Camping is one of those outdoor activities that everyone needs to participate in once in a while because it’s a healthy way to unplug from the stress and bustle of urban life and modern technology. It’s an opportunity to bond with Mother Nature and get your bearings right. Camping is refreshing and exciting and comes in many varieties. You may be surprised that there are so many different types of camping with so many different ways to generate camping electricity that it may be hard to track them all. Interestingly, new types of camping keep coming into the picture, and wouldn’t it be exciting to add some of them to your bucket list?
Let’s explore the different camping styles.
#1. – Glamping
Glamping is the fusion of two words – glamorous and camping. You might as well call it glamorous camping. One may wonder how both words go together, but who says that camping has to be spartan and survivalist in nature? This is the ideal type of camping for newbies who are not ready to camp the traditional way. Glamping entails having a great luxurious experience outdoors.
This camping style involves large, stylish, and spacious tents or cabins that come with heating systems and ambient lighting. Some companies provide glamping sites for people who want to have a deluxe camping experience. Aside from newbies with a taste for indulging themselves, glamping is also suitable for avid campers who want to take a break from their usual camping trips.
#2. – Survivalist Camping
This can also be referred to as survival camping or adventure camping. It’s the stark opposite of glamping because it denies you any form of indulgence. It’s more or less a throwback to how men in the wild lived. You’ll find yourself in difficult living conditions, which include harsh weather conditions, making a shelter with the resources you can find, hunting for food and cooking it with fire made without matchsticks or lighters, and learning how to handle emergency situations.
Depending on the nature of the camping trip, you may have a guide. To new campers, this may look like the most extreme form of camping. However, for seasoned campers, this is exactly how camping should be. Regardless of the perception, one thing is clear; survival camping will teach you how to be resilient, tough, and brave – all of which are great survival skills.
#3. – Winter Camping
This is an unpopular but interesting type of camping. Many people prefer to camp during the summer and spring, probably because they’re spared the numbing and adverse effects of the winter cold. However, you should try this for a change. Experiencing the winter outdoors can be a great experience, provided you get the necessary heating equipment. Stock up on a winter tent, a thick sleeping pad or bag, and thick clothes (preferably wool). This requires proper planning to ensure things don’t go wrong.
#4. – Hammock Camping
Virtually every one of you is familiar with a hammock, but did you know that hammock camping was a thing? No? Let’s tell you about it then. Hammock camping involves spending your nights outside at a campsite on a hammock. It’s more convenient to set up than a tent which will require you to move the tent material and poles to the venue of your camp.
Hammocks are easy to fit in your backpacks and can be installed in much less time. You should choose a site with trees because you’ll need them to string up your hammock. If you slept in a hammock, you’ll know why this camping style is a favorite of many campers. Picture sleeping in a gently swaying hammock with the breeze lulling you to sleep under a breathtaking view of the stars in the sky. There’s no better recipe for a good night’s sleep.
#5. – Wild Camping
This type of camping is also called boondocking or free camping. The idea behind this camping style is that campers are not tied down to the venue of a particular campsite. Rather, they can camp anywhere they please. The nature of this camping makes a hammock or bivvy bag more suitable for it since they’re easier to remove from a campsite and set up in another.
Your campsite choice can vary from national parks, glacial valleys, hilly spots, etc. Wild camping has one characteristic – leaving your current campsite and removing any trace of your existence while at it. Wild campers always leave a site in the exact state they found it. This means removing any trash, trace of human waste, or food items. This is also referred to as backcountry camping.
#6. – Primitive Camping
Primitive camping entails remote or backcountry campsites that don’t have basic amenities such as cellular network reception, electricity, toilet (water closets), and tap water. Such camping has a rustic appeal, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to take place in remote destinations. Some places in urban settings have been fashioned to be primitive campsites. This camping style is great for outdoor enthusiasts because it gives them a glimpse into how life was before technology changed everything.
#7. – Canoe Camping
This type of camping entails using a canoe as a means of transportation to your campsite or camping on a canoe. Campers take all the essentials they need to camp onboard in this scenario. Since they’re not exerting themselves the way hikers or backpackers will, they can go for longer trips. They can also carry more camping gear and food because the canoe can accommodate much more stuff than a backpack or motorcycle.
How does it feel to enjoy nature while gliding smoothly on a body of water? Ecstatic should do justice to the answer. However, canoe camping can be less fun when the weather is unfavorable, and you must encounter storms, heavy rainfalls, or high water levels. Canoe camping is ideal for campers who love fishing and are adept paddlers.
#8. – Rv Camping
This outdoor camping is also called van camping, caravan camping, or camping in a recreational vehicle. This camping style is quite popular because recreational vehicles are designed for long trips and are equipped with basic amenities such as a kitchen, bathroom, and a space for sleeping.
There are different types of RVs; some are minimalist, while others are luxurious. The former contains just the basic things you need for your trip, while the latter is outfitted with water heaters, TV sets, air conditioners, satellite receivers, etc. After long hours of driving, RV campers will look for RV parks to pass the night.
#9. – Tent Camping
Tent camping is the traditional camping and the most popular type of camping. It involves going to a selected campsite, setting up a tent, and spending a few nights there. Your choice of a campsite could include national and state parks, the woods, a beach, and so on. A tent can be set up virtually anywhere, so you have endless options.
