There’s no better way to spend a weekend than packing up the car, heading out into nature, and camping in the woods for a few days. On its surface, car camping should be one of the most accessible ways to get outside: You’re not limited by weight, and you should be able to bring everything you need in your vehicle.
And yet, we live in a world where a new tent or cooler can cost hundreds of dollars. And if you’re going with your family or kids, all that gear can quickly lead to sticker shock. With a little work and a little planning, however, it’s possible to drive to a campground and have a decent sleep setup — without breaking the bank.
When I started camping on climbing trips several years ago, I was a dirt-poor grad student with almost no extra money. Any extra funds I had went to climbing gear, so I had to scrounge and scrimp on my camp set-up. Here are the tips and tricks that let me enjoy the outdoors while saving some cash.
Forget Weight
If you’re planning on just camping near your car, and not backpacking, you can forget any and all concerns about weight.
Brands will market things as “ultralight,” but that descriptor is code for “expensive.” So, unless you’re carrying it for miles in a pack, weight doesn’t really matter. Shaving a few ounces off your sleeping bag for an extra $100 is useless if you’re only ever tossing the bag into your car.
Choose Reliable, But Affordable Brands
When you’re trying to save money, it can be tempting to choose the absolute cheapest brand possible. In the long term, however, that strategy costs more money, as you’ll have to buy new gear to replace the bargain basement items that eventually break. Instead, I focused on buying from reputable, established brands that were one step up from the lowest price.
Coleman and Igloo are great examples of these kinds of brands. Their products aren’t the flashiest or most feature-rich, but they get the job done, and they’ll last. I bought a used Coleman Sundome tent off a friend for $20, and I’ve used it for over 6 years. It’s survived thunderstorms and tornado watches, and it’s still going strong. Brand new, it costs less than $100, a pretty good value for a long-lasting tent.
For a cooler, I use an old-fashioned $40 Igloo Playmate Cooler. Its ice retention can’t compete with a YETI. But at the same time, it keeps things cold enough, and it doesn’t cost as much as a car payment.
Also, I could write a love letter to the Coleman camping stove that I bought at Walmart. This stove costs just $70, and it’s lasted for years. It has two burners and good heat adjustability. Meanwhile, almost every two-burner stove for sale at REI costs over $100.
Avoid Camping-Specific Stores When Possible
Whenever applicable, avoid buying gear marketed for camping, as it’s often more expensive.
Take plates and silverware, for example. Plates and bowls from REI retail anywhere from $6 to $20 a pop. Instead, I just bought reusable plastic plates and bowls from Target — the kind of stuff they advertise for college students to use in their dorm rooms. It’s indestructible, functional, and dirt cheap.
Similarly, you don’t need a special sponge or camping-specific frying pan to cook at camp: The stuff you have at home works just as well outside. Heck, I still just bring normal forks and spoons from my kitchen when I go car camping.
Camping chairs are another great example. No one really needs a $180 Nemo camping chair. The $20 one you buy from Costco will work just as well. Not every product has to reinvent the wheel and offer some cool new feature. A chair can just be a chair.
Shop Used
Buying used is a great way to save on apparel and sleeping bags. Each REI store has a large used-gear section, and many brands these days have online resale shops. It’s also worth checking out your local, independent gear shop to see if it offers consignment.
Unless you can thoroughly inspect them, I wouldn’t buy sleeping pads or tents used, since these are some of the most likely-to-break items. If you’re looking for a fleece or daypack, though, there’s no better place to look for a bargain than the used section.
Spend on Sleep
There’s only one thing that I think is worth spending slightly more money on: your sleep setup. A bad night’s sleep is a sure-fire way to ruin a camping trip, and spending an extra $20 to $30 on a good sleeping pad is worth it. Sea to Summit and Big Agnes both make high-quality, well-reviewed sleeping pads that offer comfort without costing a fortune.
If you want a large pad that is more of an air mattress, Exped’s DeepSleep Duo Pad fits two people comfortably. The $300 price tag isn’t cheap, but it’s only $150 per person, and our reviewer has called the brand’s mattresses “durable, comfortable, and stable.” What else could you ask for?
The Campsites Themselves
Established campgrounds can be expensive these days. I recently paid $25 a night for a bare-bones campsite down in Arkansas, and $30 for a backcountry site in Oregon.
When possible, look for dispersed camping. In most areas controlled by the U.S. Forest Service, you can disperse camp for free, provided you follow stated regulations and practice Leave No Trace ethics. Of course, these campsites have nothing: no bathrooms, no water, no trash collection, etc.
But that’s also part of the appeal: It’s a great way to escape into nature and experience real solitude. Saving money and getting to hear birdsong in the morning is a real win-win.
Resist Overconsumption
If you’re an outdoorsy person, you’ve undoubtedly seen social media posts from influencers that go something like this: “The 10 hiking pants hot girls wear” or “My favorite 8 puffy jackets you have to try.” It’s easy to get sucked into these reels (social media is designed to be addictive, after all).
But it’s worth stopping to question them. Who really needs 10 pairs of hiking pants, or that many jackets? Instead of getting baited into following trends and buying more than you need, find a few select products that really work for you.
For example, I tried on so many pairs of hiking pants before I found prAna’s Halle pants. They were one of only a few options that fit my hips and waist the right way, so I bought two pairs. While each pair costs $98, I have worn them anytime I’ve gone outside for 5 years. The cost-per-wear at this point is pretty low.
They’ve endured me scraping up a chimney while climbing, and me jumping into the ocean on a whim in New Zealand. Any time I’m tempted to buy shorts or pants that are “trendy” or “cool,” I pull my Halle pants out of my drawer and give myself a reality check, a method that’s saved me plenty of money.
Brands count on people buying more gear than they need, and advertise flashy new features or tech to convince you to buy in. There’s a place for ultralight and cutting-edge gear in the outdoors, but your car camp setup isn’t it.
Save the ultra-expensive technical gear for alpinists, and save yourself some cash.
