>>1197446Depends, are you parking at/near the campsite and hiking the trails, or hiking TO the campsite?
In general:
>shelter2-person tents run $50-$70 at places like walmart.
Sleeping bag is nice due to being comfy and folding tightly (I have a mummy-style marmot, on sale for $40, rated to 0*C) but it's easily replaced by blankets if temp won't drop below 10*C and you won't be hiking with all your camping gear.
Sleeping PAD is a must, usually $10-20, skimp on that and you're gonna have a bad time.
1-2 tarps (not the flimsy plastic kind, the thick kind with holes for cordage) may run $20 each but they're indestructible and absolutely necessary to keep water from seeping under your tent.
Paracord is cheap as dirt, 50-100ft should be more than enough for tarps and drying lines. If you need more in the field for some reason, it's a good excuse to practice making cordage out of vines and bark fiber.
>bagpackAnything with a waist strap. Milsurps always have nice ones for $30-$40. Frankly a 2-pocket school bag is sufficient if you pack it properly.
Some bungee cords, also dirt cheap, are helpful for securing oversized items (eg sleeping pad) and building camp structures.
Almost all those things can be found at milsurps for cheaper than any dept store or Amazon, those are my go-to for solid inexpensive gear.
Few other things:
Don't forget cookware - cast iron is cheap and sturdy if you won't need to haul it, otherwise lightweight aluminum(?) sets run like $15 for a few oddly-shaped hybrid plate/bowl/skillets. If there's an actual grill at the site you can just use cooking foil and plasticware, but then trash disposal becomes more of an issue.
Thus, TRASH BAGS - another multipurpose essential, very helpful for keeping gear dry if it rains.
Toilet paper or paper towels, even if the site has full bathrooms and plumbing...just in case.
Beyond that, see first sentence. Essentials should run under $200 and they're almost all reusable.
