The Bargain Hiker

You don't need to spend big bucks to get outdoors

I set myself a challenge. Go overnight/multiday hiking for less than $250AUD (at the time of writing, the cost of an overnight guided tour with Emu Trekkers - a registered charity). I used my normal hiking packing list, and wanted to keep gear to a respectable weight and level of comfort. I assumed that "normal" household items and clothing could be borrowed/repurposed and did not need to be purchased.

The gear had to be suitable for use in most Australian conditions (BUT NOT for extreme environments like snow, desert, or other unique environments. Nor for specialist adventures like yachting, sea kayaking, rafting, etc.)

The gear must also be considerate of:

• Weight: I will have to carry this stuff

• Comfort: I will have to live with this stuff

• Function: It has to do the job

The Big Three

Pack

• Hiking pack (Op shop, $20)

  • Alternative: I've bought packs of Facebook marketplace

  • Alternative: I've been gifted packs

  • Alternative: I've seen packs on the side of the road that still have life left in them.

• Waterproof Pack Liner (from my home) garbage bags

  • Alternative: dead dog bags (from the VET)

  • Alternative: mountain safety pack liners (~$10 - $20, doubles as a ground sheet and/or an emergency bivy) 

Shelter

• Tent (hand me down/excess to needs, a 'trickle down' gift from a friend)

  • Alternative: Tarp/Fly (a plastic sheet - offcuts from building material, 'veg' balls in the corners, and engineers string/cord from your workshop)

• Ground sheet (offcuts from building material) tyvek sheet

  • Alternative: mountain safety pack liners (~$10 - $20, doubles as a pack liner and an emergency bivy)

  • Alternative: emergency blanket (~$2 - $5)

• Pegs (One of the most common things to find in the bush!)

  • Alternative: sticks and rocks you find in the bush.

  • Alternative: I once used screw drivers from my tool kit.

Sleeping System

• Sleeping Bag (op shop, $5)

  • Alternative: the sleeping bag I use the most is one I got in a clearance bin for $80.

  • Alternative: I've bought sleeping bags off Facebook marketplace

  • Alternative: hire a sleeping bag. 

• Bed roll (found, abandoned in the bush)

  • Alternative: Sleeping Mat (Op shop, $25)

• Pillow (free, flight pillow from airline) 

  • Alternative: goon bag (blow it up with air. Also doubles as bulk water storage!)

• Inner sheet ($4, sewed it myself from material I purchased at an op shop)

  • Alternative: go without.

Clothing

• Insulated Jacket ($30, discount store)

  • Alternative: another fleece

• Rain jacket ($50, factory 2nd)

  • Alternative: Buy a non-technical jacket (~$40)

  • Alternative: a good quality garbage bag with holes cut for your head and arms 

• Rain Pants ($5, op shop)

  • Alternative: Rain skirt (use a plastic bag to make a skirt)

• Fleece Jumper ($5, opshop)

  • Alternative: knit yourself a woollen jumper

• Beanie (made for me by my wife)

  • Alternative: Op shops (~$2)

  • Alternative: I've found many! (same for hats)

• Thermals (gifted to me by a friend when his dad passed away)

  • Alternative: cheap polypropylene thermals (~$60 for a set)

  • Alternative: an additional fleece

• Gloves ($2, opshop) 

  • Alternative: Fleece lined gardening gloves ($10).

  • Alternative: wear socks on your hands!

• Shorts, undies, socks (all stuff from home - just normal clothes)

• Hat (my usual hat from home)

  • Alternative: I've fouind lots of hats on the trail

• Pants ($40, discount hiking store)

  • Alternative: synthetic pants from a sports store (eg athletic pants, leggings/yoga pants.)

• Sunnies (my usual pair)

  • Alternative: sometimes you can get free sunglasses (Eg Cancer Council swag at community events)

• Watch (my normal watch)

  • Alternative/Spare: my phone

• Shoes (just the sneakers I wear everywhere)

  • Also: it's sometimes nice to have thongs around camp

• Shirt (My dad's old business shirts) synthetic business shirt (or cotton in summer) 

  • Alternative: op shop 

Cooking/Kitchen

• Stove/Burner (home made from soft drink can)

  • Alternative: 2nd hand (I've got complete 'off brand' Trangia sets for $5 and $20, and original Trangia stoves for as little as $30) 

  • Alternative: cook on fire

  • Alternative: cold soak/no fire cooking (increasingly common in Australian summers!)

