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Glamping, fest-huts offer new camping options at Sunfest

One emphasizes luxury, another stresses funky fun but both are new ways to camp at Sunfest.
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Camping in style, ‘glamping’ is one of the new options at Sunfest 2017. (Submitted photo)

Whether you go for high class “glamping” or a 100 per cent recyclable waterproof cardboard “fest hut” house, Sunfest has surprising new options to amp up your festival experience.

Every year, Sunfest (coming up at Laketown Ranch in Lake Cowichan from Aug. 3-6) tries to offer something new.

This year, one of those ideas is extra special camping.

“We’ve launched glamping and we’ve launched fest huts. They’re very different from each other but they’re both great camping options,” said Erin Richards, marketing and PR manager.

Glamping means camping in style with more comfort than the average tenting set-up.

“You can choose between a four-metre tent or a five-metre tent. There’s another company who brings the tents in, they set them up and inside you have battery powered little fairy lights and a lamp and a table, and a welcome mat, and things like that. And then you have an actual blow up air mattress, and pillows, blankets — everything you need to have a really comfortable sleep,” she said.

The response to this new Sunfest feature has already been positive, Richards said.

“People are very excited. The cool thing is that it actually can sleep up to four people. So, if you think about it, you can split that cost between four of you. The $800 four-metre tent is for three people so, split between three, knowing that you have all the gear there already and you don’t have to bring anything in, makes it very affordable. With the $1,000 five-metre tent, you can fit four people in there. So, for four people it’s incredibly affordable. People are excited.”

Fest huts are a totally different thing: a simple home-away-from-home.

“They are the weather and water resistant cardboard. They look like a box with a roof. The idea with those is that you bring your bedding and mattress but you have the tent there already. It’s water resistant, and it’s nice and cool when it’s hot out and it also blocks out that really early morning sunshine that starts at 4:30 or 5 in the morning, so you can actually sleep in. It keeps you warm in the night but you don’t get too hot. And it’s also really good because it can get pretty dusty in the summer there. Somebody may own a beautiful tent that maybe they’ve spent a couple of thousand dollars on. This way you can leave that at home and have a nice-set up waiting for you. These are literally set up for you. You just come in, bring your gear, stay over, and then walk away from it.

“These huts will then get recycled so you can feel good about the environment, too. And what’s also fun is that you can set up a little fest hut village with your friends. There’s been a lot of interest in them, too.”

Sound like fun to you? Check out www.sunfestconcerts.com/glamping or www.sunfestconcerts.com/fest-huts for more information or to book for you or your group.

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Your home away from home at Sunfest could be one of these new fest-huts. (Submitted)
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The idea of a forming a camping village with your friends is catching on. (Submitted)