I almost didn’t write this article. Not because the topic’s boring — it’s genuinely one of the most common questions I get — but because so many “budget backpacking” guides online are written by people who clearly haven’t priced out a trip in years. They’ll tell you backpacking is “basically free” once you have gear, and that’s just… not honest.
Here’s the truth: a typical 5-day backpacking trip runs somewhere between $300 and $800, depending on where you go, what gear you already own, and how far you’re driving to the trailhead. That’s a real backpacking trip budget breakdown, not some fantasy number. But the good news? You can absolutely pull off a solid trip for $500 or less. I’ve done it dozens of times. You just need to know where the money actually goes — and where you can shave it without ending up miserable at 10,000 feet with a leaking tent.
This guide breaks down every cost category, gives you a real sample budget, and shows you exactly where to cut without cutting corners on safety. Whether you’re planning cheap backpacking trip planning for your first overnighter or trying to stretch a tight budget across a week on trail, I’ve got you covered.
What a Typical Backpacking Trip Actually Costs
Before you can plan a budget, you need to know where the money goes. And it’s probably not where you think. Most first-timers fixate on gear — which, fair — but gas, permits, and food add up faster than people expect.
Let me break it down by category so you can see exactly how much does a backpacking trip cost when you add everything up.
Gear Costs (Borrowed, Rented, and Budget Buys)
This is the elephant in the room. A full backpacking setup — pack, tent, sleeping bag, pad, stove, water filter — can easily run $800-$1,500 if you buy everything new at REI. That’s a terrifying number when you’re trying to keep the whole trip under $500.
But here’s what nobody tells beginners: you don’t need to buy everything.
I did my first overnight trip with a borrowed pack from my buddy Derek, a $35 sleeping bag from Walmart, and a tarp instead of a tent. Was it glamorous? Absolutely not. Did I have an amazing time on the Appalachian Trail? You bet.
Your options for keeping gear costs low:
- Borrow from friends — Free. Just ask around. More people own camping gear than you’d think, and most of it sits in garages 350 days a year.
- Rent from REI — A full backpacking kit rents for about $50-$80 for a weekend. Individual items are cheaper.
- Local gear libraries — Yep, these exist. Many cities and outdoor clubs run gear lending programs. Portland, Denver, and Minneapolis all have solid ones. Check your local library system too — some now lend tents and sleeping bags alongside books.
- Budget buys — If you do need to purchase, the Kelty Cosmic 20 sleeping bag ($90) and Naturehike CloudUp 2 tent ($110) punch way above their price. I’ve put serious miles on both.
For a $500 trip budget, aim to spend $0-$150 on gear. Borrow what you can, rent the rest. Save the big purchases for after you know you love the sport.
Permits, Fees, and Campsite Reservations
This one catches people off guard. Not every trail costs money — plenty are completely free — but popular spots in national parks and wilderness areas do charge fees.
Here’s what you might encounter:
| Fee Type | Typical Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| National Park entrance | $30-$35 per vehicle | Good for 7 days; America the Beautiful pass is $80/year |
| Wilderness permit | $5-$15 per person | Required in many wilderness areas |
| Backcountry camping | $0-$25 per night | Varies wildly; many areas are free |
| Bear canister rental | $3-$5 per trip | Available at ranger stations in bear country |
| Parking/trailhead fees | $5-$10 per day | Some forest service trailheads charge |
A trip to a popular national park like Yosemite or Glacier might cost you $35 entrance + $15 permit + $5 bear canister rental = $55 in fees alone. But a trip to BLM land or a national forest? Often $0. The difference is real, and it matters when you’re budgeting.
Budget: $0-$60 for permits and fees.
Food and Resupply Costs
I’ve tested a lot of approaches here, from dehydrated Mountain House meals ($8-$12 each) to DIY trail meals built around bulk rice, ramen, and peanut butter.
The sweet spot for a 5-day trip is about $8-$12 per day. You can go lower, but below $6/day you’re basically eating ramen for every meal, and your energy levels will suffer on the trail.
Here’s a realistic food budget:
- Breakfasts: Instant oatmeal packets, granola, powdered milk — about $1.50/day
- Lunches: Tortillas, peanut butter, trail mix, jerky — about $3/day
- Dinners: Instant rice + dehydrated beans, ramen with tuna packets, couscous — about $3-$4/day
- Snacks: Bars, dried fruit, chocolate — about $2/day
That’s roughly $10/day, or $50 for five days. I buy most of this at Aldi or Grocery Outlet before a trip. Skip the fancy freeze-dried backpacking meals — they’re great but expensive, and homemade options work just as well.
Budget: $40-$60 for food.
Transportation and Gas
This is the cost everyone forgets. If you live in Denver and you’re hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, gas is maybe $15 round trip. But if you’re in Dallas and you’re driving to Big Bend? That’s 450 miles each way. At today’s gas prices, you’re looking at $80-$120 just in fuel.
