7 Budget Backpacking Essentials Under $15 That Cut Pack Weight When you are backpacking, every extra ounce you carry adds up to extra tiredness at the end of the day. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on ultra-light premium gear to cut 2 to 3 pounds off your total pack weight. There are 7 different budget backpacking essentials under $15 each that make your pack lighter, without costing you a fortune.
Start with a 1 liter collapsible water bottle that rolls up to the size of a coin when it is empty. It weighs 80% less than a hard plastic Nalgene bottle, and it costs under $12. Next, swap your heavy cotton camp towel for a microfiber travel towel under $10 that weighs 1 ounce, dries in 20 minutes, and packs down to the size of a golf ball. Add a $14 portable titanium spork that replaces separate fork, knife and spoon, saving you space and weight in your cook kit.
Other great budget picks include a $12 roll of ultra-light duct tape that you can wrap around your water bottle for quick trail repairs, a $13 10-pack of reusable food storage bags that replace heavy hard plastic containers, and a $14 mini portable camp trowel that weighs 2 ounces, 75% lighter than a regular plastic trowel. All these items combined cost under $80, and they cut over 2 pounds of unnecessary weight out of your backpack. You do not need to buy $500 ultra-light gear to make your overnight backpacking trips feel way easier and more fun.
