Anyone else here searching for “budget hiking gear” and finding options that make you wonder if the only thing budget about them is the cardboard box they’re shipped in?
I mean, is there a hidden treasure trove of affordable-but-not-immediately-falling-apart gear, or is my only option to trust some mysterious no-name brand whose reviews are mostly enthusiastic people named Aaaa (possibly bots, possibly just that excited)?
Extra points for any stories where you thought you got a killer deal and instead got something that might not survive a light breeze, let alone an entire trail. Or are we all destined to choose between living on instant noodles for a month or hiking with a garbage bag tied to our backs?