Hey folks,
After surveying the possibilities for summer work, I might just up and hike the PCT. What is the cheapest I could do it for? I would have to buy new trail runners and a tarp, but I have all the rest of my AT gear. What is the least amount of money I could spend?
Bankrobber
no one has responded here yet because no one can give you a number because we are all different as far as what we need to stay sane on them trails. i tried doing 1000 miles on 700 bucks and it just about drove me nuts. watching other people eat greasy omlets while you chow on the powdered milk is no fun for me. i need to be able to drop 50 to 100 bucks in a town stop- dinner, beer, hotel, breakfast. so how cheap can you do it? now i am asking you. because all you need is food, a cost you could anticipate yourself. after that, how hard core are you, and be honest with yourself. 2 grand would be cheap but doable, below that then you are someone i admire, because you will be keeping it gritty. but surely many have done it for less than 2.
save as much as possible and go hike til you cant no more.
milo
It really does depend on how you want to hike and how often you go into towns. If you try a traditional AT type hike with lots of days off in towns, you are going to spend a lot. If you stay out of towns, then you can do it for less. Also, how long you are on the trail will impact this a lot.
However, I found in 2003 that I was spending roughly $8 a day in food on the trail. For stop in town with no night stay, I’d spend another $20 in eats and treats and such. If I spent the night, it would jack up to more like $50. A zero day would cost me around $70. Some places are high cost, like VVR, where I dropped $105 (about standard, and totally worth it although I’m told in 2004 they had a new chef).
Suge
I found the p.c.t. to be the most expensive trail I’ve hiked, more than the A.T. and the C.D.T. (most of which was surprisingly cheap for me). The main problem is that more than half of the resupply points are small convenience stores, often in resorts. Sending maildrops won’t be cheaper. You can cut significently the cost of staying in motels (there are no hostels on the p.c.t.) if you hike with the main bunch of hikers and can share a room with as many other hikers as possible.
roni
Sisu and I spent less than half on our PCT hike as we did on the AT. Part of it was length of time on the trail, five months vs. seven. Part of it was a conscientous choice to not spend money on lodging. Of course we did, but it was shared hotel rooms with other hikers. And we tried, though this was most difficult, to limit restaurant visits to one per town. If you set spending limits and have at least a modicum of discipline, it’s surprising how little you need to do a thru. We spent less than $5,000, including air fare.
raru
If I could only stay away from prime rib dinners in town . . . and soft motel beds . . . and tasty beverages . . . then maybe I could hike cheap, too.
yogi
yogi