Family Camping – 5 Ways to Get Great Deals on Camping Gear

Article by David Lanford

Buying all the camping gear that you need to have for everyone in the family can get very expensive, very quickly. If this is your first family camping trip then you probably don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on new high end camping equipment until you for sure that family camping trips are something that you’ll be doing more in the future.

How can you get the gear that you and your family need without spending a small fortune? Here are five ways to find everything you need for less:

1. Borrow it

Do you have friends that go camping with their kids? Or do you family that have gone camping in the past or maybe you have some friends that are outdoor enthusiasts? Borrow anything you can from them. Borrow lanterns, sleeping bags, a stove, whatever they have. Anything that you don’t have to buy is money saved.

2. Rent it

Not all of the camping gear that you need to have will be available for rental but some camping and outdoor sports stores like REI do rent things like tents and stoves and other large pieces of camping equipment. Since those are the things that you would end up spending the biggest amount of money on it makes sense to see if you can rent those things instead of buying. Check with your local sporting goods and outdoor sports stores to see what equipment they rent.

3. Buy second hand

Scour local resale shops or used sporting goods stores for second hand camping gear that is still in good condition. Chances are pretty good that you will find some great gear that has only been used once that was purchased by other family campers who decided camping wasn’t for them. You should probably not buy used sleeping bags, but other second hand equipment could save you lots money. You can also take your chances at garage sales and yard sales.

4. Equipment swaps

Do your kids play sports and have a lot of old sports gear? Look for local sports equipment swaps to see if you can trade your kids’ old, outgrown gear for some family camping gear. Many times local community sports leagues, sporting teams, Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups and other community groups will hold equipment swaps. Check with your local parks department to find equipment swaps in your area.

5. Look online

Scour sites like Craigslist or Freecycle to find free or low cost camping equipment that is still in good condition. Sometimes you can get amazing deals on equipment that is practically new when you look on the Internet.

With a little bit of effort, you can potentially save a great deal of money on camping gear so that you and your family can have a great time, without worrying about the expenses.

Question by Jay: What are good foods to bring on a 3-day camping trip?
— The trip is 3 days and 2 nights.

— Food must provide lots of energy (a lot of canooing is involved).

— We will have access to purified & boiled lakewater.

— We will have access to a simple stove.

— Anything in cans or glass bottles is highly discouraged
(Unless it could be put in a tupperware or something).

— Whatever we bring in, we bring out, so foods with a lot of packaging are discouraged.

**For your answer, I prefer specific examples/ideas of what foods to bring rather than vague guidelines, but both are welcome as answers.

Best answer:

Answer by Ginseng Meow
Anything preserved and high in fibre is good like oatmeal bars. Camping foods air-tight sealed foil or plastic packaging that you just add water and boil it is good. They are about the size of a sandwich bag and about the same weight as a third to a half of a 6 in Subway sub. Definitely bring stuff with some sugar in it.

Eg: (go to MEC[dot]CA)

- Mountain House Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce
- Mountain House Beef Stroganoff
- Harvest Foodworks Diced Chicken
- Clif Bar Carrot Cake Energy Bar
- banana chips

What do you think? Answer below!

The collector’s mother lode – A German waldlager


Image by drakegoodman
Russia – German waldlager (forest camp)1916. A fantastic glimpse inside German lines.