Many horseback riding itineraries require some form of camping or glamping. The style of camping varies from the most basic and rudimentary to extremely luxurious real beds and sheets, en suite bathrooms with hot water and sumptuous dining.
Travel arrangements for kings, emperors and their concubines were often extravagant. This kind of camping probably saw its peak in India where elephants and camels were often used as well as horses to carry people and camp equipment.
Today there are still a few luxury glamping rides in India, but most of the best horse safaris are in Africa where the British settlers adopted techniques from India. The Masai Mara safari in Kenya, for example, has tents holding beds with sheets and blankets, nearby toilet and shower tents, kerosene lanterns, mirrors on the wall, etc. Dinners are served with white table cloths and lit by candle. The service from the local staff is impeccable. It is still the kind of luxury camping Hemingway loved and made famous. It is possible to move these elaborate camps by truck and there are as many staff members as there are guests.
In some parts of Africa, like the Tuli in Botswana, the weather is so dry for much of the year that tents are really superfluous and one can sleep on a comfortable mattress directly under a clear sky studded with an incredible number of stars people never see in New York City.
Pack trips in wilderness areas where there are no permanent structures necessitate rougher camping and can hardly reach the glamping level.There is minimal staff, usually only the guide, and loading pack horses is much more time consuming than throwing equipment in the back of a truck. It is difficult to rig hot showers and toilet facilities are far more rudimentary. Some are still willing to make small sacrifices in order to fully appreciate the solitude and vastness of the wilderness.
