View Full Version : Money
radevil5
02-03-2016, 21:32
I'm pretty tight with my money and hoping to spend under $3200. I don't plan on buying alcohol. Just the cheapest calorie packed food I can. And yes I'll take zeros but I'm going to try to not take very many. Maybe do 3-5 miles after reapply than take a zero. Anyone think it's possible with that much money? Thinking of taking a personal loan before I leave ( end of March) to have more to be safe.
Lone Wolf
02-03-2016, 21:41
you'll be fine with $3200. watch your spending
obviously a medical event would take care of that pretty quick - my buddy spent 20 hours at Berlin NH hospital for 30K - and that was 10 yrs ago
radevil5
02-03-2016, 21:50
Thanks for the input the money thing has me the most nervous I will hateeee myself if I run out a few weeks from Katahdin! Lol
Lone Wolf
02-03-2016, 21:51
you'll be fine with $3200. watch your spending
i forgot to tell you about 200 naysayers that are gonna reply
radevil5
02-03-2016, 21:56
Haha yea there is a lot on here. We'll see.
This gentleman did a fine video..Neemor,,,,,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSnAe050qGA
Easiest way to save money is to do a slightly quicker hike.
A four month hike, done frugally, is right at $800/month for your budget. (not counting transportation to and from trail, pre-trail gear purchases). Very doable for a disciplined person.
Be aware, the gentleman in the video above cooked the books a little bit (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/115796-money?p=2029099&viewfull=1#post2029099) to get his figure. He did a $700/mo or so thru-hike if real world costs are factored in.
I'm pretty tight with my money and hoping to spend under $3200. I don't plan on buying alcohol. Just the cheapest calorie packed food I can. And yes I'll take zeros but I'm going to try to not take very many. Maybe do 3-5 miles after reapply than take a zero. Anyone think it's possible with that much money? Thinking of taking a personal loan before I leave ( end of March) to have more to be safe.
From a previous thread...not all of it applies, but it's pretty easy to go on the cheap. It's another reason why I love hiking: it can be done cheap.
Thru-hiking can be very inexpensive. I'm living, hiking proof, as are so many of those I've met on trail. Gear can certainly be costly, but there's no need to carry the expensive stuff. A $5 Harbor Freight tarp strung between two trees will keep the rain off better than some fancier contraptions. Some mosquito netting will keep the bugs at bay. And so on. My 2013 kit, in its entirety, ran $370, much of which had been used on other long hikes (PCT, CDT, Hayduke, Camino, CO Trail, GR8, etc) and includes some pretty decent carbon-fiber hiking poles from Costco. If you care for your gear, it will last. Traipse gently, use zippers gently and avoid prickly plants or animals!
...Find a cheap way to get to and from the trail, before and after. I flew from Denver to Atlanta for $178 and then hitchhiked home from ME, which was far cheaper and much more adventurous and fun. It's also quite possible you'll meet other hikers en route who will help defray any costs.
...Eat cheap grains often (most hikers do anyway). Ramen, oatmeal, rice, beans (et al) are all quite cheap. Avoid restaurants and convenience stores. Shop dollar stores along the way (many towns have them).
...But steer clear of town stays as often as possible; they'll run you dry. The woods are much cheaper.
...Consider sending your own food to you, when practical. It can help save some bucks at times. It can also be costly.
...Wash your clothes along the trail, no soap needed. They are plenty of places to do this. There's no need to spend in this regard.
...Before the trip shop at your local thrift store for synthetic lightweight clothing and perhaps lightly used shoes; a visit to my local shops always offer surprises, but then CO is an active state on the whole. I haven't paid retail for anything gear-oriented for years, and I don't ever plan to.
...Learn to make more of the stuff yourself. Sewing a quilt can be difficult, but it can help you save a bundle. To save even more, buy a cheap used synthetic bag on Ebay.
...Raid the hiker boxes at every chance. (And don't forget trail magic!) They're often filled with plenty of edible goods that the original owner quickly grew tired of.
...Wal-Mart and Army surplus can be helpful before and during your trip.
...For the AT you really don't need a number of items you might otherwise benefit from: maps, guidebook, compass, hiking poles [unless they're needed to put the cheapie tarp up! even then I used two wooden sticks], a pocket knife, sunscreen(!), and so forth. I found it the easiest trail in terms of logistics and route-finding, but so very difficult physically. Luckily, it's not necessary to carry much.
