Are you team camp or team glamp? Let’s dig into the latest glamping trends. We chat with Bear Grylls’ people at Outdoors.com to note the differences and share our top reasons to give glamping a try!

What Is Glamping?

Glamping is glorified camping. It serves as a bridge between traditional tent camping and other accommodations like a hotel or a rented home. Amenities differ but are always at least a step up from tent camping, often including running water, kitchens, personal bathrooms, and electricity. 

“Camping has many barriers to entry. Not only must one have all the gear, they also need a relatively deep knowledge of the outdoors. Glamping offers those new to sleeping outdoors the opportunity to test the waters and decide if camping is right for them without purchasing all the equipment,” said Breanne Kiefner, founder and experience designer of Root Adventures.

The distinguished writer and responsible travel specialist Sunny Fitzgerald shares how in the wake of COVID 19, Root Adventures and our fellow travel companies are making travel more accessible for people with disabilities.

During the pandemic, I’ve seen glimmers of hope and guidelines for reopening safely for travelers with disabilities. While there are a number of pandemic protocols, such as face masks, that have created additional obstacles for those with disabilities, there are also a few new habits that, if made permanent, could make for a much more inclusive travel industry.

[…] Root Adventures, a responsible travel company with a focus on inclusivity, postponed all of their international trips in response to the pandemic and began developing North American tours for 2021. Owner Breanne Kiefner was diagnosed with a neurological condition as an adult and aims to create experiences that make all guests feel welcome. Adding these North America options—“a little closer and a little more affordable”—may make that possible for more people.

New to camping? Not ready to take the plunge? Glamping is a medium to commune with nature without having to rough it! We talk with the experts over at Tough Mother Outdoor Guide about the ins and outs of Glamping.

You may think of camping as sleeping on the floor of a muggy tent in the woods with dirt, bugs, and other natural elements. But modern camping offers an alternative that doesn’t involve roughing it quite so much: glamping. A portmanteau of “glamorous” and “camping,” the phrase describes an outdoor experience that incorporates the natural elements of traditional camping with the comfort and luxury of a hotel.

Glamping often utilizes more spacious accommodations such as yurts, treehouses, pods, tipis, geodesic domes, safari tents, or tiny houses—frequently equipped with full-sized beds, private bathrooms, electricity, and running water. Some all-inclusive glamping resorts also add service elements such as guided wildlife tours, kayaking, luxury spa days, and gourmet dining.

“Anything that makes camping more pleasant and accessible earns the title of glamping,” explains Breanne Kiefner, founder of Root Adventures, a travel company that often incorporates glamping into its itineraries. We spoke with Kiefner to learn more about this increasingly popular form of outdoor recreation.

Want how Root found its roots? Root founder, Breanne Kiefner sits down with Ali from Moxie Writing Co. to discuss all things Root, travel, and herself!

Breanne’s path began with adventure. After selling her belongings, she spent six months backpacking through Latin America, discovering the richness of new cultures and living in South America thereafter. Breanne built Root Adventures from the ashes of personal struggle with postpartum depression. She found healing in connection, which quickly became the cornerstone of her brand.

We LOVE packing cubes! Not only do they keep you organized, most offer a compression feature to help you stow more! With Sunny over at Family Handyman, we discuss our favorite way to add ease to packing and make adventure travel a more peaceful experience.

Travel can be stressful. Packing cubes are a simple and affordable way to alleviate some of the pressure.

Whether you’re headed out on a solo adventure or a family vacation, packing cubes can keep you organized. Let’s take a look at what they are, how they work, and how to choose and using them.

“When airlines implemented luggage fees, small luggage became a necessity,” says Breanne Kiefner, founder of Root Adventures. Zipper closures help you compress the contents, making the most of your suitcase space.

Join us in a deep dive of our founder’s life, mindset, and goals. She shares intimate details of her path to mental health and the wonderful people she met along the way.

My childhood is marked by change and uncertainty. I was born in California but spent the majority of my childhood in New Mexico and Colorado. When I was 4 years old, my parents bitterly divorce and all communication between the two of them was expressed through me and my 2 sisters. I was thrust into a world of incessant change. By the time I graduated high school I had lived in 10 homes and attended 8 schools — and no, my parents weren’t in the military. I navigated the upheaval, though I gained many unhealthy habits along the way: people-pleasing, suppressing my feelings, self-sabotage, etc. By age 12 I was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer, developed undiagnosed dyslexia, and began a long struggle with depression, anxiety, and disordered eating.

Despite the many disadvantages, I fought for decent grades and earned my way into my high school’s prestigious International Baccalaureate program, only to drop out of the University of Colorado after my sophomore year. The burden of my childhood began unfolding in me. I spent many years in a deep depression and used binge drinking, disordered eating, and projecting on others to distract me from the pain.

