The Frugal Backpacker – The $300 Gear Challenge

The source of the photo is unknown.

Of all the posts on my site, this article is among my most popular in many ways. I think the list has inspired others to make similar lists and is referenced a fair amount.

This list was inspired by a discussion on AT-L way back in 2005: How do you make a reasonably light gear list for a beginner that is reasonably light and not too expensive?

The direct inspiration for this list was a discussion on Whiteblaze.net led by Sgt. Rock, a retired 1st Sgt in the Army and an experienced backpacker.

This list is my contribution.

This list is a complete gear list. A person can use the list as a starting point, but they can plug in their gear as they upgrade or swap out to different equipment.

How do I know? In many ways, this minimalist list is my list. I think the key to going light is not what you bring but what you don’t carry. This list also includes an explanation of why I chose this gear. The options are based on experience, not just internet-based theory. 

My list focuses more on Intermountain West or similar for prime three-season conditions: More sun exposure, colder nights at elevation, and less rain.   

This list should suffice for most on-trail backpacking from about the Fourth of July through Labor Day.

You won’t see 40F quilts best suited for an Appalachian summer. And you won’t see robust rain gear on this list, either. Everything is a trade-off and varies based on place, conditions, time of year, or hiking style.

I wrote the original version back in 2005-ish. I’ve updated it over the years, as gear changes and some items no longer become available. If anything, the equipment has become correspondingly better for the price—and lighter, too.

I also tried to get items that aren’t one-offs and can reasonably be purchased in the next year or two. Lucky one-offs are not very consistent for this article. For example, I once saw a $5, 300 wt Patagonia fleece in a thrift store. I would have a hard time finding this item again. On the other hand, I can pretty consistently find Ultralite Frogg Toggs for ~$20 a pair without much hassle.

This list is not definitive but rather a way for someone to get out backpacking and enjoy themselves.

Take what works from the list and apply it for your use. The point of this little exercise is not to get hung up on gear but rather to get OUT and ENJOY yourself. It is a misnomer that you need a lot of money to backpack in terms of gear.  The best way to learn about backpacking is not to discuss gear online or go to gear sales, but actually to get out there.

I also think this list works as an excellent minimalist list. While a Home Depot tarp is not the choice of shelter for all, it is not functionally different from a DCF tarp.  In other words, as you have more money or different preferences, you can easily swap in a “better” piece” of equipment without changing the basics of the list itself.

Note that this 2024 list is under 15 pounds and is $300 in total!  If you still want to keep within the budget (more or less), consider some of the UPGRADE items listed at the bottom of the article.  The sleeping bag, in particular, will be the biggest bang for the buck.  At $450, I call it the “Frugal Deluxe” kit.    

 Have more money than time? Want something a bit more advanced? Check out The Budget Backpacker—a light, functional, and easily assembled gear list for a little over $800.  

Or perhaps you are looking for a multi-purpose kit? Something for day hiking, base camping, three-season plus backpacking/mild winter, trail work, and maybe even day-use snowshoeing? Check out the Jack of All Trades kit.

It’s perfect when money, time, and space are limited, but when multiple outdoor activities are desired.

You can also check out my many articles aimed toward budget purchases.

Happy Trails!

–Paul Mags

Revised April 2024

THE $300 GEAR LIST

HAVE A LITTLE MORE MONEY?  Check out this “Frugal Deluxe” kit for $450.

With the full list coming at  $300, you still have room to purchase better gear.

What are the other three things you want to upgrade? I’d upgrade the sleeping bag, the stove, and the shelter.

• I’d suggest upgrading the sleeping bag when you can. What I suggested is perfectly fine for beginners. As mentioned, I used a similar Campmor bag for my initial forays, including fall backpacks in New England. However, if you have the funds, I’d upgrade to a better bag that is lighter and less bulky. If you purchase a good but affordable bag, you’ll only be you’ll over the $300 limit and have a very good overall kit, in my opinion.
  • The Kelty Cosmic Down is still available for about $120 online on eBay.
  •  The Kelty down bags are EN-rated and generally true to temperature.  
    • With this switch, you save nearly 20 oz, have less bulk, and only spend about ~$60 more in total.
  • Additionally, if you are willing to try out quilts, the Featherstone Moondancer Quilt, at 23 oz and $200, is noted as a decent budget option.
• The alcohol stove is a good budget choice. But with increasing open flame bans in the American West and even in the Appalachians in the recent past, an alcohol stove may not be the right choice for all situations and environments.   You can purchase a decent canister stove for ~$9 and 3oz of a weight penalty. Longer-term use seems to be rather good based on reviews.

.A tarp may not be the best or most straightforward choice for most beginners.  I think tarps are better than most less expensive double-wall tents (space, ventilation, and weathering storms) but require a bit more practice and skill than most beginners may have.

