What is the cheapest one can reasonably expect to pay for the AT?

imported
#1

Hey all,
I’m currently in the midst of planning for the PCT in 2007, and just to satisfy my own curiosity, what is the cheapest one can reasonably expect to spend on hiking the AT? Reason why I ask is simple, I anticipate finishing the PCT sometime in early-September, and just started bull-hitting with myself about the possibility of starting an AT thru-hike later that year. The sticking point would be if I could save up enough money between my PCT finish and a proposed March-April start of the AT.

O, and when I say reasonable I basically mean a hiking style in which I am not lacking…too much. Meaning a motel stay every now and again, a restaurant dinner every once and awhile…not every town stop, but a good % of them.

Chris

#2

If you are cheap (read thrifty) expect $4000 to $6000. resupply and then back out. Motels, restaurants,pubs,side trips and many luxuries then plan closer to $8000 to $10000.

m

Fresh legs

#3

I can’t ever imagine spending even close to that amount. Granted, I say that in comparison to what I’m planning on spending on the PCT ($3000), and I know there are infinitely more places/things to spend money on on the AT, but man, spending $10,000 on 5 months hiking hardly seems like hiking. Thats like a luxury vacation.

Novakaine

#4

$8K to $10K for five months of living is cheap. That’s less than $2K per month. And that’s the high end where you do zeros in motels and eat all the pizza you want etc. Compare that to what you spend in the city; most folks spend at least that much.

Any way you cut it, it’s cheaper to live on the trail than in town. Of course you have to factor in things like car insurance you’ll be paying for while you’re out on the trail.

Bong hit

#5

others. Living for 5 months, even in the city, is much cheaper than $10k. I’m definitely not discounting your figures by any means, I just can’t possibly see myself spending even close to that much.

I know the AT will in all likelihood be more expensive than the PCT…despite the fact that my transportation costs, and gear will both be a non-issue, I just never imagined any would offer quite that much more expensive. That being said, I do appreciate both of your responses.

Novakaine

#6

Fresh Legs I think you’re a little high there. I finished my thru this past season and lived fairly well on $5K. I stayed in plenty of motels, took a ton of zero days and bought all my food along the way.
So I would say that $3K is a good amount for someone who can avoid a sizeable number of town-stops along the way, $2K if you can avoid towns alltogether, keep a good pace, hit the hiker boxes and primarily buy Ramen for dinner. There are some tricks to saving money and some decent articles written on how to do it.
Good news is if you can keep exercising between your PCT and AT hikes then you’ll be able to do the AT with some good speed, which should save you some money.

0101

#7

I spent $5000.00 in 02, but saw some people in the $2000. range. It depends on your grocery shopping, motels and bar stops. Also people tend to change out gear as they go. I guess its the lure of the “outfitter”. People also spent money to have thier packs carried up the trail by the folks who run the various hostils and such so that they could “slack”.I choose to carry mine the whole distance( as in hiking)so I didnt suffer that trap.

Virginian

#8

Since you’ll have all your equipment and have jsut finish a long hike I would give various costs. If you stay out of town and only resuply then $1,000 should cover general expenses without great comfort. I more comfortable hike would be $2,000 to $3,000 dollars. Cost depends on two things length of time on the trails and number of days in town. Hiking is free. Your major costs are food, replacement gear, medical bills, and twon stuff which includes hotels, hostels, restraut meals and other luxuries. Remember that your views of hiking will change after walking the PCT. Most thru-hikers change their views on towns and other items they thought where important when starting their first thru-hike. Good luck, I hope this helps.

Darth Pacman

#9

Chris - I find that the hotels/motels are the biggest expense on my thru-hikes. I try to limit my expense by staying in a motel only when its raining. There is an enormous range in the amount hikers spend. In '01, there was a guy named Packman (started with a 92 pound pack!) who ran out of money - flat broke 1/2 way through his hike. He hiked 1/2 the AT without spending a cent. (small cookfires and hiker box leftovers) On the other hand there was a guy named ‘motel Bill’ in that same year who stayed in every hotel/motel that was available, including the Hanover Inn, which starts at about $200/night!!!

freebird

#10

I suppose I should have been able to recognize what the responses would be, and the eternal “Hike your own hike,” comes to mind immediately. I don’t know why hearing what others have spent would somehow change what I know I could hike it in, but for whatever reason curiosity prevailed.

I would imagine that from late-September through March I may be able to bank a smooth $2500, if I can stomache moving back home…oof. I can in all likelihood hike the tree with that amount of $ and still engage in some luxuries. I guess it comes down whether I could stomache living at home again after 8 years gone…or if I’d even still be welcome. Ha.

