The mountains are calling but the price tag is high. Or so it may appear at first glance. It only takes one look at REI’s website to feel overwhelmed by all of the expensive options. If you’re looking for ways to backpack cheaply or what’s some of the best affordable camping gear, here are some of my best tips and favorite budget gear.
How to get cheap backpacking gear
Before you spend your hard-earned cash on new gear, try these tips to get the best price.
- Check your local thrift stores. One of my first places to check for backpacking clothing and sometimes even cheap backpacking gear is always a local Goodwill or other thrift store. I’ve discovered many a good (and cheap) finds there, and it helps keep clothing in use and out of the landfills.
- Geartrade is an online website that collects used gear from fellow outdoorsy folks and enables them to sell it online. You can get up to 90% off the original purchase price.
- Facebook Marketplace can be used to connect with backpackers and hikers all over. You can also find groups specifically for selling and trading backpacking gear.
- REI Re/supply allows members to trade in used gear that is then resold at a discount in local REI stores. I’ve picked up some good gear this way before, including the sleeping bag I took with me on my Appalachian Trail thru hike.
- Holiday sales and coupon codes are an excellent way to get discounts on gear you have your eye on.
Budget backpacking hacks
Looking for ways to backpack cheaply or get the best affordable camping gear? Here are some of my best tips and tricks.
- Sawyer Mini + Smartwater bottle: A Sawyer Mini and a gas station Smartwater bottle is all you’ll need for safe drinking water on the trail. It’s lightweight, cheap, and very effective.
- Skip the expensive pack liners. Use a heavy-duty contractor bag instead to keep your gear dry.
- Need to keep yourself dry? It’s not stylish but it is effective: the contractor bag raincoat. Embrace that hiker trash lifestyle.
- Skip the pillow; fold up your coat or use your clothes bag instead. You can even put your buff around the clothes bag to make it a bit softer.
Affordable camping gear list
As with all things, your price point reflects something. In backpacking, a lower cost often means a higher weight. However, you don’t need all of the latest, most lightweight gear to enjoy your time outside. These pieces of affordable camping gear will serve you quite well without breaking your bank account.
Budget backpacking tent
Low-cost, high-quality backpacking tents can be hard to find. The Featherstone UL Granite 2P is my favorite budget backpacking tent, or the Featherstone Backbone for a budget trekking pole tent. The Granite comes in at under $150 and the Backbone at under $200, making them both excellent tents to take into the backcountry.
Another good, though slightly more expensive option, is the REI Half Dome. Well-known in the outdoor realm, it’s a quality tent that comes in around $350. Though still expensive, it’s a good deal cheaper than your $500-600 ultralight backpacking tents.
Affordable backpacking sleeping bag
My favorite way to get affordable sleeping bags is by buying them used. REI Re/supply or Geartrade are my go-to stops for this. You can find high-quality, gently used sleeping bags here, often that have already been washed and are ready to go.
You can see the full list of my favorite backpacking sleeping bags here, but my top budget-friendly sleeping bags are:
- Featherstone Outdoor Products Moondance 25 Top Quilt | This is a quilt rather than a sleeping bag, but that only helps you cut down on both weight and price.
- The North Face Cat’s Meow 20 Eco Sleeping Bag | This synthetic sleeping bag is decently priced and well-designed, perfect for the budget-friendly hiker who doesn’t mind a bit of extra weight.
- REI Radiant 20 Sleeping Bag | By mixing synthetic and down insulation, the Radiant 20 is able to keep costs low while giving you the benefit of both worlds. It’s a great bag to get you going without blowing your entire budget.
Sleeping mat
There are two main types of backpacking sleeping mats: foam sleeping mats and inflatable sleeping mats. Foam sleeping mats are thinner, much cheaper, and extremely durable. However, they’re often less comfortable, don’t fit in your backpack as easily as inflatable mats, and might not have as much insulation for cold weather camping.