It was a long road to find mental health and stability, but through many missteps and so many wonderful people, I found peace, joy, love, and contentment.

Kim Fuller sits down with Root Adventures to discuss life as an entrepreneur, motherhood, depression, white supremacy, and navigating small business ownership during a global pandemic.

This episode left me feeling enlightened, like I had grown from hearing a new perspective. Breanne brings so much wisdom from her experiences into our conversation. Because she was instantly able to drop into the present moment, I found it easy to talk with her about her learnings as a mother, business owner, and more.

Breanne is the creator and owner of Root Adventures, a company that designs trips and online experiences that allow all types of people to connect with nature, people, and become their best selves. She speaks to some of the challenges of owning a travel company during the pandemic and also gives us a sneak peak into the exciting virtual programs she is designing to make sure she can help as many people as possible connect during this challenging time.

I so appreciated her honesty about what it was like to become a mother, deal with mental illness and work through challenges with her partner. We can all take a page out of Breanne's book as we strive to show up as our true selves, to make sure we can live as our best selves.

Our founder, Breanne Kiefner was lucky to be one of the first guests on Leslie Kehmeier’s quarantine creation: Coffee with Covid. In an effort to bring some levity to these tough times, Leslie and Breanne chat about their first meeting, Leslie teaching Breanne how to use her now favorite Aeropress and how adventure is so much more than travel.

I met Denverite and Whittier Cafe regular, Breanne Kiefner early last year through a mutual friend. We started working together in Baja which led to another trip to Ethiopia. Breanne owns and operates Root Adventures, an adventure travel company that connects like-mind people through travel. The Baja trip was my first experience on a women’s only travel adventure, which proved to be a transformative experience for me. When the opportunity came up to shoot her Ethiopia trip - it was a no-brainer. Breanne’s vision for people connecting and pushing their own boundaries through small group travel has been an amazing way to see for me to see part of the world. Enjoy episode 3 with Breanne!

Jeremy is a gifted interviewer, but more importantly a entrepreneur who truly walks to the talk. Thanks so much for taking the time to help us tell our story.

Breanne and Dave are some of the most thoughtful and sincere entrepreneurs I’ve come across. After a couple of life-altering events and even a traumatic existential crisis, Breanne decided to do exactly the opposite of what most of us would do when the going gets tough. She decided to dig deep, embrace discomfort, and commit to the hardest thing she’s ever done - build the business and lifestyle she’s also wanted. The result, is a company that truly stands out not only for its admirable conviction, but also for the impact it has on peoples lives. 

Breanne and Dave’s impact goes beyond just their business too. The way they show up in the world on a personal level is also special, and I know I’m certainly proud to call them friends. 

All that said, I’m excited to share their story with you all! 🙌

Thanks to Bonnie Culbertson of Earth Regarded for the feature.

After years of experience working in adventure travel, Breanne Kiefner was tired of serving the same, routine itineraries to travelers more interested in sightseeing and Instagramming than truly connecting to a destination. She started Root Adventures to curate trips that combine wellness with conscious, cultural connection. Kiefner believes that travel has the life-changing potential to create passionate advocates for positive social and environmental change, which is why each wellness retreat mixes fitness programming with community initiatives or eco-minded outdoor exploration.

Breanne, founder of Root Adventures sits down with Emily Troxler to discuss our signature fitness retreat destination located in southern Baja.

Pack Your Bags, WE'RE GOING TO MEXICO!

This trip is all about adventure, challenging our bodies & minds outside of the gym, growth and starting 2020 for YOU. #treatyoself

This trip was truly one of a kind. From swimming with sea lions, to devouring ceviche (caught that morning) with my toes in the sand, to star gazing under the most incredible night sky from my glamping tent on our private island- yes, I GLAMPED - it was so special.

- Kate Van Horn

Great info and motivation in this conversation with Breanne Kiefner from Root Adventures. Breanne tells us how Root Adventures came to life some of the challenges she faced and the custom adventures Root delivers. “Do It. One of the biggest things you hear people talk about is mindset. It's all about the mindset. And I actually disagree. I think it's all about doing it. You're not always going to be motivated, just put one foot in front of the other. It's just like hiking a mountain. You're never going to see the top until you're there.

Embark on travel that empowers and inspires. Explore rugged destinations and immerse yourself in amazing cultures with fellow explorers, while enjoying just the right amount of pampering. Emerge from your vacation refreshed mentally, emotionally and physically. It’s all possible with Root Adventures. Expertly planned by Breanne Kiefner, join a mid-winter excursion to the sunny, uninhabited island of Espiritu Santo in Baja where travelers will enjoy SUP boarding, kayaking, swimming with sea lions, glamping and delicious locally-sourced food and drink. 

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