View Full Version : what is your PCT 2015 budget?
HarryHoodHiker
08-19-2014, 23:05
Dear class of 2015 or past years. What is (was) your PCT thru-hike budget?
I am going to completely re-outfit myself gear wise which i assume will be $2000 right there!
I haven't figured out how to budget for food/towns/ trail expenses yet, although I have come across some great resources online.
5
I wanna know what your 2015 PCT budget is? Do you have to re-outfit yourself gear wise? I am thinking $4,000-$5,000 including getting new gear. Is this way too conservative of a budget? -harry hood
HarryHoodHiker
08-20-2014, 00:13
come on peeps
Hello again, Harry!
First off, I think you can get away with much less than $2,000 on gear - even if you need to buy everything! There is a lot of good advice on WB on how to buy gear for cheap. Many new thru-hikers think that they need stuff that is "for hiking," which is always more expensive! For example, you can hike just as well in a polyester shirt from the thrift store that costs $3 as you can with a Patagonia shirt that cost $60. And don't forget to check the "Selling Used Gear" section of WB for some really good deals! You have plenty of time, so be patient, wait for things to go on sale, check backcountry.com, and ask for advice before you buy something expensive!
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?15329-Cheap-Gear-%96-How-to-Dirt-Bag-and-Deal-Shop-Like-a-Professional
I say that you need $4,000-5,000 for the hike alone! Many people leave the trail because they ran out of money, wrongly believing they could be disciplined with their spending. Do you know how hard it is to be the only hiker who can't afford a beer or a cheeseburger? After 5 days on the trail, you will probably give in to temptation and buy that burger or that hotel room, etc. It is possible to hike on the cheap. But those people are (usually) either moochers who take free stuff all the time and never pay trail angels, or cavemen who just don't care about showers and other civilized pleasures.
So start saving now, when it is much much easier to turn down a dinner at a restaurant!
And last of all, going lightweight can sometimes be cheaper. For example, look at rain jackets. I always recommend the O2 jacket, which costs $32 and weighs 6oz. I used it myself. (downside is it doesn't have pockets) Another option is the infamous Frogg Toggs rain suit, with jacket and pants together weighing 10 oz and costing only $22. Compare these options to the many rain jackets available at REI, which cost hundreds of dollars and weigh much more. Sure, you won't win any fashion awards with the Frogg Toggs, but you'll stay dry and have a lighter pack!
http://www.froggtoggsraingear.com/DriDucks.shtm
http://o2rainwear.com/2011/03/original-hooded-jacket/
Sorry for the long post, but I hope that cleared some things up for you! :)
garlic08
08-20-2014, 09:34
Unless you buy the most expensive gear during the season, $2000 is way too much for your kit. Mine cost more like $800, including a high-end 15 degree down bag. I agree that going light can save money, contrary to popular myths.
There are various rules of thumb for trail cost, like $1000/month (my most accurate) and $2/mile, per person. That'll put you at about $5000 just for hiking expenses, like quasarr says. There's a wide range among hikers out there. Expenses in town are a huge variable. Are you able to walk into town in the morning, do all your errands, then hike out in the afternoon and camp in the woods? Can you pass up the motels and restaurants and microbrews at $5 each? A lot depends on how old and how social you are (and how much money you have to spend).
My PCT hike, ten years ago, cost nearly $10K for my wife and me, including some gear replacement, travel to and from, and celebrating an anniversary and a few other luxuries.
MY PCT budget is $6000 with $1500 in reserve for emergencies that's everything on trail/off trail.
HarryHoodHiker
08-20-2014, 23:08
Thanks for helpful posts.
I just finished the PCT - spent approximately $8500 but I didn't skimp on anything and always stayed at nicer hotels and ate at whatever restaurants appealed to me at the moment. I could have done it for much less but I don't think I would have had as good a time. Enjoying towns is part of the experience for me.
