Funding advice.

[Raoul]

Hey all,

I'm currently planning a SOBO after graduation during the summer of '15.
Being that I am a college student living off of a part-time salary, saving up for the trip is going to be a challenge.
Can anyone offer any advice on the best way to save?
Has anyone used fundraisers in order to help fund their trip?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[slbirdnerd]

I hate to be the first respondent and sound cynical, but you really should plan to pay your own way (that's a life lesson, really). There just aren't a bunch of people out there wanting to throw money at us hikers so we can go do what we enjoy. If it means enough to you, you'll work more, scrimp more and save more. I hope you're able to save enough and have a great hike!

[Raoul]

By fundraising I didn't mean charity or personal donations. I meant more on the lines of raising money by the means of a bake sale or garage sale.

[Starchild]

What you mention is a very heated topic here and sure to get some very strong responses.

I have received 1000's of dollars in support, and most thru hikers who think they have paid their own way have also received much more then they realize in the form of trail magic, rides, steeply discounted stays, etc.

Those things are because people want to see the thru hikers succeed and desire to help.

When I started my thru I told many people. I in turn added them to a email list which I said I would be sending updates to them as I hiked. The support was overwhelming, and some asked if they could send me care packages or offer other help. I was not expecting that, but wrote about it in my emails, this caused more people to offer. It was told to me many times in reply to my emails that they greatly look forward to my emails and that they are vicariously living thru me and they love getting them, so it was also that I offered them something that they perceived as valuable to them, and in that many wanted to give back my helping my journey. As I wrote about receiving such gifts and how loved and accepted that made me feel more came.

In this I shared my heart and people reconized the value and wanted to help in any way they could.

But for me it was much more personal. I needed to know if people could really care about me at all, and this showed that I am cared about very much so, it was something I needed in my life, something lacking from way back in childhood that the AT provided. It was the greatest experience to know that so many cared so much about me that they were willing to do such things and also that they greatly valued my contribution to their lives.

So while 'pay your own way' may be a life lesson, it is not the only lesson in life to learn.

Good Luck

[Drybones]

It's pretty simple, you dont spend the money you earn, you put it in a bank until you have what you need. You set your priorities, if you want to save you dont eat out, you dont go out drinking with the guys, you eat cheap, you dont waste gas, etc.

[ocasey3]

You can absolutely make some money for your hike by selling off things you own that you no longer need. Sell old gear in order to buy newer (even used), lighter gear. Make an inventory of your life and see what you can eliminate in order to save money. You would be surprised at how much you can live without when you have a goal in mind. The range I often see floating around in order to have a good hike is about $4-5000. This is not insurmountable and I bet you could put away quite a bit by working more over the summer. You can do this!

[RedBeerd]

Ya know man, I find it relatively easy to save a couple thousand if you are willing to sell your soul and work 7 days a week (get a job at a busy restaurant too!). There is no time to spend money..quit eating out, and don't go to the bar. Or again, get a job at a restaurant where you eat for free and free beer! No car payment goes a long way.. tons of odd craigslist jobs. Or work at a C&S and not only get in shape but bring in 800+ a week. Its short term so its bearable. I just prefer working like crazy to get cash. Sell off things you don't need. Its better to live light anyways. Maybe try out the antique roadshow..you could be sitting on the next million dollar blanket.

[Pedaling Fool]

Can anyone offer any advice on the best way to save?

We can list a bunch of stuff, but probably would help if people that ask these questions do the same as people that ask others to give feedback on their gear list -- they provide an inventory.

Maybe if you list your money in/money out, AKA budget we could be more focused in our recommendations.

BTW, how much money do you spend on transportation, i.e. gas money per week...? That's my pet peeve for saving money

[wookinpanub]

My thru was very much "on the cheap". In today's dollars I had about $1,100 cash to spend on hostels, extra food, treats, etc. All my gear and backpacking food was purchased beforehand. Here's my tips for a cheap thru. Others may have more:

1) Use equipment you have or save and buy new. It's far enough out that you can find deals or make you own gear.

2) Buy your backpacking food ahead. If you see a sale on Mac&Cheese, grab 40. I found a deal on freeze-dried vegetable stew, bought it, and combined it with a cup and a half of instant rice. I ate it 50 times (combined with various boullion flavors). Some of the pop-tarts I ate were 2 years old when I ate them because I had found a mega deal 2 years prior to my hike. Obviously, this requires much planning and the use of mail-drops.

3) Use mail-drops. Buy everything ahead and save $$$. Sure, there's postage to consider, but you'll save $$ in the end. I split up my cash evenly into each mail drop to keep me from spending too much in town. It forces you to get out of town when you run out of money.

4) Don't frequent towns/hostels too much. If you're in the woods, you aren't spending dough. Pretty simple that way. My southbound hike was 100% solo, so I didn't feel peer pressure on this topic. I could see where that would be a problem.

5) Trailhead travel: I found a deal where if I signed up for an American Express card I got a plane ticket for $99. Look for those kinds of deals. They are still out there.

