Backpacking Gear from Walmart: Full Gear for Under $200? What Works and What Nearly Killed Me

Gear in this video:

My favorite backpacking gear list:

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It's not easy to purchase backpacking gear when you're on a budget. I set out for my local Walmart to get as cheap of a set up as possible and then go on an actual backpacking trip with it. Here's what works and what totally sucks.

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[AnthonyPerini]

I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail using a 8'x10' walmart tarp as a tent. Along with a few yards of rope, 6 stakes, and my trekking poles, my shelter weighed about 20-24 ish ounces. I loved telling super ultralight people that my shelter weighed the same as theirs and cost me $20.

[jarrettsherman]

I used an ozark trail single man hiking tent last year just to see how it would do…it was April 15th in Michigan, 4 days, 2 of those days it rained all day and temps where in the 30/low 40s, 4th day it snowed…it went through it all 😂 but it did the job…but by the end I was a little damp and definitely glad I wasn’t staying in it any longer 😂

[rebeccametcalf]

I have an old Ozark Trail tent I got as a graduation gift over 10 years ago. It's a 4 person tent I believe, absolutely massive, but it's still going strong. Still waterproof and comfy. Not for backpacking obviously but when I go car camping I absolutely love it.

[Dismantled]

The Camping section is my favorite place to go in Walmart.

[PhilCherry]

I've used Ozark Trail tents for 20 yrs and they have yet to fail me. Here's the catch though. I never used these tents without a overhead tarp and another tarp as a groundsheet. I once had my 15+ year old Ozark Trail 4 person tent out in 3 days of driving rain and heavy wind gusts. But it was protected by a good tarp. The combination worked like champs and there was not one drop of water inside that tent the whole time. In my opinion none of the off-the-shelf 1-10 person big box store tents can withstand inclement weather without additional tarp protection. But that doen't mean they are crap tents! Most people don't need and many cannot afford $300-$800 camping tents. For most people a $30-$100 tent and a good tarp will meet the majority of their camping shelter requirements.

[phillipnunya]

The unfortunate thing about a lot of budget stuff is that the issues are usually related to issues with design rather than build quality. If they spent the money on R&D, their stuff would probably be considerably more popular. The tent, for example could have easily been made to have less condensation issues by changing the vent design and the vestibule height off the ground. They could have reduced the weight by shipping it with sturdy plastic stakes.

[STho]

Two person version, if you can find it, is only 0.5 lbs heavier and has two doors and vestibules to vent. It is also a foot longer and 2 feet wider. Still bet it is 3lbs if you ditch the metal stakes.

Their BRS knockoff minimal butane stove is their best deal. No plastic junk, just the blowtorch burner head...but has a propane adapter and a can stand. Packs much smaller.

Theif best backpack is in the Motorcycle section. A 40L drypack. Sometimes they have a hiking version of that not black (motorcycle gear uses too much black)

[ojibwayinca]

The audio quality is superb and the clarity of the video is excellent. Great job and great info. Much appreciated.

[ourcreativebeehive]

Lived in Flag for about 20 years. When my son went camping in high school, I bought his gear at Big 5. Not overly expensive and the tent survived 4 teen boys.

[prisonerofthehighway]

That sleeping bag with a sea to summit liner and my old Army bivy have taken me to 0F. Also Ozark Trail makes a different one person tent that’s double wall and ventilates far better. It’s been my go to for a few years now.

[ManitobaInc]

If you're gonna buy a Walmart tent here's a piece of advice.
Make sure you also grab a tarp and a can of waterproof spray.
Spray the rain fly the first day in your backyard before you take the tent anywhere.
And learn how to run a Ridgeline and set up a tarp over your tent and you'll never get wet plus you can leave the door on the tent flap wide open for better ventilation. And having the vestibule space under the tarp is invaluable.