With this type of camping, you can choose between comfort and adventure. For the former, you should choose a campsite you’ll pay for because they have all the amenities and will most likely provide certain facilities that can make your trip enjoyable. We’re talking about swimming pools, sports facilities, and so on.
On the other hand, if you’re going for adventure (the obvious choice for advanced campers), they will most likely choose a remote location where they can use their finely honed outdoor skills and explore nature. Tent camping has sub-categories which are also camping styles in their rights, and we’ll discuss them further down the list.
#10. – Car Camping
This is a more modern style of camping. It’s similar to RV camping but far less sophisticated because it lacks all the benefits that come with it. Car camping is simply embarking on group or solo trips to different destinations while camping in your car. While you can stock up your car with food, drinks, and anything else you can think of, there are no kitchens or bathrooms in your car. Though the soft upholstery can be slept on, you’ll hardly be comfortable if the car is not large enough.
#11. – Backyard Camping
This is a unique style of camping because the venue of your campsite is your very own backyard. This is ideal for people with a large outdoor space in their homes. You can set up a tent, sleeping bag, or hammock in your garden. This is very convenient because you have easy access to every facility in your home, with the most significant difference being that you’ll be sleeping with a view of the night sky.
Backyard camping is a great camping idea for those who don’t want to camp in unfamiliar places or are not in a rush to go on their next camping trip. It’s the closest you can get to everyday life.
#12. – Motorcycle Camping
Motorcycle camping has been around for quite a while. It involves going on a trip with a motorbike that’s equipped to carry luggage and travel long distances. This is an ideal way to explore the great outdoors. In some cases, motorcycle riders get to travel long distances.
It’s the same as bicycle camping or kayak camping. The difference with the latter is that you’ll be traveling across the water. However, these modes of transportation have one thing in common – they’re not equipped for people to sleep on them. So while you spend large portions of the day on your motorbike, kayak, or bicycle, you’ll spend the night at a campsite and continue your trip the following day.
#13. – Backpacking
This is a controversial addition because some parties don’t consider it a true form of camping. Whatever the case, we’ll say backpacking and camping have a lot in common, and so does hiking. Backpackers pack light. They stuff their gear in their bags, sling them on, and go on hiking trips that could last days or weeks. Along the way, they stop at designated stops to rest for the night. This is usually done by an experienced camper.
Backpacking, like motorcycle camping, comes with a great deal of freedom. The day is spent hiking across the woods, mountainous regions, or designated trails. These campers get fresh air, breathtaking views from high points, and a memorable camping experience.
#14. – Tarp Camping
This camping style is very similar to hammock camping, with the only difference being the material used to construct your sleeping space. In this case, the material used is a waterproof tarpaulin which can be set up with strong ropes or pegs.
Tarps are a great option for backpackers because it’s lightweight and compact. This means it can be carried around in a backpack with ease. This is among the camping styles that require experience because you need to know how to set up your tarp in a manner that will offer you effective protection against the weather elements.
#15. – Bivvy Bag Camping
This type of camping is characterized by what the campers use to sleep – a bivvy bag. It’s more or less a hybrid of a tent and a sleeping bag. Bivvy bags come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some bivvy bags are waterproof sacks that can be placed directly on the ground.
However, the shape we recommend for this type of camping is the one that comes with poles and creates a frame where you can install a sleeping bag inside. This keeps you warmer at night and offers you more protection against the elements.
Bivvy bag camping is ideal for solo campers. It offers little space for more than one space and may not be reliable when there’s serious rainfall.
#16. – Rooftop Tent Camping
At first glance, one will think the rooftop is a reference to the roof of a building. However, the reference is actually to the roof of a vehicle. This form of camping involves installing a tent on a rack attached to your roof.
The rooftop tent will be folded and stuffed inside a compact box during the trip. When the campers arrive at a campsite, they will unzip the box and fold the tent to its full proportions. This will serve as your sleeping quarters. We recommend you carry a ladder along for easy access to the tent.
#17. – Trailer Tent Camping
Trailer tent camping is hugely popular. It’s one of those types of camping that offers complete convenience because of the large space it has. This camping entails connecting a covered trailer tent to your vehicle. So it goes where you go.
When you want to pass the night at a campsite, you’ll move the trailer tent to the site, disconnect it from the vehicle, and uncover it. Then, you’ll unfold the trailer tent according to its usage instructions.
The trailer and the tent come together, so they’re set up together. It’s ideal for family camping journeys, but they’re expensive though.
#18. – Bush Camping
Bush camping is among those camping types that get you closest to nature. This type of camping lets you experience wildlife to its fullest. A rooftop tent or trailer tent is ideal for this kind of experience. Imagine waking up to the sound of animals; it doesn’t get more natural than that. This type of camping may or may not involve a guide.
#19. – Yurt Camping
This is the closest camping experience to glamping. In fact, yurts are used in glamping. It’s also similar to cabin camping. A yurt is the contemporary version of the ancient dwellings of certain Asian nomads. It’s shaped like a dome, and it looks like a tent. It’s as durable as a cabin. Its large size makes it ideal for housing an entire family. Like a cabin, it has certain amenities that campers can enjoy.