$5 a day. Possible?

[ryanbytes]

I'm beyond broke. I'm on SSI because I got encephalitis from the hepatitis B vaccine. If I save and use every dime available after obligations $5 a day is what I'll have to work with next year. I know ramen will be my best friend. If I stay out of towns as much as humanly possible will $5 a day be enough for food and whatever may come up? I'm planning on a double thru-hike. Harpers Ferry north, all the way south, back up to Harpers Ferry and home. I have the time. Will the money be enough?

[Sly]

It would be impossible for me. YMMV, but if I were you, I'd save another year or two.

[Lone Wolf]

possible but not probable.

[SGT Rock]

Check out this article: http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=content&t=2822

So if you hike for 150 days, you would have $750. That is awful low even following Weathercarrot's advice. Maybe you need to find some way to save up some extra over and above that this winter.

[Lilred]

If you scrimped and saved, stayed out of towns, and raided hiker boxes, you may be able to get away with it. 35 a week for food is stretching it, let alone any money for down time. Good luck. Remember, you'll prolly have to buy gear as you go too.

[chris]

That would be really, really tight. Here is my cheap food bill:

Breakfast: Oatmeal from regular oats (not the instant stuff, which is expensive). This is essentially free as a massive tub will run a couple of bucks and will yield a 3 weeks or more of breakfasts. Add powdered milk, raisens, sugar. Probably you can get by with spending 75 cents on breakfast in this way.

Snacks: Eeek! I'd make my own energy bars here, as you won't be able to afford such luxuries as Snickers bars. Look for recipes for Hudson Bay bread, which you can make straight from oats, is tasty, and can last for a while outside of a fridge, almost indefinitely inside. Done well, you can make a flat of such stuff for about $4 and get 12 squares. Figure 2 squares a day and you're at a per day cost of 66 cents. Add in a few crackers as well for variety and you are at, say, $1.33 per day.

Lunch: A bag of tortillas and a jar of generic peanut butter is fairly cheap for the caloric hit you get. 12 tortillas will run you about $2 and a jar of PB about $2. Figure 6 days on this. So, you have a per day cost of 66 cents.

Dinner: 1 generic liptons (about 80 cents) or two ramen (about 20 cents) and so on. Figure on no more than a dollar a day for dinner.

You'll have to add multivitamins if you want to avoid damaging your body with this diet. Figure 25 cents a day (to make numbers work out). That leaves you with $1 a day to save for fuel, lodging, or other emergencies. Or, mailing costs. Or replacing gear.

Remember that travel with a flip flop will cost, where as you wouldn't have that expense with a linear hike.

I'd think about getting a part time job whose salary goes exclusively toward your hike.

[Ender]

Will the money be enough?

Exactly what Wolf said... possible but not probable. I know a couple girls who hiked the PCT for an absurdly low amount, but they were extremely hardy, extremely dilligent about never staying in town ever, extremely reliant on hiker boxes and such... Quite honestly, I don't think a thru-hike with that budget would be that much fun. I'd suggest saving for a year and then going, if that's an option.

[Spirit Walker]

The problem with buying ahead of time or premaking your trail bars is you have to add postage to the costs. Depending on where you live, that can add up. And you may end up spending more time in town than planned waiting for post offices to be open. You can't get Liptons at $.80 along the trail - more like $1.25. It is hard to buy bulk in places like Fontana ,etc. Also, you will get really hungry trying to hike on such a limited budget. You may be able to get food from other hikers, but you can't count on it. Maybe you should plan to only hike half the trail at this time and the rest when you've managed to save more moeny.

[the goat]

it's no-doubt possible. you'll never know until you try it.....it'll take a helluva lot of disipline though.

[Footslogger]

One question you might want to ask yourself is ..."how miserable do you want to be?" Even the old $1/mile guideline is pretty hard to make and that would be well over $2000.

Not saying it would be impossible but it would be dawdawn unpleasant.

'Slogger

[chris]

Yeah, to get super cheap food, you need to go to the super cheap grocery stores. There is place near where I live with the unfortunate name of Saars that stocks a lot of generics. Stock up before hand. Of course, if you live far from the trail, mailing the food will add up quickly.

[DaSchwartz]

I know ramen will be my best friend. If I stay out of towns as much as humanly possible will $5 a day be enough for food and whatever may come up? It can be done. Goodwill/garage sales for gear. Bread is high in calories for the price. Ramon noodles, rice, hiker boxes, etc. The food will be boring but once in a while, you'll get trail magic. Churches will often help you out on food if you ask them.

Some will argue you will miss the social life of trail towns. **** them. I hike to get away from the rat race.

I love your plan, starting at Harpers Ferry NOBO then SOBO at Maine. You avoid the stampede from Springer.

Also if you are on SSI, try to get on Social Security disability. It pays more in most cases.

[billdnc]

$ 15 per day is more realistic.

[Jack Tarlin]

Gotta disagree with Mr. Schwartz on this one (gosh, what a surprise.)