...As Mags says you can always travel faster and be out there for a shorter period of time, which helps in saving. A six-month hike almost always costs more than a four-month hike, despite the increased need for calories.
There are plenty of other ways to save. Stealing, for example.
MuddyWaters
02-03-2016, 22:41
Theres already too many people that want to do work-for-stay nowadays, and not do any real work.
But, if you got some particular skills or talents, and really want to give more than you get, its an option to help you conserve money in town.
radevil5
02-03-2016, 22:44
Thank you all for input. I don't plan to hike "fast"but to hike longer hours. Not at first but when it feels right I will try. I love camping and don't plan to Tay in hotels all that often, but I know I will want to so bad haha
Slo-go'en
02-03-2016, 22:56
That's a tight budget. Wait another few weeks or a month before leaving. With milder weather and less chance of storms will greatly reduces the temptation to stay in town. You can also skimp more on gear and travel lighter, faster. As noted above, the quicker you can do the hike, the less it will cost.
It's really hard to skip the AYCE buffet or a good sit down meal when your starving for calories. But you can often get a decent and fairly inexpensive meal that the deli section of larger supermarkets.
Sure you can wash up to some extent in the woods, but nothing beats a nice hot shower, even if it's one of the most fleeting experiences on the trail. To get a hot shower means getting room a in town more often then not and those rooms start to get expensive up north.
In any event, good luck. It's pretty amazing how fast one can blow threw money without realizing how fast it's going.
MuddyWaters
02-03-2016, 23:05
^^^ and the hardest thing, will be excercising restraint when your new friends you are hiking with are headed to town to splurge on food, stay in motel, and live it up a bit. An AT thru hike is as much about the social experience, as anything else.
But its a vacation. Just like people with different budgets cannot vacation together, they cant really hike together either.
Christoph
02-04-2016, 01:14
Totally doable. My biggest expenses were town stops. Not for the resupply, but I couldn't hold back on some fast food or a buffet. Most of the time someone I didn't even know asked if I wanted to split a room and I said what the heck, why not. If you have good town manners, it shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. Smart though for having a backup plan in case you get sick and need a room or something medical comes along.
4eyedbuzzard
02-04-2016, 06:12
Easiest way to save money is to do a slightly quicker hike.
A four month hike, done frugally, is right at $800/month for your budget. (not counting transportation to and from trail, pre-trail gear purchases). Very doable for a disciplined person.
Be aware, the gentleman in the video above cooked the books a little bit (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/115796-money?p=2029099&viewfull=1#post2029099) to get his figure. He did a $700/mo or so thru-hike if real world costs are factored in.
True, agree on a faster hike is a less expensive hike, unless you get injured trying to make too many miles out of the gate. I think I did a reasonable analysis in the post you linked to, but the person asking here in this thread should definitely take the time to watch Neemor's videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSnAe050qGA AND really take a hard look at his spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iE9R3gK716zA4OLwyswPyjPX5y3DR93BMVJeNYrkWT0/edit#gid=1167625870 and explanations, etc. He is open and forthcoming about the value of the assistance he received, including the 10 to 12 friends along the trail, 3 family meet-ups, all the free shuttling, providing free lodging, free meals, sometimes friends paying for a resupply, etc. It all adds up to a lot of help and $$$. Also note that he did put aside $4000 pre-hike, with the intent on NOT spending all of it - but he did have it available if needed. Having that buffer would probably provide some peace of mind. It would probably weigh heavily on someone if they didn't have some sort of buffer, at least a credit card they could draw against in an emergency, if they had to travel unexpectedly, replace gear, medical expenses/copays, etc.
garlic08
02-04-2016, 08:50
My 2008 AT hike cost $3500, including $750 of travel costs. And I'm a middle-aged guy with a credit card. I spent almost $900 on lodging and another $700 on town meals, so I didn't exactly skimp on comforts in town.
My hiking style consists of long hiking days and very few zeroes, only three on the AT. In my opinion, eating cheap food is a false economy. Over the course of a strenuous multi-month hike, a good diet can be very important. It's not all about the calories (one of the more difficult lessons to learn on a long hike).
The 3.5 month hike cost $1000/month, which is slightly on the high side for me. Four years later a similar trip cost more like $800/month. I think Mags' numbers are spot-on.
A $3200 budget is possible, but most hikers spend more than that. It would be smart to have a $1000 contingency fund, maybe a loan secured by future work.
I wonder about threads like this. About whether I should even weigh in. But whatever.
My thought is, if you have to ask, you probably need more dough. Agree with most folks here -- it's probably doable, but will require a good deal of discipline on your part and moving forward at a good steady pace.
Funny thing is, money is worth less than toilet paper in the woods. But watch out for towns. Many temptations await thru-hikers in town. Folks who haven't done it imagine endless days of gorgeous views and nights of pleasant camp-outs sitting 'round the fire. The reality is, dreaming about the next town stop, the next shower, laundry, the next cheeseburger, etc.
Water Rat
02-04-2016, 12:03
$3200.00 is doable - depending on how long you plan on hiking and how disciplined you are with your money. Average pace...you could be cutting it close, but your determination to get to Katahdin will determine whether or not you can stretch your dollar.
Rather than just concentrate on "I have this amount of money for my hike," you might consider giving yourself an allowance each week. Take the total amount you have and divide it by the number of weeks you plan to be out on the trail. The amount is how much you have to spend per week. Carry positive and negative balances over to the next week. That should help you keep track of (and be more accountable for) where you are with your finances while on the trail. That will keep that big surprise from hitting you in the face 2 weeks before Katahdin. Obviously some town trips will be more than others, but this should give you a really good idea of when you need to cut back a little and when you might be able to splurge.
pleasant camp-outs sitting 'round the fire. The reality is, dreaming about the next town stop, the next shower, laundry, the next cheeseburger, etc.
by the north half of the trail, most conversation seems to revolve around what to eat in the next town - by then most other topics (family, miles, gear etc) have been talked out, so food opportunities is a rare fresh topic
IMO it really adds to the obsession
dudeijuststarted
02-04-2016, 12:15
Totally doable. Keep in mind that good deeds go a long way on the trail.
The other thing about doing a fast hike is that you probably won't fall into a large group of hikers and the peer pressure would be lower to go into towns, etc. Of course, being in a large group is what many people like about long hikes. Hiking a faster pace will either result in a solitary hike or hiking with like minded people who also don't spend a ton of time in town. I've spent quite a bit on my hikes but I'd be able to do a $3200 AT thru hike if I wanted to do it in 3.5 to 4 months and minimize town stops. That's probably the way I'd do it regardless of money anyway. I have found that town stops aren't all they are cracked up to be.
snicklefitz
02-12-2016, 23:36
There's another thread with people.talking about doin a thru for much, much less
LittleJimmy
02-13-2016, 07:36
I'm curious about the opposite of the budget-value end of the scale: the upper end. What is the most money someone here has spent? Perhaps a retirement dream trip. Maybe dip into a trust fund. Not theoretical numbers with silly or ridiculous add-ons, but has anyone actually spent $5K? $6K? $7K? Maybe a Bucket List trip?
garlic08
02-13-2016, 08:21
$5K is pretty average, it sounds like. $10K is not uncommon--two friends of mine admitted freely to spending at least that much. For a well-heeled retiree accustomed to comfort, it's pretty easy, actually, to spend $10K in six or seven months--$100+/night for a mid-range motel (multiplied for zero days), $40+ for dinner with drinks (also multiplied for zero days), a $500+ trip home several times during the trip, entertaining spouse/family coming out to visit....
There are plenty of other ways to save. Stealing, for example.
Don't steal.
Traveler
02-13-2016, 09:11
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/miscgreen/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Uriah http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/buttonsgreen/viewpost-right.png (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/116673-Money/showthread.php?p=2039268#post2039268)
There are plenty of other ways to save. Stealing, for example.
Don't steal.
Amen. Kind of speaks to the question of why thru hikers sometimes have a poor reputation.
4eyedbuzzard
02-13-2016, 10:33
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/115796-money?p=2029099&viewfull=1#post2029099
http://www.mymeanderingtrail.com/2013/10/22/soup-to-nuts-how-much-my-thru-hike-cost/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSnAe050qGA
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iE9R3gK716zA4OLwyswPyjPX5y3DR93BMVJeNYrkWT0/edit#gid=1167625870
I'm curious about the opposite of the budget-value end of the scale: the upper end. What is the most money someone here has spent? Perhaps a retirement dream trip. Maybe dip into a trust fund. Not theoretical numbers with silly or ridiculous add-ons, but has anyone actually spent $5K? $6K? $7K? Maybe a Bucket List trip?
