View Full Version : Too Little money
Hi everone well some how i mess up on my income tax i though i would get back 2500.00 but it was only 500.00. This will only give me 1700.. to hike the trail i could look for a job while i am hiking i guess. Can 't get my old job back already been fill. I am a computer Tech so i sure i could fine one on the way then complete my hike next year. But can you do the trail on just 1700.00 i read on trailplace or some other site that a man done it on only 800.00 he already had all his gear. What to all you think can it be done the only time i plan on gone to town is to resupply
NEED HELP:confused: :confused: :confused:
Lone Wolf
02-23-2007, 15:45
Hi everone well some how i mess up on my income tax i though i would get back 2500.00 but it was only 500.00. This will only give me 1700.. to hike the trail i could look for a job while i am hiking i guess. Can 't get my old job back already been fill. I am a computer Tech so i sure i could fine one on the way then complete my hike next year. But can you do the trail on just 1700.00 i read on trailplace or some other site that a man done it on only 800.00 he already had all his gear. What to all you think can it be done the only time i plan on gone to town is to resupply
NEED HELP:confused: :confused: :confused:
depends on your will power. if you don't get into the big cliques that form on the trail and do everything they do like go to bars, motels, spending multiple days at hostels slackpacking, etc., etc., then you can most definately do it on $1700
What are your fixed expenses back in the real world? Do they go to zero, or do you have debts and fixed monthly payments (car, rent, whatever?) If you play your cards right (like LW suggests) you can do the AT for cheap. But you still have to feed yourself and you'll probably want a clean bed to sleep in every now and then, and a "real" meal every now and then. Your grocery bills on the trail will almost surely be at least as big as what you're used to paying in the "real world." Aside from those luxuries, a hike on the AT is pretty cheap.
What are your fixed expenses back in the real world? Do they go to zero, or do you have debts and fixed monthly payments (car, rent, whatever?) If you play your cards right (like LW suggests) you can do the AT for cheap. But you still have to feed yourself and you'll probably want a clean bed to sleep in every now and then, and a "real" meal every now and then. Your grocery bills on the trail will almost surely be at least as big as what you're used to paying in the "real world." Aside from those luxuries, a hike on the AT is pretty cheap.
It's possible to hike for $1,700 if you follow LW's advice. I usually eat cheaper on the trail than at home. Light stuff tends to be cheap stuff. Pasta, oatmeal, rice, raisins, etc, especially if you avoid convenient packaging. Generic pasta and rice costs $1 a pound. Lipton dinners $4. The nutritional value is the same. The difference is a bit more cooking time, and a few pennies worth of spices, salt and pepper.
I like the Zip Stove because the longer cooking time is both free and convenient. But open fires in shelter fireplaces also can be used.
Unless you have all your gear already. Forget ultralight packing. Shop Good Will and Salvation Army stores. Use whatever you have for most clothing. Buy a $60 40 degree sleeping bag. Seek a used pack. When folks say you need something better for a thru hike, remember that used pack was "state of the art" a few years ago, that then poor hikers dreamed of owning.
Frequent yard sales for an aluminum pot -- or use a coffee can fashioned with a metal coat hanger handle, and a bit of foil for a cover.
I could continue. But this should get you thinking.
Weary
Boat Drinks
02-23-2007, 16:57
Hell, why not just ask for donations and tell people you'll give them some dirt from the Trail in return?:D
Seriously though, good luck, I hope you find a way!
I'm not advising that you go into debt for a thru but do you have a credit card?
Paying off $1000 on a credit card as a computer tech shouldn't be too hard. At least having that card with you will let you breath a little deeper.
If I didn't think I'd have any more money coming in I'd be on the trail tomorrow.
L.Wolf is right, you can do it on $1,700. Resupply in grocery stores, stay out of hotels and outfitters, zero in the woods - not town, don't drink or smoke, avoid Trail Days. IOW, just hike. Live with the trail, don't just try to get through it and crash in town every few days. Heed Wolf's advice about the crew you hook up with (if you do that); if they get vortexed in town, they will spend bucks and you will, too.