Budget: $30-$150 for transportation. Carpooling with friends cuts this dramatically — splitting gas four ways turns a $120 drive into $30 per person.
Sample $500 Budget for a 5-Day Trip
Here’s an actual budget I used for a 5-day trip to the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico last fall. This is real numbers, not theoretical.
| Category | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gear rental (pack + tent) | $65 | Rented from local outdoor shop |
| Sleeping bag | $0 | Borrowed from a friend |
| Stove + cookware | $25 | Bought a BRS-3000T stove ($18) + titanium pot ($7 used) |
| Permits & fees | $0 | Gila Wilderness has no permit fees |
| Bear canister | $0 | Not required in Gila |
| Food (5 days) | $48 | Homemade trail meals, bought at Aldi |
| Gas (round trip from Tucson) | $85 | Split with one friend = $42.50 each |
| Water filter | $0 | Already owned a Sawyer Squeeze |
| First aid supplies | $12 | Restocked existing kit |
| Maps / navigation | $8 | Printed USGS topo maps at library |
| Misc (zip locks, cord, tape) | $6 | Dollar store run |
| Total | $249 | Solo cost with gas split |
Under $250 for five days in one of the most beautiful wildernesses in the country. And that included buying a stove I’ll use for years. If I’d been flying solo on gas, the total would’ve been $291. Still well under $500.
Your budget for a backpacking trip budget breakdown will shift depending on where you go and what you already own. But $500 gives you plenty of room — even for a national park trip with entrance fees and gear rentals.
Where to Cut Costs Without Sacrificing Safety
Let me be blunt about something: there are smart ways to save money on trail, and there are dumb ways. Skipping a water filter to save $25? Dumb. Using a tarp instead of a $400 tent? Smart.
Free and Low-Cost Dispersed Camping Options
Dispersed camping on BLM and National Forest land is the single best budget hack in backpacking. It’s free, it’s legal, and there’s an absurd amount of it across the western U.S.
Here’s how it works: on most Bureau of Land Management and National Forest land, you can camp anywhere that isn’t posted as closed. No reservation, no fee, no crowds. Just find a spot at least 200 feet from water and any road, and you’re set.
Some of my favorite dispersed camping areas:
- Coconino National Forest, AZ — red rock country, free camping everywhere
- BLM land near Moab, UT — world-class scenery, zero cost
- Gila National Forest, NM — empty, wild, gorgeous
- Shoshone National Forest, WY — gateway to the Wind Rivers, mostly free
The iOverlander app and FreeCampsites.net are your friends here. They won’t show you backcountry hiking spots specifically, but they’ll give you a sense of where free camping exists.
Gear Rental Programs and Library Loaner Kits
I mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth expanding on because most people don’t know these programs exist.
REI rents full backpacking kits for about $50-$80 per weekend trip. Individual items are cheaper — a tent alone might be $30 for a weekend. If you’re not sure backpacking is your thing yet, renting makes way more sense than buying.
But the real hidden gem? Outdoor gear libraries. These are popping up in cities across the country:
- The Mountaineers in Seattle has a massive gear library
- Denver’s Outdoor Recreation Equipment Library lends gear for free
- Many university outdoor programs rent gear to the public, not just students
- Check your local REI — some locations have partnerships with community lending programs
I rented a $350 tent from a gear library for $0 on my second-ever backpacking trip. That single decision probably saved me from buying expensive gear I’d have upgraded within a year anyway.
Budget-Friendly Trails With No Permit Fees
Want to do budget backpacking in national parks? Some parks charge steep fees. Others don’t. And beyond the park system, there are thousands of miles of trail with zero cost to hike.
Here are some of my favorite free or near-free backpacking destinations:
Completely free (no permits, no entrance fees):
- Ozark Highlands Trail, AR — 218 miles through beautiful hardwood forest. No permits, no fees, multiple access points for shorter trips.
- Superior Hiking Trail, MN — 310 miles along Lake Superior’s north shore. Free backcountry campsites every 5-8 miles.
- Gila Wilderness, NM — Spectacular desert canyon hiking. Hot springs. No permits needed.
- Allegheny National Forest, PA — The North Country Trail runs through here. Free dispersed camping.
Low-cost options ($5-$15):
- Big Bend National Park, TX — $30 entrance fee, but the backcountry permit is free. Split entrance with a carload of friends and it’s dirt cheap per person.
- Shenandoah National Park, VA — $30 entrance (or free with America the Beautiful pass), backcountry camping permit is free with a self-registration form.
Pro tip: The $80 America the Beautiful annual pass pays for itself in two national park visits. If you’re planning more than one park trip in a year, grab one. It’s the best deal in outdoor recreation, hands down.
Meal Planning on $8 Per Day
I’ll be honest — trail food is the area where I see people either wildly overspend or go so cheap they’re miserable. Neither extreme works.