I'd be happy to research that for you with a trial run. Just need the cash up front, let's say $10K for starters. ;)
colorado_rob
02-13-2016, 11:26
I spent about 8K, probably could have done 4K, probably not much less, but I'm old and need some comforts (occasional actual hotels, fancier meals in towns, etc). And I'm talking actual money spent on trail, getting to/from trail multiple times, all food, lodging, replacing worn out clothing/gear (but not the original cost of starting gear/clothing).
Also, I always wonder when this subject comes up: do people count the costs incurred for things in their "normal" lives when they quote how much they spend on the actual trail? My 8K, for example, doesn't include my bills, like my cell phone bill, utilities on my empty house, car insurance for my parked car, mortgage on my empty house, health insurance, etc, etc. I suppose most people that have to ask this cost question are young and broke (no offense, I was broke in my early 20's) so don't have a lot of "at home" costs, like they live with parents, covered by their insurance/phone plan, moved out of house/apartment, etc.
But if you do have some off-trail ongoing costs, and one asks "can I do the trail for $3200", I would suppose one should include these costs? Just thinking out loud.
LittleJimmy
02-13-2016, 12:50
I spent about 8K, probably could have done 4K, probably not much less, but I'm old and need some comforts (occasional actual hotels, fancier meals in towns, etc). And I'm talking actual money spent on trail, getting to/from trail multiple times, all food, lodging, replacing worn out clothing/gear (but not the original cost of starting gear/clothing).
Also, I always wonder when this subject comes up: do people count the costs incurred for things in their "normal" lives when they quote how much they spend on the actual trail? My 8K, for example, doesn't include my bills, like my cell phone bill, utilities on my empty house, car insurance for my parked car, mortgage on my empty house, health insurance, etc, etc. I suppose most people that have to ask this cost question are young and broke (no offense, I was broke in my early 20's) so don't have a lot of "at home" costs, like they live with parents, covered by their insurance/phone plan, moved out of house/apartment, etc.
But if you do have some off-trail ongoing costs, and one asks "can I do the trail for $3200", I would suppose one should include these costs? Just thinking out loud.
Yes indeed. You've given me the answer I was looking for. I am old and in your position and like you, have all these monthly expenses except mortgage, no matter where I am on any week. While I'm gone I also have a home with a large property to maintain plus animals . But at 23, my then wife and I had saved for two years, as did our best friends, and then we finished off our lease and they sold their home. We all made arrangements to finish our jobs on the same date. Then the four of us, leaving our major metro area forever, traveled around the US and Canada for four months in good weather in my large sedan, camping out six nights a week, searching for where we wanted to finally live. Even then, living on the cheap, it took a lot of saving money beforehand and planning plus those several monthly bills (other than rent/mortgage) that had to be paid. All costs have to be considered.
squeezebox
02-13-2016, 13:17
Do keep your last $200 or so for the bus ride home.
Blue Mountain Edward
02-13-2016, 14:41
No hotels, alcohol, ciggaretts, freeze dried foods, or hired shuttles and its doable. Wait for the spring for warmer weather so winter storms don't drive you to the nearest hotel.
you'll survive on 3200 for a thru hike but thats no frills.. forget the hotels for example. Be sure you have health insurance... one drs visit and you could be done otherwise.
garlic08
02-13-2016, 18:09
Conversely, nobody really deducts what they would have spent to live anyway, at least food, entertainment and travel.
When a friend of mine hiked the AT after he retired, he reports he actually saved money. He sold his house, lived in a friends cabin where he only paid rent when he was there, ate cheaper on the trail, pretty much simplified his life and lowered all his expenses. He shakes his head in wonder when he hears this question asked.
ALLEGHENY
02-13-2016, 18:19
The trail taught me to simplify. Now I plan to retire at 62.
I'm curious about the opposite of the budget-value end of the scale: the upper end. What is the most money someone here has spent? Perhaps a retirement dream trip. Maybe dip into a trust fund. Not theoretical numbers with silly or ridiculous add-ons, but has anyone actually spent $5K? $6K? $7K? Maybe a Bucket List trip?
lets say a reasonable middle class after tax retirement income of 35K with a paid off residence and full health insurance - spending 10 (beyond fixed costs) for a half year trip is not extravagant, even for multiple years - IMO it would be slightly less expensive than a second home
so what would it buy?
choice of any common gear
air travel and shuttles to and from trail
stay/ eat in the nicest place at any town stop
resupply without regard for cost
phone that works anywhere (satellite)
paid shuttle for every town stop
likely doing some subsidizing of other hikers along the way
donations to trail clubs etc
side trips to points of interest
even with all of that it may not be 10K
even with all that