$350 total for the Hansen family<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSo the Hansen Family is planning on spending just under $350. How can this be done? Let’s check it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Activities are staying the same. Don’t want to miss out on that cave tour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
$30 for both adults<\/strong> (kid gets in free)<\/p>\n\n\n\nTransportation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n For comparison’s sake, we are going to assume the Hansens and the Jepsons are next door neighbors, and are the same distance from the campground. Also, they drive the same car model and year, so the mileage is the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total fuel costs: $15.36 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The Hansens and the Jepsons have the same number of people in their family, so the projected cost will be the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total food costs for the Hansens: $111<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nDaily Fees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Daily fees are going to be the same as the Jepsons, as the Hansens also do not have a parks pass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total Daily Fees: $75<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nShared Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n This is where the Jepsons and the Hansens are going to be very different in their approach. This is the same stuff that the Jepsons brought, but the Hansens are going to improvise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shared Gear Item<\/strong><\/td>Price or Plan<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Paper towels<\/td> Bringing from Home <\/td><\/tr> Matches\/Lighter<\/td> $2<\/td><\/tr> Cooking Oil\/Butter<\/td> Using some vegetable oil in a small used water bottle<\/td><\/tr> Sun screen<\/td> $3<\/td><\/tr> Bug spray<\/td> $4<\/td><\/tr> Tissues<\/td> Bringing tissues from home supply<\/td><\/tr> Wet Wipes<\/td> Doing without (everyone’s just going to be a little stinky)<\/td><\/tr> Water jugs<\/td> Filling used Simply Lemonade jugs with tap water<\/td><\/tr> Extra Batteries (for headlamps, various electronics)<\/td> Doing without<\/td><\/tr> Gas Fuel (propane\/butane)<\/td> Doing without<\/td><\/tr> Can Opener<\/td> Bringing from home kitchen<\/td><\/tr> Tongs<\/td> Bringing from home kitchen <\/td><\/tr> Dishsoap<\/td> Bringing from home kitchen <\/td><\/tr> Spatula<\/td> Bringing from home kitchen<\/td><\/tr> Cooking Pan<\/td> Bringing oldest pan from home kitchen <\/td><\/tr> Pocket knife<\/td> Bringing from home kitchen <\/td><\/tr> Tarp<\/td> Borrowing from Jepsons<\/td><\/tr> Cutting board and knife<\/td> Bringing from home kitchen <\/td><\/tr> Extra Blankets<\/td> Bringing from home supply<\/td><\/tr> Spices, salt&pepper, hot sauce<\/td> Bringing from home kitchen <\/td><\/tr> Wood<\/td> $24.00 (bringing more wood since they are not buying a stove)<\/td><\/tr> Medical Kit<\/td> $15<\/td><\/tr> Roasting Sticks (marshmallows, hot dogs)<\/td> Found some pointy sticks in their backyard<\/td><\/tr> Camping Bin to Store Camping Gear<\/td> Using the cloth grocery bags<\/td><\/tr> Camping Table<\/td> Depending on the campground picnic table<\/td><\/tr> Mess kit<\/td> Bringing from home kitchen<\/td><\/tr> Camp stove<\/td> Doing without<\/td><\/tr> Cooler<\/td> $15 –getting a cooler from a Thrift Store<\/td><\/tr> Dayhike Bag\/Backpack<\/td> Using an old college backpack<\/td><\/tr> Family Tent<\/td> Borrowing from the Jepsons<\/td><\/tr> Total<\/strong><\/td>$68.00 <\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\nSome of the sacrifices are trivial, but some of them are going to be less comfortable. It’s important to know that there is always a trade-off. Part of the fun<\/strong> though of camping is to learn how to live a bit more simply and figure out how to make things work and adapt. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBorrowing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n Borrowing a tent and tarp from the Jepsons will work great for the first trip, eventually the Hansens will want their own since borrowing requires special care so as to not damage their friend’s tent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cooking over the campfire<\/h4>\n\n\n\n Additionally, cooking over a campfire is a fun experience, but depending on the meal, it can be more challenging to get the right temperatures and cook everything through. A camp stove definitely leads to more of a consistent eating experience since you can control the temperature much more easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, if you are going to be doing a lot of camping, it’s actually much easier on the wallet to use a gas stove then to always have to purchase wood. You’ll be spending at least $10 on wood every time you go camping per night (if you are using your campfire to cook with)–which is less efficient than burning gas (but arguably more fun). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using camp supplies from home supplies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n Since the Hansens don’t want to spend a lot of money, they are trying to avoid buying a lot of camping specific gear. This is a great thing to do for your first or second time camping, but this is also a sacrifice, since you will be having to displace your kitchen and home stuff when you go camping. If you are like me, then this means you may be losing sunscreen and other random items and then you end up buying more than you actually need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s simpler to dedicate your camping gear to just camping, so you don’t have to dip into your home resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per Person Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Again, the Hansens are going to be improvising a lot more to keep costs low<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per Person Item<\/strong><\/td>Price or Plan<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Toiletries (deodorant, toothbrush, etc)<\/td> Bringing from home supply<\/td><\/tr> Hats<\/td> Using sweatshirts with hoods<\/td><\/tr> Kids Sleeping Pad<\/td> Bringing child’s pillows and blankets from home<\/td><\/tr> Kids Thermal Underwear<\/td> Bringing