We’ve all been there, sometimes the call of the outdoors is too strong…despite what your wallet is telling you.
There come times when we may need to budget more consciously and sometimes stretch things a little farther than we would have liked.
This might be especially relevant today as the economy attempts to bounce back and with job security not being what it used to be. That does not mean that a good camping experience is something that you won’t be able to attain without a huge budget.
In fact, with holidays becoming less likely, there are more and more people that are getting into camping, especially near your city.
If you are one of those people that are just getting into camping, there are a few factors that you will need to take into consideration when camping on a budget.
Buying things once so you don’t have to buy them again
If you have never camped before, we can totally understand how expensive getting into camping can be especially with all the equipment that you will be needing to buy at the start. So starting up initially can be quite expensive.
Even more so, you might run the risk of purchasing unnecessary things if you are not exactly sure of what you will be needing. You may end up buying things that simply end up sitting in your shed… don’t worry, everyone goes through that phase at the start.
The phase where we make a huge list of everything that we may possibly need by putting together a mega list of everything possible that exists on the internet and buying it all so that we aren’t missing out on anything. Logical right?
Instead, we suggest buying certain things that are of good quality, and others that you can simply upgrade at a later date.
There are some things that you absolutely must not cheap out on.
3 Things you need to spend well on when camping on a budget
- Camping tent – If you want a good night’s sleep, you must absolutely not skip out on a good tent. The difference between a good tent and a bad one could potentially result in you waking up in your sleeping bag completely soaked in water with all your valuables wet.
- Sleeping bag – A good sleeping bag is one that keeps you warm and in complete comfort. A bad one could leave you completely curled up in a ball wishing you never came on the trip in the first place!
- Sleeping mat – Good sleeping mats can make a world of difference and can help you feel comfortable regardless of what surface you choose to pitch your tent on.
Things you absolutely must look for when buying equipment
Whilst getting a decent quality tent should be a priority, it doesn’t mean that you should spend all of your savings to splash out on the best tent on the market.
Just buy a decent quality dome tent with a bit of room that can maybe house around 3-4 people. That should be plenty of space for a tent that is both reasonably affordable and performs well enough for camping on a budget.
If down the line you realise that you absolutely love camping and you would like to invest in a much better tent, then you can easily upgrade it and give your old tent to a friend or even your children if you have been camping regularly with your family. I’m sure that they would appreciate the head start on their camping journey.
So it is not like your money will ever be wasted and that the tent you bought will ever become redundant. This same line of thinking can also be applied to your sleeping mat and your sleeping bag too.
Borrow things from friends and family
You could also look to borrow some items from your friends or family if you are just starting out. This will help you to save a lot of money on the initial payments that you would have needed to make at the beginning of your camping journey.
This is a great way to be able to dip your toes in the camping world without having to commit yourself to purchase camping equipment that may potentially end up collecting dust in your garage.
This is actually a much more cost-effective solution than going out of your way to purchase really cheap equipment. Cheap quality tents are not built to last a long time or even do the job properly.
You might find that the quality of some cheap tents are so bad that they may not even stand up properly, leaving you with an awful first experience of camping. You’ll end up spending more in the long run anyway trying to constantly replace tents that break quickly.
So whilst you gather information on good quality tents and prepare for your first camping experience, just borrow a tent in the meantime and learn what type of tent you actually like and that works for your needs.
Camp with others and share resources
If you have a family or friends that you know who enjoy camping, you should try and organise trips together where you are able to pool together your resources and stretch your budget further.
For example, one person might bring the car, another could bring a larger tent and the third can bring some fire pit cooking equipment, meaning that you may not need to invest in any equipment yourself. It is much more cost-effective than everyone buying repeats of the same equipment. The only thing that you may need to get yourself is a sleeping bag.
Use items that you already own
If you look around, you can probably notice that you might have some equipment that you can use for your up and coming camping trip lying around the house. One of the worst things that you can do on a budget is trying to scramble together any money that you have and wasting it by buying cheaper quality items that you could afford, hoping that it will be enough to do the job.
You might just end up with a bunch of spare useless equipment lying around that you are not going to use. It is probably a better idea to use what you already have and save money to invest in a much better quality item that you can buy in the future, which will last a long time.
This could literally just be chucking some blankets in your car and a pillow from your bed to use as a makeshift sleeping bag along with last night’s dinner to be used as food. You might think that you need the right equipment to start but you really can get by with what you have at home.
