i hiked the AT in 2001 and i spent about 3000 bucks. i did get some new gear but not anything major. i also received about 15 maildrops from home (WV). the rest of my money was spent on beer, food and fun in that order. about what am i looking for on the PCT. i dont need any gear although i will have to send some ahead in pre-planned mail drops (about 15 at the very most needed places).
WISE OWL
You will probably spend less on the PCT than on the AT. There are fewer towns, and you are more likely to just go in and out of a resupply place without spending any time there, especially up north where the resupply stop is often a small campground/resort, not a real town.
As to maildrops, read Chris Bailey’s article on the PCTA page on resupply as you go and mixed resupply. We would buy at a ‘big’ town (i.e. Cascade Locks) and mail boxes to the small stops up the way (i.e. Stehekin). We had few maildrops from home (maybe 3?) and the rest were either buy as you go or mailed from Ashland, Mojave and Cascade Locks.
Ginny
You can pare down the costs, but I spent more on the PCT than on the AT. I found the frequency of towns on the AT made it less necessary to spend time in them, whereas on the PCT the fact that they were further apart encouraged me to spend more/stay longer. I stayed in more lodging (motels) since there are fewer hostels and had more severe aches and pains that required time off because I was hiking further a day than on the AT. Also travel to the trail was far more expensive than my transporation to the AT. I found the natiional park/state park/private campground concessions all charged WAY more on the PCT than the small rural towns found on the AT. I bought more gear for the AT than I did for the PCT, but replacing some items with lightweight gear did rack up a few expenses (My hubby went through 5 pairs of sneakers instead of one/two pairs of boots on the AT). All in all, we spent about $4,000 total each person for the AT and about $5,000 total per person on the PCT for our thru-hikes.
Cross Country
I am sure you could do it for less. Many hikers did. It was our honeymoon, so we splurged on some hotels, etc.
But, I also have a major adversion to the thru-hiker type that resupplies solely out of Hiker boxes, is constantly looking for a handout and borders on totally taking advantage of hospitality and trail magic. Soooo…we saved a little more than we needed.
Also, we had a dog with us so factor in the dog food as well as extra deposits at hotels. Besides we didn’t set any speed record…3500 is reasonable for a solo and frugal hiker. Just sharing my experience.
Cross Country