I’m starting on March 5th
$280 bucks. I’ll get my first retirement check on April 3rd but until then, I got $280 bucks. I got all my gear and my food for the first 5 days plus two mail drops. Stupid question but will $280 be enough to last the first four weeks if I take two or three hostel days?
Question Man
You have already paid for most of your first month’s needs, so you could do the first four weeks frugally, within your $280 budget, if you don’t have to get off the Trail for any unexpected reason. But in March, some years, prolonged winter weather prompts many hikers to hole up in towns or hostels and that can get expensive. Injuries and illness can also play havoc with a hiker’s plans.
So, if you feel lucky . . .
Skyline
many different responses… it really depends on you and what kind of person you are. I tend to blow wads of money while hiking… I like enjoying myself. others get by spending close to nothing.
ASWAH
Aswah
you know your gear? because aside from gear replacement, there is no major expense you will encounter. you got a good amount of food taken care of, so that 70 bucks per week will afford you a night stay (splitting a room) in the hiawassee inn, some hiker meals, and some left over. think of it in weekly terms, take out 70 bucks on friday, and dont take out more until next friday. there are so many places to spend money on the trail, and many hikers like aswah who take advantage of every one, so be careful not to be influenced by all that. first stop hiawassee, skip helen, skip neels gap. skip as much as you can, stay out in the woods for good 5 day stretches. because you can get nickled and dimed every 20 miles, or you can pamper yourself every 70. stay focused, use the force. no sweat.
and dont be afraid to take a zero day in a shelter!
milo
Early on in the trip there arent a lot of places to stop or spend money. Hot Springs, and Erwin will be the last two stops for you before(Or when) your check arrives if you leave on that date…Best bet would be to send it to Hot Springs and if you get there early forward it to Erwin…it wont take that long for it to arrive if forwarded.
Gatlinburg is cheap if you stay away from the crazy tourist places, but the Grand Prix hotel is a nice break if the weather is crapping out on you in the smokys, which is More then Just a little possible this time of year.
think of it this way…30$ a week for grociereis resupply…some hiker box food if you need it, thats only $120…a night at the Fontana Hilton…Priceless…well free anyway, unless you want to drop the $25+ on a room in th evillage, which is where the buffet is, which I would recommend hitting before entering the smokys…thats another $9, still, a night in Gatlinburg, hotel and food, and a short resupply to MTN Mamas, $50, that should get you to Hot Springs.
So you are looking at anywhere from 200-250 if you do spend money on things that you dont rreally even need, but if you do it this way and dont call all Spendcrazy, you should be fine.
LionKing
“Early on in the trip there arent a lot of places to stop or spend money”
Neels gap, helen, hiawasse, franklin, NOC, fontana, gatlinburg, mountain mammas, standing bear, hot springs, erwin.
if that aint a lot, then…?
milo
Can you hike 280 miles in 4 weeks? 70 miles per week? 7 10 milers… you’ll probably need more money than that
Nomad
this sort of rule of thumb always struck me as a roundabout estimate of what one could anticipate to spend over the course of a 2000 mile hike. but truly it makes no sense. your expenses run by the day. sure in a 100 mile week you could perhaps hit two towns and spend 100 bucks, or exhaust yourself and need to pamper more agressively, but if you delegate your splurging cash on a weekly basis you buy six days of food weather you do 100 or 40 miles in a week. in fact a forty mile week probably means you farted around some town and spent 100 bucks. so regardless of miles, you just gotta give yourself one pamper day a week, and back to the original conclusion, you will be A.O.K.
milo
Im very aware, I listed most of those, but I was saying, there isnt a need to go to them, and most are far off…Neels of course you go right through.
Spend little to nothing on food, dont waste money on things you dont need. Helen is a long way off, Hiawassee is closer from Unico Gap the Helen, if you go left instead of right. Cheaper as well.
I was giving basic examples, and as I said, I listed almost every single one you ask me if I did…
LionKing
I actually do have resources outside the $280 cash in plastic (ie debt) if it comes down to using it. But I rather stay debt free while hiking. I can always hitch/bum a ride to a bank or Western Union outlet. But I rather not use it and considering I am older and slower, I rather start in March rather than April. So I’ll be fine. Thanks so much to all you guys and look forward to seeing you at the falls this Sunday.
Question Man
My advice: Hike slow, eat a lot, hole up on the trail at a good campsite, hike to town to resupply with food, and money should easily last.
Reasons: Go slow, you are not in good trail shape yet. If you find and fix a good campsite you can stay warm in fairly cold weather–get a location out of the wind and off the top of a mountain—on a southward looking slope, build a fire, enjoy the trail and the hike.
You got plenty enough money to do you a month or more. Just stay out of the hostels and motels. You should do fine.
See you out there.:cheers :cheers :cheers
Maintain
The dollar a day rule applies before you have bought your gear and since you already have it AND have your first two drop boxes, you will be fine.
Bonk