Backpacking can be expensive, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be. If you鈥檙e willing to brave some of the elements and schlep a little more weight, you can certainly get these essentials for just north of $300.
Shelter ($15)
Eschewing a tent for a tarp will save you a nice chunk of change. Yes, some tarps can cost more than a tent, but I am partial to a mondo . Even though it comes with a bit of a weight penalty, it鈥檚 a lot less expensive, and you know it鈥檒l hold up and keep you sheltered. An important caveat: You鈥檒l want to avoid setting up camp when or where there鈥檚 a high chance of wind.
Sleeping Bag ($60)
Down sleeping bags with a high fill count are remarkably light and pack down to almost nothing. But they鈥檙e also expensive. If you鈥檙e on a budget and don鈥檛 want to buy a potentially grimy used sleeping bag, I suggest looking into a synthetic bag. I tested last year and found it to be plenty usable as a backpacking bag, thanks to its great temperature rating (30 degrees) for the price and comfortable mummy shape, although it does tip the scale at 2.2 pounds.
Sleeping Pad ($20)
Closed-cell foam sleeping pads鈥攍ike the 鈥攚ould never be considered 鈥渃ushy鈥 compared to some of their inflatable counterparts. But they鈥檙e still relatively lightweight, as well as durable鈥攜ou don鈥檛 have to worry about accidentally laying it on blackberry thorns and waking up with a deflated pad the next morning. Oh, and they鈥檙e half the price of most inflatable pads.
Pack ($160 or $20)
The way I see it, you can swing one of two ways with an affordable pack. The first is to buy a new , a lightweight, no-nonsense bag at an excellent price point with front storage pockets, EVA back panel, and a just-right packing size at 55 liters.
The other way is to rummage through the selection at a thrift or army surplus store for an external-frame backpack. If you want to save $140, used external-frame packs have advantages that cheap internal frames don鈥檛. They keep the load off your back, helping mitigate sweat without a fancy trampoline mesh system, and an inexpensive external frame keeps the load more squarely on your back and hips than a cheap internal frame would.
Water Purifier ($10)
The rare item that eases the burden on both your wallet and back: water-purification tablets. And don鈥檛 worry that you may be at risk by not bringing along a full-on purifier. The science behind tablets鈥攍ike my favorites from 鈥攊s sound. They are FDA-tested to protect you from bacteria, protozoa, and viruses.
Stove and Canister ($42)
Really, really inexpensive canister top stoves do exist. And if you鈥檙e obsessed (like dirtbag-level obsessed) with saving money, you can also make a stove out of a tuna can. But I don鈥檛 suggest either of those. A stove is not the place to cut corners. Having an easy-to-use, reliable stove like the , coupled with an , is a matter of safety. You are dealing with gas and fire, after all. The Pocket Rocket is extremely easy to use and has the bonus of being lightweight.
Shoes (Free)
I know I鈥檓 going to catch a lot of flack for this one, but hiking boots can price out a lot of new users. Don鈥檛 let them. If you鈥檙e on a serious budget, just use something that鈥檚 already in your closet. Running shoes are ideal, because they鈥檙e much lighter and more breathable than the leather upper on a traditional hiking boot. And if you have some form of low- or mid-top hiker that鈥檚 better at bearing weight without being too heavy, even better.