Since money seems to always be tight, I've come up with a few 'alternative gear items' out of necessity...

One is great for families with kids...Head on over to your Home Depot, building supply store and pickup a bunch of 'Painter's caps' for less than a buck $1 each <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> They have a nice durable plastic bill, and are made out of a Tyvek feeling material. Great for kids because they can 'customize' their caps with markers to their delight. The adults can 'customize' their's by trimming away a portion in the back for a 'ponytail cutout'.

One can also remove material judiciously to create a very lightweight visor <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Cheap and light, right up our collective backpacking alley!