If money were no object it’d be easy enough to spend a fortune on forays into the great outdoors. However, that’s not the world most of us live in and it is absolutely not necessary to break the bank in order to get out exploring!

So, with that in mind, here are some great tips for exploring on the cheap:

3 guiding principles:

Share Resources

Whether you are heading out on your own or with a group, the chances are that there are more ways than you imagined for sharing resources.

Use Appropriate Kit

If you’re not going to the mountains, you don’t need a mountain tent.

Explore Locally

Don’t overlook what’s around you. Adventure may be closer than you think, reducing your transport costs and your environmental impact.

Sharing Resources:

In some ways there is now a bigger sharing economy out there than ever before. And as transport will often take a big chunk out of any trip budget, why not look at joining a car-sharing network. If that doesn’t appeal, co-ordinate your trip with friends so that you can fill the car. Maximum bums on seats = minimum fuel cost! Equally, use your imagination and explore the full range of transport options. If cars are out, what about Public Transport? Or maybe you can get there by bike or even on foot. Approach getting there (wherever ‘there’ is!) as part of the adventure.

Another cost that soon adds up is that of maps and guide books and all-too-often, having been bought, they are used once and then consigned to dust-gathering duties on a shelf. So, rather than spend a small fortune here, why not borrow them from your local library? It costs you nothing and you can hand them back afterwards.

Appropriate Kit:

When you are preparing for your adventure and buying new kit, don’t succumb to ‘kit overkill’. I used the example of mountain tents. So many people spend silly money on mountain tents only to use them in their back garden and valley camping! Think about where you are going, what season you are going in, find out about what conditions you can expect and kit yourself out to meet that need, not to wildly exceed it!

Also cast an eye back to what worked ten, twenty or thirty years ago. It still works now – it’s just been replaced by materials and designs which work better, weigh less and yes, you guessed it, are more expensive! So, pull on your wool sweater, your plus fours, lace up your plimsolls or leather boots and off you go!

If your trip includes camping, look at what you can take from home, especially cooking utensils. It’s easy to spend a fortune on camping versions and yes, they normally include an obligatory folding feature and are a bit lighter. But strictly necessary? Well, you decide.

Exploring Locally:

All too often our attention is grabbed by adventure TV shows from every corner of the planet. This becomes our understanding or our expectation of what adventure should be. Both in terms of money and in terms of what it would do to our planet, we cannot afford to all be jetting about like this. Explore your local patch and work outwards. Embrace the spirit of the micro-adventure (á la Alastair Humphreys). Even in or around the town where I grew up I get pleasantly surprised finding new routes and trails. Even the familiar viewed from a different angle can feel new and fresh!

Exploring locally is guaranteed to slash the cost of hitting the trail and those local adventures are sure to spring a few surprises. Minimal planning, minimum cost – the spontaneous micro-adventure is there for the taking!

By Mark Brightwell