If you miss summertime weekends at Lake Texoma during the winter, glamping makes a wintertime camp out comfortable and enjoyable. I did not know until I began to write this article, but I live in a perpetual state of glamping. How could I ask for anything more?

Glamping, the fusion of two words, either glamorous or glorious plus camping, is not by any means a 21st-century invention. Google Trends reports that people in Ireland and England first began using glamping as a search term in early 2007. (1) The word glamping is new; not its definition. And, Lake Texoma’s amenity providers have stepped up to the plate to pitch great glamping experiences to Texomans and their visitors.

Glamping History

The Ottoman Empire

The Turkish Ottoman Empire, one of the longest-ruling dynasties in world history, ruled over large regions of North Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East for over 600 years. The Ottoman’s camped gloriously while traveling throughout their empire. They set up mobile tent cities for traveling sultans. They furnished their tents with silk fabrics, embroidered fabrics, luxurious rugs, and extravagant furnishings.

The yurt of Mongolia and Central Asia, still used by nomads today, is thought to be the inspiration of Ottoman tents. Yurts are resistant to snowstorms and high winds and depend on a rigid domed wooden frame for support. The frame stands alone and does not use coverings for support. Ottoman servants and slaves covered a ruler’s tent with red felt and decorated the dome with gold. They fitted the tent’s interior with the lushness of a palace.

The largest collection of Ottoman tents lay undocumented in storage in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, Turkey. But you can visit the Royal Castle of Wawel in Cracow, Poland, to actually enter a complete Ottoman tent. In 1863, the spoils of war taken from the Ottomans went to Poland after the Battle of Vienna including the Ottoman war tents. One of the tents on display has walls that stand twelve-feet high, and it is almost seventy-nine-feet long. Its frame is made of tree poles which are covered with crimson canvas. The castle also houses the tent of the grand vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha. People define them as breathtakingly beautiful. (2)

African Safari Camps

The early 20th century beckoned wealthy Europeans and Americans to the wilds of African safaris. The wealthy hunters wanted the best of both worlds, comfort and style plus the rugged African wildlife. In order to get to those wilds, they had to forgo hotels and restaurants.

When Africa opened up to adventurers, biologists, cartologists, and scientists in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the stories of their adventures rained over and fascinated Europeans. The adventurers became celebrated celebrities. The African adventurers brought back specimens they discovered and often named them after themselves. They told exciting tales about an exotic land full of beautiful and terrifying beasts.

The surviving storytelling voyagers had romanticized Africa. Many did not return. They died by the hand of warrior tribes, the teeth of wild animals, and from disease. They transported surplus food, heavy canvas, and equipment. They fought off disease-spreading insects and suffered from scarce water supplies. Royalty and landed gentry did not want to experience the hardships of African travel, and they did not. 

President Teddy Roosevelt and his son joined the Smithsonian Institution’s expedition to Africa for the collection of specimens in 1909. This expedition employed 250 native-born porters and guides. They oversaw Teddy’s tent, bathtub, and library. They managed the food supply which included several tons of salt for wild game meat preservation. They brought home 23,151 specimens of plants, birds, and animals for the United States National Museum of Natural History. They returned with live animals for the National Zoological Park. This expedition is considered to be the first luxury expedition into Africa. 

Planning a safari took months in the early 19th century, and every luxury they could think of was included in the planning stage. Formal diners involved crystal glassware and china, the finest food, and champagne. The dress was black tie. Their butlers and valets took care of their every luxurious need. (3)(4)

Glamping in Texoma

Fast forward to 2019 in Texoma. In this decade, many of the Texomaland campgrounds and resorts turned their cabins into glamping products. Private campground owners have been renting cabins for years, but now they own glamping sites and have upgraded services and amenities. Some Texomans have built luxury, tiny houses for glamp rentals on their lakefront properties. iGlamp will rent glamping essentials and set your campsite up for you, fully furnished, and will even provide all the food and beverages plus ice that your party will need.

Of course, it is easy to find the perfect glamping spot for you online, but beware of the words “by Lake Texoma”, because I found glamping offered closer to towns than the lake. For example, here are just three of the numerous Texoma glamping providers that I found online:

iGlamp

http://glampingtexoma.com/

Sundance Camp

https://sundancetexoma.com/

This is Paradise

https://paradisetexoma.com/search

Sources

(1) https://blog.glamping.com/history-of-the-glamping-movement/

(2) http://www.turkishculture.org/military/tents-176.htm

(3) http://www.haywardsafaris.com/a-history-of-safari-exploration-into-africa/

(4) http://www.kerdowneybotswana.com/blog/ker-downey-botswana-and-okuti-glamping-since-the-19th-century/

Pictures

1. iGlamp Tent Interior

2. iGlamp bedroom

3. Kasita Glamping Cabin

4. Big Mineral Glamping Cabins

5. Early 20th Century Safari Travel Desk

6. Wawel Exhibit of Ottoman Tent

7. 17th Century Ottoman Tent