extra layers for kid to wear<\/td><\/tr> Camping Pillows<\/td> Bringing pillows from beds<\/td><\/tr> Kid Hiking Shoes<\/td> Using regular tennis shoes<\/td><\/tr> Kids Jackets<\/td> Relying on sweatshirt and one of those cheap ponchos they have in the closet<\/td><\/tr> Water Bottle<\/td> Bringing disposable water bottles<\/td><\/tr> FlashLight\/Headlamp<\/td> Using smartphone flashlights<\/td><\/tr> Kids Sleeping Bags<\/td> Bringing lots of extra blankets<\/td><\/tr> Mens Jackets<\/td> Bringing sweatshirts and long sleeves<\/td><\/tr> Mens Thermal Underwear<\/td> Layering long sleeve clothing<\/td><\/tr> Womens Jackets<\/td> Bringing sweatshirts and long sleeves<\/td><\/tr> Womens Thermal Underwear<\/td> Layering long sleeve clothing <\/td><\/tr> Adult Sleeping Pad<\/td> Using blankets for padding<\/td><\/tr> Trek Poles<\/td> Will pick up a walking stick if needed<\/td><\/tr> Mens Hiking Shoes<\/td> Using tennis shoes <\/td><\/tr> Womens Hiking Shoes<\/td> Using tennis shoes<\/td><\/tr> Camp Chair<\/td> Using campground picnic tables and logs for seating<\/td><\/tr> Adult Sleeping Bags (2)<\/td> $80 –Bringing extra blankets to compensate cheaper sleeping bags<\/td><\/tr> TOTAL<\/strong><\/td>$80<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\nAgain, there are some sacrifices in comfort, specifically in that the Hansens will be hauling much more to their campsite to compensate for not having lightweight camping gear. Since they are car camping, this isn’t a big deal, though, and they’ll have a great time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To Sum Up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The Hansens will be spending around $349.36 for their two night camping trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Kramers With All The Camping Gear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The last family in scenario 1 are the Kramers. The Kramers are pro campers, and except for a new headlamp they need to buy, they have all the camping gear already, so they just need to pay for the cost of the trip, the reservations, and the food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt looks like the Kramers are going to get away with spending only $193.36! Let’s see how that’s done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Activities are again staying the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
$30 for both adults<\/strong> for the cave tour<\/strong>(kid gets in free)<\/p>\n\n\n\nTransportation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n To keep things simple, still, the Kramers live right next to the Hansens and the Jepsons and are the same distance from the campground. Also, they drive the same car model and year, so the mileage is the same. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total fuel costs: $15.36 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Total food costs for the Kramers: $111<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nDaily Fees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The campsite reservation fee is the same, but the Kramers have a yearly park pass, which means they don’t have to pay daily park fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total daily fees for the Kramers: $30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nShared Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Shared Gear Item<\/strong><\/td>Price<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Wood<\/td> $12<\/td><\/tr> Extra Batteries<\/td> $5<\/td><\/tr> Total<\/strong><\/td>$17<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\nPer Person Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The Kramers just need a new headlamp to replace a broken one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per Person Gear<\/strong><\/td>Price<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Headlamp<\/td> $20<\/td><\/tr> Total<\/strong><\/td>$20<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\nTo Sum Up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The Kramers will be spending $193.36 for their two day camping trip for their family of 3. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much more reasonable, right? Food was the most expensive item for this camping trip, and this can also be made more efficient if snacks are not purchased but made at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Much Does It Cost For a 2-day Car Camping Trip?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n As you can see, the answer varies. First time car campers can spend upwards of over $1600 if they buy all the gear outright. As the Hansens have shown, though, you can substitute the majority of the camp gear and borrow what you need to get started without issues. A family camping for the first time can spend $350 for everything they need and substitute the rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you already have the gear, you can spend under $200 for a 2-day trip including food, or less if you’re really good at keeping food costs down.<\/p>\n\n\n\nScenario 2: <\/p>
3 Day Backpacking Trip <\/p>
Summer<\/p>
4 Adults <\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Katie and Friends With No Backpacking Gear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Katie and her 3 friends go camping frequently, but they have never organized their own backpacking trip. They are not planning on buying ultralight (the lightest and most expensive type of backpacking gear) but they are trying to buy gear of sufficient quality and minimum weight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since Katie and her friends want to get into backpacking, they are willing to invest the money so they can go more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In total, Katie and Friends are budgeting $2,720.71 for their first backpacking trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n$2700 for a big backpacking trip<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe main part of this cost is coming from the per person gear. If you divide the per person gear <\/strong>by 4 than each person would be responsible for $520<\/strong> for all the backpacking gear (including sleeping bags, backpacking tents, etc). <\/p>\n\n\n\nImportant, they are not buying all the camping gear because they already have many things that will work for their backpacking trip. They just don’t have any backpacking specific gear so that’s what this section focuses on.