6) Find another job. I was in college and working 2 part-time jobs. Not much free time, but I had a mission.

I'm sure someone will butcher my list, but these things worked for me. In the end, I had a remarkable trip and would relish the chance to do it again..........exactly the same way.

[Slo-go'en]

Pay cash for everything and empty your pockets of change everyday into a jar. A big jar. If you don't have enough cash to buy something, don't buy it. Don't buy what you don't need, like expensive coffee or new clothes. Live as cheaply as possible. No eating out and if you drink, only drink cheap beer - $15 a 30 pack stuff.

Your not going to make money with a bake sale! That only works when the ingrediants are donated. Garage sale will let you get rid of odds and ends you don't mind parting with for a couple of dollars or less. Anything more valuable needs to go on Craigs list or ebay.

[Maui Rhino]

As suggested by others, pick up a second job. Even working one day a week can add up quickly. To pay for my hike this summer, I work one day a week as a tour guide. Every single penny from that job--paychecks and tips--goes into an envelope for my hike fund and gets locked in my safe. I've salted away nearly $1500 just since the start of the year alone. The key for me is not to have the $$$ easily accessible. If you put it in a bank account, don't carry the ATM card or checkbook for that account, so you aren't tempted to dip into it for a quick bite to eat or something. When you get paid, don't carry the cash around either. You can't spend it if you can't access it.

[MuddyWaters]

You can pick up a quick $100 per week selling plasma.

Lets see ...52 x 100 =5200. Enough for a thru hike.

If you dont want to beg, sell, or work for it, theres only stealing left.

[rafe]

Spend less than you earn. That's how you save money. I was in your shoes, getting a college degree (engineering) and working 20 hours per week in a retail store (full-time in summer.) Took me about a year and a half to save up for a six-month trip through Europe. I did it on all on $1500 cash, about $8K in 2014 dollars.

[upstream]

If you enjoy selling, you can raise all the funds you need for anything. Sell baked goods, garages, bibles, insurance, machinery, real estate, or bridges or anything. Start with something, save your money.

[bamboo bob]

Most of the hikers on the AT are twenty somethings. The older folks have it all worked out but how do the younger people get the money? I assumed they worked and saved but maybe they got money from mommy and daddy. Parents sure meet them on the trail a lot so maybe they fund the hike as well.

[kayak karl]

i always wondered this too. at this stage in my life i could just sell half the boats and go

[HikerMom58]

What you mention is a very heated topic here and sure to get some very strong responses.

I have received 1000's of dollars in support, and most thru hikers who think they have paid their own way have also received much more then they realize in the form of trail magic, rides, steeply discounted stays, etc.

Those things are because people want to see the thru hikers succeed and desire to help.

When I started my thru I told many people. I in turn added them to a email list which I said I would be sending updates to them as I hiked. The support was overwhelming, and some asked if they could send me care packages or offer other help. I was not expecting that, but wrote about it in my emails, this caused more people to offer. It was told to me many times in reply to my emails that they greatly look forward to my emails and that they are vicariously living thru me and they love getting them, so it was also that I offered them something that they perceived as valuable to them, and in that many wanted to give back my helping my journey. As I wrote about receiving such gifts and how loved and accepted that made me feel more came.

In this I shared my heart and people reconized the value and wanted to help in any way they could.

But for me it was much more personal. I needed to know if people could really care about me at all, and this showed that I am cared about very much so, it was something I needed in my life, something lacking from way back in childhood that the AT provided. It was the greatest experience to know that so many cared so much about me that they were willing to do such things and also that they greatly valued my contribution to their lives.

So while 'pay your own way' may be a life lesson, it is not the only lesson in life to learn.

Good Luck

I find this post extremely interesting and insightful. Thanks for sharing this, Starchild.

I wanted to meet you last year when you came through. I'm sorry I didn't get that chance. Maybe someday. Congrats of your hike, btw!

[Trebor66]

When able, get two jobs. Job #1 pays for current living expenses. Then all the money from job #2 gets tucked away for your hike.

[Starchild]

I find this post extremely interesting and insightful. Thanks for sharing this, Starchild.

I wanted to meet you last year when you came through. I'm sorry I didn't get that chance. Maybe someday. Congrats of your hike, btw!

Thanks for the kind words, and I too was sorry once I found out that I passed by w/o meeting you, I did seem to miss out on quite a few things along the journey, though did experience lots also.

[garlic08]

You have no way of knowing this until you do your thru hike, but the trail gives lessons on how to simplify your life. I thought I lived a pretty basic life until I spent five months on a long trail (the PCT). I came home and sold a car, decimated my belongings, and even found a way to live rent-free by house-sitting for a few seasons. Ironically, the best way to learn how to save for your hike is by hiking. It's been mentioned above many times--simplify.

There are two distinct groups on the long trails--the young and the old. Many of us older folks saved for decades to be able to go hiking. Not everyone can (or wants to, or should) do it when young.