How much does it cost?

imported
#1

I’ve read most of your 04 journals to get a idea of my 05 same hike, without quiting. How much is it costing in O4? My guess is 3-5 dollars a mile to allocate for my 05 A-T fund.

I was thinking or dreaming, dollar fifty a mile for about the 5 months time my mental limits can handle that type of scene, stress. but I can see me quiting before my 5 months already after reading all your detailed journalism. I can’t thank you enough. But is does seem political incorrect to mention cost this year.

So how much does it really cost? Its not doing me any good if I don’t know what its costing to finish on say a budget not counting gear. MY gear is impeccable, tested.

Greg

#2

Depends on a whole lot…

Do you plan on eating like a King every chance you get in every town, do you wish to stay in hotels every chance you get, are you sending bounce boxes, or you using a much more resonable form of spending…the 40 cent postage stamp for a pile of travelres checks,

Do you want a wildlife, natural, close to the Earth experiance, or do you wish for only a Moving Party?
Of course on that, you can do both within reason.

What do you want to give up?
Can you live without the things you spend money on right now, or will they scream to you when you get close to them?

Everyones trip is different, its up to you to exercise enough discipline to avoid the trappings of materialistic town vortexes, but to still experiance the people within, and the importance of seeing the different cultures along the trail…but for that…conversation with a stranger is free, and sometimes benefits you on a deeper level, almost always actually.

Happy Trails to uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Lion King

Lion King

#3

`I would work up a daily plan what do you want to eat all freeze dries or Lipton/Ramen. experiment, make up a daily menu & buy a few items to see what meets your palate. You need to do this anyway to see what you like before you hit the trail. you should be able to come up with a food cost.
Will you use mail dropes or will you use local resuppies? There is a mail cost but, most small towns have limited supplies and cost more. Combination of both?
You have the cost of Hostel/motels when you hit town & pig outs at AYCE places
Cost in mailing your gear back in fourth when the seasons change.
The ATC has a AT hiking work planner.
It all depends on how Hi you want to live on the Hog.

Good Luck Jack

kentucky Jack

#4

It’s only based on 49 hikers so far, but it gives an idea:

http://hiking-news.hikemore.com/appalachian-trail/survey/after-the-trail-1.html

Jeff T

#5

now THaT’s some good, specific information Jeff T; much appreciated.

I’d probably spend at the lower end of that spectrum as I would gravitate more toward nature and free quiet conversation… (well put, Lion King)

Wild Hare

#6

If you want to have fun and not really worry about pinching pennies. I will say $5000.00 Thats what I spent in 02

Virginian

#7

You will be able to live like a king on the trail if you set aside $3.00-5.00 a mile. Not including transportation to and from the trail or gear, I spent $1/mile. Including transportation to Western Canada and gear, both before the hike and on the hike, I spent $1.75/mile or so. I was pretty thrifty though and bypassed many towns/hotels/restaurants…all depends on your priorities I guess.

Tell it like it is

#8

i was spending 20-30 for 4 days food. eating liptons + poptarts. thats about 5 to 6 dollars a day. average say 12 miles a day is .41 cents a mile.

that doesnt count town costs, gear costs, etc. just food costs at the ingles/foodlion/walmart etc.

Bloody Cactus

#9

Tell it like it is; your hike was beautiful, in my eyes. You set me a great example and bummed both of us out I guess, when you quit out of the blue, $1.75 huh? Thank you very very much tell it like it is and I’m going to do just what you said.

I seem to be now edging towards going the Virginian way I think for those rainy days. That’s the idea, keep the spirit up for 5 months.

And That site Jeff is the bomb.Check that out. My gear is sold as a rock to those 49ers and my price is right on and my head is getting bigger.

So Thanks again, now I’m starting to get a finger on this. I started following about 50 in march. Now its only few left with the dedication to finish and log in without a worthless smokescreen to make me smile like faking a book report we read. So I better ask now before 5 months time and it to late to get some direct answers like I got, thanks again. You guys are the best.

Trailjournals is the only place I can find common sense today. And our common bond, obviously the rest of the world don’t get. So many thanks again to all of you and I wish you all the best of luck on all your journeys thru life.:slight_smile:

Greg

#10

Tell it like it is, did you make a US bank account before you left Canada, or did you deal with the conversion rate every time you paid you credit card? (assuming you used a credit card). Thanks.

Jeff T

#11

Jeff T…I never used a credit card or bank card once. I bought $3000 US dollar worth of traveller’s cheques and about $1000 US in cash and just carried it all the whole way. You could do mail drops too with the cheques I guess.

