The cost of living crisis is affecting us all, in return making it harder to participate in outdoor hobbies that we love. To help you keep doing what you enjoy, while keeping the cost down, we’ve got five suggestions to help you beat the cost of living.
1) Plan in advance
Not much of a help if you fancy an impromptu trip to the hills, but advance fares are a sure-fire way of keeping travel costs down. As an example, a return ticket from London to Aviemore cost £191 on the day but only £139.40 booked two months in advance – a saving of over £50. Accommodation is often cheaper, too, if you take advantage of advance offers.
2) Hire, borrow and repair
If you’re in the market for new camping or outdoor gear, think about repairing or hiring instead of buying new. Plenty of brands offer repair services – Alpkit, Keen and Patagonia amongst them – but check first to see if there’s a free local repair café operating in your area. The UK is also home to an increasingly widespread ‘library of things’ network. The idea is that you sign up to hire kit, including tents and other camping gear, for free or at a discounted price.
3) Embrace wild camping
With accommodation prices typically on the rise, it might be time to brush up on your wild camping skills (responsible, leave-no-trace wild camping, of course). Check out our tips for beginners here
Wild camping tents on Middle Staple tor in Dartmoor national park Devon uk.
4) What’s on the menu?
Service station snacks can really push up the price of a hillwalking trip. McDonald’s and Domino’s have all warned of price hikes over the last few months, and the cost of prepared food such as packaged sandwiches is rising quickly as well. Preparing your own camping meals is almost always cheaper than buying ready-made.
A dehydrator is the easiest way to pre-make camping meals, but an oven on its the lowest setting will do the job too.
5) Make the most of discounts
If you’re already a member of a walking group or an organisation such as the Ramblers, BMC or Mountaineering Scotland, check what benefits you can take advantage of. The BMC, for example, offers 10% off in a range of big-name outdoor stores, plus discounts on car hire and walking holiday providers.
Hope you’ve enjoyed reading our tips to beat the cost of living crisis. If you’re on the lookout for any budget options for gear then take a look at our best budget backpacks and budget waterproof options.
