While many vacations focus on lounging beachside, or involve the luxury of golfing at exotic resorts, there are some people whose idea of a perfect vacation is of a different sort.
Overnight backpacking in the mountains, snowshoeing in a light snowfall, windsurfing local lakes, hiking trips, rock climbing excursions, fishing, camping, rafting and outdoors activities like these are music to the outdoorsmen’s ears – embodying what many people consider the recipe for a perfect vacation. This more rugged take on a typical vacation requires more than just the will to do so, but also means planning your trip correctly and purchasing the right gear for an outdoor vacation.
While for the budget travel, words like REI, Northface and Mountain Hardware conjure up ideals of picture perfect travel gear, it’s a reality stark enough to send your credit card bill well past the safe zone. Travel gear for outdoor vacations at reasonable prices can be difficult to find, so FRUGALMONKEY has put together an entire section that focuses on the purchase of travel gear for the budget traveler. In addition, we’ve put together a few resources that will help anyone planning an outdoor vacation keep it cheap. One excellent place to look for travel gear at reasonable prices is through Craigslist. This online classified is popular all over the world and even more so in the States. You can post want ads and search for categories like camping gear – a great way to take advantage of someone else’s impulse purchase from last camping season.
Also check out retailers who post bulletin boards. Often times people post information on used, but quality, travel goods for great prices. Another way to keep your camping or outdoors vacation cheap is to think about renting. Renting is a great way to save you hundreds if you can only get to the great outdoors once or twice a year. Additionally, think about borrowing from friends before purchasing expensive gear. Lastly, if you must buy your own gear, look online for links to budget sites or online auctions for cheap travel gear. By saving money on gear you can extend your trip, take more of them and rest easy knowing your low-cost vacation, stayed that way.
