Can you afford to hike?

[futureatwalker]

One thing always seems to come to the fore front to me...how expensive it is going to be! I'm almost floored by it!

Good gear can be expensive. But think about how much a night in a hotel costs. $50? $100? $150?

And many people stay several nights in a hotel during their vacation.

After a few nights in your tent, it has already paid for itself relative to staying in a hotel.

[Hoofit]

it's just walkin'. high dollar gear ain't gonna get you there. you can't buy a thru-hike just like ya can't buy a par round of golf

Ha!
ain't that the truth!
Sure, buying the best gear will lighten your load but it takes mental attitude and perserversnce to thru hike the trail.
a lighter load will certainly make your day more pleasurable, particularly if you have back or health issues but , as mentioned, if you take good care of your stuff, the investment in quality gear is more than worth it.
I guess it all depends how how much time you have to hunt down gear , such as in the off season, sales e.t.c., especially if you're not leaving for awhile.
i've shaved almost 10 pounds off my original total pack weight, still working on the forty or so pounds around my gut! ( that would also come off on the trail but I would like to shed the weight before I return to the woods!)

[squeezebox]

Cycling can get pretty expensive too. $5K road bicycle, $300 shoes, $100 shorts(s), Jersey(s), $3K mountain bike. Touring bicycle & panniers, Easy to hit $15K

[squeezebox]

Cycling can get pretty expensive too. $5K road bicycle, $300 shoes, $100 shorts(s), Jersey(s), $3K mountain bike. Touring bicycle & panniers, Easy to hit $15K
My point is there are no cheap hobbies.

[Traveler]

Cycling can get pretty expensive too. $5K road bicycle, $300 shoes, $100 shorts(s), Jersey(s), $3K mountain bike. Touring bicycle & panniers, Easy to hit $15K
My point is there are no cheap hobbies.

Very true. Most any hobby one takes seriously in adult life either has an element of expense or risk to it, sometimes both.

[Cheyou]

Only thing expensive about my trip is the burbon


Thom

[Colter]

The big, unnecessary expenses come from people buying things they want but don't really need.

Do you need to take 30 zeros in motels? Nope, that might be what you want though.

Do you need to party with your friends? That might be really fun, but you don't need to.

Do you need the very lightest gear, the newest gear? the prettiest gear? No, no and no.

Do you need that freeze dried food? Exotic coffee? The chocolate covered macadamia nuts vs. peanut M&Ms, the steak vs. the burger? No.

Most of us "need" some luxuries, but perseverance, wise choices and a positive, flexible attitude can cut your budget dramatically.

[ny breakfast]

buy older high end gear. there will be alot more on the market in the coming years. i have a high end mt. bike from 1989 person was asking $150 witch was very far price i noticed he liked old bikes and i had one to trade i had no use for and was very happy to trade. the old mt. bike has technology that you wouldn't find till you hit over $1000 in today's bikes it's a little harder climbing hills with the way the frame design but much more comfortable then anything today and reliable. I've had a lot of good complements on my rig from cyclist ridding $2000-5000 bikes. a lot of my backpacking gear is cutting edge from 4-5 years purchased used with a repair here and there or repaired myself. i have made some new splurges for myself but i have a lot of gear being a section hiker and going out in all four seasons around my work schedule. i wouldn't be able to keep up with my bills doing a thru hike. and if i sold everything i own i probably wouldn't cover my expenses i had to stop working temporarily because it was coasting me more to go to work than i was making. doing a little down sizing to get out for another section. i didn't go crazy spending i just had all my equipment for work damaged from a disaster, loss my vehicles, family health problems, trying to get payed from customers, all this stuff can add up a whole lot faster then gear. looking forward to my next section we are all at different points in life. you have to suit your needs everything is a trade off

[TOW]

it's just walkin'. high dollar gear ain't gonna get you there. you can't buy a thru-hike just like ya can't buy a par round of golf

What about about a round of beer before a par round of golf?

[colorado_rob]

I sure hear the same thing all the time "Good, expensive gear won't get you to Katadin", and it's true in some sense, but ask yourself what is your primary goal? to simply get from point A to point B? Or to enjoy yourself in the journey. If you have super-cheap heavy stuff, you probably won't enjoy it as much as you would if you sprang for a couple/few pieces of better gear, and as has already been said, you can get some pretty decent light stuff for not a ton of $$$, just shop the sales, Ebay, craigslist and get it done.

And repeating others again: Once you have the gear, this really is a fairly inexpensive past time. One aspect lost on some: when you are on the trail, the other costs of living drop significantly, like gasoline, utilities, entertainment costs, etc. I think this is a very reasonably priced sport, even though I personally opt for the more expensive gear (I just paid $490 for yet another sleeping bag! Argh....).

[garlic08]

Cycling can get pretty expensive too. $5K road bicycle, $300 shoes, $100 shorts(s), Jersey(s), $3K mountain bike. Touring bicycle & panniers, Easy to hit $15K
My point is there are no cheap hobbies.

