Camping on a Budget (Save 10%-15% on your next booking at Camp Earth Connection)
Camping clearly means different things to different folks. Some prefer to sleep in a cabin with full amenities, while others prefer sleeping in a hammock under the stars. The shared experience of camping invariably involves spending more time outdoors in nature. It is also a common expectation that camping should be more affordable than other forms of lodging.
In March, Druid and I headed south for our low-cost camping vacation. We camped for free for a couple of nights in Northern Florida on a remote campsite near the Florida trail, where we hiked and explored the beautiful Ecofina Creek region. We also spent 2 nights at different Hipcamp campsites, at a forest tree farm and an organic blueberry and turmeric farm. Then, a dear friend graciously hosted us on their land for a couple of weeks where we spent time sailing, paddling and living outdoors.
Camp Earth Connection (CEC) recognizes the need for affordable camping. With that said it is challenging to budget for the overhead expenses such as insurance, permit fees, facility maintenance, taxes, utilities and labor expenses. Unlike other Campgrounds, CEC has a very limited number of campsites and cabins (18 in total plus 3 full amenity cottages/cabins.) Each cabin and campsite at CEC have substantial space so that sites are not right next to each other, offering more privacy and room to spread out. Being this small makes it possible for staff to actually be “hosts” and interact and get to know our guests and better meet their needs while building community and connection. This all effects our pricing.
The other cost that effects both our guests and the business is marketing. CEC uses short-term rental platforms like Hipcamp, VRBO and Airbnb to get the word out about our space. With these platforms come service charges and fees which increase the cost for both the business and customers. Camp Earth Connection is working towards building a Direct Booking platform on our website. But with that we would also need to increase our marketing budget. So, for now, on our website, we are still using Hipcamp and VRBO for our booking platforms with one exception.
We have added a page to the website called “Camping on a Budget.” When you book this way – you will save 10%-15% on your booking by not paying service fees or cleaning fees. What it means to the camper is, you will book for a certain type of cabin or campsite, but you will not get to choose the specific cabin or campsite. That will be assigned to you within 2-weeks of your booking. This gives us the opportunity to increase our bookings, and offer lower prices to those who are able to be more flexible.
Please take the time to visit our Website and check out Camping on a Budget. We would love to host you this summer, and if you are looking for an experience of connecting with nature and other folks, this might be a perfect fit! Thanks for checking us out.
With Peace and Gratitude
Eshay and Druid (Eshay’s canine companion