When going camping, you should never rent tents, sleeping bags, camping stoves, and backpacks. There are alternatives to these four things for camping.
Tents
Camping tents aren’t as expensive as you may think. At the beginning of any camping season, retail stores like Wal-Mart have them in stock. As Kristin Colella points out in her article, you could rent them for $45 a day plus an additional $10 a day depending on how long you are going to camp.
She fails to mention, you still have to set it up, pay any camping fees for campgrounds that charge those, take the tent down, and send it back to the company. She also doesn’t mention any fees attached to renting the tent if you return it late or damage it.
If you’re savvy enough, a tarp with two poles and rope can be turned into cover while camping. Also if you feel like really roughing it, sleeping gear will do the trick.
There have been a few times we have gone out to the lake fishing and decided to spend the night. We folded down the back of the car and went to sleep. If you have a pickup, the bed can be made into a makeshift sleeping area. Use the aforementioned tarp and tie it down through the holes in the sides of the bed for cover.
Sleeping Bags
You never know what kind of diseases, bugs, and things that lurk inside of a sleeping bag. You also never know if the rental company has them cleaned after each return.
If you are prone to poison ivy, oak or sumac attacks, renting a sleeping bag can become your worst enemy. Rather than having any of these poisonous plants contained to a portion of your body, you will have it all over. You’d be spending your time in the ER instead of camping.
Air mattresses are another option to use. Take along those and some heavier bedding and your all set for a good nights sleep. Besides, they fold up small enough to be slid under a bed, stored in the hall closet, or in the corner of the garage. Then you have extra comfortable sleeping arrangements for guests at home.
Camping Stoves
In this day and age, portable grills have become very popular. You don’t have to rent a camping stove. You can find small charcoal grills for far less than renting or buying a small gas grill. A 10 pound bag of charcoal isn’t all that expensive either.
You also don’t even have to rent the stove or drag your grill along. You can build your own camp ring out of stones at the campground if they don’t have one on site. Build a small fire and use a grate off an old grill or old home stove. Either of these items are easy to store at home.
Backpacks
Unless you’re hiking miles to your camp site, you don’t need to rent a large hiking backpack. If you feel you must drag along a backpack, you can find a sturdy enough one at any retail store for clothes, shoes, and bathing equipment.
If you have kids at home, you surely have a few discarded ones laying around. This will allow the kids to also trek in their gear.
After years of camping in tents, I have learned these are the things to never rent. Many of these items aren’t near as expensive as you may think.