Camping is a very British pastime. As a nation, we have a wonderful relationship with the beauty spots on our doorstep, with couples, families and individuals often finding solace and enjoyment in trips to the countryside.
Perhaps it’s representative of the British stiff upper lip that we like to camp and look after ourselves, rather than paying the extra and making things easier for ourselves. However, things are changing. These days, camping has found a luxury element – boutique camping is on the rise.
Boutique camping is all about taking all the fun aspects of an ordinary camping trip and giving the experience that little something extra, often in the form of added style and comfort. Instead of tents, boutique campers go for capacious yurts. It’s partly about keeping up appearances and partly about making this very British institution more palatable for those who aren’t keen on roughing it.
Sometimes referred to as glamping, boutique camping is heavily influenced by music festival crowds and particularly those music fans who love the experience of seeing great bands in the open air but who don’t perform at their best huddled inside a pop-up tent with the minimum home comforts.
Rugs can be part of the boutique camping experience. Yurts tend to stay relatively dry and the inside can be turned into a gorgeous little den, not unlike the decadent dwellings of the caravanserai. Rugs are the perfect way of furnishing underfoot for additional comfort.
So which rugs are the best for boutique campers? We believe the following styles fit the bill.
Washable rugs
One of the main concerns for boutique campers when it comes to rugs is keeping them clean. It’s fine for the rugs to get a little dirty underfoot during the festival or during the trip, but it would be a major extravagance just to buy one in order to discard it afterwards. Any rug you pick has to be machine washable.
If you pick washable rugs to place around a yurt or a large tent then you don’t need to worry about their condition. After your trip, you just pop them in the machine and they’ll be good as new for next time. Washable rugs are also dog-friendly – good news for those who like to take their pets on holiday with them.
Round rugs
One of the attractive things about yurts is that they are round. This means campers can sit in a circle playing games and all the rest well into the night. It makes sense to look for round rugs that fit in with this sociable dynamic. They’re comfy, accommodating and come in loads of bright colours for an injection of fun.
Natural rugs
Some of the best rugs to use when camping are natural fibre rugs – partly because they are usually very easy to maintain and clean. However, they’ve also got that simple and natural feel about them, which is very appropriate for trips out into the countryside. When you’re going back to basics, natural rugs feel like the most authentic accessories to help you strike the right chord.
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