Field notes
What we actually pack for glamping
After enough glamping trips you build a small pile by the door that just travels with you. Here’s what’s in ours, what we wish we had, and what we leave home.
What goes every time
Headlamp. Always. Glamping properties are dim by design. Even properties with porch lights have stretches between them. A real headlamp (not your phone flashlight) frees both hands.
Extra blanket from home. Even when the listing says “linens included,” we bring a familiar throw. Camp blankets vary. Ours doesn’t.
Slip-on shoes. Crocs, Birkenstocks, slides. Something you can step into without thinking when you need to walk to the bathhouse at 6 AM. Tied shoes are too much friction.
Bug spray — picaridin if east of the Mississippi, DEET if west of it where mosquitos are bigger. Even properties that say “no bug pressure” have some bug pressure.
A real bath towel. Listings provide towels; sometimes they’re thin. Bringing one full-size cotton bath towel for the trip means you always have a good one.
A throw pillow from home. Same reason as the blanket. Cabins, yurts, domes — all have pillows. Ours is better.
Refillable water bottle. Every property has potable water. We refill rather than buying disposable.
Snacks for late at night. Most properties don’t have stores within 10 min. Coming back from a hike at 9 PM and being hungry is a real moment.
Battery pack. Phone dies, cabin outlet is on the wrong wall, we don’t care because the battery pack is in the bag.
Sunscreen. Cabins are in sunny places. Even forest stays expose you on the drive.
One pair of binoculars (cheap is fine). The deck of a glamping unit is a wildlife-watching platform. Birds, deer, sometimes more.
What we bring depending on the format
Cabin: less gear (in-unit kitchen + bathroom usually).
Yurt: add a small towel kit (shared bathhouse often), and a flashlight specifically for the bathhouse walk.
Treehouse: add a daypack for daily essentials — once you’re up the stairs, you’re not going back down for small things.
Dome: add an eye mask (clear panels = early morning light).
Tent platform / safari tent: add an inflatable pillow + a small fan if it’s summer.
What we used to pack and stopped
- Full cooking kit. Most properties have what we need.
- Folding chairs. Properties have outdoor seating.
- Books we don’t actually read. We bring one. Sometimes two.
- A second outfit per day. One outfit + a fleece + a rain layer is enough.
- An ice cooler. Properties have refrigeration or are 10 min from a store.
What we wish we’d brought (each time we forget)
- Slippers for inside (the cabin floor is cold).
- A backup lighter (the kindling box at the property is often soggy).
- Earplugs for the canvas-walled formats (yurts, tents).
- A daytime jacket and a separate nighttime jacket — the temperature swing is real.
- Quarters or cash for occasional firewood, ice, or laundry.
- A printed list of the property’s WiFi/access codes — cell signal is hit-or-miss.
What changes by season
Summer: sunglasses, sandals, fewer layers, bigger water bottle.
Fall: beanie, gloves, heavier socks, hand warmers.
Winter: all of fall plus heated socks if you have them, real boots, a thermos for hot drinks outside.
Spring: all of fall, plus the rain layer is non-optional.
A typical 3-day glamping packing list (for two)
- 2 changes of clothing each + 1 fleece + 1 rain layer + 1 puffy
- Sleepwear
- Slip-on shoes + 1 hiking shoe
- Toiletries (most properties have shampoo but not what you like)
- Towel from home + small bathhouse towel
- Headlamp + battery pack
- Bug spray + sunscreen
- 1 book + a notebook
- Water bottle + travel mug
- Snacks for evenings
- Small daypack for hikes
- One throw + one pillow from home
That’s a duffel and a small backpack. Goes in the trunk in five minutes.
For more first-time guidance: