20 Tips for Backpacking on a Budget

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Whether you ’ re just starting out or updating your former gear , backpacking can equal expensive…really expensive . With all of the options out there and the technical glasses to equate , it ’ s severe to know where to commence .

Having said that , over the track of our 20,000 miles of trail adventures , we ’ ve found some pretty competitive alternatives to the pricier gear so we think it reach sense to portion our favorite point and tricks for backpacking on a budget – many of which don ’ t need any spending at all .

And if you enjoy this article , you ’ ll likely like our early backpacking content as well :

Ultimate Backpacking Checklist
Best Hiking Shoes for Men / Best Hiking Shoes for Women
Best Backpacking Tent
Well Backpacking Sleeping Bags & Best Backpacking Quilts
Best Backpacking Sleeping Pads
Best Backpacking Knapsack
Best Backpacking Stove
Backpacking Food Planning
And Many More Categories : CleverHiker Gear Guide

1 . Don ’ t Sweat a Couple of Ounces

A lightweight gang live the key to ease in the backcountry . When it do to salvage a couple of ounce here and thither though , you can often save quite a bit of money with a slightly heavy slice of gear . Observe it in check , but a few ounce hither and thither could end up write you hundred of dollars in the end .

2 . Wait for Big Sales

Most backpacking gear retailer have sale between season to reach way for new gear . For instance , spring is usually the best time to buy an insulated winter jacket or 4-season tent . Holidays usually mean large sale , as well . Memorial Day , Labor Day , Black Friday , and Cyber Monday are all great times to score big savings . REI usually have their largest sale of the year – the anniversary sale – around Memorial Day . You can write up to 30 % on sale items and need advantage of a member ’ s merely coupon for 20 % off one full-price point . When REI has a sale or a 20 % coupon , early retailers like Amazon and Backcountry will much mark down their price to match .

3 . Take Advantage of First Order Deals & E-list Coupons

Many websites offer great deals for placing your first order with them or signal up for an email list . Backcountry gives you 15 % off your first order in exchange for your email . If you signal up for Moosejaw ’ s e-list , they station you a coupon for 10 % off your first order . They also have a price peer guarantee .

4 . Buy Apply Gear

Live an REI Co-op member not only begin you exclusive 20 % coupons , it too give you access to their Re/Supply shop , where you can deal your used gear to get a small extra for your future big purchase , or buy apply gear and much score some great lot .

You can also find some really solid while on Craigslist and . And if you happen to live in or near a mountain town , local hiking organization often coordinate gear swaps or sales of their own .

5 . Adopt Gear from a Friend

You might not get the gear , but your friend do ! Need them if you can borrow a few detail . You ’ ll probably get bonus stage if you offer to mow their lawn or walk their dog in exchange . Also , make sure to equal a good friend . Treat adopt gear with care , clean it after use , and return it promptly after your trip .

6 . Rent Gear

So , your friends also don ’ t have the gear ? Rip it ! A lot of REI location rip basic backpacking gear , and some location get yet started rent ultralight gear package at a weekly rate . This be a great option if you only plan to run out once or twice a year or if you ’ re fresh to backpacking and want to try out out some gear before committing to a purchase . If you don ’ t have an REI near you , check with your local outfitter to meet if they rip .

If you ’ re a college student , check if your school has an outdoor club and hand out to learn if it rent gear – they often cause . There are too some online gear rental sites worth insure out , like Outdoors Geek , , and LowerGear Outdoors .

7 . Take Concern of the Gear You Already Own

A great style to spare money be by only build sure you choose great fear of the gear you already hold . Here cost a few easy ways to sustain the life of your current setup :

Make certain to store your tent dry – when you come home , plant up your tent in a sunny patch in your backyard or hang it up in your bathroom or on a clothesline to dry it totally before store . Check out our tent concern tilt for more info .
Use a footprint with your tent – footprints can be expensive , but they protect the seat of your tent from tree fool and abrasive objects like stick and rocks . You can reach your own affordable , lightweight footprint by buying Tyvek and cutting it to size . You can calculate out if a footprint equal correct for you in our Do You Real Need a Footprint article .
Store your sleep purse in a big mesh storehouse sack or hang it in your closet – never store a sleeping bag compress in its material sack , as that will compress and deform its insulation over time . Insure out our article on how to worry for your sleep purse .
Backflush your water filter – most filters come with a cleaning kit and are subject cleanable . Regular backwashing will keep up the flow pace of your filter and make it final much long .
Clean your cook gear when you get home – backpacking food live often really salty , sporting your lot before you store them to keep corosion .
Tenacious Tape will save your life – you can patch tent , sleep purse , pads , and jackets with this material . We get a alkali layer shirt that fell victim to a isolated campfire ember and the Tenacious Tape we used cost yet keep strong .

8 . Buy a Backpacking Bundle

REI extend a whole starter backpacking package with tent , sleeping purse , and pad . If you were lean for these pieces anyway , you ’ ll salvage a few dollar if you buy all three at once . As a bonus , this bundle almost always die on sale during REI sale events , at least that ’ s what we ’ ve seen in the past .

9 . Go for Synthetic Textile

Historically , insulated products with down fill are much light , but synthetic technology get come a long way over the past several years and the difference in weight is getting less and less important – especially when you factor in price . And synthetics still hold two major advantages over down – they dry quicker and will keep you fond when wet .

10 . Add a Sleeping Bag Liner for Chilly Trips

A sleep purse can be one of the most expensive pieces of gear in your pack . Many people own multiple bags for different season so they can come outdoor year-round , but you can grow your summer bag into an all-season sleep system with a sleeping base liner . In universal , a 20-30°F ( EN Lower Limit ) bag will begin you through the summer , fall , and leap if you live in a meek climate . If you like to winter camp or receive more intense seasons , a sleep bag liner can lend up to 25 degrees to your set up . That ’ ll aid you hold fond on chilly trip without needing to buy a new , expensive sleeping base .

11 . Don ’ t Buy/Bring Unnecessary Items

There ’ s an former saying in the backpacking community : people pack their fear . If you dread cost cold , you ’ ll gang also many clothes . If you fear going hungry , you ’ ll pack also much food . If you dread come injured , you ’ ll pack a vast first aid kit . One of the most common error beginners cause is buy and express way also much material they win ’ t somewhat need . We find that a well lightweight backpacking checklist truly serve with this , and the more experience on the lead you get , the more you ’ ll realize how much you can become by without . You should always carry the 10 essentials with you when you attain the trail , but many matter outside of that list should be considered luxury detail .

Planning ahead can write you money at the market fund , as well . It ’ s all also common for us to meet mass carry too much food for their trip , which think of overspending and a dense gang . Our middle are big than our stomachs sometimes , but we own a pretty well scheme that keeps the over-packing to a minimum : meal planning . Before we go to the grocery fund for lead meal and snacks , we ever sit down with pen and paper or a spreadsheet and outline every meal we plan to feed . Hither ’ s an instance :

DAY ONE

Breakfast : Instant oatmeal and coffee
Lunch : Peanut butter on tortillas
Snacks : ProBar , lead mix , jerky
Dinner : Angel hair pasta with pesto and tuna

Just like at home , when you have a clear program , you don ’ t finish up making as many impulse purchase while however insure that you have plenty to eat . For more ideas of what to include in your backpacking meal program , require a spirit at our Lightweight Backpacking Food Guide .

12 . Consider a Closed-cell Foam Pad

There be many types of shut cell foam pads on the market , and while we prefer the comfort and packability of inflatable pads , foam pads be cheap and they ’ ll never pop . If you ’ re okay sleeping on firm surface , a foam pad might be all you really need . R-values mass , so you can still layer a foam pad underneath an air pad to build it form during cold months . See our guide to the best sleeping pads to hear more .

13 . Sit Pads Are a Great Alternative to Backpacking Chairs

Backpacking president exist an more and more common sight out on the trail ; the ( control out our full ) and the more affordable live great choice . We love our Therm-A-Rest Z-Seat and rarely give for a trip without it . Sit pads hold your bum dry when you seat on wet logs , make rugged rock tolerable to pose on , and furnish an isolate barrier between you and the cold ground .

14 . Use Your Clothes Stuff Sack as a Pillow

Backpacking pillow are become very popular addition to camp sleep systems . You ’ re likely already contribute excess clothes in a stuff sack , and that ’ s almost…almost…the same thing . A puffy coat makes excellent filling for a stuff sack pillow , and you can make it even more comfy by envelop the whole sack in a fleece jacket or soft base layer shirt .

15 . Use a Trash Compactor Bag as a Pack Liner

Continue our gear dry cost a immense priority when we move on trip . If you ’ ve always have the pleasure of enclose yourself in a moist sleeping bag , you know why . Pack liners and dry sacks are a great selection for keeping crucial gear dry , but we ’ ve found that work just as well ( just build certain you be make unscented bags ) .

16 . Apply Ziplocs Instead of Dry Bags & Odor-proof Sacks

Speaking of continue your stuff dry , we wish to use to hold small affair like our phone and paper map dry . As long as they ’ re sealed properly and put on ’ t get hole in them , we ’ ve found Ziplocs live truly effective . We also repackage our food into Ziplocs to serve cut down on micro-trash from packaging and as a basic odor-proof barrier . We wish to label our Ziplocs so we know what was in them , then we can go on reusing them for multiple trip .

17 . Build Your Own Backpacking Meal

Prepackaged dehydrated backpacking meals cost very convenient , but can be pretty pricey . If you have the time and the passion , you can redeem a boatload by making your own meal . You can find out more in our extensive guide to lightweight backpacking meals as good as our catalogue of meal formula and food dehydration tips .

18 . Do an Aluminum Foil Windscreen

Windshield be a great increase to any camp cooking set-up ; they increase your fuel efficiency ( which reduces your fuel use and cost ) and give faster boiling sentence . A windscreen cost around $ 10- $ 15 online . However , you can also .

bill: Though very rare , fuel canisters can overheat and blow up under the wrong conditions . If you equal using your windscreen with a canister stove , live certain to leave one side totally capable to let passion flight .

19 . While You ’ re at it , Make Your Own Stove

We prefer to apply canister stove for our backpacking trips . They ’ re quicker , easy to employ , and offer more mastery over the fire size . However , if you ’ re really test to score the lead on the cheap , you can make an alcohol stove out of a standard 12 oz . soda can . We ’ ll just leave this bill about how to expend your fresh alcohol stove safely hither , as we ’ ve witnessed many an alcohol stove blunders in the wilderness .

20 . Some of Our Favorite Budget Backpacking Gear Options

TENTS

REI Trailmade 2
The North Face Stormbreak 2
REI Half Dome 2 Plus
Marmot Tungsten 2

BACKPACKS

REI Co-op Flash 55 ( Men ’ s / Women ’ sec )
Osprey Rook ( Men ’ s ) & Renn ( Women ’ sec )
Osprey Exos ( ) & Eja ( Women ’ sec )

SLEEPING BAGS

Kelty Cosmic Ultra 20 ( Men ’ s / Women ’ sec )
Marmot Trestles Elite Eco 20 ( Men ’ s / Women ’ sec )
NEMO Disco 15 ( Men ’ s / Women ’ sec )

SLEEPING PADS

Klymit Static V2
NEMO Switchback
Big Agnes Rapide SL Isolate
NEMO Tensor Trail

FOOTWEAR & CLOTHING

Merrell Moab 3 ( Men ’ s / Women ’ sec )
Marmot Precip Eco Rain Jacket ( Men ’ s / Women ’ s )
REI Co-op 650 Down Jacket ( Men ’ s / Women ’ s )

STOVES & CAMP KITCHEN

Soto Amicus Stove Cookset Combo
Toaks Titanium 750 ml . Pot
GSI Essential Long Spoon

WATER filter

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter
Lifestraw Personal Filter
Aquamira Drops
Katadyn Micropur Purification Tablets

OTHER GOOD BUDGET GEAR & ACCESSORIES

Black Diamond Astro 300
REI Co-op Lightweight Compression material sacks
Therm-a-Rest Z-Seat
REI Co-op Traverse Power Lock Cork Trekking Poles
Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles
Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow
BioLite Charge 20 PD Power Bank
Gerber Mini Paraframe Serrated Knife
Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight & Watertight .7 First Aid Kit
REI Snow Stake ( used as a cathole trowel )

Final Thoughts

There equal so many ways to veer cost when gear up to live backpacking without cut down comfort . Whether you ’ re new to backpacking and need more crest to serve become you started , or if you ’ re a veteran hiker require to sweep up on some skill , check out this early popular content :

CleverHiker Gear Guide – All our top gear recommendation
Top 12 Beginner Backpacking Blunders
How to Poop in the Wood : A Backpacker ’ s Guide
Does Bear Spray Really Work ?
Lightweight Backpacking Gear Basics Video Series
Essential Trail Skills Video Series