Be careful of buying used sleeping mats from places like Facebook Marketplace. You don’t want to end up with a mat that has a slow leak, dumping you on the hard ground in the middle of the night.
A good inflatable mat is hard to get cheap. My favorite is the Exped Ultra. It’s durable, comfortable, and decently quiet for an inflatable mat. The 1R is the cheapest version, but the 3R will give you extra insulation for weather down into the 20s.
For a foam mat, I recommend the Featherstone Outdoor Products’ El Cordion.
Camp kitchen
Your camp kitchen can get pricy–and put a big dent in your goal for affordable camping gear between the stove, fuel, and your daily utensils. However, there are some different ways to bring that cost down.
The easiest way to make your camp kitchen cheap is by cold-soaking. That means, leave the stove, fuel, and pot behind and simply soak your meals in cold water to rehydrate them. It takes a bit more time, but with the proper recipes, your meals won’t suffer. Simply buy a $5 Talenti at your local gas station, enjoy the gelato, and then use that container to soak your meals in.
If cold-soaked food isn’t your vibe, you can also use an alcohol stove for cheaper fuel and stove. You can also save even more money by making your own stove out of pop cans too.
Some more camp kitchen tips:
- Use a three-in-one spork so you only need to buy (and carry) one utensil.
- Dehydrate your own backpacking meals. Skip the $10-15 Backpacker Pantry and make your own meals at home.
- Learn how to spice up the ramen. If you’re not up to dehydrating your own meals yet, learn some new tricks to spice up your regular ramen for cheap, tasty meals.
Cheap hydration
One look at some of the filters at your local gear shop and your head might start to spin. However, a cheap way to get clean water is two easily found items:
- Sawyer Mini water filter, which can screw onto Smartwater bottles you can buy at any grocery store, convenience store, or gas station
- Smart Water bottles (One for clean water and one for dirty water)
Electronics
You’ll always need to keep your electronics safe when you’re hiking out and about. Use a zip lock bag to keep your phone or other electronics in rather than buying specific waterproof bags.
If you need a power bank to keep your phone and other electronics charged while you’re out, try the Anker 10000 power bank.
Affordable hiking clothes
What hiking clothes or backpacking clothes you’ll need will depend on where you’re hiking and what the weather will be. When you start getting into colder weather or more extreme locations, you’ll need more specialized gear. But for most weekend adventures, your needs will be pretty basic.
As you’re thrifting and shopping for clothes, remember to avoid cotton. It soaks up water and sweat, and is not quick drying.
Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years:
- Don’t skimp on your hiking boots or trail runners. Buy the best one for your feet and it will save you a lot of pain and misery.
- You can always thrift a good hiking top. All you’ll need is a local Goodwill, and you can peruse for sweat-wicking, quick-drying shirts and tank tops.
- Your hiking shorts don’t need to be anything fancy. I hiked the Appalachian Trail in a pair of Walmart running shorts. Just make sure they’re quick-drying.
- Get Darn Tough socks for your hiking socks. Darn Tough has warranty that allows you to return your old, beat-up socks and get new ones, meaning you only have to purchase socks once!
First aid kit
Pre-created first aid kits designed for backpacking can be readily found at any outdoor retailer. Before you buy one, make sure that it has supplies for the number of people on your trip and for the number of days you’ll be traveling. The only thing you’ll then need to add is your own prescription medications.
If you’d prefer to make your own kit, make sure you have these supplies:
- Any prescription meds
- Band-aids (assorted sizes and a couple of butterfly band-aids)
- Gauze pads
- Medical gloves
- Medical tape
- Ibuprofen
- Tweezers
- Safety pin
- Moleskin
- Antibiotic ointment
- Antidiarrheal
- Antihistamines
- Nail clippers (optional, but especially nice on long trips)
- KT tape for injuries, chafing, etc. (optional)
- Body Glide for chafing (optional)
Emergency kit
The best way to save money is to learn how to patch up your own gear rather than needing to buy more or replace it. Always have duct tape and a needle and thread with you to keep your gear functional for as long as possible.
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