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nLet’s dive into the costs to see where that money is going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Activities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The activity is hiking and camping, and there are no other activities planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total cost for activities: $0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nTransportation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The location for this backpacking excursion is over 400 miles away, and requires Katie and her friends to wake up really early to get to the trailhead on time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nTotal fuel costs: $81.87 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Food for backpacking excursions are much more complicated to plan for since you need to plan carefully with foods that will have adequate calories since backpacking is so intensive. Not only that, but many times pre-prepared dehydrated backpacking food comes at a premium. Mountain House<\/a> (see price for 6 pouches on Amazon), for example, are a very popular brand of dehydrated food used by backpackers because of its light weight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nTotal food costs for Katie and Friends: $<\/strong>205.84<\/p>\n\n\n\nDaily Fees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The trailhead has a money drop box that asks for $2 per group per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Total daily fees for Katie and Friends: $<\/strong>6<\/p>\n\n\n\nShared Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Shared Gear Item<\/td> Price<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>Dry Bag<\/td> $15.00 <\/td><\/tr> Camp stove<\/td> $80.00 <\/td><\/tr> Gas Fuel (propane\/butane)<\/td> $20.00 <\/td><\/tr> 4-person Mess kit<\/td> $50.00 <\/td><\/tr> Tarp<\/td> $26.00 <\/td><\/tr> Dishsoap<\/td> $6.00 <\/td><\/tr> Medical Kit<\/td> $30.00<\/td><\/tr> Shovel<\/td> $10.00<\/td><\/tr> Water Purification System<\/td> $110.00<\/td><\/tr> Total<\/strong><\/td>$347.00<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\nPer Person Gear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Per Person Gear Item<\/td> Quantity Needed<\/td> Total Cost<\/td><\/tr> Camping Pillows<\/td> 4 @ $15<\/td> $60.00 <\/td><\/tr> Water Bladder<\/td> 4 @ $25<\/td> $100.00 <\/td><\/tr> Adult Sleeping Pad<\/td> 4 @ $30<\/td> $120.00 <\/td><\/tr> 2-man Tent<\/td> 2 @ $100<\/td> $200.00 <\/td><\/tr> Hiking Shoes<\/td> 4 @ $100<\/td> $400.00 <\/td><\/tr> Adult Sleeping Bag<\/td> 4 @ $100<\/td> $400.00 <\/td><\/tr> Trekking Backpack<\/td> 4 @ $200<\/td> $800.00 <\/td><\/tr> Total<\/strong><\/td><\/td> $2080.00<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\nTo Sum Up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Katie and friends will spend $2720.21 with their current plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ways Katie and Friends Could Save Money On Their Backpacking Trip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Again, Katie and her friends have the option of borrowing big ticket items such as sleeping bags, backpacks, and tents to save money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another option is to settle for lesser quality gear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is tricky, since shoes, one of the most expensive pieces of clothing for backpacking, are incredibly important for a successful backpacking trip. If your shoes are uncomfortable, than you will have a miserable time backpacking. Having shoes with good arch support helps because you will be stepping on uneven surfaces thousands of times per day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, good shoes really makes a big difference in how your trip will go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cheaper sleeping bags means a sleeping bag that is either less warm, or heavier–both which are not as desirable for backpacking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In short, using cheaper gear is always an option, but it comes at a cost, which I should mention many people do just fine with cheaper gear, they just usually have to carry more weight as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How Much Does It Cost to Go Backpacking?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Depending on the distance from where you live, the length of the trip, and the number of people, and if you have all the backpacking gear already and you are good about your food, you can spend as little as $300 for a 3 day camping trip with 4 adults.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nDepending on the gear purchased, the cost can go up to $3000 and beyond depending if you are choosing high quality\/ultralight gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Hope that helps! There’s definitely a lot to plan for in a big camping trip–and the costs can vary widely depending on what gear you need. Feel free to check out my free spreadsheet<\/a> if you want to make your own budget for your own camping trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When we think of camping, initially, we think of the $20 campsite reservation and assume that camping is the cheapest of all accommodation options. Camping can be super cheap, but<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":970,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":24,"label":"Camping"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/moneybags_camping_gear-1024x768.jpg",640,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Peter","author_link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/author\/outsidedecider\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":24,"name":"Camping","slug":"camping","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":24,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":132,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":24,"category_count":132,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Camping","category_nicename":"camping","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=899"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4088,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions\/4088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}