6 Ways to Go Camping on the Cheap

By: Lindsey Boycott on June 8, 2015

You love the great outdoors. You’ve been waiting all year for the six feet of snow to melt, the flowers to bloom, and the leaves to come out. Summer has come and now it’s time to get your tent on…or your trailer. While camping has a reputation for being a cost-effective way of doing your vacation, there are still ways to stay on budget. Check out the savings below:

Find a free campground

A cool little site called FreeCampsites.net is like the crowdfunding of camping. It’s community driven and is designed to locate and review the best free campsites around Canada. They focus on public land: Forest Service land, BLM (Bureau of Land Management) areas, WMA's (Wildlife Management Areas) and county or city parks. Save yourself some money and camp for free!

Save on camping equipment

Outfitting yourself for camping can get really expensive, really fast. Be strategic with what you buy because, unless you’re doing some extreme camping, it’s not always needed. With so many options out there, how do you prioritize what you should spend big money on?

Get a cheap tent

All you’re using it for is to keep the rain off your head and the mosquitos away from everything else – buy something that will serve your purpose and leave all the extra stuff at the store.

Forget the sleeping bag: Bring lots of bedding and ensure you have a wool blanket for between you and the air mattress. Sleeping bags don’t do anything that your own stuff won’t do so forgo the fancy and save a couple bucks.

Do buy a good air mattress: Nothing will make you miserable faster than being uncomfortable the entire night. Open your wallet for a quality sleep and it and you’ll definitely get your dollar’s worth.

Carpool camping style

Go with friends. Not only will you have more fun, you’ll be able to pool costs, equipment, and camping sites amongst the collective. Roast marshmallows, drink beer, and build memories without the big budget.

Read campsite reviews

Most people read reviews when they’re spending money on big ticket items like cruises and resort vacations but might bypass this step for weekend camping. The important thing to remember is that this is your time and you want to enjoy it. If you like creature comforts, staggering through the wilderness to an aromatic outhouse while being eaten alive by mosquitos might not be your idea of a good time. Ensure that your camping experience matches your expectations by reading reviews. Check out this commentary on camping in Algonquin park to get an idea what a good review looks like.

Find the insurance you need

This BC family had the bad luck of getting caught in a windstorm while camping. A tree was uprooted and fell on their trailer and canoe, crushing both and resulting in $5000 damage. Happily, Parks Canada was willing to pick up the tab for costs not covered by insurance but don’t expect that this is a regular occurrence. Spend a little right now to save a lot in the future.

Image Courtesy of ©iStock.com

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