NO BUDGET? NO PROBLEM!

BASIC SURVIVAL WITHOUT BUSTING THE BANK

- CHRISTOPHER NYERGES

Some time ago, as a group of us sat around a campfire, we started talking about the gear that everyone carries, and everyone began to share what they’d paid for their gear. I was a bit surprised at the high price of much of the gear—not because I didn’t think the kit was worth that dollar amount, but because I began my camping and outdoor “career” on no budget. My friends were somewhat shocked and asked me for details.

“I never had much money growing up,” I told them, “and part of my interest in hiking and camping was that it cost me next to nothing.”

We then began to discuss how much everyone spends on basic gear for a camping trip. One friend, who said he felt he had a “low-budget” kit as well, began to add everything up. He said it totaled about $2,000. It made sense, and none of his gear was extravagant.

However, I had to think back to my youth, when I really had next to no money.

BACK IN THE DAY

When I was in my early teens, my brothers and I got interested in hiking and backpacking in the nearby wild areas. We didn’t have a car, and we didn’t need one for this. We could just walk outside our door and, in a short while, we were in the mountains. We certainly enjoyed exploring the hilltops and valleys and hidden canyons.