Posted: 10/10/2010 10:07:54 AM EDT
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My girlfriend and I want to start hiking and camping, trying to get some more exercise. But I've never been camping on my own, except for some few knives I don't have much as far as camping/hiking gear. Now I can't drop a whole lot of coin on new gear because one, I'm a college student, and two, this may not be something I'll stick with (I doubt it, but worse case scenario) and I'd rather spend the money on something I'll use a few times.
So what gear would you recommend to a first time, budget minded, camper/hiker? |
| Try state parks for cheaper campsite rates. I have had luck picking up camping supplies at garage sales, thrift shops. Spend good money on your sleeping bag. It will make a world of difference. A good tent is next. They cheap walmart ones work okay but are heavy and don't last. Others will chime in but good luck its worth it. |
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We camp a LOT. But it sounds like you want to do a more rugged style than we do. I hike to the cooler to get another beer.... The state parks in Georgia are quite nice. When I'm testing out new equipment camping, I try to stay semi close to home the first time. There are some state parks here that have some "Hike in" campsites. Check the state parks website. Also, Georgia state parks are more expensive than most. $23-$28 / night. Something like that. Agree with David... Sleeping bag / tent should be near the top of the list; Food/Water. Methods for cooking. Where in GA are you? |
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Quoted: At first, car camping. I'd like to go far enough out so that going to the car would be only be worst case scenario. But eventually switching to just backpacking. Does that make sense? Fort Yargo has "Walk-in" campsites that might be good for starting up. Here's park map: http://gastateparks.org/content/georgia/parks/maps/FortYargo-sitemap.pdf |
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For car camping you really don't need a lot, and you can get by pretty cheap because weight is not an issue.
You can get by with a relatively inexpensive cabin tent from Wal-Mart. They are not ideal, but they will do the job. But not something you want to carry. I can tell you that when I was a kid, I mostly slept out on a picnic table rather than in a tent. The tent was for when it rained. As an adult, I always slept in a tent. Sleeping bags are nice but if you are doing mostly warmer weather you can easily get by with normal bedding. We did when I was a kid. Wal-Mart has cheap sleeping bags if you want one. A wool blanket inside makes a cheap sleeping bag quite cozy. One thing you do need is some kind of pad to sleep on, or you will be miserable. I would not spend money on a camping type pad for car camping. Heavy duty foam is an option. Get the stuff that is closed cell. Its cheap and quite comfy. It will take room, and its relatively heavy, but for car camping it will be fine. An air mattress will work too, but I have never had real good luck with them. A cot is a great option for car camping. Backpack camping is all about weight though, and I have no real experience with it other than some hike in camping I did when I was a kid. The kind where you walk a half a mile from the parking lot with your gear and pitch the tent. Its not exactly backpack camping and for the short distances involved weight is not as big of a deal. I would not get overly worried about gear, especially for car camping. IMO, the danger is bringing too much crap, not missing something you really need. Regular pots and pans, dishes, and silverware works fine at a campground. And the $20-30 camp stoves from Wal-Mart are fine for cooking up a few camp meals. You probably already have a cooler. One thing I would not skimp on is a good flashlight. It can get very dark. If you need to take a trip to the outhouse in the dead of night, a flashlight can be very handy. Something waterproof and that won't break if you drop it. |
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Start hitting yard sales / estate sales / flea markets for equipment. I've never bought a new stove or lantern, and between yard sailing and REI dent & scratch sales, I've collected a fair amount of nice equipment.
Look around your school - there's probably an "outdoors club" of some sort. I was in a big city school but we still had a camping club. They can probably help you get set up quick. |
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Quoted: Start hitting yard sales / estate sales / flea markets for equipment. I've never bought a new stove or lantern, and between yard sailing and REI dent & scratch sales, I've collected a fair amount of nice equipment. Look around your school - there's probably an "outdoors club" of some sort. I was in a big city school but we still had a camping club. They can probably help you get set up quick. Also eBay and Craigslist. |
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one thing that can turn folks off from camping is crap gear, but then that's the catch-22 of getting going. renting can be a help.
the difference between a warm bag with a good pad and a crap bag and crap pad and silence even the most harsh anti-camping critic. also, a good tent is easy to put up and waterproof. cheap ones are not. |
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Sleeping bag, tent, pocket knife, flashlights/lantern, cooking gear (including stove/gas), fire starting gear, food/food storage, basic hygene stuff, something to use as a pillow, spare clothes, good shoes/boots, comfy hat, etc.
Personally, I bring at least 2 pocket knives (with one being a multi-tool), and at least 2 flashlights. Gerber, Leatherman, and Victorinox are all good quality, and not rediculously expensive. Mag-lite makes good quality flashlights that aren't too expensive. I recommend the AA Mini-Mag and a 2-4D-cell version, if car camping/walk-in campsite. Big Mag-lites get too heavy for hiking. Also, a battery or gas powered lantern is a great thing for larger campsites. The Coleman propane lanterns throw off a LOT of light, although they are bulky. A good sleeping bag is essential, but you don't need to go for the $200 ultra-backpacking bag. A good sleeping bag from just about anywhere will do for basic camping (I recommend getting one rated 15-20 degrees cooler than you expect to be camping in). It sounds a little cheesy, but get a Boy Scout handbook. It is a pretty good reference for all things basic camping. It has checklists, recommendations, tips, and general guides for various types of camping. The books themselves are pretty durable, and cost $10-$15. |
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You can put together a camping kit on the cheap.
Tin can for a stove. Gas in a water bottle or alcohol for cooking. Army surplus store for: mess kit back pack bed roll Walmart for: machete ($6) matches ($2) flashlights (whatever you want to spend) tent ($20-$120, whatever you want to spend) camel back ($20-$80) axe ($10-$35) poncho Most expensive thing might be sleeping bag (try ebay). I would say for $100 you could be ready for temps into the 50's |
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Try This
Back Country And their Outlet Site Back Country's Outlet Center Watch the outlet closely... things come and go QUICKLY. I got a 200 dollar back pack for 68 bucks shipped. I also got a 150 dollar sleeping bag for 54 bucks shipped. They have GREAT deals on EVERYTHING. Awesome company too... they send me a 20 dollar gift card via Email for christmas. I bought a few mess kit items that barely exceeded 20 bucks and with shipping I spent 6 bucks and change for 23 bucks work of stuff. I love Back Country. |