Guide 4 min
What budget for a day hike, a wild camp, a trek?
300 € for a day, 750 € for a wild camp, 900 € for a trek: a target budget per trip. But it's the real price of your bag that decides, not a scale.
Aim for 300 € to kit yourself out for a day, 750 € for a wild camp, 900 € for a trek. That's the target budget by trip type, not an abstract level: what you're going to do with the bag costs more than how you describe yourself.
These three numbers are markers. The real answer is the price of the bag you build for YOUR trip, item by item. Here's how to read both.
A budget per trip, not per person
Two people setting off, one for a day in the woods, the other for three nights self-sufficient, don't spend the same: the budget follows the trip, not the person making it.
| Trip type | Target budget |
|---|---|
| Day hike | 300 € |
| Wild camp | 750 € |
| Trek | 900 € |
The gap between the day hike and the wild camp is the items a night outside adds: sleeping bag, sleeping mat, tent, stove. The trek mostly adds self-sufficiency, not new gear. It's the same logic as the weight you carry (see how much your bag should weigh): the trip decides, not a general rule.
Three tiers to spend that budget
Each item comes in three tiers, and that's where the budget is set:
- Eco: the cheapest, the essentials that do the job.
- Optimal: the right compromise on quality, price and weight.
- Premium: lighter, more durable, often more expensive.
You don't have to pick the same tier everywhere. Put the budget on the sleeping bag and the tent, stay on Eco for the cutlery: it's a trade-off made item by item, not with a single slider.
Does a budget fix the tier?
No, a given budget doesn't equal a fixed tier. WildKit builds your bag in all three tiers, with the same items and the same quantities, then keeps the highest tier that fits your amount. It's the catalogue that answers, not a constant.
The consequence is concrete: the same amount doesn't buy the same tier from one trip to the next. Enough to set off in Optimal for a day may not be enough in Eco for a trek of several nights. The target budget (300, 750, 900 €) is a marker to place yourself, not a floor: the floor is the price of the cheapest bag that actually holds your trip.
And if you give no amount, nothing locks up: the tier starts from your level (beginner on Eco, intermediate on Optimal, expert on Premium) and you adjust from there.
What does WildKit answer for your budget?
When you set a budget, WildKit never leaves you without an answer: there are three situations, and each one tells you what to do next. The amounts compared are always what you have left to pay, once what you already own is deducted.
- Your bag fits the budget: you see the price, what's left, and enough to move up a tier if you want to spend the margin.
- It goes over, but dropping a tier would be enough: you see the price of the same bag at its cheapest, and the exact items to downgrade to fit.
- Even at the cheapest, it won't fit: you see what your trip costs once every item is brought down to Eco, the gap that remains, and the most expensive items where ticking "already mine" changes things.
Never a bag that vanishes because the budget is too short: it's the message that tells the truth, not the bag that disappears.
Related guides
- Wild camp checklist: what you're missing for night one
- Is a 40-litre backpack enough for a wild camp?
What to remember
- Aim for 300 € for a day, 750 € for a wild camp, 900 € for a trek. The budget follows the trip, not your level.
- Three tiers to set it, and you can mix them item by item.
- The budget doesn't fix the tier in advance: it's the real price of the bag you've built that decides.
Set your trip and your budget, and watch WildKit build the bag that fits inside it, tell you the most expensive item, and where to drop a tier if it spills over.
Written by Thanaël Fontaine. Published .