With the summer months ahead and festivals in full swing, many Brits will be taking to the great outdoors (come rain or shine) for a spot of camping. The cost of camping gear can quickly add up, so we’ve compiled a 10-point checklist of the essentials you’ll need, with the cheapest online prices we found for each item, plus a few corkers that are in store only.
Cracking deals we spotted include £54 Hunter wellies, a four-man tent for £20 and two waterproof ponchos for a quid.
1. Wellies – £54 Hunter. We found £9.99 adults’ wellies (incl free delivery) at Deichmann. Or, if you’re after Hunter wellies – they aren’t MoneySaving, but if you’re going to buy them anyway – we’ve found some for around £54 (norm £90) at Country Attire, although sizes are limited.
2. Tent – £20 4-man. You can get a four-man dome tent for £19.99 (using free click and collect) at Argos*. Or, for one a bit more snug, a two-man pop-up tent for £17.99 from an Aldi store (find your nearest).
3. Sleeping bag – £16. A thick single sleeping bag (300gm²), which should keep you toastie on colder nights from spring to autumn, is £16 (using free click and collect) at Halfords*, or £18 (using free click and collect) at Tesco Direct*.
4. Roll mat – £6. To make sleeping on the ground a bit comfier, we’ve seen a roll mat for £5.49 (using free click and collect) at Argos*, or £7.94 (incl £3.95 del) at Winfields Outdoors.
5. Large rucksack – £26. If you’re packing for a few nights, we found a big 65-litre rucksack for £26 (incl £1 click and collect) at Blacks* or £36.94 (incl £3.95 del) at Winfields Outdoors.
6. Waterproof poncho – 2 for £1. These can be a great alternative to the costlier rain mac. We spotted two waterproof ponchos for £1 in store at Poundland (find your nearest). Or one waterproof poncho for £1 (using free click and collect) at Superdrug*.
7. Head torch – £1. See what’s ahead with 7-LED head torch for £1 in store at Poundland. Or a 10-LED head torch for £4.98 (incl £1.99 delivery) at Outdoor Camping Direct.
8. Folding chair – £6 or 2 for £10. We found one for £6 (using free click and collect) at Go Outdoors*. Or, two for £10 (using free click and collect) at Tesco Direct*. If you’re happy with a stool, you can get them for £1 each in store at Poundland – our local store didn’t have any in stock, but it’d be worth checking yours.
9. Portable charger – £15. We’ve seen a medium-powered 10,000mAh portable charger, which would charge an iPhone 7 about three times, for £14.99 (incl free delivery) at Amazon*.
10. Gas stove – £10. You can cook up a storm with a single-ring cooker for £10 (using free click and collect) at Halfords*. It requires an A4 gas cartridge, and these are £1.50 each.
If you want to go to a festival without paying Glastonbury prices, check out our free UK festivals guide – you could see the likes of Corinne Bailey Rae, The Darkness, Razorlight, Busted, KT Tunstall, and more, without paying a penny.
Let us know what camping bargains you’ve picked up in the comments below.