At $8 per day, you’re eating well enough to keep your energy up on 10-15 mile days without burning cash. Here’s how I plan meals for a 5-day trip:
Breakfast rotation (alternating so you don’t get bored):
- Instant oatmeal + crushed walnuts + dried cranberries
- Granola + powdered whole milk
- Instant coffee and a couple breakfast bars
Lunch every day:
- Flour tortilla + peanut butter + honey (my trail staple — cheap, calorie-dense, never gets old)
- Handful of trail mix
- A piece of jerky or a cheese stick (hard cheeses last 3-4 days unrefrigerated)
Dinner rotation:
- Instant mashed potatoes + tuna packet + olive oil
- Ramen + dehydrated veggies + soy sauce packet
- Couscous + dried lentils + curry powder (prepped at home, just add boiling water)
- Instant rice + beans + hot sauce
- Mac and cheese + summer sausage
Snacks: Bars (I buy KIND bars in bulk from Costco), dried mango, M&Ms, Skittles. Don’t underestimate candy on trail — quick sugar when you’re grinding up a switchback is a legitimate strategy.
Total cost for all of this, bought at a regular grocery store: around $40-$50. You can get it under $35 if you skip the jerky and go heavy on rice and ramen, but honestly, that extra $10-$15 for variety is worth it by day three.
One more thing: pack an extra day’s worth of food beyond what you think you need. Getting weathered in or taking a wrong turn can extend your trip, and being out of food at mile 30 is a bad scene. That extra $8 is the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy.
Hidden Costs Most Beginners Overlook
I want to flag a few expenses that don’t show up in most budget guides but will definitely show up on your credit card statement.
Fuel canisters. If you’re using a canister stove (and most beginners are), a 4oz fuel canister runs $5-$7 at REI. One canister is good for about 3-4 days of cooking for one person. Not a huge cost, but it’s not zero.
Batteries and charging. Headlamp batteries, phone charging (if you’re using your phone for navigation). A small power bank like the Anker Nano costs $15-$20 and adds a few ounces to your pack, but it’s worth having.
Foot care supplies. Moleskin, Leukotape, extra socks. Maybe $5-$10. But blisters can end a trip early, so don’t skip this.
Post-trip meals. This sounds silly, but I guarantee you’ll spend $15-$30 on a giant restaurant meal the moment you get back to town. It’s basically a law of backpacking. Budget for it so it doesn’t feel like a splurge.
Parking. Some trailheads require a parking pass or daily fee. National Forest Adventure Passes in California are $5/day or $30/year. Other areas charge $3-$10/day.
Gear replacement and repairs. Things break on trail. A trekking pole tip wears out, a strap tears, a stuff sack rips. Keep $10-$15 as a buffer for small repairs and replacements.
Add another $30-$50 to your budget for these hidden costs. It’s better to come in under budget than to get surprised by expenses you didn’t plan for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is $500 enough for a week-long backpacking trip?
Absolutely — if you plan it right. My sample budget above came in under $300 for five days, and that included gear rental. A full week at a free dispersed camping area, with borrowed gear and homemade trail food, can run as low as $150-$200 if you have short transportation costs. Stretch to $500 and you’ve got room for a national park entrance fee, gear rentals, and better food.
What’s the cheapest way to get backpacking gear?
Borrow first, rent second, buy used third, buy new last. Check Facebook Marketplace, REI’s used gear site (re-commerce program), and local gear swaps. I’ve bought packs that were used twice for 50% off retail. And if you’re only going out once or twice a year, renting makes more financial sense than owning.
Can I backpack in national parks on a budget?
Yes, but pick your parks carefully. Some parks — like Shenandoah, Big Bend, and Great Smoky Mountains — have free backcountry permits. The Smokies don’t even charge an entrance fee for most access points. Use the America the Beautiful pass ($80/year) if you’re visiting more than one park. And always check for fee-free days — the National Park Service offers several per year.
How do I keep food costs under $10 per day on trail?
Buy from regular grocery stores, not outdoor retailers. A Mountain House meal costs $10-$12. An equivalent homemade meal with instant rice, a tuna packet, and olive oil costs about $2.50. Prep your dinners at home in zip-lock bags — measure out portions, add spices, label them. It takes an hour on a Sunday afternoon and saves you $30+ over a 5-day trip.
Do I really need a bear canister?
Depends entirely on where you’re going. In many Sierra Nevada wilderness areas, they’re required by law. Some national parks mandate them too. Where they’re required, ranger stations often rent them for $3-$5 per trip — way cheaper than buying one ($70-$80). In areas where they aren’t required, a simple bear hang with a stuff sack and paracord works fine. Check regulations for your specific trail before you go.
That’s the whole picture. A backpacking trip doesn’t need to cost a fortune, and honestly, some of my best trips have been the cheapest ones. Less money spent on fancy gear means more trips per year — and at the end of the day, time on trail is what matters most. Start with what you have, borrow what you don’t, and get out there. The mountains aren’t going anywhere, but your next free weekend might be.
Featured Image Source: Pexels