Novakaine

#11

I spent $1000 doing 1500 miles last year i can’t imagine the other 700 miles costing me five grand. Hiker boxes, work for stay, and not drinking too much helped.

Nokia

#12

Dear Novakaine:

You state your hike will last 6 months, which is 26 weeks.

If you allot $100.00 for food per week, which is generous and would allow you to eat like a king on the trial, you would have an expense of $2,600.00.

The question is: What comes after food?

Your equipment should last; maybe some shoe replacements; let’s say $200.00.

Add in some hostel fees as you pass through towns quickly, and are frugal. Lets say another $200.00.

Now you’re up to $3,000.00.

Possibly you can hold it there. Possibly not. Maybe your transportation to and from the trail adds up to $300.00 by bus. Maybe $200.00 goes to food and showers and such.

Now its $3,500.00.

Now you look at your budget.You’ve stated it’s $2,500.00. If that’s all for the time you’re on the trail, and doesn’t count transportation, you’re on a budget of just under $100.00 per week. It seems to me, that while that figure is tight, you can do it if your conscious and aware at all times.

Another $1,000.00, or $3,500.00 total just for the trail itself, not counting transportation costs and initial equipment, as a minimum, is what I would recommend.

Bare bonesing it isn’t always the best way. I’d like that $1,000.00 cushion.

Good luck!

Sincerely–Conan.

Conan

#13

Hiking is basically free. When doing a long distance hike, it’s the towns where you spend your money. So, how much you spend becomes a question of how often you go into town, how long you stay there, and how well you live while there. That’s why some people manage to do a thru-hike these days for say $1,000 and others spend $10,000.

If you want to hike cheap, then don’t linger in towns. Don’t sleep in motels and hostels. Don’t eat in restaurants. Don’t smoke, and don’t drink beer. If that’s your lifestyle, then you can probably do a thru-hike for $1000. However, most of us really do appreciate at least an occassional restaurant, and motel or hotel stay. And a beer now and then. Consequently, most of us spend much more than the bear minimum.

Peaks

#14

a good amount of money on luxuries. Let me just go ahead and clear that up. God knows a burger and beer are two items I have pined at heavily on my 5-week wilderness canoe trips.

As far as I can tell however, the hike shouldn’t take me any longer than 4.5 months. And though I realize its easy to sit here and say now, I like to think that self-control and awareness of why I’m on the hike in the first place, would win out in the face of luxury filled town stops.

Novakaine

#15

My 2005 hike was thrifty but I didn’t feel like I missed out on much. Here are my cost breakdowns.

Trail food: $760 This should be relativly simmilar for all. I purchaced in towns along the way.

Town food: $607 I didn’t go overboard in resturaunts too much. AYCE Buffet all the way! and limited my Boozing.

Gear: $568 This is for enroute gear (new shoes, hammock, etc.) I probably dropped another $500-600 on stuff before I left.

Lodging: $154 This is where I was cheap. While I still stayed with Miss. J and Elmer and Bob and many of those other wonderfull hostles, the only two “hotels” I stayed at were The Straton Motel and The Doyle.

Other stuff: $118 Not sure what this was, most likly Beer.

Total from when I stepped onto Springer till I go to Katadin: $2209.15

4-cheese

#16

$4000.- $4500 in 2005
Springer-CT
I was/am out of shape when I started and I got sick right off the bat and I also visited 2 minor emergency clinics along the way. I took 20 zero days in the first 2 months
I went back for trail days/ did “Hard Core” re-geared my whole pack by the time I reached Harpers ferry.
Had I not got the hernia thingy I am sure I could of finished the trail using roughly another $1500.
And I hiked in relative comfort ie; hotels and steak houses

1/4 of the way

#17

Since you will be finishing up the PCT, you will have ultimate discernment between wants and needs. therefore, i’d say you could easilly do the AT for $2K or less.

Horn Head

#18

Dear Novakaine:

This thread reminds me of the old “purist” discussions. That is, the purist hikes the offical trail and does not blue blaze. Some require no slack-packing and so forth.

There was a time when the majority of hikers just hiked. Town was principally for resupply. All the action took place in the forest.

The low dollar amounts we’re hearing from the new “purists” are both enlightening and inspirational.

Let’s hear more.

And break it down like 4-Cheese.

Sincerely–Conan.

Conan…

#19

horn head said it. if you want it, you will focus and make it happen. 2 to 3 grand requires that you think about it often and that you abstain more than occasionaly from what these bougois ten granders are doing, but find a good poor dirty crowd and hike with thrift and soul.

milo

#20

i’ve gotten by on 2 G’s, and i hit pubs and hostles. just drink cheap beer and roll your own cigs and don’t spend multiple days in towns:smokin

the goat