Money Spent

[BZ853]

How much did yall that thru hiked spend on the trip as far as from when you started at Springer to when you finished? Springer to HF? Im trying to figure out how much money to take with me.

[on_the_GOEZ]

It depends on your style of hiking. I would say that anywhere from $2000 to $4000 is the average. I spent the most from Maine to HF then cut back and stayed in fewer hostels towards the latter weeks of my hike. I ended up spending about $3000.

It will depend on your gear, the food you buy, how often and where you stay in town, and how long the entire hike takes.

Another approach is budgeting per mile hiked, say $1.20. Hike a hundred miles, you have $120 to spend on food, hotel, etc. The total of the your hike would be under $3k too.

[BZ853]

Cool I am only hiking from Springer to HF and didnt want to spend more than about $500... I guess I should plan for more.

[RED-DOG]

Springer to Harpers Ferry $1,000-1,200.

[garlic08]

The range seems to from $0.50 to $5 per mile, with around $2 as average. Faster, more fit, younger, and/or more experienced hikers may spend less per mile. If you're all of those, you might spend less than $1 per mile.

[Rolls Kanardly]

I hope you are not taking that much cash with you. Use your debit/credit cards where you can and resupply your cash with your resupply packages from home. I am only taking a couple of hundred and mostly $5's and $10's. My resupply boxes will only have $100 or so. I will adjust this after the first couple of hundred miles or so. Now, I know mailing cash can be a problem but I think if you did lose one resupply box and the enclosed money it would be better than losing $2k or more. There are also banks where you can do a cash advance on your plastic although that can get expensive. And hide your cash in different places in your pack and in your clothes. Muske-gon

[turtle fast]

It makes sense to have a large note on you for emergencies like your credit/debit cards got demagnatized (and you need time to get a replacement) and you can split a bill when booking a hotel room or buying in a larger grocery store, or even gas stations now with the price of gas can process a $100 bill.

[BZ853]

Im a beginner hiker but am in pretty good shape. And the only thing I can think that I will need will be food and a place to shower once every other week. I am tagging a trip to DC on the end of my trip before school starts and wanted as much money to blow there as possible. My gear is costing my roughly $2k so i was hoping to be able to do the entire 2 month vacation under $3k including gear, food and DC. I will be hiking with 2 of my fraternity brothers and none of us really like sleeping indoors, so hostels and motels wont really be in our gameplan.

[Ox97GaMe]

general rule of thumb for a thru hike is between 1.50-2.00 per mile or roughly 150/week average. This includes the once a week town stop, staying in a hostel or splitting a hotel room, and a good meal. What tends to get people financially strapped on the trail is partying or staying multiple nights in towns. As folks have stated on your thread, you dont need to carry a lot of cash. Utilize a debit card. It is safer. The trail tends to be a safe place, but flashing around a lot of cash is likely to attract the not so friendly kind of folks you dont want to meet on the trail. Have a great grip.

[vic_doom69]

exspenses on the trail - 5608.72
exspences getting home - 433.59
phone bill while on trail - 257.55
unnecesary gear bought on trail - 1076.29
total - 7376.15

[Bronk]

Cool I am only hiking from Springer to HF and didnt want to spend more than about $500... I guess I should plan for more.

I spent 4 months hiking from Springer to Waynesboro (850 miles) about 10 years ago and I spent between 1600 and 1700. But I only stayed in a hotel 3 times and took almost all of my zero days on the trail rather than in towns. If you want an inexpensive hike, don't spend more than 2 or 3 hours in a town. Get in, shower, laundry, restaurant and grocery store and then get back on the trail, even if all you do is hike a mile from the road and camp. Given today's prices I'd take $2500 and if you don't need it you don't need it.

[Old Hiker]

First 500 miles was about $2500, but that included a LARGE donation to the EMS team that hauled me down the mountain with my sprained/cracked ankle. It also included a new sleeping bag, rain pants, UL waterproof stuff sacks, etc. in addition to food, shuttles, and whatnot. I had $5500 for the entire trip. I'm saving up at least that much again for 2016. I'm also paying all my bills forward so during the time I'm gone, my wife won't have utilities, etc. to pay.

[Coffee]

I'm thinking $5K for a 22 week AT thru ...

$10/day for food on trail x 6 trail days/week x 22 = $1,320
$75/week for one motel stay per week (could be less if splitting room or in hostels)x 22 = $1,650
$50/week to spend in towns for food, non lodging expenses x 22 = $1,100
$500 for replacement gear
$500 for travel, shuttles

total: $5,070. Could be less but I feel like this is conservative. Of course it doesn't include gear to start the trip but I have already acquired most of what I need.

Ill probably do the PCT first and might bump up the budget to $6K for that trip due to higher travel costs, although lack of many towns could offset higher travel costs somewhat. Also less rain may decrease the perceived need for weekly motel stays...

[Peace-Keeper]

This was a great read. I'm at the beginning of my planning/research for a thru hike and was wondering the same thing about money. This was a great thread.
Thanks to the Poster and the comments that followed.

[stranger]

Terminus to terminus = $5000

[Coffee]

Keep in mind that the main cost of a thru hike for someone in the labor market is foregone income. The actual costs are minor in comparison and actually offset by costs not incurred that would be spent at home. You have to eat regardless. And at home some recreational spending usually occurs like going out to eat, sports events, etc. The net costs of a thru for people who are not in the labor force (retired, hopelessly unemployed, etc) is a lot lower than the gross cost of things we typically add up.