HarryHoodHiker
08-23-2014, 11:42
I just finished the PCT - spent approximately $8500 but I didn't skimp on anything and always stayed at nicer hotels and ate at whatever restaurants appealed to me at the moment. I could have done it for much less but I don't think I would have had as good a time. Enjoying towns is part of the experience for me.
if you only spent 5000 clams what would you have missed out on town wise? Does is that $8500 all inclusive... gear. food, shoes?
if you only spent 5000 clams what would you have missed out on town wise? Does is that $8500 all inclusive... gear. food, shoes?
The $8500 is what I spent in towns on food and lodging mostly though I did spend several hundred dollars shipping out food for Oregon and Washington in Ashland - I didn't buy a lot of gear on the trip. I probably spent more on socks than every other gear item put together.
Just an example - I spent almost $300 on 1 nights lodging at Timberline Lodge at the base of Mt. Hood. Everyone else camped but I figured I'd never be there again so I splurged.
Given a choice I prefer to stay in a nicer hotel if one is available. In Chester most hikers stayed at a hotel that was $45 per night I thought was a dump - I opted for the Best Western at $150ish. Big fan of amenities. :)
Also I didn't flinch on eating out. The best restaurant on the entire trip was "The Morning Glory" in Ashland but I was the only one who would shell out $20 for breakfast. It was *so* worth it though!
bigcranky
08-23-2014, 13:42
Harry, I don't know how old you are, but in my experience the older hikers often have more money and spend it on luxuries. My wife and I spent a LOT more than the average hiker on the Long Trail this summer. But like 10-K, we prefer a nicer hotel room and good restaurants over the local hiker hostel and AYCE buffet. It's our vacation and we can afford it (and it's still much cheaper than, say, going to Europe for an equivalent amount of time.)
HarryHoodHiker
08-24-2014, 19:12
Yeah I am a 27 year old Portland OR transplant looking do the PCT on about $5,000 not including pre hike gear purchases
Sasquatch!
08-24-2014, 23:14
$10,000 is a good figure. Hiking is expensive, even without the ocassional hotel, and party favors.
California is super expensive. Food is the primary expense, and consider you will need 3-4x that which you normally eat daily. Hiker boxes and trail angels help, but shouldnt be relied upon often.
HarryHoodHiker
08-25-2014, 01:27
$10,000 seems like an insane figure... but I have heard people drop that. What am I giving up if my budget is just 5,000?
CarlZ993
08-25-2014, 11:04
What ever you set as your budget, I'd set aside some more as an emergency cushion. If you think you could do the hike for $5K, set aside an additional thousand or so. Things can happen that you don't plan or budget for. I met a hiker on the AT that had to make an emergency trip to the dentist that set him back quite a bit. He got a temporary crown, had to yellow-blaze up the trail, and hike back to the dentist to time the arrival of the permanent crown.
$10,000 seems like an insane figure... but I have heard people drop that. What am I giving up if my budget is just 5,000?
Well... a lot of the difference is intangibles.
You can share a hotel room that costs $100 with 3 other hikers and pay $25 each or you can have the room for yourself for $100. What did you give up for $75? Privacy, personal space, compromises that have to be made when there are 3 extra people, etc. Do that 10 times and you've saved yourself $750 but only you can judge whether it's worth it or not.
You can limit your meals to less expensive restaurants and/or avoid eating out often and save money. What intangible did you give up? The morale boost you get from treating yourself for all the hard work you're doing and often missing out on some regional places that are excellent that you'll likely never get to visit again.
Big Cranky hit the nail on the head I think.... As you get older you (hopefully) have accumulated more assets than someone in their 20's and can afford to spend more. When I was 21 I didn't have $8500 to blow on a thru but I could have probably come up with $5,000 so I get it.
garlic08
08-25-2014, 17:45
$10,000 seems like an insane figure... but I have heard people drop that. What am I giving up if my budget is just 5,000?
What 10K said (maybe we should rename him 8.5K?).
