What’s the least amount of cash you’ve heard of someone thru hiking with (not including transportation dollars)?
Last year I spent 1,000 from Campo to Agua Dulce. Felt pretty luxurious. Lots of changes can be made…
I wish I had a benefactor 
goozer
Lowest budget EVER?
system
#2
I spent about $300 for Campo to AD, and that includes had 3 nights in towns. $1000 is a ton of money to spend in that distance. SoCal is more expensive than other parts due to the number of towns, but a grand really is a lot. I’m sure there are people out there who have hiked the whole PCT on $1000.
Suge
system
#4
Suge … good to hear that … I want to try to get to KM on 700 this year … Rather keep my cash for up north when it raining to beat the band and I don’t want to hike
Machine … email me and give me your advice on how you did the whole trail for 1600 …
Cuppa Joe
system
#6
Stay out of towns, don’t sleep in motels, don’t buy much town food or beer. Spend your money just on resupply, fuel, and spent gear and you’ll come in under $2000.
Now, I wouldn’t do that as I like to drink beer and eat bacon cheeseburgers with sides of pancakes.
Suge
system
#7
Some of u guys must be spending alot of money in town. $1600.00 for an AT thru is not that farfetched. Stretching the budget on $1600 for a PCT/CDT, that is possible. But where is the fun in it?
Different Socks
system
#8
Some of u guys must be spending alot of money in town. $1600.00 for an AT thru is not that farfetched. Stretching the budget on $1600 for a PCT/CDT, that is possible. But where is the fun in it?
Different Socks
system
#9
I’m hoping to do the PCT on 3,000 this year, and think it’s very possible to do while still eating in towns and having some microbrews when they are around. This is including insurance and transportation to and fro. Although there aren’t many hostels on the trail like the AT which really really help cut down on costs, there seem to be a big more trail angels. I’m hoping to stealth camp in towns, somehow find showers (Dr Bronners?), and the money saved on lodging will be spent on good town meals. Up north in WA, I’m sure I’ll want to stay in a hotel if there has been tons of rain.
I can recall toward the end of my AT thru, I didn’t really care about town food anymore, and was happy just eating the peanut butter that I didnt need to carry in my pack, then leaving town. Hopefully I’ll feel that way again!
Bebop
system
#10
My thru was about 3000. I never denied myself anything and ate and drank all I wanted. Don’t worry about dirt bagging it on 3000: It should be plenty.
On my two AT section hikes (Springer to Manchester, VT), I didn’t have as much desire for town food as on the PCT, GDT, or CDT. Probably because towns and town food were always 40 or 50 miles apart (mostly, not always). In WA, for example, you’ll go from Cascade Locks (good town) to White Pass (no town,just a store/motel) over 150 miles (130 if you road walk). But White Pass is nothing. So, you hike another 100 miles to get to Snoqualmie Pass, which isn’t a town (it doesn’t have a proper bar), but does have town food (Pancake House). Then, you get another 80 miles to Stevens Pass. Here there is nothing. But you can hitch 20 miles to Skykomish (not a real town as it doesn’t have a real eats place any more, but it does have a bar), or 30 miles to Leavenworth, which is faux Bavarian hell. Now, you’ve got another 100 miles to Stehekin, which fails the bar test. And then another 100 or so to Manning, which has a bar, but you can’t buy beer to go unless you hitch 20 miles.
So, in WA, you’ve got Cascade Locks. Then Vancouver, BC, as your next real town. So, spend you’re money down south. Or, better yet, hit WA in mid August and get fabulous weather.
Suge
system
#11
Thanks for the feedback. That 1000 included my plane ticket from ohio and back but was still princess-style. I think I’ll be good to go.
goozer
system
#12
1 dollar to 1.25/ mile hiked.
Minus gear–that’s separate.
That’ll have you living nicely and wisely.
That’s an amount that is easy enough to save up for, and it’ll be adequate for the trip.
jcp2