Yes, it can get that way. But cycling does not need to be expensive. I cycle 3-5000 miles a year, often much more when I go on tour, on my old steel touring bike that cost $300 (less than many pedal options today). Maintenance on the bike, including drive train parts and tires, costs less than $100/year. I spend less per month on a bike tour than I do on a hiking trip. Right before I read this post, I was thinking about how inexpensive cycling is, as both a hobby and as transportation. By not driving all those miles, I've actually saved quite a bit of money, and other paybacks are too numerous to mention (like staying in shape for hiking).

My point is there are plenty of cheap hobbies. I don't think I could afford NOT cycling.

And I would ask the OP, can you afford not hiking? I don't think you'll find any AT hiker who regretted the cost of the hike, whether it's $1,000 or $10,000. The gains last a lifetime, and will often change your life.

[Another Kevin]

The thing is, gear is a relatively minor expense compared to what a thru hike can cost. As others have noted you don't have to buy everything at once which spreads the cost out over time and you can look for deals. But you still have to rise 4-5 grand for the hike, plus what ever is needed to pay ongoing bills at home, plus have a reserve fund for when you get back.

So the question is not if you can afford the gear, but can you afford the actual hike?

Right. The big question is, can you afford not to have a paycheck for half a year? The $5000 isn't too different from half a year's living expenses anywhere else, if you can manage not to be paying rent, making car and auto insurance payments, and so on in addition to your hiking expenses.

But there's a still bigger question: Can you afford, financially, and more important, mentally and spiritually, to walk away from your life for half a year? (I'll probably never make a thru-hike. I can't foresee ever putting the rest of my life on hold for that long. I have obligations to my family, my community, my church, and others. Always have, always will. until the day comes to walk the lonesome valley home.)

[John B]

nuknees, let me go about this from another direction. You mentioned shoe inserts, which in my view are rarely helpful, but other than that, what exactly do you need and how much do you feel is a fair price? I didn't read each post carefully, but skimming the thread I can't recall your mention of anything other gear than inserts. No?

[Bronk]

If you watch for sales you can get some very good quality gear for cheap. I keep an eye on the bargain cave at Cabelas and was able to get a $99 sleeping bag for $30. Similar deals on tents and other gear. A lot depends upon you. Are you the kind of person that has to always have the newest bestest name brandest thing on the market? If so you can easily spend $1500 to $2000 or more getting outfitted. But I've got less than $300 in my setup and it works great and I'm happy with it.

[brancher]

Cycling can get pretty expensive too. $5K road bicycle, $300 shoes, $100 shorts(s), Jersey(s), $3K mountain bike. Touring bicycle & panniers, Easy to hit $15K

Ain't that the truth!! I don't have THAT much $$ in my cycling rigs but I am a little pensive about truly counting all the bucks spent between my Trek 520 Touring rig and my CF endurance bike. Plus all the foo-foo that goes with 'em!

Also sea kayaking - I went a few yards down that rabbit hole as well.....

All these specialty sports, endurance sports, and personal challenge sports beg for money.

[nuknees]

Only thing expensive about my trip is the burbon

Here - here...Cheers!

[nuknees]

.... until the day comes to walk the lonesome valley home.)

You won't be taking the long hike alone friend. Thank you for all the insights.

[Second Hand]

My trail name is second hand because, in my younger years, I got all of my gear used on Craigslist, yard sales, and flea markets.
Now I've graduated to REI garage sales!

It may not always be exactly what you want and you may have to deal with some shifty people from time to time, but it taught me a lot about backpacking. What you really need and what you can live without. 2 other lessons I learned.
1.) Good gear lasts, so if someone takes care of it, there is no reason not to buy it used.
2.) A lot of people spend big bucks only to decide they hate backpacking! I got a lot of amazing gear for pennies on the dollar that had never spent a night in the woods.

[nuknees]

nuknees, let me go about this from another direction. You mentioned shoe inserts, which in my view are rarely helpful, but other than that, what exactly do you need and how much do you feel is a fair price? I didn't read each post carefully, but skimming the thread I can't recall your mention of anything other gear than inserts. No?

I did mention that over the years I do have my base gear and am comfortable with it. As I was surfing the threads here I came upon one about inserts. Hmmm...I wonder if a pair would 'enhance' foot comfort and fatigue thus making the walk more pleasurable. When I researched the price of them that got me taking a long hard look at the costs of everything entailing a thru hike. When I factored in the 'what works best for you' into the equation (trial and error) different stoves, clothing, bags...all of it, it didn't appear to be as inexpensive as I assumed and others I'm sure also.
So I started this thread in hopes of bringing to light not necessarily for me (because I know now) but for others who think that walking and sleeping in the dirt can't be expensive.
And, depending on how much you want to 'rough it' it doesn't have to be. But I think most thru hikers agenda isn't to go out there and pull a Les Stroud trip. That's not saying we want to party through 11 states either though.

[Scrum]

Hilton Tent City is still around and deals on older gear can still be found. I got a great deal on some winter hiking pants there last fall, year old model for 1/3 the cost. It can be a bit hard to find the good deals, but when you tell the staff you are on a budget they can be very helpful.