No More Glamping in Gilgal

Love the outdoors but don’t want to go camping? Then go glamping — and take your hair dryer with you.

Camping used to be a rugged activity that required you to leave civilization behind, head into the wilderness and really rough it. But no more.

Today you can buy a Coleman air mattress with a built-in alarm clock and night light. Tents are equipped with lighting systems and auto-roll windows. DirecTV offers a portable satellite, and many campsites have wireless Internet.

That isn’t camping. It’s “glamping” — camping that’s truly glamorous, with all the comforts of home. It’s still an experience of nature but one that includes plenty of plush amenities. For example, thanks to air mattresses with built-in speakers for MP3 players, you don’t have to sacrifice sound quality while you sleep under the stars.

Glamping. Is this a positive development? Or a sign that the Apocalypse is upon us?

Some park officials are feeling surprisingly good about the trend. According to the Washington Post (August 18, 2009), employees at the Little Bennett Regional Park in Maryland will do a complete campsite...