The life of a college student is usually busy as they have to balance their academics, work, and other responsibilities. These obligations can take a toll on students and affect their overall productivity, presenting the need for outdoor activities to break the monotony and get the opportunity to enjoy nature. But a challenge that collegians might face when deciding to camp is the limited budget they have at their disposal, making it difficult to spend a lot of resources to travel. But guess what? Camping does not have to be expensive. So let’s go through some hacks that will make you have a blast camping experience.
Table of Contents
Plan in Advance
Any successful thing starts with planning, and camping is no exception. Proper planning will ensure that you gather everything you’ll need. Where are you going? Do you require a camping permit? Are fires allowed there? Are you prepared for the weather? How long will you be staying? How are you going to cook? These are some critical questions you should ask yourself to plan for the adventure successfully.
Get Cheap Gear
Camping gear is an area that discourages many students from camping as they need to get a tent, sleeping backs, and hammocks. But you do not need high-end gear to make your camping trip successful. Online marketplaces like Amazon have a lot of affordable gear. There are quality tents worth as little as $ 25. Shopping on online marketplaces for camping gear will help save significant costs. If buying new gear is still out of your range, you might consider borrowing from a family member or a friend.
And if you don’t have someone to borrow from, you can purchase second-hand gear. One good thing about camping is that new gear gets released annually to cater to the growing needs of the campers, and with these new releases, the older gear is often sold at discounts. As people try to get rid of outdated camping gear, you can use this opportunity to purchase them at discounted prices in second-hand shops. You can go the extra step to enquire from your friends who often go camping on whether they are selling some of their gear.
Bring Gear From Home
You do not need to buy everything you will use when camping. Consider what is already available at home and might be helpful in the outdoor adventure. An example is a pan. Though you might not want to risk taking your pan camping and forget about it when returning home, there is a good chance that there are pans in your household that you no longer use or rarely use. The same can be the case for bedding. You can use your old pillows rather than buying new ones that you will use for only a few days.
Carpool
If you are traveling to a far-off destination, the costs of hiring and fueling the camping vehicle will be high and might deter you from camping in a destination you’ve been yearning for. An easy option in instances where a camping site is far is carpooling. Carpooling helps share the hiring and gas costs with others, enabling you to save more money for other equipment needed in camping. If there are no friends to carpool with, choose local sites near your home to save on gas costs. You’ll still have a memorable and exciting adventure when camping within your locality.
Prep Your Meals
Many campers carry large Dutch ovens and other cooking essentials, including ingredients and raw food, to prepare them during camping. This strategy is effective when you want fresh food but can be expensive with a low budget. An alternative for students is to prep meals before going camping. Easy breakfast options like boxed muffins, cookies, and yogurt can be stored in coolers. For lunch and dinner, hot dogs can be made on a campfire. Other prepped meals that can be brought include cheese, sour cream, and fried beans.
Choose the Best Camping Months
Winter is a good time to camp for those who want to enjoy the frosty weather while keeping away from large crowds common during summer. But it might come with additional costs to a student. Winter requires too much baggage to stay warm in the cold and protect yourself from the constant rains, requiring you to spend more on camping gear. The best option when working on a low budget is to choose the summer camping months. During summer, you can save money on sleeping bags as the weather is relatively hot, and you do not need a lot of bedding. You can enjoy sleeping under the stars while watching your favorite stars.
Choose a Safe Camping Site
Though camping is a fun activity that allows people to explore their environment and experience nature, many dangers are associated with it. One of the dangers is the risk of wildlife. Insects are often a menace that leaves many campers needing to use sprays to keep them off. The same is true for wild animals like Kangaroos and emus, which are usually mischievous and can raid the tent for food. Losing your food to wild animals will leave you spending more money to get new supplies, which can significantly affect your camping experience if you are on a shoestring budget.
When choosing a camping site, it is important to consider a site where many resources will not be used to keep away wildlife and insects. The site should be safe from the wild and guarantee the safety of your food and equipment. Remember how you are always careful when picking paper writing services, checking out their features to ensure you select the safest ones, like EssayWriter? The same should be applied when picking camping sites.
Share With Friends
Camping can be a lot of fun if you are doing it with friends. But before setting out to go camping with your friends, you need to consider what each friend has to avoid incurring extra costs for items you can get for free. Prepare a list of all the items you will need while camping; from this list, everyone should highlight what they have. If a friend has a camping stove, there is no need to include the stove in the budget. It should apply to all the other amenities. Once everyone has highlighted what they have, you will be left with only a few things to buy.
Pick Less Costly Activities
There are many inexpensive activities that collegians can pursue while camping. One such activity is hiking. You do not need to pay to go hiking, but the experience you will get from it is memorable. You can take pictures while hiking to create memories you will forever cherish. Another activity is playing cards or even ludo games under the stars. Interesting games can be played around the campfire without incurring any extra expense.
The essence of camping should not be participating in expensive games that rich campers partake in but rather having a nice outdoor moment away from the school routines. If you are a guitarist, you can go the extra mile and bring a guitar to entertain your friends. In addition to your planned camping games, check out the activities available at the campsite. Some campsites offer their guests an array of free activities, and you might miss out on them if you stick to your plan.
Shop Wisely for Snacks
Snacks are important for a good hiking experience as they help keep people energized and active. However, they should not take a significant part of your budget, as spending more on snacks might limit the budget for other activities. A good idea of how to use less costly snacks is purchasing hot cocoa packets. These packets can then get boiled in water over the campfire to make hot chocolate. The hot chocolate will keep you and your crew warm throughout the night.
There are many free snack options that you can consider, but you need to keep in mind the days you will be spending camping. Do not carry snacks that can only last two days if you are going to spend the whole week camping. It will ruin your budget and strategy as you will spend a lot buying extra snacks for the remaining days.
Closing Remarks
Camping is a fun activity that can help a student break from their daily routines and get a moment to enjoy the serene outdoor environment. But a major challenge that many students might face is their camping budget. But you do not need to worry – a huge budget doesn’t translate to a successful camping experience. All you need is a plan supported by camping hacks that helps you save on costs.
Keeping a budget low can be effective if you work with your friends to identify what you need and what every member can bring. While working together with friends, you should further plan activities and pick more inexpensive ones. Camping should be about enjoying the outdoor environment; you do not need much money to do so. So, take the brave step and plan your next hiking experience with your friends.