You can't rely on hiker boxes for your sustenance.....in many cases, there won't be one, or there won't be anything worth eating when you get there, never mind that these resources are for ALL hikers, and not just one or two guys.

Also, while it's OK to accept a meal from an individual or a church, one should never come out and ASK for one. This is begging, and is one step above panhandling, and only contributes to the perception held by a lot of folks that hikers are vagrants or bums. On a similar note, dumpster diving or asking
restaurants for leftovers or table scraps is also to be avoided. In short, one of the many things a hiker is responsible for on their trip is feeding himself, and while it's perfectly OK to accept occasional help or trail magic, one can't take for granted that this will always be available, and this sort of thing should always be cheerfully accepted by the hiker, and never requested. The kindness of strangers should always be seen as a really nice surprise, and not something that hikers should either expect or ask for.

Ryan: It's certainly possible to hike the Trail on a very tight budget, but keep in mind that it means you'll have a very different trip from most of your trail friends. It means that when everyone you know is going to town, or staying an extra day because the weather is horrible, you won't have that option. It means that when folks are going out to a restaurant, pub, movie, whatever, you'll probably not be going along, or if you do, you'll have to make up for it later on. In short, it's not a whole lot of fun feeling bad every time you spend a dime, or watching your friends do things without you.

Good news, is that there ARE indeed ways to hike on a budget. Start with Weathercarrot's excellent post in Whiteblaze's "Articles" section, which has lots of good tips, the most important being LIMIT YOUR TOWN TIME. You can't spend money if you're in the woods. Always try, if possible, to re-supply in town and then GET OUT the same day; over the course of your trip, this will save hundreds of dollars in lodging costs and restaurant meals. Other ideas: Try and get a job with an Outfitter this fall or winter; you'll save tons on gear. Or shop on line; places like E-Bay frequently have amazing deals. Consider starting your trip later in the hiking season: The better the weather is at the outset of your trip, the more you'll be likely to spend your time ON the Trail, and not in town, which eats money. (People that start in winter conditions usually spend hundreds of extra dollars, most of which would be saved if they'd started their trips only a few weeks later). Try and go as lightweight as possible: Your daily mileage will be better; your trip will be shorter and cheaper; you'll be in better shape and may not need as many town/rest stops as some of the more heavily-laden folks.

In short, there are all sorts of ways to save money, and you should look into all of them. But the fact is, VERY few hikers these days thru-hike for less than $2,000.00, especially younger ones, and for a 180 trip, your five dollar a day cost estimate would be less than half of what most folks plan to spend. It'd be a shame if you had to end your trip early because of money problems. As tough as this sounds, you might have a better hike if you waited a bit, saved all the money you can, and then had the hike you reallywant without constantly worrying about your finances.

Good luck!

[ryanbytes]

Come on guys you're killing it for me here! You're supposed to tell me what I want to hear! :D

If I can't do it on my own I wont. There's no way I'm depending on anyone for food or anything else I might need. I do that every day. Which I must thank everyone for. I appreciate it very much. I'll keep dreaming and saving. Maybe in a year or two right? But I will do it! The trip will go from a wonderful dream that gets me through the rough spots to a fantastic memory that will do the same.

:sun

[jackiebolen]

It is probably possible but a very bad time. You would have to eat out of hiker boxes a lot! As someone who ate of hiker boxes much of the time, I can tell you that it is cheap but often nasty. Picture ramen, plain oatmeal, nasty dehydrated packages of mystery stuff and the like. Often not pretty.

Not having town food or a shower or staying at a hostel while everyone else you were hiking with did all those things would be extremely hard. I know I wouldn't have the willpower.

[The Old Fhart]

I guess I have a different way of looking at this. If you don't go hiking you are still going to have to pay to eat and live somewhere so the question is, do you have enough money to live for this length of time if you don't hike the trail and you're not working? If the answer is you don't have enough money to survive on your own in the "real" world, perhaps you'd better rethink your plan on even hiking the trail once. Not trying to be cruel but part of hiking the trail is logistics. If you don't have a plan that has a fairly high chance of success, scrap it. You are going to invest a lot more than money in the several months you will be hiking so if it is important to you, try to make sure you can probably do what you set out to do.

That being said, I already had all the gear I needed so I didn't count that as a hiking expense, rarely stayed in towns, and spent much less than $5/day while still having a good time.

[Sly]

That being said, I already had all the gear I needed so I didn't count that as a hiking expense, rarely stayed in towns, and spent much less than $5/day while still having a good time.

You spent much less than $5/day, what did you eat, grasshoppers?

