Camping is a great hobby as well as being a frugal getaway/holiday. Buying all your equipment can be very costly but it will last you a long time if you look after it. For us, we started small, we borrowed a small tent, bought a cheap inflatable mattress, I already had a little butane gas cooker and he had sleeping bags and small fridge. We always went with a group so what we didn't have we could borrow from someone else. Over the years if there is a good sale we would pick up another item, or we would save for a bigger item. It pays to do your research and cheaper isn't always better when it comes to sleeping in the weather and all round durability. We are now fully equipped to do a camping trip by ourselves if we wish. Once all the equipment has been purchased, the camping trip can be as cheap as you make it. We usually go stay in a state forest as the rules are different to a national park, very rarely do we camp in a place with entry fees so all we need to pay ...