I’m Penelope Greene — everyone calls me Penny — and Penny Camp started because I was broke and stubborn.
After my divorce, it was just me and my two girls — Junie and Margo — on one income. I still wanted them to see the country, but a weekend at a hotel cost more than our grocery budget for the week. So I bought a $60 tent from a big-box store and drove us to the nearest state park. The rainfly leaked, the poles bent in the wind, and we shivered through the night on a thin foam pad. The girls thought it was the best night of their lives.
That trip taught me two things: cheap gear can ruin a weekend — but the right cheap gear can give your kids the whole country for almost nothing. These days the three of us camp our way across the country — state parks, national forests, roadside spots — on a single income, and Penny Camp is where I write down everything I’ve learned.
What you’ll find here
- Budget gear verdicts — what’s worth buying, what to skip, and what punches way above its price.
- Cheap-camping playbooks — how to plan a real weekend outside for less than a night at a motel.
- Camp food and kid-tested tips — meals that are cheap, easy, and survive two hungry girls.
How I keep it honest
- I care about value, not the most expensive pick. My job is to help you spend where it counts and save where it doesn’t.
- When something cheap is a false economy, I’ll say so plainly.
- Some links here are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes my verdict — I only point you toward gear I’d spend my own money on.
Got a question or a budget-gear request? Get in touch — I read everything.
— Penny