[weary]

I'm beyond broke. I'm on SSI because I got encephalitis from the hepatitis B vaccine. If I save and use every dime available after obligations $5 a day is what I'll have to work with next year. I know ramen will be my best friend. If I stay out of towns as much as humanly possible will $5 a day be enough for food and whatever may come up? I'm planning on a double thru-hike. Harpers Ferry north, all the way south, back up to Harpers Ferry and home. I have the time. Will the money be enough?
200 days X $5 equals a thousand bucks. One way to save is to skip Ramen Noodles and all other convenience foods and make do with rice and pasta, Generic rice can be bought for around $1 a pound. Store brand pasta can be bought for 50 cents a pound. Augmented with bouillon cubes, a few spcies and a bit of salt and pepper, these generic foods have the food value of Lipton dinners at a quarter of the cost.

The same is true of store brand oatmeal. It has more food value than the instant stuff at a quarter of the cost. There are tradeoffs, of course, supermarkets with cheap rice, pasta, oatmeal, powdered milk and similar cheap foods are rarely the nearest store to the trail -- thus you have farther to hitch. But it could be done. And regular rice takes longer to cook. That's an argument for using a woodburning Zip Stove, which I used.

I didn't have a particularly tight budget when I hiked in 1993. I used the generic stuff mostly because I liked my made from scratch stuff better than the convenience foods. But the generics did save money.

Weary

[fiddlehead]

You could do it. Old Phart has a point. You have to eat and live anyway and you don't have to pay to sleep out on the trail. of course in long distance hiking, you have to eat more. but, you could do it if you're not in a hurry. (double hike the trail on $5 a day is nearly impossible) But Ramen is cheap, rice and beans are really cheap and not a bad diet if you have time and heat to cook them.
I think you would have to look at like a challenge. I've hiked with folks in Asia who live on practically nothing. Hell, if i didn't have a kid now, i'd join you just to see if it could be done.
$5 a day will buy you plenty of rice,beans, ramen and grits. but are you going to be able to pass up that dry room and burger after 11 days of rain (and rice)?
I've met many folks who stop and work in the middle of a thru-hike. I've hired thru-hikers to work already too. (just put a sign up on the trail "All you can eat" and you'll draw the best workers you could find)
Let us know how it goes if you decide to give it a try. Maybe this would be a new category for keeping records. Instead of fastest hike, it would be "cheapest hike"

[frieden]

I agree with Chris. Your diet would be repetative, boring, and vitamins would be essential, but it is completely possible. I'm looking at places that charge a small fee for a shower, so I can still have a shower, but use my tent, instead of paying for a hostel/room. Supplement your diet with a good protein/meal replacement powder. Put it in your oatmeal every morning, too. I certainly don't plan on going over $5/day for food, but I'm going to have an ER fund standing by. I'm currently eating on $1 everyother day, but I wouldn't want to do that for 6 months. The longer you skimp on food, the worse your nutritional condition will be (hence the vitamins/supplements). I'm trying to plan on just enough hostel/room stops to maintain our gear and health. I'll be doing mail drops, because I'm extremely sensitive to chemicals. If cost was the only factor, I wouldn't be doing mail drops at all. Use the money you save on postage to improve your diet, have a drink with your friends, or splurge for a room. If you come up to a convience store as a resupply, get a Snickers bar. That will give you the most bang for your buck. Unless it is melting, nibble on it. I can live for 3 days on a king sized Snickers. No, you don't want to do stuff like that often. You'll be lying face down on the trail. However, in an emergency, it's a cheap way to get yourself to a real grocery store. I would also suggest that you don't eat meals, or just one a day. Nibble throughout the day on your food stash for the day. This will keep your sugar level constant, so you won't eat more than you need. Minimizing your time in towns, and avoiding paying for hotel rooms are great ideas, but it can be dangerous to cut your food budget too much. You really need to know what you are doing. I would suggest that you eliminate mail drops, use a tent only, pay for showers/laundry without a room, and utilize grocery stores. Learn as much as you can about nutritional values of foods, and make a list (start reading labels). At home, when I'm in a budget crunch, the first thing I cut is food, because it is variable. On the trail, I would think it would be just the opposite. Fuel (food) is just like your feet - without it/them, you aren't hiking very far.

[NoKnees]

I say you should take what money you can afford and give it a a try. If the money runs out halfway thru you would still have had an adventure that most people will never experience. My opinion (which you should take with a grain of salt as I have never completed a through hike) is that its the journey and all that goes with it thats most important not necessally finishing.

Life is an uncertain thing. If you wait a year or two, something could come up and you might miss your chance for a thru hike. In the end most of our regrets aren't what we did, rather we most regret what we didn't do.

Just my two cents

NoKnees

[Blue Jay]

I say you should take what money you can afford and give it a a try. If the money runs out halfway thru you would still have had an adventure that most people will never experience. My opinion (which you should take with a grain of salt as I have never completed a through hike) is that its the journey and all that goes with it thats most important not necessally finishing.

Life is an uncertain thing. If you wait a year or two, something could come up and you might miss your chance for a thru hike. In the end most of our regrets aren't what we did, rather we most regret what we didn't do.

Just my two cents

NoKnees

Great post. I was about to say the same thing, but you said it better. Thank you.