TinAbbey
02-23-2007, 19:00
budget like hell
Jim Adams
02-23-2007, 19:46
I thru'd for $1600 in 2002. I already had all of my gear, this is just what it cost me to hike. The hostels that I felt that I could not afford, I ask if I could work for stay. Usually they always have some work to be done but DO THE WORK! These people offer a great service and need to make a living also. Don't stay for days on end just becaise there is more work--town will cost you money no matter how much you make. Most hiker boxes are filled with rice and beans--hikers simply can't handle eating them as much as they thought that they could and they throw them in there just to get (buy) other food. Don't be a pig--you may not be the only hiker that needs that rice and beans but I also suspect that alot of it gets pitched out at the end of the season. Take a zero in the woods, RINSE your clothing in a stream (not at a water source) or better yet, swim in your hiking cloths and then dry them on a line. Save one of your best meals for the zero day so that it can be alittle special without zeroing in town. If you want a beer, buy 1 can and take it back out of town with you to drink with your "special" supper. A zero in the woods can be a very nice day if you make it one. Instead of eating in town every 3--4--5 days only treat yourself once every two weeks.
I spent $2100 on my first thru in 1990--I only spent $1600 on the second in 2002 because of WHAT I learned the first time. Until you learn, try to use the above suggestions, not only mine but everyones. These are hikers with alot of experience and their advice is very sound. Don't stay home because you are not sure of money. Leave now and have fun but follow everyones advice or you will run out of money.
geek
If I had $1700 and the time off for a thru, I'd be gone tomorrow. Go! Have the time of a lifetime!! and listen to Lone Wolf and the others about ways to conserve that money.
Programbo
02-23-2007, 20:25
Hi everone well some how i mess up on my income tax i though i would get back 2500.00 but it was only 500.00. This will only give me 1700.. to hike the trail i could look for a job while i am hiking i guess. Can 't get my old job back already been fill. I am a computer Tech so i sure i could fine one on the way then complete my hike next year. But can you do the trail on just 1700.00 i read on trailplace or some other site that a man done it on only 800.00 he already had all his gear. What to all you think can it be done the only time i plan on gone to town is to resupply .....NEED HELP:confused: :confused: :confused:
That`s a heck of an error on your taxes for a computer tech :p ...Are you sure you did everything right?...But all that aside...I think $1700 is enough to do the trail if you eat right..How much gear do you have already?
It's possible to hike for $1,700 if you follow LW's advice. I usually eat cheaper on the trail than at home. Light stuff tends to be cheap stuff. Pasta, oatmeal, rice, raisins, etc, especially if you avoid convenient packaging. Generic pasta and rice costs $1 a pound. Lipton dinners $4. The nutritional value is the same. The difference is a bit more cooking time, and a few pennies worth of spices, salt and pepper.
Of course, eating habits are hugely different between the trail and the real-world (RW.) In the RW, I don't buy large quantities of protein bars, summer sausage, chicken or salmon in foil, packaged snacks, Snickers, M&Ms, etc. Plus, in the RW, I shop at a particular supermarket where the prices are low, rather than gas-station mini-marts and the like, where prices are invariably higher, by a substantial margin.
Bloodroot
02-23-2007, 22:21
Of course, eating habits are hugely different between the trail and the real-world (RW.) In the RW, I don't buy large quantities of protein bars, summer sausage, chicken or salmon in foil, packaged snacks, Snickers, M&Ms, etc. Plus, in the RW, I shop at a particular supermarket where the prices are low, rather than gas-station mini-marts and the like, where prices are invariably higher, by a substantial margin.
I agree. Eating habits in towns and on the trail are extremely different. Also I agree with shopping at the Dollar Generals and the Save a Lots when possible. 1700 bones is very doable. That is if you don't decide to partake in the trail town and adjacent town festivities.
Blue Jay
02-23-2007, 22:22
If I had $1700 and the time off for a thru, I'd be gone tomorrow. Go!
She speaks for hundreds of us. GO
I'm in the same boat..I have far less money than I was planning. I'm only hitting the trail with about $2K not including transportation to the trailhead and gear, which is taken care of. I'm going to stick to a strict budget and I think I'll be just fine. Just know you aren't the only one out there who is on a tight budget. It's about being on the trail for me anyway, the town stuff is just a necessary evil.
I don't think I could do it on $1700. For me, I'd work another year and save some cash so you don't have to worry about the expenses.
As an example:
Start with $1700.
For shoes alone, I figure on 4 pairs (600mi*3 + 400mi*1)--$400 bucks (Montrail Hardrock with Superfeet). A piece of gear or two is going to give out--assume $200 or so to replace.
$1100 bucks left.
To the trail and from the trail. $100 each way.
$900 left.
