Name: You can enjoy camping without spending a lot of money.
Brand: snailpacetransformations.com
SKU: snailpacetransformations-com-2
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

You can enjoy camping without spending a lot of money.

preview

Camping is something that should be a cheap family getaway but can be extremely expensive if you don’t pay attention to costs.My husband and I started camping with our children when they reached school age, and now that they have all left the nest, we are camping even more.&nbsp;All those years of camping experience have resulted in learning many simple ways to save money on camping costs. Today I am sharing them with you.I have broken this list into five sectionsIf this is your family’s first-ever camping excursion, buy as little as possible and borrow all you can. This will allow you to make sure that your family enjoys camping before you invest a significant amount of money into gear.Here is a list of three camping items you can use for other purposes, so if you decide camping is not your thing, you will still get your money’s worth out of them.Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace are great places to look for second-hand camping supplies. Don’t forget to look at yard sales and thrift stores, too; I found all most all the camping kitchen supplies we use at these places.REI has a used section that is good for finding name-brand items in good condition at a discount. However, the discount isn’t nearly as significant as you would find through other sources of second-hand camping gear. I have heard that their annual garage sales offer much better prices.GearTrade and Outdoor Geeks are two more sites offering second hand camping gear for sale. Most items are 50-60% off new prices. You might be able to wait it out and get a new item at this deep discount, but if you are running short on time or prefer used over new for environmental reasons, it is worth checking out these sites.Our family spent close to half a year camping our way across the USA and Western Canada.This differs from borrowing because you are purchasing articles together with friends and then using them at different times. Most people camp perhaps 2 to 3 weeks a year at most, so there is time in the season to share your stuff with others.Pick the friends or family you share with wisely and create a written list of rules. Doing so helps decrease the chances that a relationship becomes ruined over a piece of camping equipment that was not cared for in the manner an individual in the sharing group thought it should be.My son and I absorbing in the views of the Grand Canyon during our half-year camping trip.Instead of a sleeping bag and specialized camping pillows, make a bed roll out of full or larger blankets and regular pillows.Instead of a tent or RV, consider sleeping in the back of your minivan, SUV, or truck with a topper.Grab cookware such as pots and pans, silverware, and dishes you need from your kitchen.If your campsite will have electricity consider packing small appliances such as an electric skillet or crockpot to cook with instead of investing in a propane stove right away.This might be inconvenient to do, but it will save you money until you are sure you want to camp on a regular basis. It will also give you time to find items you want on sale or used.Here are a few of our favorite Dollar Tree items for campingHere are a few more ideas for camping supplies to look for at the dollar storeThe biggest piece of equipment you will need is your tent or RV, and you can rent both.Renting A TentThough you probably could buy a cheap tent for less than you can rent one, I still think renting one can make sense.Take it from a person who has bought a few low-cost tents before she got smart; they don’t last long. And seeing all that material go into the trash makes you aware of the environmental impact of low-quality goods. However, renting a tent not only keeps you from throwing money in the garbage but allows you to decide what features you like best before you invest in one.Here are a few places that rent tents&nbsp;Renting An RVRenting an RV is expensive; however, renting an RV before you buy allows you to decide what features you do and don’t like, as well as how comfortable you feel with towing.Here are a few places where you can rent RVsOur family at the Atlanta Aquarium during our RV Trip.Here is an example of what I mean by stacking the savings. Jack and I decided to invest in a Kodiak Canvas Tent (we have this style and LOVE it).&nbsp;When we knew that a canvas tent we could stand up in was how we wanted to get back into tenting instead of RVing for short weekend trips (call us weird, but there is just something about tent camping), we spent a few weeks scrolling Facebook Marketplace for the make and model we wanted. Not a single tent showed up so we moved on to buying a new one.I spent roughly 30 minutes comparing the prices of various sites that carried Kodiak Canvas Tent until I found the lowest price, which was $50 lower than any other store.On that site, my Honey Browser Tool offered me a $50 instant cash back code.Finally (and this step is only for those who pay credit card balances in full month after month), I used our travel points card to pay for the tent earning us points towards a flight.The total saved on the tent was $100 plus some flight points.