• Pot stand/stove frame (New! Stainless Steel Toaks $6)

• Stove wind shield. (Foil from my kitchen)

• Pot/billy ($3, opshop)

  • Alternative: I've purchased pots off Facebook marketplace

• Spondonicles ($5, Facebook marketplace)

  • Alternative: use a pocketknife/multitool

  • Alternative: use some of your clothing (eg woollen socks)

• Chopping board (plastic sheet from the bottom of a coles bag)

• Cooler Bag (My mum got it as swag with her new car)

• Waterbottles (Soft drink bottles. $2 with free soft drink!)

  • Alternative: Nalgene bottle (often found beneath climbing areas)

  • Alternative: Goon bag (Also doubles as a pillow!)

• Spoon (found on a bushwalk, along with many knives and forks.)

  • Alternative: take one from your kitchen

• Food storage container. (Empty peanut butter jar)

  • Alternative: tupperware from your kitchen

• Food sorting/storage bags (bread bags from loaves of bread)

  • Alternative: zip loc bags

• Fuel Bottle (use the bottle it came in)

  • Alternative: Small Fuel Bottle (a small soft drink bottle: clearly labelled!) 

• Bowl (Tupperware from my kitchen)

  • Alternative Bowl (Laksa Soup Bowl from takeaway)

• Lighter (Bic. ~$3)

• Pocket knife (gifted to me as a kid)

  • Alternative: if it's for food prep bring one from your kitchen. If it's for first aid then bring the smallest scissors you can find at home instead 

• Water treatment (just boil suspect water)

  • Alternative water treatment (if you are worried then add betadine - a.k.a. povidine iodine. From my home first aid kit)

• Washing up (stuff from my kitchen) (including detergent: I reuse these kids food pouches. They are great!)

Other

• Head Torch ($25, clearance sale)

  • Alternative: base model head torch (really good quality torches can be had for as little as $40)

• Spare maps, torch, compass, comms device (all available via my phone)

• Sit pad (Free at a footy game)

  • Alternative: closed cell foam mat, cut up (these are often at Op Shops. 1 mat can make 4 or 5 sit pads.)

  • Alternative: old yoga mat, cut up (even easier to find at Op Shops, but usually heavier)

• Trowel ($8, New)

  • Alternative: Gardening Trowel

  • Alternative: tent peg

• Toiletries, sunscreen, medicines insect repellent, (all the usual stuff I'd have from home)

• Hand sanitiser (conference swag. I've got so many after covid!)

  • Alternative: Hand wash station (for bigger groups) (goon bag, feeding into an old water bottle with holes punched in the base)

• Compass (Less than $5 on Temu. It's not great, but it gets the job done).

  • Alternative: budget compass (~$15)

• Trekking poles (Abandoned by someone at an event I was at)

  • Alternative: op shop (~$10 - $20)

  • Alternative: a stick

• Whistle (I just had one. I honestly don't know where it came from)

  • Alternative: buy new (~$3)

• Maps (Printed at home then laminated, from free downloaded PDF maps. Also saved the PDFs to my phone)

• Towel (Conference swag. Free.)

  • Alternative: Towel (Found one half buried in the sand under the water at a beach.)

  • Alternative: drip dry!

• PLB (Emergency Beacon) (These can be borrowed for free in some places. Eg NPWS and Police)

• First aid (stuff from my home first aid kit, plus 2 x Snake Bandages. $20)

• Dry bag (found on the side of a track)

  • Alternative: plastic bags, bread bags, etc.

Total cost: $238

Where you can get free or cheap gear

• Clearance bins, end of season lines, discounts at all kinds at retailers

• Side of the road/council clean up

• Your local waste management facility recycling shed

• Make it yourself ("garage grown gear")

• Op Shops, garage sales, etc

• Hand me downs/'trickle down' gear  (When your mates upgrade their gear, try and get a hold of the old stuff)

• Borrow it

• Hire it

• Ask for it for your birthday, christmas etc

• Repurpose things for other than their intended use 

• Find stuff (side of the road, in the bush, at the beach, wherever!

• Decide what you don't need

• Don't buy top brands when cheap stuff will do

• Use stuff from around your house that you already have

• Look for factory seconds

• Facebook marketplace, gumtree, ebay, etc

• Be creative

• Remember that you don't have to have all the things! (in fact, the more I hiking I do, the less I carry)

• Find free alternatives

• Buy new when you have to.

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