For me, food and expenses run somewhere around $10 per day (about $1.50/mi). 90 days won't get me to Katahdin. 30 gets me to Erwin. 60 gets me around Waynesboro. 90 gets me somewhere around CT or MA.
dude.........I started the trail w/ 800 bucks, ****ty gear and no sleeping pad, and still had the most amazing experience. Granted their were times, that i was REALLY worried,(was down to 10 bucks at 1 point) But stuff has a way of working itself out on the trail. Raid hiker boxes, and stay out of town as much as u can. If u really want it, u can get through it.
TurkeyBacon
02-24-2007, 08:55
Only you know what you are capable of. If you are set on doing a thru-hike in one and only one trip and know you will value a warm shower when it gets cold and rainy a warm meal when you feel tired of the same dang food every day, if you will have gear envy, if you will want to be social and go to towns for a burger and still camp on the trail that night, or if Ben and Jerry are your heros or if you would rather not cut it nice and close then the AT will be there next year.
I had some minor financial help from my parents and spent 1500 for the first half and 750 for the second half. Mail drops, the food inside the mail drops or the postage was not included in those figures. I also went three weeks without a shower to get that budget reduction for the second half. Yah, my second time around would be cheaper, but you have not hiked the trail yet.
Regardless of what you do, have fun doing it...
TB
Lone Wolf
02-24-2007, 09:03
stay out of hotels and outfitters, zero in the woods
damn good advice there. Neel Gap sucks BIG money out of newbies. 30 miles into the trip i've seen people drop up to a $1000 on new gear. People are vulnerable. New, high-tec, expensive gear won't get you to Maine. A $400 driver won't lower you handicap.
damn good advice there. Neel Gap sucks BIG money out of newbies. 30 miles into the trip i've seen people drop up to a $1000 on new gear. People are vulnerable. New, high-tec, expensive gear won't get you to Maine. A $400 driver won't lower you handicap.
No, gear won't get you to Maine, but it can help. Think about carrying a 50lb brick 2175 miles or a 20 lb brick the same distance.
4eyedbuzzard
02-24-2007, 10:54
A $400 driver won't lower you handicap.
True. But, a properly fitted $200 putter and $200 in lessons probably would.
Hmm, backpacking pros and hiking range lessons.:-? SOmeone's liable to pick up on this...Wait! Ronin already has...:rolleyes: :D
No, gear won't get you to Maine, but it can help. Think about carrying a 50lb brick 2175 miles or a 20 lb brick the same distance.
It's the same in almost any endeavor. Good "tools" make the job easier but those with skill, imagination and desire can often accomplish the task with inferior tools, if need be. There were no pocket calculators in Newton's time or even Einstein's time. I've seen it in photography, sailing, hiking.... whatever. A fancy camera won't take a great photo; the best frying pan won't make a great omelette -- it's the chef that matters.
No, gear won't get you to Maine, but it can help. Think about carrying a 50lb brick 2175 miles or a 20 lb brick the same distance.
Thousands have carried 50# bricks. Only a relatively few, then and now, have managed with 20 pound bricks. And many of those who make it with light packs tend to spend long days in towns to compensate for the gear they are not carrying.
Weary
those who make it with light packs tend to spend long days in towns to compensate for the gear they are not carrying.
WearyYeah, they share rooms with the 50# pack guys who are resting up from carrying all that gear :p
Thousands have carried 50# bricks. Only a relatively few, then and now, have managed with 20 pound bricks. And many of those who make it with light packs tend to spend long days in towns to compensate for the gear they are not carrying.
Weary, I don't suppose you have any cites or statistics to support this claim, do you? All I know is what I've observed over the years from thru-hikers I meet on the trail. 20 yrs ago 50# bricks were the norm... but overall, pack weights do seem to be declining, across-the-board, among serious hikers on the AT.
I'm not sure how one would "compensate in town" for having carried a light pack. What kind of compensation are you talking about? There's only so much time one can spend in restaurants and AYCE buffets. Are you suggesting the light-pack-carriers get injured more, or need more "recovery" time, or what?
the best frying pan won't make a great omelette -- it's the chef that matters.I'm gonna make an omlette for dinner tonight on my overnighter. Thanks for the suggestion. I've got a good frypan.:sun
All I know is what I've observed over the years from thru-hikers I meet on the trail. 20 yrs ago 50# bricks were the norm... but overall, pack weights do seem to be declining, across-the-board, among serious hikers on the AT.