Are you under 30? Single? Any low budget travel experience (read "Vagabonding (http://www.amazon.com/Vagabonding-Uncommon-Guide-Long-Term-Travel/dp/0812992180)")? Can you leave town without downing four brews? If the answer to all of these is "yes", you'll have no problem on $5K. We older married guys with credit cards will leave you in our spending dust.
When I hiked the AT, it cost me $3.5K (five years ago at age 52). My partner (aged 64) with whom I shared lodging spent will over $5K. The difference was mainly in food. I shopped for bulk, he bought packaged goods. My typical grocery bill for four days on the trail was about $25, his was over $50. He also chose higher priced menu items when we ate out. It all adds up over months.
Another budget-eater is trips home. And failed equipment.
To save money, master the art of the "near-o" (near zero day). Camp a few miles out of town, walk in in the morning, do your errands, rest and eat and spend time in the library on a computer, socialize a bit on the porch of the hostel, pick up a pizza or deli sandwich to eat on the trail, then in early evening hike a few miles to camp. You'll save a ton.
HarryHoodHiker
08-26-2014, 00:46
Garlic your words and advice have been most helpful and encouraging. Love the "near-0".
kevperro
02-28-2015, 21:02
Save up plenty of money and enjoy it. You don't get to do a trip like this many times in your life. Who wants to pass up a good night drinking on the town and telling lies to your thru-hiking friends?
My PCT budget is kind of ballooning a little because I have a lot of off-trail expenses associated with travel to and from the trail plus a visit back home in the middle of my trip, and associated costs. But like most other hikers, my on trail budget is around $1,000/month and I feel like that's a comfortable amount. It is about what I spent on-trail over a month in Colorado last summer and I didn't feel like I was lacking anything. I can afford to stay in the nicer hotels but I kind of like staying at hostels, assuming they are reasonably clean, since I can interact with other hikers. I hike mostly solo (and like it that way) but some interaction with others who are also hiking is nice from time to time. If I get sick of the hostel lifestyle, then I can always opt for a private room somewhere else.
I'm a big fan of the "nero day" as garlic suggests above. Not only is it cheaper but I find that I am agitated on a full day in town since I'm not making any progress. For me the only reason to take a full zero would be if I'm injured or just worn out and really need the time off, or if there are non-hiking things to do in the town in question that justify the time and money spent. I don't really see that being the case for most of the towns along the PCT. On the other hand, I'm thinking about the Camino in 2016 and I'd be more likely to do full zeros there given how many cultural things there are to do in some of the towns.
To flesh out the $1K/month on trail budget a bit more, mine works out like this:
$90/week for on-trail food.
$50/week for in-town food.
$75/week on average for in-town lodging
$15/week for misc. in-town expenses (laundry, postage, etc)
$230/week x 4.33 weeks/month on avg = $1,000.
The $75/week, or $325 per month month for lodging will probably work out to 2 hostel stays at ~$30 each plus 2 (nicer) private motel/hotel stays at ~$130 each.
Obviously a real budget hike could be done for a lot less.
crweidert
03-04-2015, 02:20
I have about a $6k limit and I'm hoping to keep it closer to $4k. I figure our normal spending habits probably translate to the trail, and I'm pretty cheap.
_Murray_
03-04-2015, 13:51
In going to cheat and just say Coffee's figure looks good.
If you are going to actually start on budget while traveling to best way (in my experience) is to write down everything you spend as you go. At the end of each week tally the results and compare them to your expectations. Is you are under budget carry on. If over you can see what category you have either underestimated or splurged on.
CarlZ993
03-04-2015, 17:21
In going to cheat and just say Coffee's figure looks good.
If you are going to actually start on budget while traveling to best way (in my experience) is to write down everything you spend as you go. At the end of each week tally the results and compare them to your expectations. Is you are under budget carry on. If over you can see what category you have either underestimated or splurged on.