[Blue Jay]

Maybe this would be a new category for keeping records. Instead of fastest hike, it would be "cheapest hike"

It's not a new catagory. Lost Boy holds that record. He started with Ratbag
euipment (good stuff, check them out) eating out of dumpsters and other social horrors I won't go into because "it hurts the trail community" blah blah and makes the rich hikers scream. :eek: :eek:

[Doctari]

I say you should take what money you can afford and give it a a try. If the money runs out halfway thru you would still have had an adventure that most people will never experience. My opinion (which you should take with a grain of salt as I have never completed a through hike) is that its the journey and all that goes with it thats most important not necessally finishing.

Life is an uncertain thing. If you wait a year or two, something could come up and you might miss your chance for a thru hike. In the end most of our regrets aren't what we did, rather we most regret what we didn't do.

Just my two cents

NoKnees


I agree with Blue Jay. Great response.

Just go for it. It may not be an epicurian delight every day, but then again after a few weeks hiking, I find that cardboard starts to look tasty :bse And, I have seen some pretty good food offerings in the hiker boxes. I have even left summer sausage in one after bringing way too much (note: 3 ~ 2 Lb sausages for 3 days between supply is WAY too much, at least early in a section hike :datz )

A pre hike hint, it may save you time / money: (GO VERY HUNGRY) Practice shopping at some local "Mom & Pop" type stores. Those are what are predominant along the AT, also practice at the big chain stores & etc. This should teach you what is usually avalable, and a bit of discipline. Study the: Cost vs calories vs weight of just about everything you may find out there. Practicing shopping may seem silly, but I have found it helps, or at least seems to.

Also, some stores have a bin with; Expired &/or damaged &/or dented stuff in it at 1/2 off or more. If you don't see one, ask, they may have it in back & would rather sell to you at a loss than return to vendor. My Local IGA has had one for years, it's a small store, perhaps 5,000 sq ft. we have found many a bargan there, that was as tasty as "Fresh".

Above all else, HAVE FUN!!

Doctari.

[Peaks]

Well, no one has said it yet, so I will.

Thanks Jack for the excellent post.

I think that everyone who is encouraging someone to hike on that limited a budget has not tried it. Face it, even Weathercarrot didn't hike that cheap.

Best advice, as Jack posted, is to wait until you have enough money so that you can enjoy the experience of a lifetime. $5.00 per day is probably 25 to 33% of what the typical budget hiker spends to hike the AT.

[CynJ]

I think the trick would be to really start planning out your trip - ie approximately what town stop you want to make, if their is a particular hostel you want to stay at, et cetera. You can plan your food and town expenditures better and see if it even comes close to doable.

Only you know yourself too - for some a part of their town bill is on alcohol. If you don't drink you can eliminate that expense altogether. If you have particular food needs/allergies et cetra you will also need to plan accordingly. And importantly if you are going to be that tight on funds- what is your plan in the case of an emergency? Do you have any sort of fall back?

I am not able to afford to get geared up, do a thru, and miss 6 months work all in the same year. So I am gearing up for the spring 06, planning a two week section hike of CT/MA, and planning my thru for most likely 2008.

But like I said- only you know yourself and all of the particulars of your situation. Good luck! :)

[Whistler]

You've gotten some great advice on both sides. My thoughts:

$5 a day sounds very stressful. I'm a miser by nature, and was able to go fairly cheap. But I also didn't have to worry about it. Having the option of the occasional package of Oreos is nice. Don't underestimate how difficult it will be to live cheaply at every moment.

On the upside, there is always a way to save or earn more money ahead of time. I saved a considerable sum each month just by writing down everything I [used to] spend money on. Keep a list and examine it for waste. That way you really know where your money is going. Additional part-time work in the meantime is also a solid idea. Figure 8hr/wk at a meager $7/hr, and that's another $1000 dollars or so by April 1.

Also, if you have enough time to do 2 thru-hikes, why not double your budget and cut it down to *only* 1 thru-hike? Or maybe a more prudent plan: start later, say in May or June, and do half the trail, or a third. If you're already "beyond broke," indulgent spending might not be the best idea. Get healthy, get financially stable, and then see what you can do with the time you have.

That's the advice from the guy with immense school loans and 2 jobs, who still managed to do some hiking this summer.
-Mark

[kyhipo]

well another question would be do ya smoke?drink coffee?when hiking out west I found it alot harder then the A.T. for resupplying,but yes you can do it on 5 dollars a day,although I have never completed the trail in a year I have done over the 2000 miles in a year and found,that My advice is the dollar stores and places were you can get good deals,i usually buy those little debbie oatmeal cremme pies,and plenty of peanut butter ,coffee of course ,some kind of ramens ,It is possible ,what hurts most folks are the towns ,I use to be a bad drunk so towns were my downfall,but I say to go for it! their are places in harpers ferry to make food money,their is work but one has to seek it ,bottom line is life itself has no set rules ,alot of people with money head out to hike and one thing or another deter the trip so follow your heart,make wise choices :D ky

[The Old Fhart]

Sly-"You spent much less than $5/day, what did you eat, grasshoppers?"I have gourmet taste, click here. (http://www.metrocast.net/~rjb0343/Test/cookedbugs.jpg) ;)

[ryanbytes]

I don't drink or smoke. I really don't spend much of anything on day to day things besides food. I really don't spend anything at all except for maybe a pizza once a month. But I'm usually too cheap for that! After 7 years of $579 a month I'm used to living on the lower spectrum of food and living! Aldi is my friend! Those that have them know how deliciously cheap they are. Definitely less that $5 on food per day. But the trail is different than home.

