Cheapest Possible Thru-Hike

[prain4u]

It would be pretty close to impossible to complete a thru hike on just $500--unless you raided the hiker boxes and became dependent upon handouts (and I don't think I could personally be proud of completing such a hike).

My biggest concern for you would be a lack of proper nutrition. Hiking burns a lot of calories (Most people need to consume over 5000 calories per day on a long hike). Lack of sufficient calories and a lack of proper nutrients can cause long term damage to bones, joints, muscles and bodily organs. Such problems CANNOT be prevented just by taking a daily multi-vitamin. You will need to actually consume enough of the (right kind) of calories. You could even face long-term problems such as diabetes and bone/joint issues due to a lack of proper nutrition on a thru hike (these problems may not surface for many years). A thru hike isn't worth a lifetime of health problems or an early death.

I recommend that you start a little later and do a SOBO hike. You will probably have better weather for most of the hike and possibly need less cold weather gear.

Work like heck until your hike starts. Work 2-3 jobs and work as many hours as you can. In addition to that, mow lawns, shovel sidewalks, sell plasma, register with temporary employment agencies, collect and sell aluminum cans. Do ANYTHING (legal) that you can possibly do in order to earn more money.

Look around your house or apartment. Sell items that you do not need (use ebay or a yard sale). Try to borrow money from friends and relatives--with an actual contract or agreement to pay it back. (Then pay them back!). Cut every non-essential expense from your daily living. Use coupons to reduce the cost of food and other items. Search the internet for sites that tell you how to cut living expenses.

Every extra $150-180 dollars that you can earn (or save) is an extra dollar per day for you to use on the trail.

If you start your thru hike 1-3 months later--and save more money prior to your departure--you will have a much better chance of having a successful thru hike and reduce your need to drop out early due to a lack of funds.

Good luck!

[Jim Adams]

Tip. Learn to apprciate the many wonders of the tunnel and you will experience a better hike than even the most avid party hiker.

Weary

Maybe the wisest statement for any and every thru.
Thanks Weary!

geek

[Blissful]

You might be able to pick up some cash via work in towns. But no way will you be able to do the whole thing on $500. But go at least for a section. Better than nothing. Section hiking is a great way to go.

[Hyway]

Cash, grass or ass, no one hikes for free ...

[Appalachian Tater]

Get as much money as you can together, hike as far as you can, enjoy it, ask around for work, don't be a mooch and make sure you have enough money to get home. And have fun!

[RGB]

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.

I think you are drastically underestimating our abilities to be cheap. College is perfect training.

[Bezekid609]

i've heard from a thru hiker named Why Not? about another hiker whom he encountered that was attempting the whole trail on 1000$ but his diet consisted of flour pancakes with sugar and water and a multi vitamin... day in and day out. He'd drink the mix cold uncooked when he couldnt cook it (yikes!). i imagine he broke this routine in town though. and jester is correct, learn to live frugely ahead of time and the price can only come down... read up on the trail as much as you can. wild edibles abound in sections, as does the goodwill and kindness of others.

[1234]

Go for it but when the money runs out stop. I met 2 guys in Virginia that werefixing ramon noodles for lunch, 2 paks each. They were SOBO, and said they were eating mac and cheeze and noodles most every day. They even cooked on a wood stove. You do not have to party, you do not have to stay in a hotel or hostels, you do not need to bath with indoor plumbing, but if these things are necessay for ya, you will need more $$$. When everyone heads to town for pizza, what will you do? You will not be able to afford such luxury, at least if you want to finish.

[Appalachian Tater]

After reading another thread, I think you could do a through hike for no money at all if you eat whatever is in the hiker box and don't run into any problems. If there isn't enough food in the hiker box to get you to the next one, hang out there until there is enough, grab it quick, and take off. Good luck!

[Moxcey]

I haven't thru-hiked yet, but I'll repeat what some have said here and advised me on another thread: Consider going for a Southbound, starting July 1-ish. Save as much as you can during the next 4.5 months.

That said, whatever you end up doing, enjoy it to the fullest! Life's short. And bets wishes.

