Your Guide to Glamping at Christmas

A Lotus Belle tent is not just for summer… Lotus Belle tents are made from high-quality, durable and insulating 360 gsm canvas, and we stock a range of accessories to make your tent even cosier during colder months. So, there’s no reason why you can’t make your Lotus Belle tent the focus of your festivities.

A cold-weather tent is key

Before we dive into how to camp at Christmas and what to eat when Christmas camping, which Lotus Belle is suitable for this time of the year? If your Lotus Belle tent is already set up at the bottom of your garden, feel free to skip ahead to the next section, otherwise, if you’re thinking of purchasing a tent to enjoy all year round, keep reading.

Our Hybrid models are perfect for cold (and warm) climate camping. The PVC and mesh window layers of the 5m Hybrid allow you and your fellow campers to look outside and enjoy your chilly surroundings from the warmth of your Lotus Belle. If extra-luxurious glamping is more your style, our 5m Hybrid Deluxe models have two doorways as well as canvas and mesh door layers. Welcome guests for Christmas dinner through one entrance and rush indoors to check on the turkey through the other!

Christmas dinner, camping style

With your Lotus Belle all set up, how do you camp at Christmas? Or more to the point, how do you have a successful Christmas dinner when glamping?

Well, it depends on your proximity to a kitchen. If your Lotus Belle is situated at the bottom of the garden, tinned trays or rolls (and rolls) of foil should effectively keep the food warm from kitchen to tent table, even in the snow. As with a typical Christmas indoors, think about what you can prepare in advance. Bread sauce, cranberry sauce and chopped vegetables ready to cook can be stored in the fridge or a cool box in the tent. If it’s very cold outside, let nature cool your white wine and champagne. Have drinks that can be served at room temperature and any condiments ready inside your Lotus Belle. Ask guests to bring contributions - but be warned: last-minute requests from guests to heat this, find that and whisk up God-knows what causes headaches. Be smart with what you call on guests to provide.

If you don’t have a kitchen at your disposal and you fancy true happy-camper style Christmas dinner you’ll need to adapt your menu.

Think of foods you can cook on a good quality camping stove. Fast-cooking cuts of meat like steak, chops or butterflied chicken are a great alternative to the traditional turkey. Seafood and aubergine also cook well on traveller stoves, as do potatoes when tightly wrapped in foil and left on the heat for about an hour. Salads are easy to prepare in advance and can be enjoyed in cold weather if served with hot meat or veggies and a warm glaze or sauce (prepared before, naturally). If you and your guests have room for dessert, Christmas s’mores are a deliciously-indulgent option. Dust them with cinnamon and serve with clementine wedges. If you’re seeking a lighter, yet decidedly-festive alternative, campfire-roasted peaches or apples, studded with cloves and sprinkled with cinnamon are perfect. Serve with rich Madagascan vanilla ice cream for that dreamy temperature contrast.

We’d love to see your festive Lotus Belles. Follow us on Instagram and tag us in your pictures @lotusbelletentsuk.