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.

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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.

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

Sawyer’s spray offers an impressive 12 hours of protection against mosquitoes and ticks, and a little less (eight hours) against flies, gnats, and chiggers.

Korin Miller
Health, Lifestyle and Commerce Writer

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

Sawyer’s Permethrin spray has also worked as promised.

Mark Melotik
Freelance Writer

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

Sawyer, for example, checks to ensure that no pore size exceeds 0.01 microns, stating that “the filters are then checked four more times at crucial points of assembly for filter integrity before they make their way onto the shelf.”

Dan Hu
Mwandishi