
Looking for ideas about where to get the Best Budget Camping Gear? You’re in the right place.
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If you’re here, we can probably save our breath in so far as the benefits of camping go. We have pretty much covered that ground. We’ve got other fish to fry, right now. The burning question is: “Hey, Loons, where can we get the best budget camping gear for our hard-earned dollar?”
Well, sir, ma’am, little missy and young fella, first we’d better recognize a pretty common problem among some folks. There is no point in sugar-coating it. We have global inflation, and everyone has to count coupons. That’s just the well-known facts.
Let us not talk falsely, now, for the hour is getting late. (*See Dylan, Bob, All Along The Watchtower)
We can’t help you with the money part. Sorry. Fear not, though, here at Lone Loon Song, we exist to help folks with their camping concerns.
So, we’ve already written what we justifiably believe to be the definitive guide to Camping on the Cheap but we kind of skipped over where exactly to buy the gear. Realizing our mistake, we aim to rectify that right here.
First, we feel your pain. We ain’t no goofy AI robot. No wimpy chatGPT thing. We swear. We are genuine camping enthusiasts with the same concerns you have: A lack of cash. A want of independent wealth. A scarcity of simoleons. A paucity of pesos. We’re not about to let a little thing like that hold us up, though. One more thing that sort of squeezes our bunions, while we’re at it: We’re not gonna serve you up a bunch of dumb ads while we’re talking about saving money like some blogs. We aim to be useful.
“Good” and “Cheap” are not mutually exclusive.
For example one of our favorite campsites is Kissakihama. It’s absolutely breathtaking. Doesn’t cost you a dime.

So, If, like us, this is you, you’re in the right place. Welcome. Take a chair. Got that at Value Village. $3.00. Put your dogs up.
Challenging as it is to find quality camping gear without laying out a lot of your hard-earned moolah, fear not. For we bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

No, wait, that’s Linus from A Charlie Brown Christmas. A Classic. We digress.
It’s not easy, and you have to be persistent, but we are here to say that it can certainly be done. We have done our level best to take a lot of the leg work out of it for you.
It is for this very reason that we list these ideas to find affordable, yet surprisingly great camping equipment for your outdoor adventures. Here we at Lone Loon Song present some of our fave strategies and sources to help you find quality camping gear that will leave your piggy bank intact.
If that sounds good to you, our fellow campers of challenged means, read on.
Think Globally, (Camp and) Act Locally.
An astonishing variety of gently used camping gear can be found at your local second-hand shop. (We also love ‘em for camping guitars. This is our term for guitars that are cheap enough that you won’t weep if they get wet, but are perfectly good guitars as far as tone, and staying in tune and what have you. See *Hiatt, John, Perfectly Good Guitar.)
We are often surprised by the treasures we have found. So don’t rule them out. In fact, we recommend a visit to these kinds of places first. (Oh, and garage sales.)
Items like tents, sleeping bags, hammocks, chairs, and camp stoves can often be found in excellent condition. Just be sure to check the gear out thoroughly before you lay out your money. In our experience, that hasn’t been a problem. You have to give it a good wash, though. (In the case of guitars, change the strings immediately.)
Online Marketplaces
You’re here, aincha? Found us through Google, dincha? You bet your sweet bippy you did. So, long story short, don’t forget the Internet. There are some tempting deals to be found on websites like eBay, GearTrade, Facebook Marketplace, or Craigslist, among others. Even one-to-one private sales. We have also heard good anecdotes about Facebook Marketplace, although (full disclosure) we’ve yet to try it ourselves.
Caveat:
While you can often find great deals on both new and used equipment, be careful. As always when buying from online marketplaces or individuals, do your due diligence. Be sure to take the extra time to exercise caution and ensure that you’re dealing with a reputable seller. Don’t hesitate to read product descriptions carefully and ask questions.
Discount Retailers
Discount retailers, such as those listed below, offer a wide range of outdoor gear at (sometimes) reduced prices. They often carry overstock, discontinued, or slightly irregular items from popular brands. You can find impressive deals on tents, clothing, and accessories at these stores, and they often have clearance sales. Below we have created a table of links for you.
Manufacturer Websites: Go Straight to the source:
Another way to find inexpensive camping gear is by visiting the official websites of outdoor equipment manufacturers. Many have been known to offer exclusive discounts and deals to their customers, and you can sign up for their newsletters to receive updates on sales and promotions. Lots of folks join loyalty programs and the like for savings opportunities.
Seasonal Sales
We love this one. Camping gear retailers often have seasonal sales that coincide with the changing seasons. For example, in Spring it’s a good time to look for Winter gear. During these times, you can find significant discounts on items like winter sleeping bags in the summer or hiking boots in the fall. We, personally, and friends (anecdotally – so take it with a grain of salt) swear by the bargains available.
Local Outdoor Retailers
It’s worth a try. We have been lucky with seasonal sales. It stands to reason if you think about it from the retailer’s point of view. They have to clear the old stuff out to make room for the new stuff, and it’s cheaper to sell it cheaply than to send it back. Plus, some of these people are pretty knowledgeable about this stuff.
Online Retailers
A surprising number of online retailers offer discounts or special offers. We got our current tent from CampPros. For some reason, the company is called Camphours, which is confusing.
Right. The tent. It’s last, last year’s model. They were quite expensive, but we were Johnny-On-The-Spot and got this great lemon-yellow tent for a fraction of the list price. So who knows? It’s not gonna kill you to have a look.
We’ve prepared a list of said retailers offering discounts or deals that we have found. It’s by no means exhaustive, but we hope we’ve saved you some time. A lot of these guys are really expensive, but even a blind pig finds a sweet acorn from time to time. So give it a whirl, either you’re gonna get lucky or you’re sure to be no farther behind than you are now, and you’ll have learned something in the doing.
So, just to wrap things up, once again, we hope you find something you like, but if you do, check it out thoroughly. Obviously, we can’t and do not vouch for all of these retailers. Neither we nor anyone else has purchased something from each and every one of these links, but we’ve gathered them here as a convenience to our readers. I think they all have fall sales on right now! Anyhooo, drop us a line to share your experiences, good and bad.
Backcountry.com (They have a 20% off sale right now!) | Moosejaw (25% off) |
Barebones | MSR |
Bear Vault | NEMO Equipment |
Campsaver.com | Outdoor Gear Exchange (70% off!) |
CampPros | Outdoorsy Holdings Inc |
Coleman | Rei.com (outlet and used) |
Decathlonhttp://www.decathlon.com | RightonTrek |
Enlightened Equipment | Salomon U.S. |
Escape Campervans | Sea to Summit |
evo (Currently 50% off) | Sylvan Sport |
Garage Grown Gear | The North Face |
Gathr Outdoors | UST Gear |
GSI Outdoors | Wolf & Grizzly |
Hyperlite Mountain Gear | Snow Peak (Somewhat legendary in Japan. $$$$, but Quality.) |
Luno (life) (Not the crypto weirdos) | Patagonia (Worn Wear) |