Tell it like it is

#12

I carried a debt card. Most towns have ATMs. But carry a little walking money. Roadside hotdog stands dont take American express

Virginian

#13

i spent 4 k in 800 miles and couldn’t believe I was out of money after all the folks said I could do it with half that and live well. Somewhere about Erwin to Hotsprings I began to feel like I was starving to death and began to change my entire meal ordeal. No matter how well or how much I ate, I could not keep up with the caloric intake requirement that is involved in the thruhike. And it definately costs more to maildrop Ramens than to buy them locally.

I also could not believe how many times I walked right by folks who were moteling all the time. Tho I did share rooms often, which can be cheaper than hostels by about 3 or 4 bucks, I was still amazed that I walked by so many folks who were staying another day in a motel. Which makes me wonder, oh well.

I would have to say that when I was on your side of springer, i had lofty dreams and daily goals that were unatainable with my limited experience with thruhiking, wilderness survival and down right lack of social skills…hehehe.

I can suggest that after about 500 miles, no one still hiking with me cared one bit if I was a purist, a blazer, a motel and trail town junkie. It just didn’t matter to anyone any more. All the hubbub and gulash of our prehike expectations were gone and we were just a band of brothers just enjoying each day no matter what it thru at us.

Yeh, personally I wish I had been more prepared, more disciplined with money, and better suited for the toils, and there should be no question about the ideals of still being out there, gawd i wish i was still going.

Best bet, do whatcha can, enjoy it while ya can.

Most everyone I hiked with changed their financial ideals to realism pretty quick. After Damascus, many were broke and going home after one last fling. In retrospect, I realized how many folks who shared the high costs of their thru hike and how I laughed at such a joke of a high dollar excursion. The truth is, from my limited experience is, that it would take me $15 to $20k the way I was going…if you can plan on doing it for less than 2 or 3k it can be done, not by me, but i would recomend that you sharpen your skills at stretching a dollar, cause it costs a lot.

burn

#14

Burn,

$15-$20K for a 2000 mile adventure? Wow, I know we had some wildfires out here in CA this summer, but I guess it was your pocket book that I smelled burn’in.

Thanks for the advise. I could not imagine spending this kinda dough on a thru hike.

Jeff

Jeff

#15

probably if i had kept going this year it would have ended up about $7k, i flew home once and rented a car 2 times so that is part of my elevated figures, tho not unrealistic comparing your website suggested above…wasn’t it 31% over 6k…hmmmm 15-20k probably was over the top, but i have heard of some high figures before i hiked and now understand where they came from

burn

#16

It will cost more than you anticipate, so save what you think you’ll need and give a good buddy a grand, to look after for you. There’s quite a high possibility you’ll need it, especially if you follow Burns example :lol

I’d spent somewhere around $1500 by Damascus, and I wasn’t shy about staying in Motels or eating well. Good luck!!

Cheers :cheers

Cheers

#17

My husband and I thru-hiked in 2003. We spent 64 nights at hotels, hostels, B&Bs, boarding houses, and such. We ate whatever we wnted and never worried with a budget. It took us 188 days to complete the trail and we spent about $5,000 per person. (note: we are not party people and did not spend money on alcohol)
How can someone spend $4K in 800 miles?
We could have spent considerably less and still had a great experience.

Cobra

#18

Burn; your just what I’m talking about, you can see how confused I am. Nothing like a dose of reality A-TV , huh? You spending 15-20 k and your the one that’s not getting a motel every nite I’m to belieive.

I’m almost sure I won’t cut myself short now either with just $3 mile over 5 months. I trust Tell it like its is and your better PM wits Burn. So thanks to all the above.

If you think I’m wrong please help, Im all ears. But I think if I decide to change my mind before 05. Alot did, but on the A-T and not the time. The PCT will cost the same $3 mile but will take longer than 5 months it will take me to finish the A-T if you in the same shape type of question?

Am I in the ballpark on the PCT to if I change my mind?:slight_smile:

Greg

#19

For my wife and I to thru-hike it cost about $5000 to $7000 (depending on if you include at the cost of the equipment for the two of us). We were burning through about $800 - 1000 a month on the trail. For hostels, hotels, food in town, food for the trail, postage, maildrops, etc. That also includes all the dehydrated food that I purchased and assembled beforehand. One way to save money was to use a good multivitamin and eat things like Snickers bars for energy instead of the expensive Powerbars, etc. You are paying so much for the vitamins and minerals in them, not the sugar. Also using my pre assmbled dinners helped a ton. I think that you could defn. hike it for $2000 - $3000 for one person. Our SOBO hike was 5 and 1/2 months. Also if you do work for stays whenever possible and don’t slack in towns as much as we did, it will help.

Michael Sanwald (FatCat)