If you love what we do, please consider “buying us a coffee” to help us fund our endeavour of helping New Zealander’s get outdoors! All donations go towards the running of NZFA.
The real question is, do you really need to have the biggest tent with the most rooms that can connect to a separate gazebo that, in reality, won’t really fit on a standard camping ground site these days.
We will try to figure out the answer in this blog post.
What we do know is that you can confidently camp around New Zealand on a very low budget. Based on a few things borrowed from the house, like a duvet or blankets, we reckon we could have a family of three out camping for under $260.
This would get you some of the things that we think you should have at a minimum, to have an enjoyable stay and camping experience:
- 3-4 person tent (Navigator South Takaka for $130)
- 25L Chilly Bin for $49
- Queen Airbed for $28
- Table Top Gas Cooker for $42
We would expect most budding campers would already have a torch or headlamp along with a few other bits and pieces, like cups and plates, etc., in their home to use. This would make for the perfect car camping getaway for a family of, say, three.
The next thing to consider, especially around cost, is the camping location. Depending on where you would stay, this can dramatically increase the overall cost, but there are pros and cons to paying a little more per night.
We have budgeted a family of one adult and two children to cost as little as $12 through to over $120 per night. That’s a big difference, you might think, so let us explain why.
Starting at $12 per night, you would be staying at a DOC campsite with limited facilities, most likely just a toilet either flushing or possibly even a long drop. It is possible to find sites that don’t have any cost at all, but these will have limited to no facilities at all.
This is a great option for those doing overnight stays where the creature comforts aren’t as important, and it’s more about enjoying the outdoors and the area you are camping in.
At the upper end, you will find yourself in a well-managed dedicated campground. You will have a marked-off area defining your camp spot, and you will have access to many of the park’s amenities which could include a swimming pool, playground, jumping pillow, BBQs, a general store, power, hot showers, and well-appointed bathrooms. There will be rules to follow and on-site operators to ensure everything goes swimmingly.
For some, this can be a great way to camp, as things are consistent and predictable. You can take more creature comforts from home, like coffee machines and hair straighteners, or even a plug-in fan heater for those cold nights.
There is no right or wrong way to camp, and camping is definitely not defined by how much you spend or where you drive in a tent peg.
We ourselves rarely stay in managed campgrounds as we enjoy the process of getting outdoors and making an adventure of it. We like not to know exactly where we will set up camp until we are there, and love the ability to spread out in more open areas without lines defining our campsite. We have invested in a solar power station so we can still add some extra luxuries to our camping experience.
However, when we do stay in a managed campground, we make the most of the facilities on hand. You can’t beat a good hot shower at the end of a busy summer’s day.
You decide at what level you camp and what features and benefits you would like from each piece of camping equipment.
What we do like to see, though, is people making good long-term purchases rather than one-use throw-away items because they simply don’t work properly. An example of this could be cheap airbeds that deflate after one or two uses.
Think about how you will camp, and if it’s something you will try to do often, pick something and work towards upgrading it, like a tent, for example. This keeps you and your gear dry when it rains, so the better it does that, the more enjoyable your stay is likely to be.
We are always happy to help with product recommendations once we know what you are wanting to achieve and how often you might get out camping. Feel free to contact us on our Facebook group HERE and ask for Jono.
If you love what we do, please consider “buying us a coffee” to help us fund our endeavour of helping New Zealander’s get outdoors! All donations go towards the running of NZFA.
Happy adventuring!
Jono & Chloe
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