The draw is stronger every day though. I don't have much here at home except family, friends and a home. Yes the AT will be different but will living be all that different? Honestly I don't know. I don't want the desire to do it cloud my judgement. But the desire is strong! I keep telling myself no but every day I wake up and I want to do it more.

Crap. I'm going to try. Mark this day down. If I do make it or fail all of you will be the first to know. Ok maybe the tenth. But you're up there. I'll never forgive myself if I don't try and never have the chance again. It'll nag me more than anything. Probably more than my eventual wife. :p Ok time to tell the family it's settled once and for all. They'll be relieved. I'll stop taking about it so much.

[weary]

I think that everyone who is encouraging someone to hike on that limited a budget has not tried it. Face it, even Weathercarrot didn't hike that cheap.
.
Weathercarrot offered some excellent advice on everything except food. Couple his excellent advice with a bit of knowledge of basic food options and you can cut the cost of a thru hike even more.

I agree that $5 a day is skimpy -- and perhaps impossible. But it is possible to get closer than many believe. The basic foods I see eaten on the trail are rice and pasta and cereals mixed in convenient form with sugar, spices and flovorings.

You need a minimum of 2 pounds a day of such stuff to get the calories needed for a thru hike. You can spend $4 a pound for such stuff. Or you can spend an average of around a dollar a pound at the cost of some inconvenience.

Weary

[tlbj6142]

BTW, I think www.imrisk.com (http://www.imrisk.com) has a homemade zip-like stove (well, its wood burning anyway) somewhere on his site. Might be worth a look.

[frieden]

On the upside, there is always a way to save or earn more money ahead of time. I saved a considerable sum each month just by writing down everything I [used to] spend money on. Keep a list and examine it for waste. That way you really know where your money is going. Additional part-time work in the meantime is also a solid idea. Figure 8hr/wk at a meager $7/hr, and that's another $1000 dollars or so by April 1.-Mark
That's good advice. I had forgotten that. I'm doing something similar. When I want to get something I don't need, like a Coke or pizza, I'll stop myself, consider the cost, and then put that amount into my gear envelope. It won't pad your envelope, but it will get you to stop craving stuff you don't need! ;)

[Doctari]

I like your question, it presented me with a bit of badly needed mental exercise. I sat down & figured up a few things, like; amount per mile, menu, etc.

$$ per mile; many (most) count on about $1.00 per mile, probably works out to around $12.00 per day. At $5.00 per day you are looking at about $0.47 per mile. What do that mean? Idunno.

A one day cheap menu: AM – oatmeal or grits [I have a box of each, probably 8 hiker sized servings, cost me $1.00 at a local family dollar store] $0.13 per serving, squeeze in a packet of jelly “borrowed” from McDs (free) & a Tbs of Olive oil [12 Oz for $3.00 at big lots]. Lunch - 4 candy bars at around $0.50 each [$2.00]. PM - 3 packs of Ramen (10 for $1.00) [$0.30] & 1 can tuna ($0.50 at big lots) & a Tbs of olive oil, for a grand total of less than $3.00 for food. Granted 4 candy bars isn’t much for lunch, & calorie wise the whole thing is thin, but added to the previously discussed hiker box food, it is (semi) do-able. IF this works, that would leave you $2.00 per day of hiking left over (I actually figured it to be $2.07). So, 6 days hiking = $12.00 “earned” for in town stuff.
Note, olive oil may seem expensive & heavy, but the calories per Oz (& therefore lower cost per calorie) is the highest available, I add it to almost every meal on the trail.

As discussed, this means NO: Beer, pop, cigarettes, etc. It also means you will not be wasting your hiking time looking for & using/consuming them. It will mean not stopping at a local motel & having to move on to the next shelter or campsite, but then that is fun also. You will be doing more hiking than the party animals, and that is it’s own reward.

I wish you well, and hope that maybe this helps some.

Doctari.

