Exploring Canada’s great outdoors can be expensive, but there are ways to go camping that don’t cost too much.
Before embarking on an outdoor adventure, Zwena Gray, an enthusiast of hiking and protecting the environment, Suggest making a list of what you need.
“What I always do is make a list, and then with the stuff I don’t have, I always reach out to family and friends,” Gray told CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday.
If there are any devices that your friends and family don’t have, Gray says some communities have “device libraries” which can fill in the gaps. She points to the BIPOC Outdoor Equipment Library in Guelph, Ont., as an example where Blacks, Natives, and other people of color can turn to low-cost equipment rentals.
In some communities that do not have designated camping libraries, regular public libraries have also begun to rent equipment.
Depending on the type of camping, Gray recommends using items around the house to cut costs.
“If you’re camping in the countryside (car camping) you really don’t need to buy a sleeping bag, I just recommend bringing blankets and comforters from your home,” she says.
While people love the “luxury” of a mattress, says Gray, carrying one when camping isn’t always possible or necessary.
Instead, she suggests people stack up a yoga mat or sleeping pad. This is important, says Gray, because sleeping on the ground can cause a person to lose at least 10 degrees (C) of body temperature.
Gray notes that when camping in the heat, food can spoil quickly in the refrigerator. In that case, she advises people to dehydrate during certain meals.
Her favorite meal to dehydrate while camping is chili.
“People think you need to go buy a dehydrator, but you can also dehydrate with your oven,” she says. “Or if you’re in a sunny spot, you can actually dehydrate (some) of your food outside.”
To watch the full interview and hear all of Gray’s tips, click on the video at the top of this article.