[heyyall]

Walmart has tents that are not single wall tents. They don't have the ventilation problem that you experienced. This condensation issue is going to happen with any single wall tent. For $45-$75, you can get a pretty decent hiking tent at Walmart and save hundreds of dollars. Walmart sells smaller cooking pots. Idk why you bought that big one. Maybe they were out of stock at the time you went shopping. I agree with what you said about that foam pad. I've owned one of those. If you love pain, that's the perfect sleep pad. I bought a Klymit inflatable sleep pad and got rid of that foam thing. Thanks for the video. It is refreshing to see someone on YouTube that's not pushing a bunch of expensive gear. I think some people look at that expensive gear the way some people look at expensive purses and shoes- it's a status symbol. The great outdoors is no place for materialism and showing off. The fact is, I get my stuff from REI, Cabelas, Academy Sports, Walmart, and even thrift stores. And it will be a cold day in hell when I click on some 'influencers' link to buy something.

[erikjensen]

All that said a few trips with cheap gear you tend to really appreciate the nicer gear as you can afford to upgrade things! Thanks for testing it

[caniaccharlie]

I've used the hell out of that headlamp, numerous battery changes, etc. it's been rather great! Also I have used that cook set, but never the "cutlery" quite a bit car camping, it does the job and has held up.

[yogalandawellnessyolandati]

Online they have a fantastic double walled tent that’s under $30! I recommend it all the time. Under 4 lbs, less if you use lighter stakes 👍

[mrjeff]

One additional item to get from Home Depot is “24 in. x 10 ft. Double Reflective Insulation” @ $10.00 approx. Then cut to desired size.

[waterbuck]

I've had one of those Coleman stoves for years. It's been just fine for me, hasn't fallen apart.

[MoonbeameSmith]

When going walkabout at night I have a pair of bicycle lights I use, one I wear as a lamp and flasher the other is red and goes on the tent or car (depending) so I can find them again. In flashing mode a pair of AA bats can last for days at a time. I have in the past used reflective tape (thing the stickers on the back of trailers) cut into diamonds / squares stuck to my tent

[NPelham]

I actually picked up everything for my first backpacking trip from Walmart several years ago and several of the items I used are in this video (tent, bag, and stove). I used them for several years until just recently replacing a few of them so I wanted to share my thoughts after maybe a dozen times out with the gear.

The Ozark Trail 1p Backpacking Tent does have serious ventilation problems. You can alleviate that by sleeping with the vestibule open, or by attaching guy lines to stake the vestibule out further and allow airflow underneath it when "closed." Mine also had waterproofing issue the first time I encountered rain. I coated it in Scotchgard and that seemed to do the trick as the only other time I dealt with rain wasn't nearly as big of an issue. The only other durability problem I've had is that the fiberglass poles started splintering this past year. I bought replacement aluminum poles and lighter stakes. It brought the weight down to a little less than 3 lbs IIRC. I haven't used the tent since then though, as I found the River Country Trekker 1P for a similar price (if you ignore the cost of trekking poles) and decided to use that when I went out last weekend.

The Ozark Trail 30F Mummy is, as described here, pretty great actually. It comes with a compression bag that helps you compress it WAY down. So much that I had concerns about the compression bag failing, but I've used the bag for years and the straps haven't torn out yet. I store the bag compressed as much as possible inside of a backpack. I live in San Diego county, so 30F is a lower temp than I usually encounter and to be honest the bag is usually too warm for the area around Anza Borrego that I have spent most of the time with it. It has seen a few spring or early summer nights around Mammoth Lakes and it's held up well. It's also very tall so although I have recently replaced it I am keeping it as a loaner because it should fit some of my taller friends and relatives without issue.

The stove is absolutely terrible. I suspect the issues weren't seen in this video because the pot he had was huge. But the heat from the stove is actually dispersed in a wide ring and takes FOREVER to heat the smaller kettles that I use while backpacking. (Mine is a stainless steel Stanley kettle that comes with two plastic cups). I've also had the metal pieces come loose after the plastic bits heat up which seems like a massive fire hazard. I replaced this immediately.

[jamesbrooks]

Yo first like here! I use alot of "Walmart" stuff the name brand Outdoor Products are actually not to bad for the price and they sell there stuff at Big 5. Ozark Trail on the other hand depends on what the item is. I usually go to Ross to get my clothes. Go donate the stuff you won't use to a homeless person.