cash on long hike

[Chicken Feathers]

What does one take on a long hike cash or credit card? How much cash should I start with?

[Lone Wolf]

debit card. i always have at least $100 cash

[Shutterbug]

What does one take on a long hike cash or credit card? How much cash should I start with?

I have traveled all over the world. I have never found myself with too much cash. Hide a couple of $20 in your pack. Sooner or later you will need them.

[DapperD]

What does one take on a long hike cash or credit card? How much cash should I start with?This I would think is dependant on the situation. If you are in some remote area, then cash would be the way. If you are hiking the AT, bring cash, credit/debit, etc...

[Peaks]

I'd say as much cash are you comfortable carrying. The more cash you have on you, the fewer trips to ATM's, and the fewer ATM transaction fees you incur.

[Plodderman]

Debit card and $100 dollars works of me.

[the goat]

debit card. i always have at least $100 cash
ditto.

<useless typing so i can get to 10 characters>

[neighbor dave]

I'd say as much cash are you comfortable carrying. The more cash you have on you, the fewer trips to ATM's, and the fewer ATM transaction fees you incur.
i agree with pete.
cash is king
in god we trust, all others pay cash

[Lops]

debit card. i always have at least $100 cash
Same here. Some cash for when you need it and debit cards are pretty easy to use on the trail. We got a checking accnt that pays back ATM fees, which was key.

[gungho]

you dont need anything.......people always carry to much food and you can do work for stay at hostels

[restless]

you dont need anything.......people always carry to much food and you can do work for stay at hostels

Not sure if this person was serious or not, but I agree with other posters here that a debit or credit card plus $25-$100 in cash. Hiker boxes are not always to be replied on especially in the off season, although Gungho is right people generally carry too much food and hiker boxes can be a good source of supply. So far as the work for stay goes, a lot of hostel owners are put off by this despite the fact that they offer this service. No hostel owner along the trail gets rich by catering to hikers, few of them, if anhy break even. By doing a work for stay, the hostel owners are deprived of income they need to continue operating, not to mention pay the bills. A few hostels that I know of have closed, in part due to the fact that hikers came to expect work for stay. If you get to town and can't afford to stay in hostel, do your business and press on. Or go home.

[Lyle]

I like anywhere from $50-$200 cash, depending on the area. Lots of stores/delis, more money. Few places to spend, less money.

I always carry a debit card and a credit card that allows cash from an ATM. Too many times I've had a particular card stop working, or works at some ATM's, not at others. Don't want the hassle of not getting access to cash to save the weight of a second option.

[white_russian]

I'd say as much cash are you comfortable carrying. The more cash you have on you, the fewer trips to ATM's, and the fewer ATM transaction fees you incur.
You don't pay any ATM fees if you use USAA. Now that USAA has opened up banking services to everyone it would be a good account to have for traveling of any sort if they have included that benefit to banking only members. Note that USAA is not FDIC insured, but still a very stable organization.

[Jester2000]

Debit card and $100 dollars works of me.

As others have posted, I think this is about right. Occasionally you'll hit a place that doesn't take CCs and doesn't have an ATM. Less likely on the AT, but it happens. It definitely happens in Stehekin, WA.

[fredmugs]

I generally do about 150 mile sections and I take $100 - $200 in cash. I blew out my knee once hiking in Maine and had to get a shuttle back to my car which was very expensive. I try to have cash to cover contingencies like that.

[Sarge]

I had a credit card with me in case of emergency, but my main money source was travelers checks. You can get them replaced in case you lose them or they get trashed if they get wet. Plus you can use them just about anywhere. I stopped at the little diner up the road from Clarendon Gorge and the girl there had never seen them before. I explained to her what they were and she cashed one for me! I always made sure I cashed some out going into areas like the Whites so I had cash on hand.

[ShelterLeopard]

What does one take on a long hike cash or credit card? How much cash should I start with?

