Camping, without complication? It’s ‘glamping’

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/08/2011 (5424 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Quebec’s provincial-park agency calls it a "camping innovation." Trend watchers call it "glamping" — a contraction of glamour and camping. My 8-year-old daughter summed it up like this: "camping for dummies."

She’s a camping purist, a fan of old-fashioned camping — you know, with tents that have to be put up, grub that has to be scraped together over a Coleman stove (our favourite: "cowboy soup" — chopped up hotdogs mixed with a couple of cans of baked beans) and heat that has to be self-created by curling up in a flannel-lined sleeping bag on a cool night.

So she found the Huttopia tent our family tried out recently an abomination, for the turnkey tents — a concept imported from France in 2008 and hugely popular in provincial parks — feature electricity, foam mattresses, a refrigerator, even a heater.

Her objections notwithstanding, the Huttopia and its new cousin, the Hekipia, are a godsend for people intimidated by camping, for those who have given up maintaining all the necessary equipment — and even for seasoned campers who occasionally want to escape the city without having to wrestle with tents, fret about having enough ice to keep the cooler cool or contend with mosquito attacks at the picnic table.

We experienced the Huttopia at Parc national de la Yamaska, staying two nights in the marvellous provincial playground. It’s a lush oasis, though not well-known among Montrealers despite its location only 90 kilometres east of the city.

The worry-free convenience of Huttopia meant we had more time to explore Yamaska’s beach, cycle its extensive bike paths, walk one of its seven hiking trails and take a guided tour aboard a 10-seat rabaska canoe of the Choiniere reservoir, a huge expanse 5.5 kilometres long by 2.3 kilometres wide.

When Quebec introduced the worry-free camping concept in 2008, the province expected to have 150 tents in place by now.

They proved so popular that today there are 228 Huttopia tents spread across 14 parks run by Parcs Quebec, an arm of the provincial Societe des etablissements de plein-air du Quebec.

Erected on a four-metre by seven-metre wooden platform, a Huttopia is a large beige canvas tent unlike any we had ever been in.

Inside is a small fridge, a wooden dining table and chairs, plus shelves and drawers featuring plates, cutlery, pots, pans and anything else you could possibly need to cook and eat a meal. There’s even a French press coffee maker and a cork screw. Sorry, you’ll have to bring your own food and, alas, there is no butler or chef.

Every tent features a smoke detector, a fire extinguisher, a space heater, an overhead light and electrical outlets.

At the back, on an elevated wooden platform, are the sleeping quarters, encased within a second dark-coloured tent that keeps the light out (no more waking up at the crack of dawn because of the glaring sun). Inside are foam mattresses and pillows, with fresh sheets and pillow cases, though campers must bring their own sleeping bags.

The sleeping area is divided in two and comfortably slept our five-person family (two adults and three children, ages 4, 8 and 11).

No, there’s no bathroom. Campers trek to nearby washroom and shower facilities.

Outside the Huttopia tent, on a small covered terrace, is a gas-fired hot plate with two burners. For lounging, four comfortable plastic chairs beckon. Each site features a picnic table for those who want to rough it and eat outside. There’s a metal fireplace for evening fires and marshmallow roasting/s’moresmaking. A large, solid metal box lets you secure your food lest raccoons and other thieves break into your abode to raid your groceries.

Over the past two years, SEPAQ has started installing a variation on the Huttopia.

Known as a Hekipia, the tent is designed by the same company that developed the Huttopia. The Hekipia is smaller and furnishings are slightly different.

SEPAQ has 30 Hekipias spread across four of its tourist resorts, and another 10 at five of its wildlife reserves.

At some parks, Huttopias and Hekipias are on so-called walk-in camp sites that give you a feeling of being farther from civilization. Campers park their cars 100 metres or so away from their tents, then lug their gear and supplies to their accommodations using provided wheelbarrows.

As for our family, we’re not ready to give up regular camping.

This month, we’re booked for five nights at our favourite oceanfront campground, on Casco Bay in Maine. And we’re looking forward to the chilly nights, the cowboy soup, even eating al fresco, mosquitoes and all.

 

If you go

Huttopias are available May to October, while Hekipias can be rented from June to September.

They are very popular and already sold out in some parks. Book far in advance and check for cancellations.

The Huttopia, which can accommodate four adults or two adults and three children, costs $113 per night, plus taxes.

The Hekipia, maximum four people, costs $109 per night, plus taxes.

In both cases, campers must also pay the daily park entry fee — $5.50 for adults, $2.50 for children 6 to 17 and free for younger kids; there’s a family rate: $11 for two parents and their children.

For more information, visit sepaq.com or call, toll-free, 1-800-665-6527.

 

Glamping in Westman:

Rossman Yurts — www.rossmanyurts.com/

Riding Mountain National Park – http://experienceridingmountain.com/tag/yurt/

 

#! Photos