[stargate]

I know that it can be done on a lower amount. We plan on hikeing the AT 2006 we may not finish but if that is the case I'm sure it won't be because of money. If that was the case we wouldnt be going at all. I keep reading that everyone is pretty much in agreement here that it cant be done under $1000.00 or atleast shouldnt be done. I was told awhile back that I wouldnt be able to buy all the gear that we would need for less than 1000.00 new. I have purchased all our gear for four people for under 300.00 total price and all new. I probably even have a few things that we won't need.
But as for the food it might not be gourmet eating but I have planned out our meals for only 20.00 to 25.00 each resupply. With resupply every 5 to 8 days. That is the cost for 4 people.
If we want to hike it at all we don't have the choice. My total income is only 348.00 in childsupport at the present time. I'm not expecting that to change before the AT.
Out of the 348.00 we will have about a $100.00 to 150.00 per month to spend on resupply including any repairs.
It can be done you just have to look harder to find a better deal.
Good luck hope to see ya on the trail.

[CynJ]

That's good advice. I had forgotten that. I'm doing something similar. When I want to get something I don't need, like a Coke or pizza, I'll stop myself, consider the cost, and then put that amount into my gear envelope. It won't pad your envelope, but it will get you to stop craving stuff you don't need! ;)
I did this to save for a trip to Disney World - I would look at that extra coffee I was going to buy and say to myself "this would taste so much better if I were at Disney World drinking it"

[fiddlehead]

In 1977 (before credit cards) i tried to hike the AT with my girlfriend on $700. We made it to Del. Water Gap which is about 1100 miles. $350 divided by 1100 miles comes out to about .32 a mile. Of course that was a long time ago when things were cheap but we even stayed in 2 or 3 hotels. Back then, hostels along the trail were free: Hot Springs, NC had one. and many towns would let you stay at the firehouse. We ate out in restaurants in most every town we hit but tried to be frugal. We thought we might be able to make it all the way. It was a real bummer when the money ran out and we had to quit but we still had one AWESOME experience.

[Lone Wolf]

If you're able to hike then you're able to get a job and save a coupla grand for an attempted thru-hike.

[peter_pan]

Take a lesson or two from the military that made and keeps this contry and the AT free for us to enjoy.... These folk know a few tricks on planning resource allocation

Have a reserve...no engagement is ever planned without a reserve... no matter how small or unique the reserve is often the difference of success.

Knowing when to commit the reseve is also very important ... commit it when it will make a difference, not just when you have too.

BTW, your reserve on a tight budget might be time... a week at minimum wage , minus a place to sleep and some town meals could net $100-300... don't count on a lot of ready cash in small towns....Knowing when in your example might be picking the town where a work/stay cash job is likely to be found...

Break your hike into phases. Have intermediate objectives. Have a detailed plan for each phase...your assets may be different for each phase... get to trail head, hike to s. terminus, get back to trail head, hike to x, resupply winter gear and build reserve for last phase, hike to n. terminus, return to home. Plan a reserve in each phase.

Note, you may be able to use a work reserve any where but if you locate the employer/job in advance you will improve your chances of success.

If all this sounds like too much work, or not the stress free hike you are dreaming of then stay in the staging area and build assets until you are able to assure success from a logistics point of view.

Pan

[the goat]

you could also work a little longer and try a southbound thru, it would give you another few months to save some dough.

[Lone Wolf]

His chances of completing 1 thru hike on $5 a day, never mind 2, is slim to none. It's just a fact.

[the goat]

oh yeah, forgot we were talking a/b a double.

[ryanbytes]

As it stands now I'm going to give it a try. The worst that can happen is I'll fail. Miserably. In many different ways. But what's life without the risk?

[rickb]

As it stands now I'm going to give it a try. The worst that can happen is I'll fail. Miserably. In many different ways. But what's life without the risk?

While it hass been I while since I listened to this guy on NPR, he might be a good role model for you. I thik he hiked the length of the AT for even less:

http://tinyurl.com/anah5

Eustice doesn't sound like you normal hiker, though.

Out of curisoity, why didn't you consider planning to hike the AT just once with a budget of $10 per day?

[ryanbytes]

Next year will probably be the only chance I get to do it.

[rickb]

Next year will probably be the only chance I get to do it.


But if you hike only 2,000 miles instead of 4,000 wouldn't you finish twice as fast? And cut your total expenditure by 50%? And double the amount you would have to spend each day?

I am probably missing something.

[Lone Wolf]

You're only 26. A whole life ahead of you to do it.

[The Old Fhart]

rickboudrie-"I am probably missing something."I must be missing something also. Scary as it may seem, I agree with you and Lone Wolf on this one. :D

[frieden]

Well, with Global Warming, we can't really think too far into the future anymore. I'd like to see the country again, before it's gone. Normally, I would say you have your entire life to hike the AT, but you may as well do it now. Speaking of which, I see online that we are going to lose S. FL. My sister is refusing to leave Miami. If she lives through this, I'm going to strangle her! Grrrr.

[Frosty]

But as for the food it might not be gourmet eating but I have planned out our meals for only 20.00 to 25.00 each resupply. With resupply every 5 to 8 days. That is the cost for 4 people.That's pretty impressive. Mind telling us what you've planned out for meals? I wouldn't mind saving some food money myself. I'd be happy with 5-8 days food for $20 to $25 for just me, never mind four people!