&nbsp;Something I have noticed is that camping gear in perfectly good condition is sometimes left near or, unfortunately, in a dumpster.We ourselves gained two perfectly good camp chairs this way.One reason for this is people fly in to enjoy the great outdoors on their vacation. They bring with them the smaller, lighter stuff like their sleeping bags and then purchase the inexpensive, heavier stuff like camp chairs. After their camping trip is over, they dump the inexpensive stuff.Campground dumpsters are also sources of items in need of repair. Not everyone has the skills or desire to learn to patch holes or sew seam tears. If you have these skills or are willing to learn, you can score free gear.Once you have gone camping a few times, you should know what style of camping you prefer. Camping styles can range from primitive camping with no amenities to glamping in an RV with its own toilet and shower at campgrounds that offer full hookups.Once you know where you land, you can start obtaining quality gear that will last–but using my tips, you won’t have to pay retail for any of it. Buying quality does cost more, but in the end, you spend less as it doesn’t need to be replaced as often, if ever.&nbsp;For instance, owners of&nbsp;Kodiak Canvas tents claim that they will be able to hand down their tents to the next generation. And after camping in ours, I believe it!My eldest running down Inferno Cone Mountain inside Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. Memories of this camping trip will be treasured forever.Although it is tempting after a family camping trip to chuck the camp gear in the garage and forget about it–doing so will cost you money.Tents will mold if not properly dried. RV pipes can burst due to freezing if not properly winterized at the end of the camping season. Down sleeping bags that are left in a stuff bag can become lumpy and therefore don’t keep you as warm. I could go on listing more damage that can happen when you don’t take care of your camp supplies well, but I think you get the point.Read up on how to properly take care of your gear or if you prefer video learning, look up what you own on Youtube and there is probably a video or two on how to care for it properly.If, after borrowing what you can, using what you have around the house, and renting your tent or RV, you find you are still without some gear you would consider essential–take a minute to think if there is a way to live without it.For instance, you might think a camp stove is essential, but you could stick to meals that can be cooked over a campfire or perhaps don’t even need to be cooked at all.For most families, things like camp supplies are not going to be a regular line on the family budget. If you want to invest some money in camping supplies, but can’t find the money in your regular paychecks, perhaps you could go through your house from top to bottom, gathering all the things you don’t need, and&nbsp;throw a yard sale&nbsp;or list big items on&nbsp;Craigslist.&nbsp;Consult&nbsp;my reselling page&nbsp;for a list of all the different ways you can earn money reselling your items.If you simply don’t have many items to sell, then with a little more time, you could earn money at home using your laptop, even if you feel like you don’t have skills for online work.My husband hiking on a rainy day of camping near Tofino, Canada.If you are camping in a motorhome in the middle of summer, you might want to spring for a campground with electricity for the air conditioning and a pool for the kids.If you are tent camping, a campground with flush toilets and hot showers might be something you want.Generally, the more amenities an RV park offers, the more you are going to pay for a campsite, but not always. Sometimes a primitive campsite in or near a highly visited area can be more money than a full hook-up site in a lesser-visited area.Prices of campsites do vary. For instance, in our area, state parks charge $30 per night for a campsite with electricity, but we have seen other private campgrounds in our area charging as much as $70 a night for the same types of services…but without the hiking trails and beaches of the state parks.If you live in the western states,&nbsp;free camping sites are more available than in the rest of the country. They can be found on BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) and in national forests. If you live in Canada, you can camp for free on Crown land. The rules and regulations for each of these areas vary so make sure you do your research before you go.A sunset we enjoyed in a state park In Florida.We have been members of Boondockers Welcome for the last few years. When it merged with Harvesthost, we upgraded to the combo membership. For less than the price of a week of camping at a state park, we get unlimited access to over 7,000 places to camp around the US and Canada for an entire year.There are no added costs to stay at the Boondockers Welcome sites (unless you use electricity). At Harvesthost sites, you are expected to spend $20 or more on something the farm, winery, restaurant, etc., offers, but you probably would have spent that in the area near your campsite anyways.Go here to grab your Boondockers Welcome membership.Not convinced yet? Here is a post