After 2 years of COVID restrictions making camping (and let’s be honest, most fun things) verboten, 2022 is your YEAR to explore the great, wild yonder. Before you set off into the wilderness with a backpack and a dream, let’s walk you through some of the best ways to be prepared for the unknown. Camping can be as rugged – or not – as you like, and much of that starts with the type of camping gear you have.
From tents that border on palatial, to fire kits that ignite your inner magician, we have some excellent tips, sites and ideas on how to find gear to buy or sell, and import and export across the U.S./Canada border with ease. We’ll take care of the duties and help make the borders disappear. Try our duty calculator for free and see what it could cost to import or export your new gear.
Do I need to secure campgrounds? If so, how and how much does it cost?
Yes – for the most part. Because of managing numbers and COVID tracing, you are still advised to reserve any campground in Canada. Parks Canada has a good booking system that also keeps you up to date on things like water boil advisories, fire restrictions, and even fun things to do. For camping in the United States, there are many sites to use. We find Reserve America to be the most expansive, easy to use and helpful. Individual campgrounds, like Yellowstone have their own booking, so once you have a destination in mind, you may wish to check that site out independently. It’s run through National Parks America, and is very trustworthy.
I found the tent of my dreams but I want to leave for my trip in a week. Can you get it to me on time?
Yes! BorderBuddy can help ship you any legal item in tight time frames, defined by you. You let us know the item or items, where it’s coming from and where it needs to get to and we’ll take care of all of the paperwork. We have a helpful article that runs through everything you’d need to consider for importing/exporting your camping goods, or anything, for that matter. If you would feel better speaking directly to an agent, a BorderBuddy customs broker will gladly take your call and questions.
Is it more expensive to buy used gear from across the border than new gear in my home country?
That completely depends on what you’re buying! Popular Mechanics has a list of its top camping items, and they are pricey, but also new. If you cheekily use their list as reference, you’re almost guaranteed to be able to find comparable products that are not brand new, but still top quality on sites like Second Gear, Rerouted, the Planet Edit, and others. Buying used gear is one of the many ways that we can lessen our carbon footprint and avoid waste. After all, if you are a camper, chances are that you’d like to keep the Great Outdoors intact #leavenotrace. You can do your part while getting kitted out in top notch gear, and we’ll make sure it gets to you, seamlessly and on time.
Can I bring my gear into Canada?
Yes – in almost all cases. As long as you’re not bringing biological items, like soil or plants without declaring them and ensuring they’re good to cross, you’re okay. This is a wonderful resource with answers to lots of questions, some that may not even have occurred to you. Wondering about packing propane? Wonder no more. Spoiler alert: it’s allowed.
Safety requirements from the Canadian government
Getting your new camp gear into Canada is relatively easy. The few stipulations that do exist are surrounding safety. Canada is strict about flammability risks with tents, so you’ll need tents with proper safety labeling that indicate that your tent meets safety requirements.
Now is the time to get set up for camping, so we encourage you to browse, buy (or sell if you have goods to be re-loved) and contact BorderBuddy to help you get your physical goods. Your next memorable outdoor excursion is waiting for you, be sure you have the right gear to help you enjoy it to its fullest!