Camping on the Cheap

So you want to go camping, but don't have money to spend on a ton of gear.  Well, if you can eat, and sleep at home and can go outside in all weather then you have most of what you need already.

There are a few items that you will need to buy, but once you have them you won't need to buy them again and they become part of your camping 'kit'

To demonstrate the ease of getting what you need I am going to 'virtually shop' the Canadian Tire website for the gear you need.

Axe or hatchet.  I recommend a mid size axe as it will make splitting wood much easier.  As with any bladed tool, get the best you can afford.  You won't regret spending more.  But here is a nice entry level axe for camping.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/yardworks-axe-24-in-0575108p.html#srp  $31.99

Tarp.  The standard  tarp you can get from any hardware store. I recommend that you get 2.  1 to put on the ground, another to use as your roof system. the 9x12 tarp is plenty for 2 people, if you have to shelter a larger group, then go with a size up.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/certified-value-tarp-9-x-12-ft-0405030p.html#srp  $7.98 x 2

Bed.  You will regret not having something to separate you from the hard, cold ground. I recommend getting an air mattress as it will separate you from the ground completely and folds up smaller than a foam mattress.  This is on the expensive side, and there is a risk of leaks developing. Smaller is better as shared body heat helps in the night.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/woods-double-airbed-with-2-in-1-pump-0765573p.html#srp  $94.99

Cooler.  You need something that you can put 2 bags of ice in, plus all the food that you want to keep cool. Remember to plan your meals and bring plenty of snacks.  Don't bring more than what you have to, and keep in mind that wild animals are attracted to food smells. (bears, coyotes, wolves, cougars etc)  Lock your food up in the car when you are not using it.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/coleman-advantage-cooler-46-can-0853433p.html#srp  $49.99

Rope The last item is some sort of cordage to help with tying up the tarp.  There are tons out there but something like this should work.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/polypropylene-hollow-braided-rope-blue-50-ft-0618464p.html#srp $2.97 x2

Total cost for gear that will get used again and again:  $198.87+taxes The only risky bit is the air mattress. because if it fails you have a hard sleep.  Another option is to use a pile of quilts or a futon or something but if those get wet you are done camping.

Once you have purchased these items, then you can finish up your shopping at home.

The easiest way to pack for a camping trip is to work through your day in your mind.  You'll have breakfast at home, and you'll have lunch at the site.  So pack a lunch that doesn't need cooking, then activities for the day.

Pack the meals you will need.  Don't forget you will be cooking these over a fire, so don't go all 'iron chef'  Keep it simple.  If you want bacon and eggs for breakfast, bring a frying pan you don't mind getting scorched over a fire.  Or you can pick one up cheap at the dollar store.

Drinks.  Pack some pop, but also bring plenty of water.  Bring a litre per person per day. This is probably the most important thing to bring from home as well as a kettle for heating water for the hot chocolate or washing up or the all important morning cup of coffee (instant is your friend)

Snacks for during the day, snacks for around the campfire at night.  Don't over do it, but you want to have some fun food on hand.

Bedding.  It gets cold out at night in the outdoors.  Heavy blankets, flannel jammies, toque and mittens are probably a good idea to have along even if you don't use them. Use a fitted sheet over the air mattress, then cover it in a regular sheet, a couple heavy blankets and a nice thick comforter or quilt.  Just remember that everything will get dirty from being outside, and will probably smell smokey when you get it back home.

So there you have it.  For a one time expenditure of under $200 dollars (less if you have some of the items at home already) plus whatever food and drink you bring, you can have a nice weekend camping trip.

Don't forget to pack a flashlight and some extra batteries and a roll of your toilet paper (in a ziplock freezer bag to keep it dry) Trust me on this one.  The stuff they try to pass off as toilet paper in government run campgrounds is not worthy of touching anyone's bottom. Quarter ply paper made from the scratchiest fibers known to man.

Some questions answered:

How do you set up the tarp to provide shelter for the night?  That depends a lot on weather and your personal preference. There are plenty of guides online.  I found this in a google search a while ago

The reason I have 2 tarps on the shopping list is to use one as the floor and the other as the roof part of the shelter.

Here is a simple one that I built in the back country of Kananaskis.  It was toasty warm with the fire out in front.  I used a single 9x12 tarp with stakes fashioned from sticks and some paracord I picked up at liquidation world for 3 bucks for about 50 feet.

 

There are plenty of camping checklists to be found online.  Use them to help you pack, but remember you don't have to break the bank.  Everything that you use to live at home can be used to live outside for a weekend.  As you get more experience you will know what items you prefer, and you will probably want to get a tent at some point as well.

Key things to remember when going out camping in order of importance

1. Water
2. Shelter (this includes appropriate clothing for being outside in the rain)
3. Fire (matches, lighter and something that burns easily to get it started such as newspaper)
4. Food

With these 4 items covered  you can easily spend a night out doors.  Do a dry run in your back yard the week before you go.  That way if you forgot something, you can just run into the house and get it.

Contact me if you have any questions on how to get started with camping.

HAPPY CAMPING!