Camping on a Budget: Discovering Treasures at the Dollar Store

No need to endure bland meals when camping, thanks to these affordable gems from the dollar store!

Are these the travel bottles that are usually for TSA checks? That’s a brilliant idea!

Ozzie said:
Are these the travel bottles that are usually for TSA checks? That’s a brilliant idea!

I’m a bit worried about whether those bottles are made from food-safe plastics since they’re not specifically marketed for food storage.

@Bryce
That’s why I opted for the Nalgene food-safe containers.

@Bryce
Honestly, we’ve all grown up with microplastics in our system—what’s a little more at this point?

Ozzie said:
Are these the travel bottles that are usually for TSA checks? That’s a brilliant idea!

These were too affordable to be TSA compliant, but the design is great. I’ve seen many similar bottles in dollar stores, but these are the only ones with a lid that works perfectly. You have to really step on it to get it to pop.

I picked them up on impulse and can’t recall which store, but I’m definitely on a quest to find more.

I also assembled a full spice kit from stuff I found at Dollar Tree. Good find. Yours looks fantastic!

Nice discovery!

If you have a Daiso nearby, I would recommend checking it out. Items are around $1.50, but the quality is much better.

Tan said:
If you have a Daiso nearby, I would recommend checking it out. Items are around $1.50, but the quality is much better.

MUJI is even better if you’re near NYC or the Pacific Northwest.

Tan said:
If you have a Daiso nearby, I would recommend checking it out. Items are around $1.50, but the quality is much better.

Daiso has a great camping section filled with little gadgets. I found a tiny coffee maker set there.

@Pippin
I bought my foldable silverware and a collapsible cup there. They have tons of useful camping items.

Love these adorable little bottles!

Dollar Tree and Dollarama are my go-to for camping supplies. Now that I’ve invested in all the expensive gear, it’s surprising how often I find simple, affordable solutions to problems at dollar stores.

I’m concerned about the security of those pop-top bottles. I’ve had a few fail and even tried to seal them with super-glue. A good alternative is to use bottles from the travel samples aisle, like those for mouthwash, which still have screw caps and are very affordable.

@Taryn
These bottles have tight, leak-proof lids. I tested one by squeezing it as hard as I could and it held up well. I suppose I could make the lid fail if I really stomped on it, but there’s no reason to do that.