My guess is that hikers of old carried less weight than many think-- with one huge exception. Food.
Used to be hikers would not feel a need to resupply as frequently as they do now, and would actually prefer to carry a few days more weight if it meant avoiding a hitch or blue blaze.
My guess is that hikers of old carried less weight than many think-- with one huge exception. Food.
Used to be hikers would not feel a need to resupply as frequently as they do now, and would actually prefer to carry a few days more weight if it meant avoiding a hitch or blue blaze.
This topic came up on another forum and as a result I spent a couple of hours going through the diaries in the James Hare (Rodale) volumes, looking for passages that mentioned pack weights. What I found is that the weights were all over the map. But even on his last thru-hike, at age 79 (IIRC) Earl Shaffer was carrying one of those "50# bricks." And even in 1990, Ward Leonard was way "ahead of the curve" with a 20# pack. OTOH, if you watch the video that Carol Moore made of the Class of '90 (and from my own recollection) packs were mostly huge that year. That's also confirmed by Roland Mueser's study of the Class of '89. As I've been doing sections -- mostly in New England, but working my way southward over the years -- I've been noticing the thru-hikers carrying lighter loads as the years go by. Not always, but in general...
Regarding the frequency town stops... dunno if that's part of a long term trend or not. For me, it's a conscious decision -- again, based on my observations of thru-hikers I've been meeting on my sections. I always felt dumb when I still had, say, 4 or 5 days of food in my pack... while the thru hikers at the shelter were either raving about (or salivating in anticipation of) a town stop at the last road crossing, or at a crossing on the next day's hike.
Weary, I don't suppose you have any cites or statistics to support this claim, do you? All I know is what I've observed over the years from thru-hikers I meet on the trail. 20 yrs ago 50# bricks were the norm... but overall, pack weights do seem to be declining, across-the-board, among serious hikers on the AT.
I'm not sure how one would "compensate in town" for having carried a light pack. What kind of compensation are you talking about? There's only so much time one can spend in restaurants and AYCE buffets. Are you suggesting the light-pack-carriers get injured more, or need more "recovery" time, or what?
I'm suggesting that ultralight north bound packers spend time in towns -- especially early in their walks and in September and October, to compensate for the lack of gear needed for severe weather conditions.
The difference in weight between expensiive ultra light gear and run of the mill gear is typically five or six pounds. The difference between 35 pound packs and 20 pound packs is mostly more town stops for resupply and less emergency clothing needed for severe weather. Or at least that's my observation.
I'm not knocking ultralight packing but it greatly increases the cost of gear, and the required time in towns -- both to escape bad weather and for resupply. For people on a tight budget, I don't believe it is a good option.
Weary
MoodyBluer
02-24-2007, 15:15
damn good advice there. Neel Gap sucks BIG money out of newbies. 30 miles into the trip i've seen people drop up to a $1000 on new gear. People are vulnerable. New, high-tec, expensive gear won't get you to Maine. A $400 driver won't lower you handicap.
If my $285 Big Bertha dropped at least 2 strokes off my game (consistently gives me drives 25-30 yards longer) then a $400 driver better damn well drop me a couple more :)
I'm suggesting that ultralight north bound packers spend time in towns -- especially early in their walks and in September and October, to compensate for the lack of gear needed for severe weather conditions.
The difference in weight between expensiive ultra light gear and run of the mill gear is typically five or six pounds. The difference between 35 pound packs and 20 pound packs is mostly more town stops for resupply and less emergency clothing needed for severe weather. Or at least that's my observation.
I'm not knocking ultralight packing but it greatly increases the cost of gear, and the required time in towns -- both to escape bad weather and for resupply. For people on a tight budget, I don't believe it is a good option.
Weary
I won't argue with any of that, I suppose (though some might.) To the extent that I understand and intend to practice it, may "light" gear is only for the mildest of weather. One advantage of section hiking is... you get to pick your seasons. ;)
The difference in weight between expensiive ultra light gear and run of the mill gear is typically five or six pounds. The difference between 35 pound packs and 20 pound packs is mostly more town stops for resupply and less emergency clothing needed for severe weather. Or at least that's my observation.I don't think you could be more wrong here, Weary. You go ultralight by replacing heavy gear with light gear, not by leaving essential gear behind. My old Dana pack was 7 pounds. My Gossamer gear pack is just over a pound. That is a savings of almost 6 pounds with no loss of clothing. (A one pound pack may seem too flimsy to you, but when you carry 25# instead of 50, you don't need a big suspension system.) You can't fling it around and drop it from your shoulders to the ground. But I don't need to add six pounds of weight to make it so strong I don't have to be careful of it.