AliExpress and similar have some budget tents that have received decent reviews.  This NatureHike CloupUp 1  tent is a Big Agnes clone for about 3.75 lbs and ~$90.  Less weight if the poles and fly get taken only. The blue tarp, cord, netting, stakes, and ground cloth make a $30 purchase (if lighter), but another $60 gets you a more traditional and beginner-friendly shelter.

If the blue foam pad makes the kit too spartan, the Z-lite clone from Walmart works well enough for $30 and 6 oz (cut down).

If you spend another ~$150, you have a more traditional kit (tent, sleeping bag, more comfortable pad, and canister stove) and still under fifteen pounds of base pack weight for ~$450 total.

Other items to consider:

• Do you have a Costco membership or a friend who does? You can  buy some pretty good carbon fiber trekking poles for ~$35. 

• Do you like the idea of tarping but want something lighter? The Equinox Tarp is only ~$100 and ~14 oz for an 8×10 tarp. I used this model on the PCT and still use it on occasion. There are  “better,” but you can’t beat the price for something this light and functional.

• What? No phone or battery bank listed???? If a person uses this beginner’s list, beginner’s brings or how to charge a phone is not the most critical issue. I’ll bring my phone on weekend trips as I recognize its utility. However, I never carry a charging bank during short trips. And I assume many beginner weekend hikers are in this category, too.

And Finally…

Since I published this article, I occasionally get lightly admonished because I suggest gear that is not ideal, and people will upgrade anyway. Well, here’s the thing. In 1996 and 1997, I carried items not too different from the above gear. I learned enough not to wear cotton blue jeans and a sweatshirt but otherwise used what I had at home.

I used an external frame pack because I could not afford the $400 in today’s money (pre-cottage gear days!). The old Campmor sleeping bag warmed me well into the New Hampshire Fall. I used an old acrylic sweater and a windbreaker, but I did just fine.

I made do with an A-frame and a tarp, or I borrowed my buddy Tim’s Eureka tent with fiberglass poles that probably weighed seven or more pounds! The AliExpress specials would have been far better. I carried a propane stove that ended up getting used for truck bivys. The cookpot was a castoff that Mom let me borrow for trips. Polypro served me well as recently as 2010 or so.

You get the idea.

I was warm and dry, had fun, and became addicted to the outdoors in all kinds of weather—with gear worse, heavier, or possibly bulkier than what I have listed above! Sure, when I saved more money and knew what worked for me, I bought “better” gear.

But if I had waited to save money to buy “better” equipment, I may never have gone outdoors in the first place.

It is more important that people get outside with functional gear that works rather than the latest Internet Dogpark Walking Gear Guru says you should have and then wait until you have the funds to buy it.

In New Hampshire on my first solo backpacking trip. With all the “wrong” gear!

I remember the mountain sunsets, the wind blowing through the trees at the cusp of the tree line, and those first mountain views as I learned to backpack.

That’s what I remember, not the imperfect gear I used to get there.

Notes:    

• The FREE designation is for items around a typical household
• The weight and prices do not include consumables like food or fuel.
• Or taxes, but it typically includes S&H.
• You need maps, but they are very trip-dependent. CalTopo is an excellent website for printing out maps. 
• eBay will often have bargains on name-brand and generic goods
• Amazon has an incredible amount of outdoor goodies and clothing.
• AliExpress and similar outlets now have some decent starter gear that is lightweight, inexpensive, and functional.
• Don’t be afraid to buy used  Facebook groups, Reddit /r/GeatTrade, etc.; have some excellent deals at times
•  You may very well have some equipment already (clothing items like hats, gloves, jackets, etc.).
•  This list will require some leg work on your part: buying the gear and clothing on sale. The winter-type clothing is often sold cheaply during hunting season in XYZMart stores. Many ski stores and big-box sporting goods stores (e.g., Dick’s) will see clearance sales at the end of the winter. The same goes for Wally World or Target when they bring in their spring clothing.    Don’t be afraid to bargain shop!
•  Other places to bargain hunt are www.rei-outlet.com, thrift stores, local stores having sales, yard sales, used sporting goods stores, etc.
•  This list does not have the lightest or the best gear, but it will get the beginner outdoors fairly comfortably in prime summer weather. Biased towards Colorado hiking. Other ar as can get away with a  lighter bag (for example)
•  This gear will allow beginners to be reasonably comfortable on their first trips. As they gain more experience (or money), they will want to go on longer trips. A beginner should buy and adjust their gear accordingly as experience, comfort levels, and preferences dictate.
• Though this is a bargain list, it is also a minimalist list. A better pack, sleeping bag, shelter, etc., within the list framework will still leave you with a lightweight list with no extras. In other words, I think this is an excellent list to build upon for lightweight backpacking in general. Part of  ightweight backpacking is not so much what you take; instead, it is what you do not take.

You can also read more about Dirt Bagging here and more info on getting quality gear on the cheap here. Finally, some of these other articles may be of interest.