One of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors and leave the hustle and bustle of daily life behind is to go camping. Camping can be relatively inexpensive, but if you’re not mindful of your costs, it can take a big chunk of your budget, as you will know if you’ve visited an outdoors store lately.

To cut costs on your next camping trip, without sacrificing safety or quality, here are some tips to save money before you’re heading out the door.

Start Saving Before You Go

Camping on a budget can start long before you leave your house. For example, you can save a lot of money by purchasing used equipment, or borrow gear from your camping friends. There’s no need to get the latest expensive gadgets, a wide variety of used gear can be found online, at gear swaps, garage sales or online. Look for camping staples such as tents, boots, cooking stoves and pots.

Be Flexible With Your Gear

Instead of buying one specific piece of equipment that suits one need, you can purchase multi-purpose items. When you buy gear that can be used for more than one thing, you’ll end up saving not just money for space. As an example, swapping ground chicken for ground beef means you can use it not just for burgers, but it can be used for tacos, mixed with vegetables, pasta and yes – burgers. Another great money saving option is to use household items you already own. You can bring your own pots and pans and use a yoga mat as a sleeping pad.

Stay Close To Home

Choosing a park that’s close to your home can be a great option to camp on a budget, especially for beginner campers. You’ll still get a camping experience without having to spend a lot of money on gas or travel, and sticking close to home usually, means you can pack a lighter load.

Mind Your Gear

There’s a lot of money to be saved just by minding your gear. A stack of firewood can be quickly rendered obsolete with some rain, so keep a tarp handy in case you need to cover your bundle of wood. Keeping your cooler in the shade means the ice will melt less quickly, saving you from using tons of ice. As soon as you get home, wash and dry all your gear and store it neatly, to keep it from growing mold or being damaged.