My old tent weighed over five pounds, with a one pound ground sheet. My tarp tent weighs a pound and a half, and the gound sheet almost nothing. Same thing applies. My new tent is not as durable as my old one, and I have to take more care of it. It is a chore I am willing to do to carry less wight.
My old heavy raingear is now 11 ounces. My one pound stove now weighs an ounce. My cookset went from 2 pounds to 4 ounces.
There is no need to leave necessary gear to be lighter. You just need to make smarter choices. You also need to be willing to give up luxuries. Unneeded luxuries are what make up the excess weight in a pack, not survival gear.
Heavy packs are about camping. You are less comfortable during the day humping the weight, but have niciteis in camp. Light-wieght is about hiking, not camping. You have a light enough pack that youk are walking, not humping a weight. In return for this, camp chores are more difficult.
Ultralighters must be willing to exchange camp comfort for ease of walking. It is the pack-it-all group that takes all the extra stuff that take a lot of zero days for the weather, IMO.
Light weight gear is a boon to those with old hips and knees and tendons that are wearing out.
I don't think you could be more wrong here, Weary. You go ultralight by replacing heavy gear with light gear, not by leaving essential gear behind. My old Dana pack was 7 pounds. My Gossamer gear pack is just over a pound. That is a savings of almost 6 pounds with no loss of clothing. (A one pound pack may seem too flimsy to you, but when you carry 25# instead of 50, you don't need a big suspension system.) You can't fling it around and drop it from your shoulders to the ground. But I don't need to add six pounds of weight to make it so strong I don't have to be careful of it.
Frosty, your GG pack almost surely costs more than my old Camp Trails pack. And the reason it's so light is because... well... it's just a bunch of light nylon with some straps and a hip belt. I'm not knocking ultra-light, but in general it's not for the budget-constrained, and it's not for first-time backpackers. It takes some experience and skill to make do with less. And just like with "lite" foods, less often costs more.
I'm not knocking ultralight packing but it greatly increases the cost of gear, and the required time in towns -- both to escape bad weather and for resupply. For people on a tight budget, I don't believe it is a good option.It's about choices. It has nothing to do with waiting out weather. It's about getting lighter gear for the gear you intened to bring.
Yes, you have to be smart about going light. Light weight gear does not always cost more that heavy gear, often it costs less.
Buying a ten dollar titanium spoon is dumb. Using an old boy scout stainless steel spoon is equally dumb. Get a spoon from Wendy's or a super cheap-o plastic spoon from Wal-mart.
Buying a 1 pound stove is dumb when you can make an alcohol stove for nothing, or get a pocket rocker. Is it easier to use? No, the heavy gas stove is easier to use. But it is about weight, not convenience.
These are the things you do to go lighter. Every time you replace a piece of gear and have several choices, make the best decision you can balancing weight and price.
My tarp tent costs less than a big double wall tent, my one pound pack cost less than many six-pound packs.
But give up on this idea that you have to spend more time in town because you use an alcohol stove insteak of a Peak One, or because you cookset is stainless steel not aluminum.
You can bring a lot of gear along for 20 - 25 pounds. I like to write while I hike, but don't like carrying a lot of weight. So I carry a two-pound word processor instead of a six pound laptop, a lightweight digital camera that didn't cost any more than heavy-weight cameras, and digital voice recorder that is remarkably cheap and lightweight.
I could of course use a pad and paper that is even lighter, but which wouldn't meet my needs. So I do the best I can with an AlphaSmart keyboard.
It's all about choices.
Frosty, your GG pack almost surely costs more than my old Camp Trails pack. And the reason it's so light is because... well... it's just a bunch of light nylon with some straps and a hip belt. I'm not knocking ultra-light, but in general it's not for the budget-constrained, and it's not for first-time backpackers. It takes some experience and skill to make do with less. And just like with "lite" foods, less often costs more.Certainly the cheapest gear is gear you already own. Upgrading for weight savings requires money, for sure. My pack cost $129. and will carry 30#. You can buy some packs to hold 60# for less than $129, and some for a whole lot more. It's about choices. Buy the lightest you can afford. Walmart sells cheap lightweight packs. Maybe they are two or three pounds instead of one, but that's less than the six or seven pound REI and EMS packs I see people humping. Those packs cost more than my GG, too. Buy smart, and balance weight and price.
