12 Glamping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Learn From Other People's Mistakes

We talk to a lot of glamping buyers and operators, and the same regrets come up over and over. Almost none of them are exotic. They're straightforward mistakes that cost people money, time, or a season of frustration, and nearly all of them are avoidable if you know to watch for them.

Here are the twelve we see most often, split between mistakes buyers make and mistakes operators make.

Buying Mistakes

1. Buying the Cheapest Tent Available

This is the most expensive mistake in glamping. A $400 tent looks like a deal until the seams leak in the first real rain, a zipper fails, and the fabric degrades after two seasons. Then you buy another one. Over five years, the cheap tent costs more than the quality tent you didn't buy.

Avoid it: Look at fabric specification (900D PU-coated Oxford is the standard for serious glamping tents), zipper quality, and whether replacement parts are even available. A quality tent lasts 10-15 years. Our buyer's checklist covers what to evaluate.

2. Getting the Size Wrong

People consistently misjudge how much space they need. Couples buy a 20-foot tent and find it feels cavernous and empty. Families buy a 16-foot and spend the trip stepping over each other.

Avoid it: 13-foot for couples, 16-foot for versatility or a family of three, 20-foot for families of four or premium setups. Our size guide breaks it down by use case.

3. Ignoring Built-In Features

A stove jack, an AC duct, and an electrical cord port can't reasonably be added after the fact. Buyers who skip them find out in the first cold snap or heat wave that their tent can't do what they need.

Avoid it: Decide up front whether you want year-round use, air conditioning, or power inside the tent, and buy accordingly. Every tent we make includes a reinforced stove jack and electrical port.

4. Comparing Tents by Floor Area Alone

Two 16-foot tents can have wildly different usable space. A bell tent's walls slope from the ground, so much of that floor area is unusable for standing or furniture. A yurt-style tent with vertical wall poles gives you nearly all of it.

Avoid it: Check wall height, not just diameter. Our yurt vs bell tent comparison explains the difference in detail.

5. Skimping on the Bed

People spend carefully on the tent and then sleep on a $30 air mattress. Air mattresses lose pressure, conduct cold straight through, and ruin sleep. The whole point of glamping is comfort, and the bed is where that lives or dies.

Avoid it: Real mattress, real frame to get it off the ground, quality linens. Our furnishing guide covers the full interior setup.

6. Storing a Tent Wet

This one destroys tents. Packing away a tent with any moisture in it, even a damp seam or a fold you missed, leads to mold and mildew that stains the fabric, degrades the waterproof coating, and creates odors you can't remove.

Avoid it: Always dry the tent completely before storage, checking seams, corners, and folds. If you take it down in rain, set it back up at home in dry conditions first. Our end-of-season care guide walks through it.

Setup Mistakes

7. Poor Site Placement

Setting up in a low spot means water pools under the tent in the first rain. Setting up on a slope means sliding off the bed. Setting up in a wind funnel means a rough night and stress on the structure.

Avoid it: Choose flat, well-drained ground. Look at where water would run in a storm. Consider natural windbreaks and morning sun versus afternoon shade. Walk the site before you commit to a spot.

8. Under-Staking and Loose Guy Lines

Most tent damage in wind traces back to inadequate staking or slack guy lines, not to the tent itself failing. Guy lines also stretch over time, so a tent that was tight last month may not be now.

Avoid it: Drive stakes fully, angled away from the tent. Tension guy lines evenly. Re-tension periodically and always before predicted weather. Our storm-proofing guide covers preparation.

9. Sealing the Tent Up Tight in Cold Weather

It feels logical to close every vent when it's cold. It's a mistake. Warm interior air hitting cold fabric creates condensation that drips on everything, and if you're running a stove, restricted airflow is a carbon monoxide safety issue.

Avoid it: Keep a roof vent cracked even in cold weather. The heat loss is minimal and the air exchange prevents both problems. Always run a carbon monoxide detector with a stove.