[JAK]

A good thing to do would be to see if you can make it through Lent while only spending money on groceries, and see how little you can live on, while still eating healthy. You can also walk everywhere instead of driving or taking public transportation, so you would save money there also, and get into hiking shape. The idea is that you would learn just how cheap you can live, and save for your hike at the same time. Best wishes.

[TheF'nLunchLady]

I did it for under 1200. Less than that is asking a lot of other people on the trail. Dont get me wrong, most people will gladly help you, but its hard to keep it real real cheap. You can only have so many people buy you cheeseburgers for free when your out there. We only took about 8 zero days the whole way and did it in under four months, and we still spent aboutn $6-7 a day on food. Don't factor living cost, only factor food cost and you'll come up past $500 quick, however you can still probly beat that. You'll just have to rely on your average trail angel more than you should.

[DickHumbird]

There's A free shower in Maryland, and a couple more up north. And by Massachusetts it's too cold to stream bathe. You're def going to want a shower every week or so so budget for hostels.

[jersey joe]

I did my 02' thru on the cheap, probably around 1k. I believe I could thru hike with $500 if I had to, though, it wouldn't be easy. Just stay out of the damn towns! One big factor that I didn't see here is that the faster you complete your hike, the less money you will spend. If you can complete your hike in 3-4 months you can do it much cheaper than if you are out there for 6 months.

[emerald]

Not only are shorter hikes less expensive, returning to work sooner replenishes one's coffers sooner.

[Panzer1]

The only problem is I'm REALLY short on cash. I have all of my gear, just not much left over.

If you're "REALLY short on cash" I would not attempt a thru-hike.

Panzer

[Jester2000]

If you're "REALLY short on cash" I would not attempt a thru-hike.

Panzer

I wouldn't either, actually, but that's because I know how I like to hike, and it doesn't really involve all that much deprivation and suffering.

[Bronk]

I'm not a thru-hiker (yet), but I'm interested in the group's psychology. If you had to choose between helping a hiker having a temporary problem but otherwise prepared and one who hopes to thru without enough preparation including their own resources, which one would you help?

I don't know...I think a lot depends on the individual and how it is approached. If your'e a personable, likeable person, you aren't a beggar or a user, you are gracious and grateful when help is offered, are willing to work or trade for what you need, that makes a huge difference. The guy I hiked with that was basically hiking with nothing was all of the above, and I never heard anyone complain about him...most everybody liked him and encouraged him.

Now if you're crabby, complain a lot that you don't have money or food, feel entitled to help because you have nothing, are constantly pestering people for food or to borrow their gear, won't take no for an answer, turn down work when its offered, etc, etc, I think everybody will try to avoid you and you won't be a very popular addition to the trail.

The guy I hiked with, I don't ever remember anyone feeling like they had to avoid him because he was sponging off of them. People liked having him around...in fact, he'd share anything HE had with YOU, even though he probably didn't know where his next re-supply was coming from. He was a genuinely giving person.

But nobody ever felt like he was a burden, and he didn't want to be a burden to anyone.

[stranger]

From what I've seen since 1994, it's absolutely impossible to hike on 23 cents per mile ($500)

Just trail food alone would exhaust that amount, and the notion of supplimenting your food bag with the contents of hiker boxes may work well in the overcrowded south at times, but seems like a fairly unrealistic approach overall.

Think about this...if you left Springer Mountain with a weeks worth of food (that was in addition to your budget) and hiked straight to Franklin, passing Neels Gap without stopping and avoiding Hiawassee as well, you would arrive in Franklin after 107 miles and have $24.61 to spend. That's not enough to resupply, forget showers and laundry, you can't even buy soap to wash on the trail - we're just talking trail food as far as I'm concerned, and the south is much cheaper than the north.

Now...double that amount ($1000 budget), you would arrive in Franklin with $49.22, you can certainly buy a weeks food for that amount if you are smart about it and get to the next town, say Gatlinburg, where you could spend another 50 bucks or so. Even with $1000, you wouldn't be able to do much other than eat on the trail, what are you doing to do when you need new shoes? Or you get sick or potentially injured?

Hike as far as you can, and enjoy every single day...don't set yourself a goal you cannot possibly accomplish, that's just sabotage.

[Stir Fry]

How cheep can you eat for a week now. X number of weeks you will be on the trail. Its not going to be any cheeper then that.