[lobster]

Get a job!!!

[Seeker]

My total income is only 348.00 in childsupport at the present time. I'm not expecting that to change before the AT. Out of the 348.00 we will have about a $100.00 to 150.00 per month to spend on resupply including any repairs.
don't get caught spending child support on yourself or your food.

[stargate]

This is what we have planned and we have done this on other week and two week trips very filling.
Breakfast- Instant Oatmeal flavored- 2pks per day 6 boxes per week.
$1.00 per box =$6.00 per week 10/per box w/fruit this comes out to 7 days for 4 people. Powdered milk Free Food Bank (most people don't want it and they will give it to you for free to get rid of it.)

Lunch- Snacks and an occasional candy bar-crackers, snacks-peanuts, peanut butter, peanut brittle, chocolate. $1.00 peanut butter, $1.00 peanuts, $1.00 peanut brittle, $1.00 can of chocolate icing, $1.00 box of crackers. Totaling $5.00 per week

Supper-I can't think of the name of it right off hand but you can find it on the Mexican Isle. $0.33 per bag very small pasta when dry but very filling. 14 bags = $4.62
Chicken in a bag 2/$1.00 4 bags= $2.00
Tuna in a bag 2/$1.00 4 bags = $2.00
Prairy Belt Sausages 2/$1.00 8 cans = $4.00

A total of $23.62 per week for 4 people

For a little more we add Gatoraid to the list and a large canister will last for almost two weeks for the 4 of us. Cost for Gatoraid is $6.00

With gatoraid total is $29.62 still not bad for 4 people for 7 days.

[stargate]

Also I forgot to add that all of this can be shipped (except the Gatoraid it takes up too much room and is heavy in the large container which we devide it out and everyone carry's there own food.) to each of the resupply spots for under $4.00.

Send it Media Mail the post office can help you with the box size for media mail. Each box can't weight more than 15 pounds and all for one price.
I think it is like $3.81 for Media Mail.

The Gatoraid would have to be sent separtly because of the weight with the other food. But you can get it just about anywhere.

Most of the food listed on the menu we would do drops along the way and not resupply in towns where it would cost more for the same items.

[Whistler]

While it hass been I while since I listened to this guy on NPR, he might be a good role model for you. I thik he hiked the length of the AT for even less:

http://tinyurl.com/anah5

Eustice doesn't sound like you normal hiker, though.Yeah, he's not a normal hiker. There's a good book about him also called The Last American Man. It's pretty good read. You can probably find it in your library.
-Mark

[Seldom Seen]

If you're healthy enough to hike the AT, then you're healthy enough to mow lawns or some other type of under-the-table job. Have a yard sale. Sell your computer on ebay--you won't need it on the trail. Figure some way to save more money. The hike might be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, so you should enjoy it, not be stressed over every nickel.

[Sly]

Send it Media Mail the post office can help you with the box size for media mail. Each box can't weight more than 15 pounds and all for one price.
I think it is like $3.81 for Media Mail.
.

Ah, media mail is reserved for media such as books, video's and educational materials, not food or gear.

[stargate]

When I sold some stuff on Ebay the Post Office told me to use Media Mail because it was cheaper for the buyer. As long as it is under the weight limit it's ok. Or atleast that is what I was told. I have used Media Mail on many occasions without problem.

[Moxie00]

Screamer, the homeless hiker made it most of the way with no money,dumpster diving and living out of hiker boxes. One couple I know made it on much less than $5.00 a day but had a real hard time. It can be done if you are willing to suffer, and you will. Most very poor hikers never beg, they just manage to get by. Alot of places allow you to stay for work, just ask. Those that do beg soon are despised by their fellow hikers and eventually leave the trail because no one associates with them.

[Alligator]

This is what we have planned and we have done this on other week and two week trips very filling.
Breakfast- Instant Oatmeal flavored- 2pks per day 6 boxes per week.
$1.00 per box =$6.00 per week 10/per box w/fruit this comes out to 7 days for 4 people. Powdered milk Free Food Bank (most people don't want it and they will give it to you for free to get rid of it.)

Lunch- Snacks and an occasional candy bar-crackers, snacks-peanuts, peanut butter, peanut brittle, chocolate. $1.00 peanut butter, $1.00 peanuts, $1.00 peanut brittle, $1.00 can of chocolate icing, $1.00 box of crackers. Totaling $5.00 per week

Supper-I can't think of the name of it right off hand but you can find it on the Mexican Isle. $0.33 per bag very small pasta when dry but very filling. 14 bags = $4.62
Chicken in a bag 2/$1.00 4 bags= $2.00
Tuna in a bag 2/$1.00 4 bags = $2.00
Prairy Belt Sausages 2/$1.00 8 cans = $4.00

A total of $23.62 per week for 4 people

For a little more we add Gatoraid to the list and a large canister will last for almost two weeks for the 4 of us. Cost for Gatoraid is $6.00

With gatoraid total is $29.62 still not bad for 4 people for 7 days.I don't care if it's cheap, this is the most horrible diet I have ever seen posted.