I wrote answering common questions about Boondockers Welcome.State park campsites usually come with a generous per campsite maximum. If you have a small family, this may allow you to split the cost of a site with another family, and you can save even more by sharing supplies.This idea will not work at a privately owned RV park as they often have incredibly small people per campsite limits. We have been charged a fee for each additional person over a group size of two! Make sure you ask how many people per site before you book.By planning ahead, you can think through how to simplify recipes for campground cooking. For instance, you can make up a&nbsp;homemade baking mix&nbsp;that you can use for pancakes and biscuits and even quick pizza dough,&nbsp;oatmeal packets, cookie dough, and even&nbsp;freezer bag crockpot meals&nbsp;(if you are RV-ing it as we do), which will save you time at the campground and money.We took a break from RV life to stay in these state park cabins.Nothing is worse than getting out to your campsite and realizing you forgot the tinfoil that half your recipes need, forcing you to pay a premium price for it at the campground store. A master list stops this expensive problem in its tracks.Ensure that the master list includes emergency items, such as basic first aid supplies, pain relief, cough drops, Benadryl (for allergic reactions), and stomach aids such as antacids and Pepto Bismol.I used to not bring more than basic first aid supplies, not wanting other items I listed to expire before we had a use for them. That was until one camping trip when my daughter’s face swelled horribly due to an allergy to mosquitos. The price of the Benydryl at the camp store was so expensive I could have bought all the basics I listed above for less than that one bottle.The weather app may say 10 days of full sun ahead, but it isn’t always right and some rain may fall on your camping getaway. Instead of letting rain send you to the movies and dinner out in a nearby town, thus emptying your pocketbook, plan what to do for rainfall before you even leave the house. Here are some rainy-day camping ideas&nbsp;that have worked for our family over the years that are reasonably inexpensive.This State park is full of rocks to climb.Sometimes it is worth paying higher camping fees if you are traveling with kids and the campground includes things like hay rides, swimming, and other activities at no extra cost.State parks come with their own free entertainment in the form of beaches, hiking trails, and exhibits at visitor centers.Staying close to home will help you save on fuel costs. It will give you more time to enjoy camping!The three gas apps we use over and overOur favorite campground view of all time!The bigger your camping setup, the more it will cost you to go camping. You will pay more for gas and upkeep. You will pay more for the tow vehicle. You might even pay more for the campsite as 30 amp sites can be less than 50 amp sites. And, of course, your fuel costs are higher.Before you take the leap to RV ownership, know what you can afford to spend not just on the RV but on its upkeep, insurance, and perhaps even storage.Also, consider how many nights per year you realistically will go camping. If you plan to make every family vacation a camping one and go camping every long weekend, then it makes sense to invest more in a comfortable camping setup than a family who goes camping one weekend a year.And if you are that family that plans to camp one weekend a year, sticking to renting an RV or to tent camping is probably going to make better financial sense.And don’t think you have to freeze or sweat it out in a tent. Since buying our Kodiak Canvas tent, I have talked to other canvas tent owners who use heaters and portable air conditioners in their tents with great success since the canvas is better than nylon at keeping heat or cold air inside.If you don’t want to sleep on the ground but you don’t want to shell out the cash for an RV, here are two ideas that might work for you.10 Essential Items For Turning The Family Minivan Into A CamperHow To Build A Truck Topper Camper In A WeekendI hope these tips help you and your family enjoy camping on a budget. Don’t forget to grab my essential camping list; it’s free when you sign-up for my email list. Sign-up using the form below.&nbsp;Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.Welcome to the Snail Pace Transformations blog where I share my tips for improving finances and home management one small step at a time. Why small? Because small changes are more likely to transform your life.Privacy Policy

Camping is something that should be a cheap family getaway but can be extremely expensive if you don’t pay attention to costs.My husband and I started camping with our children when they reached school age, and now that they have all left the nest, we are camping even more.&nbsp;All those years of camping experience have resulted in learning many simple ways to save money on camping costs. Today I am sharing them with you.I have broken this list into five sectionsIf this is your family’s first-ever camping excursion, buy as little as possible and borrow all you can. This will allow you to...

You can enjoy camping without spending a lot of money.

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS