Recommendations for cheaper camping gear, to suit all budgets...
You can view my personal current full gear list and set up here. I am, however, very aware that there are lots of you that are very new to wild camping/ camping or haven't even given it a go just yet so I thought that it would be a good idea for me to share some cheaper gear options so that you don't have to make an all out investment on expensive gear, in the first instance.
These recommendations are based on my many, many hours spent online researching gear for my own use, I mean, you could probably consider gear research a hobby, or even an obsession of mine at this stage (I LOVE GEAR SO MUCH!!), so here goes...
Tents
Lanshan Ultralight Tent - £146.00
The Lanshan might have to be the king of all budget tents, a quick browse through online and YouTube reviews from users of this tent will attest to the excellence of this ultralight tent. I would really love to try a Lanshan out myself.
The Lanshan tent is a trekking pole tent in that it require a trekking pole in order to erect the tent so if you do not currently own trekking poles then this would be a further investment required if choosing this tent.
You can purchase this tent here.
The specifications of this tent are as follows -
2 person tent
Type: 3 Season
20D double silicon fabric (waterproof index 2000MM)+20D nylon breathable gauze Bottom of Tent: 20D silicone waterproof nylon (waterproof index 5000MM) Tent size: 270 x 125 (H) Inner size: 230 x 120 x 120cm
Net weight: 915 grams
Storage size: 34 x 15CM
As you will see from the specifications, this is a pretty amazing set up with a weight of only 915 grams! This weighs less than the tent that I currently use!
Another consideration for this tent is that you are required to seal the seams, there are plenty of YouTube tutorials showing you how to effectively do this.
The second option for budget tents would be the Coleman Darwin 2 Tent which is an even cheaper tent option for you to consider.
You can purchase this tent here.
The specifications of this tent are as follows -
Lightweight and easy to pitch two person dome tent: Easy to pitch; Highly flexible and light fiberglass poles withstand even strong winds; Ideal for camping, hiking, backpacking or festivals
Well-designed camping tent for two person: Several ventilation flaps for optimal air circulation avoid condensation; Mosquito net in the inner tent; Inner pockets for mobile phone, glasses, keys
100 percent waterproof tent: 3000 mm water column in combination with taped seams and fully sewn-in groundsheet, absolutely waterproof and bug free; UV Guard 50+ offers high protection from sunlight
Practical storage space: The small vestibule is large enough to store luggage, equipment and shoes; Small pack size and low weight make this tent ideal for trekking and daytrips in the outdoors
Sleeping area 2.9 m², living area 0.3 m²; Set up: Inner first; Waterproof groundsheet;
Pack Size 46 x 15.5 x 15.5cm;
Weight 2.8 kg; Including carrying bag with zip, guy ropes and sufficient tent pegs
As you will note from the above specification, this second option weighs in at 2.8kg rather than the Lanshan that comes in at under 1kg. You often have to sacrifice and buy heavier gear items when it comes to cheaper items so this should be something that you should consider. When choosing my kit, I tried to go for the lightest pieces of kit whilst still choosing kit items that were suitable and robust enough for the terrain and weather that I would be camping in.
Backpacks
This was the most difficult gear item to find on a budget/ cheaper basis, there are lots of options for cheaper backpacks, however, you really do not want to sacrifice too much of the quality, especially in terms of comfort. I would recommend you trying on backpacks before purchasing, if this is an option available to you.
You can purchase this backpack here.
The specifications of this pack are as follows -
Hardwearing 600D polyester fabric
Zipped lid pocket
Air mesh back construction to allow ventilated airflow
Metal frame for structural support
Air mesh adjustable hip belt to help stabilise pack weight
Weight 1.85kg
You can purchase this backpack here.
The specifications of this pack are as follows -
Color - Black
Size - 55 x 65
Material type - Polyester
Seasons - Year-round
Volume capacity - 65 litres
Weight - 1.6 kg
Sleeping Bags
There are so many budget sleeping bag options on the market. My only advice here would be DO NOT put your faith in the temperature ratings of these sleeping bags, please always ensure that you test the sleeping bag in temperatures above the minimum rating prior to using your sleeping bag in cold temperatures.
I own this sleeping bag as it was the first sleeping bag that I purchased before purchasing the Thermarest Hyperion. I used this sleeping bag in the summer and it was sufficient, I would probably not use this sleeping bag in early spring or autumn.
You can purchase this sleeping bag here.
The specifications of this sleeping bag are as follows -
Shell: iFlex 5500 20D Nylon fabric(Waterproof)
Lining: iFlex 5100 20D Nylon fabric
Filling: High quality goose down (256g)
Fill Power:800
Size:L185cm x W78cm
Compressed size: 12cm x 20cm
Weight 528g (560g with Sack bag)
Recommend Sleepzone: +2℃ to +8 ℃;
Sleeping Mat
Trekology as a brand has a brilliant reputation as one of the better budget camping brands, with this in mind, I would recommend their ultralight sleeping mat.
You can purchase this sleeping mat here.
The specifications of this mat are as follows -
Easy Inflation by mouth: fully inflated in 10 to 15 breaths to your desired firmness or using standard electronic pumps (sold separately) and you are ready for a good night sleep outdoors!
Fast Deflation by opening the valve and pushing out the air, then folding the mat back to its carrying bag. You will be ready to go in seconds!
This heavy-duty mat is made of strong and durable 40D nylon with a premium water-resistant coating. It is waterproof, moisture-proof, tear-resistant. Also it is designed to sustain extreme environments!
Our proprietary Diamond Air Cell provides unparalleled support by elevating you 50mm from ground whether you are a back, stomach, or side sleepers.
This compact ultralight camp mat can be Inflated to a desirable 191cm x 58cm (75.2 x 22.8 inches)
Super Compact - packs small to a size of 19.5cm x 10 cm (7.7 inch x 4 inch) and only 450g (16 oz), it is extremely lightweight to carry around.
Note - If you wanted to go even cheaper in terms of a sleeping mat then you can find plenty of budget 'closed foam cell sleeping mats' on Amazon.
Pillow
Coming in with another Trekology product, I would recommend the highly rated Trekology Ultralight Inflatable Pillow. This costs £15.99.
This product receives rave reviews on both Amazon and from the camping community on YouTube and it weighs in at only 110 grams!
You can purchase the pillow here.
The specifications of this product are as follows -
Weight 110 Grams
Product Dimensions 30.5 x 40.6 x 10.2 cm.
Stove
BRS Ultralight Camping Stove - £17.90
Again, this is a much loved product within the camping community and makes for a cheaper, budget dupe option to the MSR Pocket Rocket which I currently use, this product comes in at less than half of the price of the Pocket Rocket without sacrificing the quality. This stove weighs only 25g!
You can purchase the BRS stove here.
Cooking Pot
My recommendation for cooking pots would be the Eurohike Trek Solo Cookset.
You can purchase this set here.
The specifications for this set are as follows -
Backpacking cookset for one
500ml pot with 225ml lid/bowl
Both with folding handles
Hard anodized aluminium finish
Stacking design to save space
Spork
Spork or spoon, that is the question.... personally, I tend to use a long-handled spork as they reach nicely to the bottom of the freeze-dried meal packets without any fuss or mess.
The budget spork that I would recommend is the Tito Long Handled Spork. This spork weights only 16g!
This costs £6.99 and you can purchase it here.
I really do hope that this article is of some use to you. If you have any questions then please do get in touch, using the contact form above.
Please note that the above links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that if you do purchase the item using my link then I will receive a very small commission, at no additional cost to yourself. Any commission will help support my future trails and blog posts and I thank you in advance if you do chose to use one of my links.
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