Same with food. Less only costs more if you buy dumb, like the titanium spork in my other post. Don't buy freeze dried foods. Don't buy tuna in foil. But you can't tell me a box of instant potatoes is expensive, or a package of Zatarain's rice and beans. You don't need heavy and expensive breakfast bars. Buy a box of generic corn flakes, dump 'em into a plastic baggie. Light weight foods can cost a whole lot less than expensive, fancy, heavy foods. It's all about choices.
You are also absolutely right about the structure of a pack. It is like the frame of a dump truck vs. a pickup truck. When you carry a lot of weight, you need a big heavy frame to support that weight. When you carry a light load, you only need a light frame. I don't need a dump truck to carry what I haul in my Ford ranger. Carry lighter gear and you don't need that heavy pack.
Programbo
02-24-2007, 20:11
... but overall, pack weights do seem to be declining, across-the-board, among serious hikers on the AT.
Yes but so does the percentage of successful thru-hikes! :p
Yes but so does the percentage of successful thru-hikes! :p
First I've heard of that. In fact, I seem to recall reading the opposite. Back in the old daze the oft-stated figure was 10% ... newer figures are higher, as I recall. Not that I care much. I doubt there's any measurable correlation between pack weight and odds of thru-hiking success. By the way, here are the numbers I was able to find from the James Hare anthology:
Jeffrey Hancock (p. 1113) 50 lbs
Branley Owen (p. 1166) 27-28 lbs, max
Charles Konopa (p. 1185) 30 lbs or less
Art Smith (p. 1477) 45 lbs at springer, 30 lbs in Maine
Earl Shaffer: (p. 36) 30 lbs, "including camera and hatchet."
Gene Espy (p. 38) 45 lbs.
Granny Gatewood (p. 58) 14-17 lbs.
Owen F. Allen (p. 293) 25 lbs max
Max Bender (p. 384) "around 40 lbs."
James Fox (p. 389) "around 25 lbs with a week's food"
Ray Baker (p 440) "around 40 lbs"
Howard Bassett (p. 664) "35 lbs, with a week's food"
Everett Skinner (p 817) 40 lbs
Nell Skinner (p 817) 20 lbs
Certainly the cheapest gear is gear you already own. Upgrading for weight savings requires money, for sure. ,,,,.
Keep in mind that this thread is about how to thru hike for $1,700. You can't buy any significant gear and still hike for that kind of money. Earl Shaffer had a successful hike at age 79 using a Korean War surplus Army Ruck Sack.
I just replaced my heavy 20 year old Lowe Expedition with a three pound(?) LL Bean pack on sale for $56. I could have paid twice as much and saved a pound. But I needed something reasonably sturdy. I carry saws and hammers for bog bridge building, brush cutters, chainsaw gas, and a midweight camera.
Weary
Roaming Nomad
02-25-2007, 10:28
I am also on a very tight budget, I was looking at ways to get to the trail from ME. So far i found a 94.40 plane ticket to atlanta but after that it seems like every option is rather expensive 50+. Any ideas???
4eyedbuzzard
02-25-2007, 10:49
Perhaps you can Yogi a ride from the airport to Amicalola from a sympathetic WB'er reading this. Of course, hitch-hiking is always an option.
RN, How about the whole six degrees thing? Maybe start asking everyone who know if they have any friends, relatives, acquaintances in the Atlanta area. Hey, you never know.
Hmm, backpacking pros and hiking range lessons.:-? SOmeone's liable to pick up on this...Wait! Ronin already has...:rolleyes: :D
Hands off 4EB! That idea is legally protected by intellectual property laws! However, if you'd like to invest, I can see about cutting you a percentage of the profits! :)
Roaming Nomad
02-25-2007, 15:07
so far the best rate i can find is through hiker hostel $62+air fare+1.75 marta ticket= 158.15 to get to the trail. The great thing is I get a nights rest and breakfest for the same price or cheaper then going striaght to the trail.
Sure you can do the trail on $1700. You could do it on $500 but would you want to? You don't say when your leaving but I would push back my start a couple months and try to save up a few more dollars. Get a job at Walmart for a couple of months and squirrel away every penny. Hell, get two jobs. Your gonna have a nice vacation when you quit. There are alot of reasons for getting off the trail, being broke shouldn't be one of them.
