You can find lots of barely used camping equipment at garage sales. People buy a bunch of camping stuff and then decide they don't like camping. One of my buddies has 7-8 tents that he's bought for $5-20 ea. He and I have a lot of Coleman stoves, lanterns, and heaters that we picked up cheap (they are very easy to rebuild and parts are readily available, even for units dating back to the 1950s).
Another tip: If you are using mantled lanterns (eg, the ubiquitous Coleman lantern), get the Thorium impregnated mantles. They are much brighter and whiter than other mantles.
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