Hiker walking across snow and grassy tundra in mountains
Hiker walking across snow and grassy tundra in mountains

Budget Backpacking Gear: Cheap 10 lb Ultralight Kit [~$500]

Quality backpacking gear has a reputation for being pricey, but I’m here to show you that it’s entirely possible to put together an affordable ultralight setup on a $500 budget.

That’s right; you can get your hands on a brand-new backpacking gear kit with a 10-pound base weight without having to max out your credit card.

I’ve spent over $3,200 on my current ultralight setup, so I know how expensive backpacking can be. Naturally, many of my readers have seen my kit and asked for more affordable recommendations. I can’t blame them, after all, because the gear on my backpacking list isn’t exactly cheap.

So, I scoured the internet for the best budget gear, tested a bunch of it in the field, and asked fellow backpackers for their favorite affordable recommendations. This article is the result of all my tedious research and gear nerdery.

Every piece of gear I recommend in this post is well-reviewed, widely-used in the backpacking community, and will help get you into the backcountry for a sliver of what you might pay otherwise.

Let’s dive in. It’s time to save some money. Read Noel Krazomil's Budget Backpacking Gear List here.

Mwandishi wa Blogu ya Picha
Media Mentions from The Packable Life
Maisha Packable

Vipi dunia. Mimi ni Noel Krasomil, mtu nyuma ya Maisha ya Packable. Mimi ni kutafuta njia, kutafuta mpango, utengenezaji wa chakula mitaani, blog-obsessed 30-kitu kutoka Colorado, Marekani. Nimekuwa mwandishi wa safari ya wakati wote kwa zaidi ya mwaka, bila mwisho mbele.

Niliunda Maisha ya Ufungashaji ili kuhamasisha wengine kusafiri, kuongezeka, na blogu kwa kusudi - kukua kwa nguvu, umakini zaidi, na kuhamasishwa zaidi kila siku barabarani. Nataka kukupa changamoto ya kufunga nyepesi, kusafiri kwa muda mrefu, kuongezeka zaidi, na blogi smarter.

Chunguza Maudhui Zaidi

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

Streams, waterfalls, and rivers can quench your thirst in the wild, but they may carry dirt and impurities.

Dinal Jain
Mwandishi

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

The baby wrap method has been tested in only this one trial, but it cut malaria cases by a greater margin that the vaccines have in some studies.

Stephanie Nolen
Mwandishi

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

In future, I’ll use gravity when I can, and squeeze when I have to.

Richard, aka "LowRange
Hiker