Camping is a great way to go on a vacation that won’t break the bank, however it can still put a nice dent in the wallet if you don’t plan accordingly and know the ins and outs of how to camp. Costs can add up even if you are an experienced camper. Check out these tips on ways to save money while camping. They’ll be sure to come in handy this summer!

Borrow gear

There’s no need to go out and buy all new camping gear. If you’re serious about looking for ways to save money while camping, don’t even tempt yourself by looking at new gear. If you happen to know someone who has some camping gear, ask them if you can borrow it or evening consider renting it.

Buy it used

If you don’t know anyone you can borrow camping gear from, visit your local thrift or second hand store to buy used gear. You can often find sleeping bags, tents and kitchen items that will come in handy on your camping trip. If you’re not having any luck there, be on the lookout at yard sales.

Invite friends

When you invite friends along on your trip, you’re not only increasing your level of fun but you’re decreasing the amount of money you’re spending. Designate group meals to a person or a couple each night. Not only are you saving money by sharing meals, it’s nice to experience someone else’s cooking. Having fun with friends and saving money at the same time? Score!

Plan wisely

Planning ahead will always work in your favor. Start by shooting for a non-holiday weekend. Or even better, don’t go on a weekend, go during the week. Campsites will be cheaper and more variety will be available.

A couple of helpful, random camping tips:

• Bring duct tape—you never know when you may need it. It will come in handy when you least expect it to. Like, when it starts raining unexpectantly and you have a leak in your tent. Yep, you’ll thank us later!
• When looking for a side to cook for meal time, consider couscous instead of rice. Couscous cooks in 5 minutes, which will use less of your propane and save you money. Plus cleaning is super easy, it doesn’t stick like rice does.
• Bring separate coolers for drinks and foods. The drink cooler gets opened more frequently (especially if it’s a hot day). This will help save money on ice.
• Speaking of ice, use block ice for your food cooler, it stays frozen longer than cubes.
• Bring or cut your own firewood. If you buy it at your campsite or a small store near your campsite the price will be inflated. If you’re prepared you’ll save money and time.

We hope these camping tips on ways to save money come in handy for your next vacation. Do you have any tips to add to the list that you have found work for you?