[the goat]

I don't care if it's cheap, this is the most horrible diet I have ever seen posted.
Hey Gator,

We are in total agreement:clap :clap :clap

[weary]

When I sold some stuff on Ebay the Post Office told me to use Media Mail because it was cheaper for the buyer. As long as it is under the weight limit it's ok. Or atleast that is what I was told. I have used Media Mail on many occasions without problem.
I wouldn't mention the name of the person or the Post Office that gave you that information. unless you want to get someone fired.

Postal regulations say:

"Only these items may be mailed at the Media Mail rates:

a. Books, including books issued to supplement other books, of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books. Advertising includes paid advertising and the publishers’ own advertising in display, classified, or editorial style.

b. 16-millimeter or narrower width films, which must be positive prints in final form for viewing, and catalogs of such films of 24 pages or more (at least 22 of which are printed). Films and film catalogs sent to or from commercial theaters do not qualify for the Media Mail rate.

c. Printed music, whether in bound or sheet form.

d. Printed objective test materials and their accessories used by or on behalf of educational institutions to test ability, aptitude, achievement, interests, and other mental and personal qualities with or without answers, test scores, or identifying information recorded thereon in writing or by mark.

e. Sound recordings, including incidental announcements of recordings and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such recordings. Video recordings and player piano rolls are classified as sound recordings.

f. Playscripts and manuscripts for books, periodicals, and music.

g. Printed educational reference charts designed to instruct or train individuals for improving or developing their capabilities. Each chart must be a single printed sheet of information designed for educational reference. The information on the chart, which may be printed on one or both sides of the sheet, must be conveyed primarily by graphs, diagrams, tables, or other nonnarrative matter. An educational reference chart is normally but not necessarily devoted to one subject. A chart on which the information is conveyed primarily by textual matter in a narrative form does not qualify as a printed educational reference chart for mailing at the Media Mail rates even if it includes graphs, diagrams, or tables. Examples of qualifying charts include maps produced primarily for educational reference, tables of mathematical or scientific equations, noun declensions or verb conjugations used in the study of languages, periodic table of elements, botanical or zoological tables, and other tables used in the study of science.

h. Loose-leaf pages and their binders consisting of medical information for distribution to doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and medical students.

i. Computer-readable media containing prerecorded information and guides or scripts prepared solely for use with such media."

On our cross country excursion during the past two months, we had to send stuff home to make room for an expected third passenger. Much of it was reading material we had collected on our trip, but the post office said because our packages contained other materials, the media rate would not apply.

Weary

[liv2play]

Right On!!!! This has been one of the best threads I have read. Ryanbytes you must have some sh*? you can sell off before you leave. are you paying rent? get rid of it, car insurence ect. ect.? there are so many ways you can save money get a job half way. you never know until you try. jus think your hike will be more of and adventure you will be a pioneer a hero in the dirtbag world people like myself would look up to you. you'd be crazy not to try. you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

[tlbj6142]

Besides food, don't forget gear. You'll probably need to buy 3-6 pairs of shoes for your double length trip, as well as other gear that might wear out (socks, batteries, lighters, etc.)

[ryanbytes]

you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Exactly right. I've had a long discussion with my mother about the whole thing. She reminded me that we've lived on less than what I'll have on the trip. She's right too. We've eaten some of the most cheap and strange combos imaginable and we survived. Was it steak? No. Did we make it? Yes! Why? Because we had to make do with what we had. Which makes me think the AT isn't so much a physical challenge as a mental one. The body can adapt. It's pretty good at that. But the mind cannot adapt so easily. Will I have a hard time? Hell yes. Will eating like a pauper and sleeping in less that comfortable places be hard? Yes. But I've done it before and I can do it again. It might take me a little while to get back in that groove but I've been there before.

Of course this can all be rendered moot in a millisecond. The start is many months away. Between now and then anything can happen. But every day I'll wake up and do what I need to do. Save, sell and try and work legally and within the guidelines set by our beloved Social Security Administration. I want every part of this trip to be above board. If I get to a point where I just can't do it no matter what then I wont. If that point comes on the trail then so much the better.

[Wolfpaw]

i feel your pain ive got just over 70 days to pay for a train to atlanta and a ride to the park. ive racking my brain trying to get a plan also. i am actually considering as a last resort the "will work for food" option if all else fails. refuse to seek out handouts though. but consider this if you have as much time as i do to get out there try to make 20 dollars a day till you leave then buy lots of rice and tortillas. if you can take 1000 dollars with you and hike 1000 miles without spending a dollar a mile youll be able to live a little luxuriously after the halfway point. although i have it somewhat easier i am able to work hwoever the job market in detroit sucks. peace ...paw

[tiamalle]

stop in here I'll feed ye,maybe acammdate'che boot che in tha ass if ye don't keep goin.what about a thread like this.becomin a bum progrogrim.
can I go 2