I tried to write down everything I spent as I hiked the AT. For the most part, I succeeded. Missed a few things from time to time. I was under budget in the beginning. Went over budget toward the end. But, I had sufficient resources that this wasn't a problem.
adamfbomb
03-10-2015, 12:23
Wow! This thread really scared me at first when I read about everyone's big budget! It's interesting to note that I typically see budgets listed around $3000-$5000 on websites like reddit, so I thought my budget was plenty until I read this thread here on whiteblaze where I'm seeing budgets in the $8000's! The difference, it would appear, is the average user age. Reddit is a much younger community, so I think a lot of the people on that forum are able to do the pct with less.
I'm 27 and this is my first thru-hike. My budget is $5000, which I thought was generous until I read this thread! I've set aside $1000 of my 5k for gear purchases, which is plenty. I splurged on a new tent and sleeping bag, and the rest of my equipment I'm being more frugal about. It's easy to get wrapped up in gear lust when you learn about how light and great some items are, but it's really not worth it unless you have a ton of extra money to spend. Do I really need $85 merino wool leggings when my old Under Armour ones will do the trick 90% as well? No. Are those $140 hiking poles that people describe as walking on heaven much better than the $20 pair you can pick up at Walmart? They're not 6 times the price better. As much as I would like to drop $300 on a new ghost whisperer coat, I realize that any old $100 coat off the clearance rack will do it's job almost just as well, even though it may be a few ounces heavier.
I've read one guy who talked about hiking the trail on $400. Apparently he got almost all of his gear from hiker boxes, using peoples old shoes and everything. That's obviously pretty extreme, but I think it goes to show you what is possible. I would not listen to anyone threatening that "you might not finish the trail" if you run out of money because you didn't bring $10,000.
I'm 27 and this is my first thru-hike. My budget is $5000, which I thought was generous until I read this thread!.
$4000 to hike the PCT after gear? I think you'll be fine. $1000/mo is, IMO, a good conservative figure. Avoid excessive / long town stops and take more neros. Shorter hike = less $$$.
I feel similar about gear BTW. I'd avoid the $400 budget as that usually means relying on the good graces of others to finish a hike. :)
crweidert
03-10-2015, 14:08
Yeah. I was also surprised to see all the $8k+ talk on here. I'm assuming most of those people are either much wealthier than I or older folks who are really taking their time and lots of zeroes splurging in towns. I have $4-5k set aside for on trail expenses (including transportation from home to trail and back). I unfortunately had to spend a lot of money on gear since this is my first thru and did get a little sucked into the whole gear lust vortex of spending. I guess that is somewhat necessary when you don't want to carry a 20+ lb base weight.
Not that I have any experience, but I think we'll be fine with $5k.
$1K on trail per month is likely to be just fine in my opinion. The only apples to apples way of comparing expenses is to limit them to on trail expenses. We all have different plans prior to and after the trail and different distances to travel to the west coast. Also, some people ( like me) take a break from the trail in the middle of the trip to go back home or visit family. That adds substantially to total trip cost but has nothing to do with actually hiking the trail. I also plan to spend a bit of time in Vancouver after the trail. That will cost quite a bit. But nothing to do with hiking the PCT.
bannerstone
03-10-2015, 15:17
My PCT budget is kind of ballooning a little because I have a lot of off-trail expenses associated with travel to and from the trail plus a visit back home in the middle of my trip, and associated costs. But like most other hikers, my on trail budget is around $1,000/month and I feel like that's a comfortable amount. It is about what I spent on-trail over a month in Colorado last summer and I didn't feel like I was lacking anything. I can afford to stay in the nicer hotels but I kind of like staying at hostels, assuming they are reasonably clean, since I can interact with other hikers. I hike mostly solo (and like it that way) but some interaction with others who are also hiking is nice from time to time. If I get sick of the hostel lifestyle, then I can always opt for a private room somewhere else.
I'm a big fan of the "nero day" as garlic suggests above. Not only is it cheaper but I find that I am agitated on a full day in town since I'm not making any progress. For me the only reason to take a full zero would be if I'm injured or just worn out and really need the time off, or if there are non-hiking things to do in the town in question that justify the time and money spent. I don't really see that being the case for most of the towns along the PCT. On the other hand, I'm thinking about the Camino in 2016 and I'd be more likely to do full zeros there given how many cultural things there are to do in some of the towns.
