Stop paying for hostels when you can camp for free

I keep seeing people drop $40-$60 a night on hostel dorm beds in places like Portland or Denver. Last summer I spent three weeks camping on BLM land outside Moab for zero dollars a night. Buy a decent used tent for $50 and a camp stove for $20, and you've saved money after two nights. Has anyone else switched to camping on road trips to cut their accommodation costs in half?

3 comments

3 Comments

karenb971d ago

Wait, hold on. You said "three weeks camping on BLM land outside Moab for zero dollars a night" and I just... I need to sit down. That's amazing. I've been paying $45 a night for a bunk in a hostel in Salt Lake City and feeling good about it, meanwhile you're out there living the dream for free. I didn't even know you could just camp on BLM land like that, I always thought you needed a reservation or a permit or something. I'm kind of stunned right now. You really just pulled up and set up a tent wherever you wanted for three whole weeks? That is genius, honestly. I'm seriously reconsidering every road trip I've ever done.

harper91423h ago

Wait, is nobody going to mention the best part about it? You can just keep moving and never pay a dime. I've done the Moab thing too, and after a few days you just drive ten miles down the road and find a whole new spot with a different view. It's not like you're stuck in one patch of dirt for three straight weeks unless you want to be. Brian's right that you gotta pack your water and food and yeah, you're digging holes, but that's half the fun of it (seriously, you get really good at picking the perfect spot for a cat hole). Once you get the hang of it you realize you can basically live anywhere in the West for free, and that's a pretty wild feeling.

brianreed23h ago

Hold on, is it really that mind-blowing though... I mean yeah it's free but you're also just sleeping on dirt in the desert. No shower, no Wi-Fi, no coffee shop around the corner. You have to pack in all your water and food and figure out where to dig a hole when nature calls. It's not exactly glamping, you know? People act like BLM camping is some secret cheat code but honestly you trade a lot of comfort for those zero dollars a night. And three weeks straight in a tent? Your back is gonna hate you more than your wallet ever did.