Just curious to how much money everyone is bringing?

[bigcranky]

A $1000 a month is okay for the beer/wine/spirits but what about food and the odd bit of accommodation? I think $1050 a month should do it.

Ah, a hiker with the right priorities.

[Ox97GaMe]

The amount of money that a hiker spends on a thru hike depends on a lot of variables. The many mile you hike per day avg will determine number of days it will take to finish. Some hikers like to stay in hotel alone, others will pack 4-6 to a room. Some prefer hotels over hostels. Some like to party in town more than others. Some are ok with fast food while others want buffets or chain restraunts.

My general rule for extended backpacking trips is as follows:

$8-10 average for food items for each day spent in the woods (food, toiletries, etc)
$25-30 average for meals in each trail town that I plan to stop and resupply (usually 2 meals)
$50 average for each trail town overnight (hotel, hostel, etc)
$10 each town for misc expenses (laundry, postage, etc)

This equates to approximately $130-150 per week on the trail, or approximately $600 per month.

for hiking trips 500 mile or more, I also set aside $1000-1200 for gear repair or replacement.

That being said, you can do the trail comfortably for around $3500-4000.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

I hope no one takes this title literally and brings a lot of cash. That could be a disaster in the making.
Money has gone missing from backpacks and ruined an AT hike.

Rolls

Not that we've been out for any extensive number of days, but I'm lucky to have $10 in my pocket when I hike. Some cash is good just in case your resupply doesn't take the card, but essentially the only thing I can lose/have stolen is a small amt. Now, if someone wanted to rob me of the prepaid food cards, well hell, I'd be willing to feed them anyway so I guess I could live with that.

[hikehunter]

I am bringing a tin cup....maybe I will get lucky....and folks will donate to the effort....

[jjozgrunt]

I am bringing a tin cup....maybe I will get lucky....and folks will donate to the effort....

Bring it to the pub and I'll fill it with beers. Bloody hell never counted on "shouts", $1100/month.

How much is a beer in the states on average so I can get my budget right?

[bigcranky]

How much is a beer in the states on average so I can get my budget right?

Cheap beer is cheap, but undrinkable in my humble opinion. Well under $10 per sixpack in the store, maybe $3 per bottle in a bar.

American craft beer can be excellent, and starts around $10-12 a sixpack,and $5-7 per pint in a good pub.

Of course this depends on where you are -- very rural areas won't have many choices beyond AB/InBev and MillerCoors products ("Amercian Light Lager" styles, mostly.) You'll be walking through some states with excellent craft beer industries -- North Carolina and Vermont in particular. PM me if you want some specific suggestions.

[jjozgrunt]

That's expensive for one of life's staples! But being a bit of a beer snob price is no object. But the beer has to meet very stringent requirements, it must be amber coloured and have bubbles. Cold would be nice too.

[bigcranky]

Well, if you're talking that sort of beer, you can probably get a case for under $20.

[xrayextra]

Sounds good. I never did figure out how much I spent but I found I stayed in 30 hostels and 15 hotel rooms. I could have cut that down a lot had I not taken so many zeros in the last quarter of my trip.

Good luck!

Flatfoot

[dudeijuststarted]

You'll be solid with 5-7K for a thru-hike. Try to be as frugal as possible until you get to New England. Due to weather and significant terrain changes you may want the comfort of motels and hostels when you can get them in NH/ME. Instead of making town your end-of-day destination, camp just outside and hitch in early morning. By the time you've caught a shower, resupplied, done laundry, and stuffed your face several times, it will still be daylight and you'll be eager to make miles instead of splurging on a hostel. This adds up big time.

[Texaco]

I'll be posting this in it's own thread shortly, but here's some exact data from a 2014 NOBO thru:

Total A.T. Thru-Hike Expense: $2,101.10
Restaurants: $615.51
Resupplies: $864.80
Post Office: $45.96
Gear: $199.92
Movies: $31.50
Lodging: $203.85


Here's a link to my thru-hike website page that was solely devoted to finance, including a complete dollar by dollar breakdown:
http://www.2180miles.com/financial-planning.html

[Jake27]

Thats awesome texaco!!! I'm sure there are a lot of people wanting to see this.

[Nonfiction]

I'll be posting this in it's own thread shortly, but here's some exact data from a 2014 NOBO thru:

Total A.T. Thru-Hike Expense: $2,101.10
Restaurants: $615.51
Resupplies: $864.80
Post Office: $45.96
Gear: $199.92
Movies: $31.50
Lodging: $203.85


Here's a link to my thru-hike website page that was solely devoted to finance, including a complete dollar by dollar breakdown:
http://www.2180miles.com/financial-planning.html

Awesome breakdown good sir! Def helps give me a better idea of trail budget!