For more recent hikers, what were your costs? No need to include money spent on gear before the hike. Feels free to do as you wish of course. What kind of hiker were you? Always getting your own hotel? Thirty zeros?
I haven’t seen this done in a while.
Jackh
I spend about $6,000 I took a few more zero days than my other hikes mostly in CO. It was very hard hiking for me and I need the extra days to recover going through CO. I split the motel cost with a hiking partner. Because of the extra days I had more town meals than normal also. I also had Mountain House meals for a lot of the trail that ran an extra 700.00 over what I spend for food on my other hikes. Had lots of rain on this years hike and had a couple of town days that I would not have taken except I needed to dry out. I didn’t spend any in bars. Have not counted but would estimate a total of 20-25 zero days.
Dad’s Grin
I went with my normal 1000 dollar a month budget. There were times that I did not use it all. I did not stay in many motels but, there were enough of them to damage that budget. I stayed in rooms with and without other hikers. There aren’t many folks on the CDT so, the chances of staying alone are better then the other trails (of course). I saved by sending myself food boxes and equipment (like shoes and socks) from more populated towns, with larger stores.
Wilderness bob
I am including transportation to and from the trail here. I spent right at $5,500 total. Way to much, but I love motels. I also love restaurant food. I had 28 zeros. Dad’s Grin and I are very similar hikers who like towns and zeros not neros.
Remember this trail is much harder than the PCT. You will spend much more time route finding so your daily mileage will go down. I worked my butt off on many days and still only did 12-15 miles on some of them. This wears you out and adds to your costs in town. If you don’t mind not taking as many zeros you can probably get buy for $4,000 or so.
My big surprise on cost was definitely restaurant food. I couldn’t get out of most of the restaurants for less than 20-25 dollars on the average (no beer). This was way more than I had budgeted for. Robocop
Robocop
I had 4000 in my checking when I left and pennies in it when I got home.
And some in my savings just in case which I managed not to use.
I’ll break my costs down as best I can. A few points though. I made a lot of my own food which helps considerably, though I had to ship stuff. I don’t drink, or smoke, so that helps a ton! I did take quite a few zeroes, 22, and was solo a lot so that raised the cost a bit. I would have camped more if it didn’t rain so much too! I was out for four and a half months. Cheaper to go faster, right?
Transportation: ~450
100 for rides to the start
250 for a plane home
100 for various rides along the way. I bribed people for rides to and from town as I look homeless and people wouldn’t pick me up. HMF!
Lodging: ~1200 total
There were roughly 25 hotel nights.
A few nights in houses for basically free.
a hand full of hostel nights. Cuba was free because I worked at Circle A. Toaster house is hostelish and donation based. Silverthorne is 33 a night and NOT recommended, Grand lake was about 20 and pretty nice.
There were a few camps too. Silver, Ghost Ranch, Chama, Lake City…
Note: KOA camps run 20+ per tent pad, and If I could get a motel for 15 to 20 more, why shiver in my quilt? I stayed in camps less often than I thought I would.
Gear along the way: ~550
GPS, One pair of shoes, disposable ponchos, fleece blanket, socks, Aquamira
Shipping: ~450
20 boxes from home: 250
10 boxes from trail, home and ahead: 100
Bounce bucket, 8 bounces: 100
Food along the way: ~1200
5 breakfasts total 50
Lots of AYCE Asian lunches, I know where they all are I think… At least I don’t think I missed any. 120+
some lunches 50
10 dinners. 150
5 boxes shipped ahead: 200
Lots of Grocery store dining, tons of fruit, rotisserie chickens, PB and bread.
700
And my basecamp sent me some goodies.
At home costs: <700
Food bought before I left: ~400 and the 250 shipping from home
That looks like about ~4300, ~3700 on trail. And of course there is the gear before hand, spent way too much on that…
I need to go cheaper next time.
-SG
San Gabe
An average of $1000.00 per month?!! What the hell are all of you spending it on?!! Some of you said that you sent food boxes to your selves. If this is true, and then the cost is an average of $30/day to hike, again I ask what are you spending it on?
I did the CDT from the southern border all the way to Monarch pass in CO and I think I spent $1000.00 including food for my PO boxes.
Robocop: What places did you eat at that cost $20–25.00 to walk out the door? Monarch Pass had a Subway at the curio shop when I finished my hike. For $20 I could have bought 4–5 sandwiches!!
It’s great that some of you can and do like to walk the CDT for $1000.00 per month, but I really think a person could do it for $500–750.00.
Different Socks
didnt San Gabe do alot of begging and free loading according to his/her journal?
pinko green
WOW. Imagine spending 4k to hike, regardless of how far. I really think you people are crazy. I have a 1k budget for my upcoming 2010 CDT hike and need to stick to it like glue. This includes food, lodging and additional gear if needed. That is for the entire hike. I understand the ocassional bath is nice as is a warm place to sleep but these are not nessaties on the trail. A small portable/packable shower can do the trick with no issues one would think.
To each his own and at least people are getting out there and hiking and that is the key but I never would have thought in my wildest dreams people spent that much on a hike. Heck, I don’t spend that much a month on bills and own a nice house, newer car (two of them) and all the other niceities that come with being married with a child in a material world. I am not sure how anyone can afford to hike.
Crikey
Those of you who think $4000 is a lot are not the usual hiker. Services are expensive. I spent $3700 on the PCT and the majority of that went to town food (restaurant meals) and trail resupplies. I think I only spent maybe $700-1000 on lodging and gear out of that total.
A good meal at a respectable restaurant is going to end up being like $30+ a pop. If you take a zero or even a big nero you’re doing at least 2 of those every full day. This isn’t unusual, this is average.
I know people who’ve done the trail on $2000 but I’ve never met anyone who’s done either the PCT or CDT for $1000. That seems ridiculously low, unless you pre-brought all your food and aren’t a skinny guy and can get by with skipping town meals. AND you’re young and in good shape and won’t ever need zeros. If you ARE budgeting to skip town meals and zeros you’re going to be one miserable bastard by the end of your hike. Not to mention the fact that buying resupply food at any given trail store is going to run you about $8 a day. $1000 only buys you 125 days. And that’s JUST resupply food. Nothing else. These trail stores aren’t cheap and you can’t eat just ramen every day, you will get off the trail with exhuastion or malnutrition or both.
Although in the end, expensive or cheap, I think we all need to stop judging each other, it’s incredibly old. So tired of seeing anyone try and look down on someone else.
Joker
i tried to stay away from restaurants on the PCT and found it to be much cheaper to pig out on grocery store deli items. your cash goes much farther that way. a whole rotisserie chicken and bread is going to cost a lot more than $7 at a sit down restaurant.
jack beanstalk
" A small portable/packable shower can do the trick with no issues one would think. "
Hmm - you really want to do that in the snow in Montana? Or in Colorado? Betcha you don’t.
The day we left Helena it was 27deg in town. The trail is several thousand feet higher (it’s colder), the mountains were solid ice and the wind was 20-30 mph on top. It stayed that way all the way to Lincoln. You really think you’d want to use your packable shower under those conditions? Betcha you don’t.
oso loco
“I have a 1k budget for my upcoming 2010 CDT hike and need to stick to it like glue.”
No, you need to find more money for the trip.
Reality - the towns along the Divide have 100 days per year to make whatever money they need for the year. They’re not cheap. Motels, restaurants, food, gear — NOTHING is cheap. Hostels are rare - and still not cheap.
oso loco