No Belay
02-25-2007, 16:45
Hi everone well some how i mess up on my income tax i though i would get back 2500.00 but it was only 500.00. This will only give me 1700.. to hike the trail i could look for a job while i am hiking i guess. Can 't get my old job back already been fill. I am a computer Tech so i sure i could fine one on the way then complete my hike next year. But can you do the trail on just 1700.00 i read on trailplace or some other site that a man done it on only 800.00 he already had all his gear. What to all you think can it be done the only time i plan on gone to town is to resupply
NEED HELP:confused: :confused: :confused:
Has anyone noticed the thread creator isn't participating? I sent him a PM offering gear and he never responded. Reminds me of some of the conversations my EX used to start.
Savor Happy!
RN, How about the whole six degrees thing? Maybe start asking everyone who know if they have any friends, relatives, acquaintances in the Atlanta area. Hey, you never know.....
I didn't think about the six degree thing -- if I had even heard of it in '93.
But that's how I got to Amicalola State Park in 1993. A friend of a friend was notified of my need and volunteered. I arrived in Atlanta by train and discovered later that I should have gotten off at a station nearer the park.
But my ignorance worked out for the better. I left my camera on the train when I had to transfer in Washington. My friend of a friend stopped at a camera store so I could get a replacement.
A week or so later I met another thru hiker with the same camera. I told him my sad story. His reply, "I spent six months studying cameras to find the one that was best for the trail, and you pick out the same one in an unplanned 15 second stop."
The unexpected purchase did put a crimp in my budget until my next SS check came through. I escaped the Neels Gap spending trap, however. I suspect the proprietors took one look at my tattered and mostly 15-year-old stuff and figured I was both too poor and too ignorant to bother with.
Weary
VictoriaM
02-25-2007, 17:24
Jeff, you have to do your hike! Wel ok, you don't have to, but I've been following your journal and I'm looking forward to meeting you. We'll be starting around the same time.
Programbo
02-25-2007, 17:35
First I've heard of that. In fact, I seem to recall reading the opposite. Back in the old daze the oft-stated figure was 10% ... newer figures are higher, as I recall.....
That would strike me as amazing..I know there was about 125-150 people a year finishing at Baxter in the very early 80`s..So if only 10% were making it that meant near 1,500 people a year were leaving from Springer in say 1980-82?..I can`t picture that sort of crowd back then...I recall talking about this with Thurston Griggs wayyyy back in the 70`s and it seems to me the majority of people who started a thru back then finished ...Anyway..What was the original question?..Ah yes..$1700..That's plenty of money unless you have to buy every piece of equipment from scratch which I can't imagine being the case
Johnny Swank
02-25-2007, 18:28
Back to the subject at hand, WeatherCarrot has a great piece in the Articles section about thru-hike budgeting, Baltimore Jack has a his Resupply article, and there's some stuff on our website about Thru-hiking on the Cheap and Cutting Down on Town Time.
Check 'em out
http://sourcetosea.net/Articles/articles.html
Hi everone sorry it took so long to get back to reply.Yes i have all my gear and my trail tricket. The 1700.00 is just for the trail the only money i will have to spend out of this is for the hiker hostel and 5.75 for the bus to get the trail station. :dance
Jack Tarlin
02-26-2007, 15:34
I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this possibility, but what about waiting til June and heading south?
If you were to pick up extra hours at work, or took a second job, and got REALLY ruthless about your personal expenses, you could save a ton of money betwen now and the first week in June.
Not what you originally planned, but it might be worth thinking about.
By the way, make sure you check out Weathercarrot's excellent piece in the Articles section of WB which deals with hiking on a budget; lots of good ideas there.
But what other people have said is exactly right. Towns eat money. The single best way to save money on a thru-hike is to camp near a town or re-supply point, go in in the morning, do your town stuff, and then GET OUT that same day and sleep in the woods. The ammount of money that you'll save on lodging, restaurant meals, beer, non-vital purchases, movie tickets, etc. is staggering. It is pretty much impossible to spend much money when you're not in town. Another idea: The night before you hit town, make a list of everything you need to do that will cost money, including what you need for food. By sticking to your list, you'll make fewer impulse purchases in town, which invariably involves stuff you don't really need; you'll get out of markets and outfitters quicker which is a good thing, and you're less likely to forget something important.
1700 bucks is tight, but it can certainly be done.
