a more leisurely fashion. This is the idea of adventure and the outdoors that Millennials are drawn to. Here’s why:

1

Millennials want to be together

 Millennials are highly social creatures who, according to research conducted by HVS, a travel and hospitality consulting firm, “are more likely [than any other group] to travel socially with friends and family.” HVS also notes that more than any other generation, Millennials will travel to pursue their personal and shared group interests, such as food, entertainment, shopping and outdoor activities.

2

Millennials want unique and special experiences (that they can share online)

There’s an old Millennial saying, “If you hike to the top of a beautiful mountain and don’t take a selfie, did it really even happen?” Alright, I’ll admit I made that up, but nonetheless, it holds truth.

According to a survey conducted by Chase Card Services, “Three in four Millennial travelers post to social networks at least once a day while traveling.” HVS add that when it comes to accommodations, Millennials search for “something extra” and the “cool factor,” as “they do not wish to Instagram a photo of a boring room to share that with their friends.”

3

Millennials want the finer things 

Millennials don’t like being too far from creature comforts. Leading travel and hospitality public relations firm, Turner PR, says, “Millennials are adventure seekers. [They] want to be immersed in the local culture while still maintaining the conveniences of home while on the road.”

Findings from the Chase Card Services also note that “Millennials are a tech savvy generation that values social connections, convenience and opportunities to indulge in luxuries.” The survey also found that more than any other group, Millennials are willing to indulge in luxury services while traveling.

What does this mean for Millennials and the outdoors?

When it comes to adventure and the outdoors, Millennials appear to natural born glampers. Here’s why:

  • Millennials want to be together – Like camping, glamping (glamorous camping) is an activity made better with the addition of friends or a significant other.  Simply put, sitting around a campfire alone is no fun.
  • Millennials want unique and special experiences (that they can share online) – With friends in tow, Millennials crave unique experiences that reflect who they are. Glamping experiences like sleeping in a safari tent on the beach in Fiji at Maquai Beach Surf Resort or in a treehouse in Costa Rica at Finca Bella Vista certainly fit the bill. Plus, glamping is guaranteed to produce a social media worthy photo.
  • Millennials want the finer things – The word ‘glamping’ can be misleading. It just sounds expensive. While you can indulge in splurge-worthy $1,000 per night accommodations, there are plenty of affordable ways to glamp that provide luxuries far beyond a tent with a sleeping bag on the ground — like staying in a cabin at Dale Farm Holidays in the United Kingdom, a yurt in Canada at Wya Point Resort, or an Airstream trailer at Santa Barbara Auto Camp in California.

Speaking from experience, I know that Millennials enjoy the great outdoors in different ways. No matter whether you like to get dirty or prefer a more refined experience, as long as you get outside and put down your cell phone (fine, just a few photos for Facebook) you’ll be on the right track.