To flesh out the $1K/month on trail budget a bit more, mine works out like this:
$90/week for on-trail food.
$50/week for in-town food.
$75/week on average for in-town lodging
$15/week for misc. in-town expenses (laundry, postage, etc)
$230/week x 4.33 weeks/month on avg = $1,000.
The $75/week, or $325 per month month for lodging will probably work out to 2 hostel stays at ~$30 each plus 2 (nicer) private motel/hotel stays at ~$130 each.
Obviously a real budget hike could be done for a lot less.
I really like Coffee's budget, however there are a couple of things that stand out, his (private motel/hotel stays) at $130 each would probably be something many hikers would try to split with another hiker. Also he has no line item for beer. :)
David3
I heard that the zerohero from 2014 spent $18k. he had a lot of fun and a fine adventure. thats the way to go if you have the $$$ to spend and want it. As a section hiker I'm sure I'll exceed that.
I really like Coffee's budget, however there are a couple of things that stand out, his (private motel/hotel stays) at $130 each would probably be something many hikers would try to split with another hiker. Also he has no line item for beer. :)
David3
I might split hotel rooms if the possibility comes up but wouldn't want to count on that. And not being a drinker or smoker helps a lot with my trip budgets!
thechadders
04-26-2015, 18:34
I hiked 2013 and my budget was $3200. I always split hotel rooms and limited myself to one in town AYCE meal out (which was usually breakfast which is obviously the best meal of the day haha) Other than that I bought food for the room to limit the money spent. I actually went through about 1k in the desert because of all the partying. So I had a budget of 2.2 k for the remaining 2k miles. I did stretch it thin and had to Credit Card a flight home. Totally worth it lol
I heard that the zerohero from 2014 spent $18k. he had a lot of fun and a fine adventure. thats the way to go if you have the $$$ to spend and want it. As a section hiker I'm sure I'll exceed that.
I'm a fan of nicer hotels, real meals, and a bit of privacy when I'm in town.
lonehiker
04-27-2015, 23:27
I think 1k a month is fine as well. I budget a bit differently than say Coffee. I "pay" myself $33 a day each day I am on the trail. I keep a tally going. When I get into town that balance is my budget. I normally stay at mid-range lodging and don't share room. I don't hesitate to eat out, but at least one meal a day is at cheaper joint (i.e. Subway or other fast food). I could go cheaper, or more expensive for that matter, just a system that seems to work for me.
sonora pass resupply
05-01-2015, 10:54
Oh to be young again! When I was in my twenties could go for months on few dollars. Last time I hiked Donner Pass to Walker Pass cost me almost $2,500. Already had all of my gear. Could have been because my wife joined me for my zero days.
I think I spent around $10,000. But I did have to pay rent and COBRA insurance while I was out there. I also went a little too comfortable initially in hotels. By the time I got to Nor Cal, I was done with that kind of lifestyle. I think I walked out of Ashland with about $600 in my pocket and still had about $400 of it when I finished the trail. Not counting the 3 days I spent in Seattle (in the sun) waiting for it to quit raining on the trail. I put that on my credit card.
ShelterLeopard
06-06-2015, 23:41
I'm heading out in 2016 and I plan to have $4,000 in my account set aside for the hike, but I hope to only use 3,000. I already have all of the gear I plan to use, but I might splurge on a new tarptent if I have the extra funds... I'm thinking I'll probably spend a lot less on the PCT than I did on the AT- I spent too much money on hostels and town food on the AT!
ShelterLeopard
06-06-2015, 23:46
(Not counting my emergency $2000, but that is only in my account for emergency schtuff and restarting life after returning home!)