Don’t listen to those that tell you that it isn’t real camping. You are doing what works for you
Find second-hand camping gear on a budget
If you don’t have anything lying around your house that you could use for camping or you don’t have anyone that goes camping around you, the next best thing is to look towards buying second-hand camping gear.
Two really great places where you can find quality second-hand gear is Gumtree or the Facebook marketplace. There are so many people that are looking to get rid of good gear due to changes in commitments or getting rid of old equipment after upgrading.
This presents a perfect opportunity for you as you could end up getting high-quality equipment that may only have a scratch or two for an affordable price. Perfect for a beginner looking to dip their toe into camping without committing to an expensive purchase.
Buying from discount stores
There are some items that you just don’t need to get high-quality equipment for. Things like cutlery and plates can be bought from discount stores as you only really need them to eat with and are also items that can be easily replaced if they get damaged or broken.
It must be noted that you shouldn’t be tempted to purchase sleeping bags or tents from these stores as these are not going to last you a long time.
To save a bit more money, you don’t need to shell out on a full set of cutlery or say a full set of plates or mugs as it will only be you going and therefore can just do with a single set. In this case, you can just purchase them individually.
Stainless steel items are a good option as they last a very long time due to the durable material which can take a beating. It could be a great option as you won’t need to buy them again… Unless you lose them of course.
Planning your camping food on a budget
Preparation can lead to you saving a lot of money as you won’t end up purchasing a lot of things that you may not have needed. As previously mentioned, taking some lunch that you had already cooked the night before can be a great way to save a bit of money as you won’t need to go out of your way to purchase more things to cook at the campsite.
A few weeks prior, you can cook double the amounts and freeze some of the food you would like to take with you. This will end up saving you a lot of time cooking at the campsite in the process.
Invest in a vacuum sealer
Whilst it may not be helping your budget in the short term to purchase a vacuum sealer, it may end up saving you in the long run by helping you prepare food ahead of time. The idea would be that if you were planning a camping trip sometime in the future, you can set aside food that you are already cooking, vacuum seals it and then just chuck it in the freezer for later.
Stock up on food on sale
If you are at the supermarket on your normal weekly shop and you see a sale on long-life food such as cheap tinned food or dried fruit, why not purchase a couple more for later. These items can end up being really handy. Not only will you not have to worry about the expiry date, but they are also great to be used for when you go camping.
It will be like a little pantry with food that has been set aside ready to go for your next camping trip. The other great thing about this is that canned food and dry fruit will fill you up much more than small snacky bits like serial bars or crisps. They can keep you going for much longer if you choose to go for a relaxing hike during your trip.
Budgeting for fuel to cook with
If you are planning to travel for a while in the car or your destination is a long way away, fuel can be a huge cost and you will need to budget for it accordingly. Fuel can be especially expensive in remote places where prices of car petrol and diesel can be quite high.
One thing you can do is to fill your fuel upright to the top before your journey so that you won’t be spending too much on fuel in a remote area.
Cook with a campfire stove
A woodfire campfire stove can be a huge cost saver and is practically free if you don’t count the small cost of wood that you will need to pay for. You can either find the burning wood for a decent price at stations or pick some up from a server.
We advise you to take some caution doing this as you run the risk of being sold wet timber. You might end up paying a lot for it and are unable to burn it so you just end up wasting money.
You could also buy charcoal as it is a bit lighter to carry than some timber. The good thing with charcoal is that it burns with less smoke and also tends to burn hotter.
Being respectful and leaving no trace
This needs to be mentioned because, at the campsites that are free or even cheaper, people tend to take advantage and may not treat the space as well. The places that are more expensive tend to be much cleaner but manners seem to go out the window in budget, campsites which could really put a damper on your experience.
There are even notices being put up in some camping facebook groups by campsite owners to let the community know about their campsite needing to shut down due to disrespect of the space. This may either be caused by the rubbish that is thrown on the ground or fences blocking off restricted areas being pulled up so people can camp there.
It’s important to know that if you are going to be starting your journey as a camper, you need to take care of the space around you because if you don’t, the spaces that you love may end up being shut down. Treat the land as if you would treat your own home, you will be pitching your tent on it for sleep.
Find more camping on a budget tips
Hopefully, now you know that camping doesn’t have to be expensive and that you can still have a great time despite a low budget. So what are you waiting for, it’s time to plan your next camping journey. If you are looking for more tips for camping beginners check out our other blog posts for more information. Check out our Pinterest account for more cool pictures.
