Have you ever wondered how to create a sustainable glamping experience that is off-grid, eco-friendly, and profitable? If so, you might want to check our (GlamXperience’s) latest self-sufficient project at Myall River Camp [1] in NSW.
We at GlamXperience specialise in designing and building customised glamping tents and structures for various purposes and locations. Our biggest off-grid project to date was made a little over a year ago during COVID, when we faced many challenges such as border closures, container shortages, and logistics costs.
We managed to overcome these obstacles by using two 20ft shipping containers as the base for Myall River Camp’s solar power system, which we pre-prepared to house batteries and a charge controller. We also cladded these containers with half round poles (left overs from other tents) on site to make them look like log cabins which blends perfectly with the natural surroundings. The containers were used to transport the materials on site and then matched together to become a solar powerhouse. Using sun studies, Daniel (our in-house off-grid specialist) decided on the best location to place the unit for optimal sun exposure.
The whole setup now successfully powers three safari tents on low voltage, all with unique layouts and varying sizes. The lights in the tents are all 12v, using normal light fittings with 240 bulbs replaced by matching 12v ones. The tents don’t use AC to keep the costs under control. The whole setup is done in such a way that an end inverter per tent provides enough power for a laptop but not enough to power hair dryers or rice cookers, preventing depletion of the battery by a single bad actor. This was a conscious choice, not a technical limitation, as these appliances are extremely power-hungry and would require extreme scaling of the system without many benefits.
The tents are equipped with composting toilets and get water from a nearby tank which pressurises the system by means of a pump. The setup was made with overcapacity in mind so that it was also big enough to power up the nearby tiny houses. The system is the ultimate low-carbon footprint setup and cost-effective as well. Additionally, it would also be possible to integrate rain gutters on the tents to fill up the tanks as well as a central worm farm to do away with composting and save even more costs as well as cut down on maintenance.
The whole concept was ahead of its time but nowadays it’s more relevant than ever because of the looming energy crisis and people’s increasing awareness of sustainability issues. According to OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2020 [2], tourism contributed AUD 60.8 billion (3.1%) to Australia’s GDP in 2018-19 – representing one of Australia’s key economic sectors – while travel exports accounted for 65.5% of total service exports. Sustainable travel experiences are becoming more popular among domestic and international visitors who want to support local artists, culture, wildlife, produce, environment while enjoying effortless luxury[2][3][4].
And you know what? EVs are not great at pulling caravans – there are around 83 000 EV’s in Australia alone at this moment [5]– but these people also like glamping[4][1]. Invite your Tesla crowd by offering them sustainable glamping accommodation that is off-grid yet comfortable – put yourself on the map! And government initiatives are keen to stimulate sustainability, sustainability Victoria even has their own page for it [6] – find out if you are eligible for one of the many grants available or if adding sustainability will make it so.
If you want to learn more about GlamXperience’s off-grid glamping project or how they can help you create your own sustainable glamping experience anywhere in Australia (or beyond), feel free to contact us or visit our website: https://www.glamxperience.com.au/
What do you think about this project? Have you ever stayed at Myall River Camp or any other sustainable glamping site? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
[1]: https://www.myallrivercamp.com.au/glamping-tents/
[2]: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/0ad35b5f-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/0ad35b5f-en
[3]: https://www.australia.com/en/things-to-do/luxury/sustainable-travel-experiences-in-australia.html
[4]: https://www.australia.com/en/things-to-do/sustainable-travel.html
[6] https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/grants-funding-and-investment/grants-and-funding