Operator Mistakes

10. Underpricing the Listing

New operators often anchor their rate to basic tent sites and undercharge dramatically. A furnished glamping tent with a real bed, quality linens, lighting, and a fire pit is a premium product, and pricing it like a campsite leaves significant money on the table and signals lower quality to guests.

Avoid it: Research comparable furnished glamping listings in your area, not bare campsites. Start slightly below market to build reviews quickly, then move to market rate. Our pricing guide covers the numbers.

11. Bad Listing Photos

Photos are the single biggest driver of bookings, and most underperforming listings have the same problem: dim interiors, midday harsh light, unstaged beds, and no sense of the setting. A beautiful site with mediocre photos books far worse than an average site with great ones.

Avoid it: Shoot at golden hour, light the interior warmly, stage the bed and furnishings, and include wide shots of the setting. If you can afford a photographer for a half day, it pays for itself quickly. Our hosting guide covers listing strategy.

12. Shutting Down for the Cold Season

Most operators close in the fall, which means five or six months producing no revenue while fixed costs continue. Meanwhile, fall and winter demand is real, competition is thin, and rates run higher because heated outdoor stays are rare.

Avoid it: Add a wood stove, upgrade bedding, insulate the floor, and keep your calendar open. Our fall and winter prep guide covers the transition and the revenue case.

The Pattern Behind Most Mistakes

Look at the list and a theme emerges: most glamping mistakes come from optimizing for the wrong thing. Buying for the lowest price instead of the lowest cost over time. Choosing a tent by a spec sheet number instead of by how the space actually functions. Pricing against the wrong comparison. Closing for a season instead of preparing for it.

The fix in almost every case is thinking one step further ahead: how will this hold up in three years, how will this feel on night four of a trip, what does this cost me over five seasons. That perspective avoids nearly everything on this list.

Get Started

If you're at the buying stage, our buyer's checklist and size guide cover the decisions that matter most. Browse the full tent collection to compare models and specs.

Have a question before you buy? Contact our team. We'd rather help you get it right the first time than sell you the wrong thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the biggest mistake people make when buying a glamping tent?

Buying the cheapest option available. A $400 tent typically fails within two or three seasons, so you buy another, and another. A quality tent built with 900D PU-coated Oxford fabric lasts 10-15 years with proper care, which makes it cheaper over time. The second most common mistake is getting the size wrong, either too big for a couple or too small for a family.

What size glamping tent should I get?

A 13-foot tent (about 130 square feet) suits couples. A 16-foot (about 200 square feet) is the most versatile size and works for couples wanting more room or a family of three. A 20-foot (about 315 square feet) fits a family of four comfortably. Our size guide covers each option by use case.

Why shouldn't you store a tent wet?

Any moisture left in a stored tent, even a damp seam or an overlooked fold, creates ideal conditions for mold and mildew. That permanently stains the fabric, degrades the waterproof coating, and creates odors that are difficult or impossible to remove. Always dry a tent completely before storage. Our care guide covers the process.

Should I close my glamping rental in winter?

Usually not. Shutting down means five or six months of no revenue while fixed costs continue. Fall and winter demand is real, competition thins as other operators close, and rates run higher because heated outdoor stays are scarce. Adding a wood stove, warm bedding, and floor insulation lets you capture that revenue. Our fall and winter guide covers it.

Why do glamping tents get damaged in wind?

Almost always because of inadequate staking or loose guy lines, not because the tent itself failed. Stakes need to be driven fully and angled away from the tent, and guy lines need even tension. Guy lines also stretch over time, so re-tension periodically and always before predicted weather. Our storm-proofing guide covers preparation.

Why do two tents with the same floor area feel so different inside?

Wall height. A bell tent's walls slope from the ground or near-ground, so much of its floor area can't be used for standing or placing furniture. A yurt-style tent with vertical wall poles holds the walls straight up for several feet, making nearly the entire floor usable. Two 16-foot tents can differ by 70-100 square feet of practically usable space. Our comparison guide explains it.