One of the biggest myths about camping is that you need a lot of expensive gear to do it right.
You don’t.
Yes, you’ll eventually want a good tent and a quality sleeping bag. But beyond those two bigger purchases, most of the gear that makes camping comfortable and easy costs less than $50 a piece. Some of it costs less than $15.
These are the 10 items I’d tell any new camper to buy first — all under $50, all genuinely useful, all things I still use on every single trip.
🎒 New to camping? Before you shop, read our Ultimate First-Time Camper’s Guide — it covers everything you need to know before your first trip.
The 10 Best Cheap Camping Gear Items
This is the single most useful piece of camping gear that isn’t a tent or sleeping bag. A good headlamp keeps your hands free for cooking, setting up camp after dark, finding the bathroom at 2am, and reading in your tent.
Get one per person. Don’t rely on phone flashlights — they drain your battery fast and you need both hands free.
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You will spend a lot of time sitting at your campsite. On a cooler. On a log. On the ground. None of those are comfortable for more than 20 minutes.
A basic camp chair folds flat, fits in a carrying bag, and makes the whole experience better. The Coleman Quad Chair has been around forever, costs about $30, and holds up to years of use.
If you want something lighter and more packable, REI and Helinox make great chairs — but those cost more than $50. The Coleman is plenty for car camping.
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Pack both. Always. A lighter can fail in wind or wet conditions. Waterproof matches are your backup. Together they cost less than $10 and take up almost no space.
UCO Stormproof Matches are the gold standard for waterproof matches — they light in wind and rain and burn for about 15 seconds. Worth the $10.
Bonus: tuck a small fire starter stick or two in your kit. On a damp morning when the kindling won’t catch, you’ll be very glad you have one.
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Campgrounds have water spigots. But they’re not always close to your site. A 2.5 or 5-gallon collapsible jug means you fill it up once and have water at your site all day for cooking, washing dishes, and rinsing hands.
When it’s empty, it collapses flat and takes up almost no space in your car. The Reliance Fold-A-Carry is a classic and costs about $15.
This is one of those things you didn’t know you needed until you have it. Then you can’t imagine camping without it.
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A 10-inch Lodge cast iron skillet is one of the best camp cooking investments you can make. It works on a camp stove, over a campfire grate, and even on coals. It’s nearly indestructible. It cooks bacon, eggs, burgers, and vegetables all equally well.
The Lodge 10.25-inch skillet costs about $30 and will last you decades. Season it before your first trip and it’ll be nearly non-stick.
The only downside: it’s heavy. For car camping, that doesn’t matter at all.
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A microfiber camp towel dries fast, packs small, and is way more practical than hauling a full bath towel to the campsite. You’ll use it after washing dishes, after a camp shower, after a swim, and when you inevitably spill coffee on yourself on day one.
The PackTowl Personal and REI Co-op Organic Camp Towel are both solid options under $20. Get a medium size — large enough to actually dry off with, small enough to stuff in a bag.
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If it rains — and at some point, it will rain — having a tarp or small canopy over your picnic table means you can still cook, eat, and hang out without getting soaked. It also provides shade on hot days.
A basic blue tarp from a hardware store costs about $15 and works fine if you know how to rig it with paracord between trees. If you want something easier, a pop-up canopy runs about $40–$60.
For your first trip, a simple tarp and a few bungee cords is enough. You can level up later.
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A 50-foot hank of paracord is one of those things that solves problems you didn’t know you’d have. Rig a tarp. Hang a clothesline. Tie down a loose item. Create a gear hang between trees.
550 paracord is the standard — strong enough to hold real weight, light enough to pack anywhere. Grab a bright color so you don’t trip over it in the dark.
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Doing dishes at camp without the right soap is miserable. Biodegradable soap is required near water sources — regular dish soap can harm aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds is a classic camp soap that works for dishes, hands, and even as a general cleaner. A bottle costs about $8 and lasts for multiple trips.
Pair it with a simple scrubber sponge and a small collapsible basin for washing, and you’ve got a complete camp kitchen cleaning setup for under $20.
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You don’t need anything elaborate. A basic first aid kit covers the most common camping mishaps: blisters, minor cuts, bug bites, headaches, and upset stomachs.
The Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight kit is well-organized, covers the basics, and costs about $20. Or build your own: ibuprofen, blister bandages (Compeed is the best), an elastic bandage, antiseptic wipes, and any personal medications.
Check the kit before every trip and replace anything you used last time.
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The Short Version
Total cost for all 10 itemsSpread that over a few trips and this is one of the cheapest hobbies you can pick up. Headlamp, chair, fire kit, water jug, cast iron, camp towel, tarp, paracord, soap, and first aid — that’s everything you need to camp comfortably.
You don’t need to spend a lot to camp well. None of these items are fancy. All of them earn their spot in the bag on every single trip.
Got a cheap camping item you swear by that didn’t make this list? Tell us in the comments.
📋 Ready to pack? Check off everything with our complete car camping packing list — free to save, screenshot, or print.
