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Camping essentials like a tent and sleeping bag may cost well over $100, but the rest shouldn’t have to.
Wellax
By Tanner Bowden and Hayley Helms
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Given the comforts that we’ve created for ourselves in modern civilization, camping can seem a little inane. We rationalize the endeavor, though, don’t we? We go camping to get away from it all, to get in touch with nature, to find ourselves — or, like Thoreau, “to live deliberately.”
Or, unlike Thoreau, to get dirty and drink beers next to a roaring fire.
The common denominator here is a notion of simplicity — but camping gear can easily become complicated and expensive. Most of the essential items — a good tent, a quality sleeping bag, a decent sleeping pad — typically cost over $100. Sadly, there’s no real way around that. And yet, quality items for exploring and enjoying the great outdoors can still be found on a budget. For the purpose of this story, we set a per-item limit of $50; here’s some of our favorite camping gear you can buy in that range.
REIGear Aid Tenacious Tape Repair Tape
$6.00 at REI
When one of those things that’s too expensive to make it onto this list — say, an insulated jacket or tent — tears (because beating up your gear is inherent to camping), Tenacious Tape is a quick, easy and cheap way to repair it.
CourtesyNalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle
$17.00 at nalgene.com
Nalgene remade its classic water bottle with 50 percent recycled materials, but it’s still super-durable and super-affordable.
Read our guide to the best water bottles here.
AmazonLodge Cast Iron Skillet
$20.00 at Amazon
$34.00(42% off)
On the heavier side of the camping gear spectrum is the trusty cast iron skillet. While new boutique versions of the cookware classic can run as much as $200, Lodge’s offering is sufficiently non-stick and wildly affordable. Throw it on a grate or, if your campsite doesn’t have one, directly into the coals of your fire. (Just don’t leave it out in the rain overnight.)
Read our guide to the best cast iron skillets here.
Hydro FlaskHydro Flask 24 Ounce Mug
$30.00 at Hydro Flask
Insulated coffee mugs typically come in 12 ounce capacities, but for the true coffee lovers out there, Hydro Flask’s 24-ounce option combines superior craftsmanship and heat retention with a large enough capacity to satisfy most java enthusiasts.
Read our guide to the best travel mugs here.
AmazonSoto Pocket Torch
$22.00 at Amazon
A typical cheap lighter will suit you just fine for most fire-starting needs. But if you’re worried about wind and temperature, this $20 add-on turns your last-minute gas station purchase into a mini blowtorch. If you require a little more fuel, the extended version is available for just a few bucks more.
CourtesySnow Peak Tableware Set L
$43.00 at snowpeak.com
Tableware sets don’t need to be flimsy or made of plastic to be cheap. Snow Peak’s affordable set combines its minimal aesthetic and elevated construction with a wallet-friendly price tag. Japanese-designed stainless steel will last way longer, and look much better, than that cheap plastic set you picked up last season.
AmazonNemo Equipment Sweepstakes
$25.00 at Amazon
If you’ve ever tripped on a tent stake in the dark, then consider Nemo’s Sweepstakes an easy safety upgrade. The glow-in-the-dark piece slides up and down the stake, which helps kick off dirt when it’s time to pack up.
AmazonNite Ize ShineLine
$27.00 at Amazon
Crank up your campsite ambiance with this 10-foot light-up line. It comes with four gear ties that make it easy to set up and runs on a rechargeable battery.
CourtesyGerber Compleat
$29.00 at gerbergear.com
The Compleat is one of those things that makes so much sense you wonder how it didn’t exist before. It has four separate implements that provide more than double the uses: spoon, fork, spatula, tongs, scraping edge, cutting edge, can opener, bottle opener, peeler. They all nest together neatly and weigh just over two ounces.
Read our guide to the best camp cutlery here.
Sea To SummitSea to Summit eVent Compression Dry Sack
$33.00 at avantlink.com
Getting wet is one of camping’s inevitabilities. Your clothes might get wet, your shoes, your backpack, your tent — but the last thing you want to dampen, the one thing that’s dryness you want to preserve at all costs, is your sleeping bag. This compression sack is the foolproof preventive measure (and you can pack it with clothing or electronics if need be, too).
Read our guide to the best waterproof backpacks here.
CourtesyGSI Outdoors Java Press
$37.00 at avantlink.com
The real hero of a camping trip is whoever gets up early enough to make coffee for the rest of the crew. The Java Press is insulated so that it’ll stay warm if they sleep in longer than expected.
CourtesyGerber Armbar Cork
$39.00 at avantlink.com
The Armbar Cork can cut, snip and open (cans and bottles, even corked ones). That makes it the perfect multi-tool for camping, and it’s far lighter, not to mention less expensive than the full-sized ones that might come to mind.
Read our guide to the best multi-tools here.
BioLiteBiolite HeadLamp 325
$50.00 at BioLite
Biolite’s Headlamp 325 is one of our favorite headlamps for a reason — it’s lightweight, the lining is comfortable, it charges quickly and it squeaks right in under fifty bucks.
Read our guide to the best headlamps here.
CourtesyNemo Equipment Fillo Elite Pillow
$100.00 at avantlink.com
Bundling up your sweatshirt and pants as a headrest always seems like a good idea, until you wake up with a crick in your neck in the middle of the night. This backcountry pillow is inflatable, has a soft cover and packs down to the size of a deck of cards.
REISea to Summit Alpha Pot, 1.9 Liters
$47.00 at REI
Sea to Summit’s Alpha cookware collection earned our award for one of the best products of the year back in 2017. This ultralight pot has a lockable folding handle and a lid with notches for draining pasta water without losing a single noodle.
REILifeStraw Peak Water Filter Straw
$25.00 at REI
This little, yet powerful, water filter is less than three ounces, but it has an unlimited shelf life — keep it in your bag for as long as you want, until you really need it.
Read more about the Peak Series Water Filter Straw.
BioLiteBiolite Charge 20 PD
$40.00 at BioLite
Like it or not, electronics are a part of camping now, and having enough power for your gadgets is an important consideration to make. A backup charger isn’t essential but can come in handy in a pinch. This one has both USB-C and USB-A ports.
Read our guide to the best power banks for camping here.
Big AgnesBig Agnes TwisterCane BioFoam Sleeping Pad
$50.00 at avantlink.com
It may not be a fancy inflatable camping mattress, but the TwisterCane is lightweight, comfortable and made (mostly) of sugarcane-based foam.
Read our guide to the best camping air mattresses here.
REIREI Co-op Camp Low Chair
$50.00 at REI
Camp chair s can end up costing a pretty penny, but they don’t have to. This minimalist option from REI is both easy to set up and easy on the wallet — without sacrificing quality. The seat is water-repellent, the frame is powder-coated and rugged, and the whole thing folds down flat for easy carrying.
Read our guide to the best camp chairs here.
REIJetboil Silicone Coffee Press
$19.00 at REI
You’ve got your Jetboil stove, but unless you like Cowboy Coffee, you’re going to need a press. This handy little accessory to one of the most popular camp stoves on the market doesn’t just deliver in the java department — you can also use it to steam veggies.
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