How Much Should You Spend on Outdoor Gear?
By Trailbound Editors · Published · Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Table of Contents
Quick Verdict
Spend on the things between you and the weather — shelter, sleep system, waterproofs — and spend less on everything else until you know what you actually want. Weight savings get expensive fast, and the cheapest gear is the gear you buy twice. Buy the middle of any range, use it for a season, and let experience decide what deserves an upgrade.
Outdoor gear ranges from entirely adequate to absurdly expensive, and the difference between them is not linear. Knowing where the money goes makes the decisions much easier.
Where money genuinely buys something
Three categories reward spending, because the consequence of failure is a bad night rather than a minor annoyance:
- Shelter. A tent that stays dry and stands up in wind changes what weather you can go out in.
- Sleep system. Bag and pad together decide whether you sleep. A cold night ends trips.
- Waterproof layer. A jacket that wets out is worse than no jacket, because you carried it.
Buy these in the middle of the range and replace them when a specific thing about them fails you.
Where money buys weight, not function
Above a certain point, extra spending reduces grams. That is a real benefit — a lighter pack is a more enjoyable day — but it is a poor place to start, because weight only matters once everything else is right.
If you are choosing between a lighter version of the right item and a heavier version of the wrong one, take the wrong one that fits and works.
The cheap-first rule
For anything you are not sure about — a stove type, a pole, a specific pack volume — buy the inexpensive version first and use it for a season. You will learn what you dislike far more cheaply than by reading reviews, and the cheap version often turns out to be the one you keep.
The exception is safety equipment and anything load-bearing. There, buy the recognised brands and follow the manufacturer’s guidance rather than looking for a deal.
A simple decision order
- Will I use this more than a few times a year?
- Can I name what my current item does badly?
- Is the failure mode uncomfortable, or is it dangerous?
Two yeses and an “uncomfortable” means fix it. A “dangerous” means fix it properly and now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is expensive gear always better?
No. Above the mid range you are usually buying weight savings, a specific feature, or durability rather than basic function. Whether that is worth it depends on how often you use the item and how much the weight matters to you.
What should I buy first?
Boots or shoes, a waterproof layer, and a pack that fits. These decide whether a trip is comfortable, and they are the hardest to work around if they are wrong.
When should I upgrade?
When you can name the specific problem the current item has — too heavy for the distance you now walk, wet in the conditions you now go out in, uncomfortable after the hours you now spend in it. A vague sense that better gear exists is not a reason.