Well I sure hope it's possible on 1700 because I don't have much more than that. I am starting out with a couple of hundred dollars in the account and my husband will be giving me an "allowance" of 75 per week. I know I won't be able to stay in hostels and hotels as much as some of the other people out there but that's OK. I am a slow hiker so the less time spent in town is more on the trail. Food is covered the first week out and for my first town stay in Hiawassee (not sure where yet though).
If you have discipline than I believe it can be done.
I just hope my husband/family decides to spring for my trip home or I amy need a place to stay in Maine :)
It's a lot easier to budget when your money is disbursed monthly or weekly rather than having it all with you. The credit card is a good idea, I'm currently thinking about quick money schemes, myself.
Boat Drinks
02-27-2007, 23:55
It's a lot easier to budget when your money is disbursed monthly or weekly rather than having it all with you. The credit card is a good idea, I'm currently thinking about quick money schemes, myself.
I hear male dancers get paid really well....:eek:
Johnny Swank
02-27-2007, 23:58
I'd echo Jack's sage advice. Go on an austerity budget for a few extra months and go southbound with more money in your pocket. I've done a thru-hike and paddle down the Mississippi River, both of which we done on a shoestring budget.
Next time I'm going to have more of a cushion for sure. Stressing out about money on the trail all the time sucks.
I hear male dancers get paid really well....:eek:
Is that a job offer?
Did jack just suggest a southboud hike?:eek:
Boat Drinks
02-28-2007, 00:34
Is that a job offer?
Did jack just suggest a southboud hike?:eek:
Oh damn! I just laid that hangin' curve ball out there didn't I? rats...
Trailwind
02-28-2007, 00:53
I am also on a very tight budget, I was looking at ways to get to the trail from ME. So far i found a 94.40 plane ticket to atlanta but after that it seems like every option is rather expensive 50+. Any ideas???
What's your start date(s)? There's a greyhound station a few miles from my house (Marietta GA) and I make a couple of trips to Springer Mountain each spring. I try to carry thru hikers whenever I can...never charged. Keys are going on my schedule and space being available in my SUV...first come first served.
It's about choices. It has nothing to do with waiting out weather. It's about getting lighter gear for the gear you intened to bring.
......
Frosty: See http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=22135
and subsequent posts on a thread about being unprepared for weather conditions. I found Nickthegreek comments appropos.
"Makes you wonder about all the "wisdom" passed out about hiking in trail runners, not carrying extra food, and rain pants are all you need to wear in the winter.
Anyone test how long it takes to melt enough snow to yield a quart of water with a tea candle stove?"
Weary
vaporjourney
03-04-2007, 23:02
Don't let transportation costs to and from the trail termini turn you away. Sure it's expensive to get a train/bus/plane ticket, but you could always hitchike, especially with the experience you'll have had hitching to and from the trail. Avoid all hostels possible, make your own pasta meals to save lots, don't hang at bars. you should have just enough.
Hi everone just drop in to thank everone for all the help i have to use the computer at my local library trying to get time is hard to do. Well any way i will have little more money to leave on from donig some part time work.
I got my pack weight down to under 35 pounds that with food and water really good for me it was at 51 pounds with out food.It hard to belive how much the little thing add up to. Like my walkman tape player almost 2 pounds found just a sony sport raido pickup really good weight with battey 5oz. Also got the spitfire tent from my wish list on REI so i did not have to buy it weight 2lbs 15oz save 2lbs 4oz over my old tent.
well see you all on the trail 4-03-2007
THANK YOU EVERONE FOR ALL THE GREAT HELP AND EVETHING ELSE :clap :jump :jump
AWESOME!! Good luck out there!
I agree with LW,for yrs I went with limited amounts of cash now I have the gear and the money,time is worth money and dont let your money hold ya back.ky just go out and hike and have fun.:D
I'm suggesting that ultralight north bound packers spend time in towns -- especially early in their walks and in September and October, to compensate for the lack of gear needed for severe weather conditions.
The difference in weight between expensiive ultra light gear and run of the mill gear is typically five or six pounds. The difference between 35 pound packs and 20 pound packs is mostly more town stops for resupply and less emergency clothing needed for severe weather. Or at least that's my observation.
I'm not knocking ultralight packing but it greatly increases the cost of gear, and the required time in towns -- both to escape bad weather and for resupply. For people on a tight budget, I don't believe it is a good option.
Weary
Total cost of my 8lb pack was about $300 and that is because I paid for my sleeping bag and back pack.