Cheapest Possible Thru-Hike

[highside]

I've been wanting to hike the A.T. for the last 10 years. This year looks like the first chance I'll get. The only problem is I'm REALLY short on cash. I have all of my gear, just not much left over. My question is, what is the cheapest anyone has ever heard of someone spending. I have a ride to Springer and a ride back from Maine. I really don't want to miss this chance and maybe have to wait another 10 years until I can try it again. Enough money for food and showers is all I really care about.

[buff_jeff]

I honestly don't know what the least amount of money someone has thru-hiked on is, but why not just head out and see how far you make it?

[Roughin' It]

Would you be leaving NOBO or SOBO? and what date?

[highside]

NOBO Mid-March to Mid-April.

[Hyway]

Just do it. Start out frugal. After a few months assess how much you have spent and how much further you have to go then make a decision on whether you should complete a thruhike this year.

[Bronk]

How much have you got?

[highside]

About $500 bucks. I still have a few weeks to a month until I leave, so I might be able to find some side work but I don't know how much extra I'll be able to get. I also forgot to mention that I have some friends and family that will send me a few food packages but I don't know how much exactly or how often.

[highside]

I read one article on here where I guy said he did it for $1100 bucks. He made it sound like that was pushing it.

[Spirit Walker]

Have you read Weathercarrot's article here on WB about hiking cheaply? He has done it, more than once.

As others have said, if you think that now is your time to hike, then go out and hike as far as you can. You'll be able to figure out whether a super frugal hike works for you or not. In any case - you can go out and have a good hike, however long it lasts. If you do have to stop early, then you'll at least have an idea of whether you like long distance hiking enough to work a while and try again.

On my second thruhike (1992) there was a young man who quit his job on the spur of the moment and headed out to the trail with $100 in his pocket. He knew he wouldn't get far, but he wanted to see how far he could get. With a little help from hikers who enjoyed his company, he made it through the Smokies. The next year he was back, doing a thruhike.

[highside]

I'll check that out. Thanks.

[Roughin' It]

I am leaving Mid March, NOBO as well. (13th)

If we ever meet on the trail I would be glad to help you out.

[Cool AT Breeze]

Not even close. It costs about 1.50 per mile on the cheep side. that's stayin out of town, no pizza and beer workin for stay and such. Not a fun hike.

[Captain]

Have you read Weathercarrot's article here on WB about hiking cheaply? He has done it, more than once.

As others have said, if you think that now is your time to hike, then go out and hike as far as you can. You'll be able to figure out whether a super frugal hike works for you or not. In any case - you can go out and have a good hike, however long it lasts. If you do have to stop early, then you'll at least have an idea of whether you like long distance hiking enough to work a while and try again.

On my second thruhike (1992) there was a young man who quit his job on the spur of the moment and headed out to the trail with $100 in his pocket. He knew he wouldn't get far, but he wanted to see how far he could get. With a little help from hikers who enjoyed his company, he made it through the Smokies. The next year he was back, doing a thruhike.

through the smokies on $100.. even considering the help thats a lot of spirit for one boy to carry

[emerald]

Consider hiking SOBO or working another 4-6 weeks, saving as much as possible and doing a faster hike.

Alternatively, you might attempt 1/2 the A.T. and section the remainder as you are able. Hiking NOBO to Harpers Ferry and continuing northward, picking up where you left off on each previous hike or hiking SOBO to Harpers Ferry are options I'd consider.

[wudhipy]

I'll let ya know what the least expensive thru hike was when I finish mine....poor folk rock too. Hope to see ya on the trail.

[SKessler]

Not even close. It costs about 1.50 per mile on the cheep side. that's stayin out of town, no pizza and beer workin for stay and such. Not a fun hike.

Did you figure in gear and transportation? I am just thinking this seems a little steep. I can see it costing that much with town stays and treats, but I know from personal experience I can head out for a week or 2 spending less than $5 a day on food. I don't see why it couldn't be done (close to this) for the whole trek.

[Bronk]

I'll tell you what you are already expecting to hear. $500 really isn't enough. You could make it at least to Damascus with that much money, though, and you'd have a great time too. If you aren't picky about what you eat you could literally get all of your food from hiker boxes almost the whole way to Damascus. But you don't have to go all the way in one shot. I only made it as far as Waynesboro but I still look back on the four months I spent on the trail as some of the best times of my life.

The year of my thru-hike attempt there was a guy who worked his way up the trail. I first met him just past Neels Gap...his claim was that he had boxed up a bunch of mail drops and had put money in each box to last until the next box, but as soon as he left his girlfriend opened up all the boxes to get to the money, and she wasn't mailing his maildrops. I never believed this story, but that's besides the point.

This guy would stop in every town and ask around until he found some work for a day or two...just enough to get a resupply and put a few extra dollars in his pocket. I also heard of people who were offered jobs planting grapes at wineries or baling hay...they were trying to hitch a ride and somebody just pulled over and offered them a few days work.

This guy also joined the Moose Lodge near Catawba, and after that he'd find a Moose Lodge if there was one near a trail town and go there asking if anybody knew where he could get a couple day's work.

Only problem with doing things this way is that you have a lot of zero days while you are searching for work or actually working, and you may run out of time.

When I got off the trail at Waynesboro, he was still headed north, and that was mid June.

[Sumone86]

i read so much about how you guys spend so much on the AT and i don't understand. i have hike many a place and did it on nothing. then again i don't see the point in staying in hotels are buying food from restaurants.

[Jester2000]

Did you figure in gear and transportation? I am just thinking this seems a little steep. I can see it costing that much with town stays and treats, but I know from personal experience I can head out for a week or 2 spending less than $5 a day on food. I don't see why it couldn't be done (close to this) for the whole trek.

Maybe. Of course, when you get done with your two week stint in the woods, I imagine you do things like taking a hot shower in a bathroom, which is the sort of thing you have to pay for if you're not at home. Is that a treat? Probably. But I know that from personal experience that after going 17 days without showering or washing my clothes, the prospect of not doing that for another 17 days, let alone a couple more months, wasn't all that attractive.

On the other hand, to answer the original question, in 2000 Screamer went from Georgia to at least Gorham (that's the last time I saw him) on no money. Then again, he was homeless before he got on the trail. I suppose it's all a matter of what you're willing to put up with -- he was used to having much less than what was available on the trail. Most of us are used to having more.

[Jester2000]

i read so much about how you guys spend so much on the AT and i don't understand. i have hike many a place and did it on nothing. then again i don't see the point in staying in hotels are buying food from restaurants.

What's the longest time you've spent on trail?