Those are some pretty rad numbers (had to sound young there). I think researching and planning are the best ways to get the most out of your money. Just last October my wife and I took a 3 week European vacation including Rome, Venice, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Switzerland, and Germany to name a few destinations for less than you're talking for a 5-6 month hike in the woods. Including airfare, I spent just under $6,200 for both us, all inclusive and we had a great time. None of our hotels were Hiltons but they were safe, clean and comfortable. One doesn't need Cuben fiber everything or the newest sleeping bag or "puffy coat" to be comfortable. Nor do gourmet meals need to be a regular activity on the trail or in town. My big 4 (50 liter Jansport pack, 6 moon designs tent, Teton Sports bag and a Klymt pad) cost me $410 and weigh in at 7.5 pounds. If I went with a different 6 moons tent weighing 10 more ounces, I could trim $100 off that total. My poles are $50 Carbon composites with flip locks and weigh less than 8 ounces each with a lifetime warranty. It can be done with effort, planning and not trying to keep up with the Jones. I respect "to each their own" but it's good for people to know what is easily doable.
ShelterLeopard
06-09-2015, 14:51
I think 1k a month is fine as well. I budget a bit differently than say Coffee. I "pay" myself $33 a day each day I am on the trail. I keep a tally going. When I get into town that balance is my budget. I normally stay at mid-range lodging and don't share room. I don't hesitate to eat out, but at least one meal a day is at cheaper joint (i.e. Subway or other fast food). I could go cheaper, or more expensive for that matter, just a system that seems to work for me.
That is a genius way of thinking about things- my mind works best ways like that, thanks, lonehiker!
5000 is plenty of money for a thru hike. ten THOUSAND!?! That's insane.
You will do perfectly fine with $5,000.
A lot of people on this forum tell you you can't, but if its what you have then go do it.
People told me to have 4,000 at minimum for my A.T. Thru. And I ended up doing it for under $1 a mile and had a ton left over.
Just know, you know you. If you are thrifty you probably could do it for $2,200.
Just keep track of your spendings as you go.
Keep receipts and write it down so you aren't surprised how much you've spent.
Also another thing that I found helpful is to spend as little as possible the first half (or 3/4) of the trail so you can treat yourself at the end.
Most people treat themselves 1st then barely get by at the end.
Team Pancho
01-08-2016, 17:44
I'm bringing $6000 plus maybe an extra 2 or 3 in reserve. Hopefully I won't have to dive into my 401k, but am totally willing to do so if need be.
I heard that the zerohero from 2014 spent $18k. he had a lot of fun and a fine adventure. thats the way to go if you have the $$$ to spend and want it. As a section hiker I'm sure I'll exceed that.
with a good pension 18 K for 6 months is doable every year provided home expenses can be sufficiently controlled - that being said, only the CDT with my wife driving/ supporting - and including tourist type excursions - should come close to that kind of $$
Just worked up my budget for this year last night. $7K including about $1K of gear replacement and travel costs for my SOBO. I have little desire to take advantage of town services like I have in the past and the pace of my hike won't allow many zeros anyway. That makes for a cheaper hike but by no means am I going to feel deprived. I'm still taking a lot of money, just being smarter about it.
Btw, even though I am not moving out of my home or renting it out, the net cost of my hike is a lot lower than $7K because most of my normal recurring expenses go away during the hike. Arguably it might be cheaper to be hiking than at home. Obviously I'm not actively earning income either but I don't need to be actively involved in my business all the time and I have flexibility.
Did the AT with no hotels at all. Dr. Bronner in any stream, lake or rainstorm. Boiling snow once or twice for a bath in the woods. I did a late season SOBO - due to work obligations.
I might have spent $2000 ... could I do that now? Oh - Heck No.
That said. April 26th start around 8K planned - with plenty in reserve I don't plan on using. Not including gear or travel.
takethisbread
01-14-2016, 08:50
I have a formula that works for me I learned years ago from a hiker.
Thruhiking cost $1,000 plus $1,000 a month on the trail to hike comfortably (eating out in town and hotel stays, ect) and $1,000 plus 750 a month watching your $$$ closely. Anything less is extreme and not something I could do.
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