I'm taking my debit card and $240 cash. (Everything is being buried in my pack, except $30 and a photocopy of my ID which I keep in a ziploc in my front pack pocket as a decoy and easy to reach money is a deli pops up outa nowhere.)

[Manwich]

I'm taking my debit card and $240 cash. (Everything is being buried in my pack, except $30 and a photocopy of my ID which I keep in a ziploc in my front pack pocket as a decoy and easy to reach money is a deli pops up outa nowhere.)


Don't forget your health insurance card if you've got any

[Jester2000]

I'm taking my debit card and $240 cash. (Everything is being buried in my pack, except $30 and a photocopy of my ID which I keep in a ziploc in my front pack pocket as a decoy and easy to reach money is a deli pops up outa nowhere.)

This brings up a good point, and some good advice told to me by Baltimore Jack as I was about to hitch into Franklin in 2000.

Before hitching, it's a good idea to remove your wallet/cash/ID/emergency credit card from your pack. On the off chance that you get separated from your pack or it gets stolen, you'll still have what you need to either re-gear or get home.

It's nice to trust people, but best to prepare for the worst.

[ShelterLeopard]

Don't forget your health insurance card if you've got any

Yep, and my license.

[ShelterLeopard]

And Jester- I've decided to put my real wallet (with real driver's license ID, ATM card, real money, and health insurance card) in my boot, and put my decoy (passport photocopy and $30) in my pocket, next to my very visible cell. Also gonna try to remember makes of cars and plate numbers, but we'll see about that one...

I know, a bit paranoid, but better safe than sorry!

[white_russian]

This brings up a good point, and some good advice told to me by Baltimore Jack as I was about to hitch into Franklin in 2000.

Before hitching, it's a good idea to remove your wallet/cash/ID/emergency credit card from your pack. On the off chance that you get separated from your pack or it gets stolen, you'll still have what you need to either re-gear or get home.

It's nice to trust people, but best to prepare for the worst.
heck, my ziplock of money/cards/ids goes everywhere with me: privy, spring, sleeping bag, ect. I have a zippered pocket on my pants and keep it in there all the time unless i am buying something or washing the pants.

[BrianLe]

I rarely worried about this sort of thing on the PCT, but on the much more populated AT, with people tending to congregate at shelters and more town stops --- maybe a good idea to just always keep essentials (drivers license, credit card, some cash) on my person ...

[Chicken Feathers]

Shutterbug are there lots of places to get cash and what about credit cards :-?

[Blissful]

Don't forget your health insurance card if you've got any


And if you wear glasses, your prescription...just in case...

[Chicken Feathers]

Thanks Totem I have not thought about that.

[Chicken Feathers]

Thanks everyone for all the good information.

[Blissful]

I took cash, debit and credit card. No problem getting cash at ATMS, post office and at larger chain grocery stores and wally worlds. Have a back up debit card at home in case yours stops working (mine did)

[Shutterbug]

Shutterbug are there lots of places to get cash and what about credit cards :-?

I assume that your question relates to my comment that I have hiked all over the world. I will answer that way.

My experience has been that most large cities now have ATM's, but they won't always accept your card. When I went to Africa, I carried a MasterCard Debit Card. The ATM's in Zambia accept only Visa. There was no place to use my MasterCard. To get cash, I had to go to a major bank to cash a check. They were willing to accept the MasterCard as a check guarantee, but not for a cash withdrawl.

MasterCard and Visa Credit Cards are accepted most places that are frequented by American tourists, but if you get away from the places where their are a lot of tourists, you need cash. Don't assume that you can use a credit card for your hotel or resturant unless you have cleared it in advance. I have had occasions when the hotel would not accept a credit card. This is a frequent problem in parts of the world with power problems. If the electricity is off, they don't accept debit or credit cards.

Another frequent problem is your American bank declining your credit card. Imagine haggeling for a couple of hours to buy the item you want to bring back to America, then when you present your credit card, your bank turns it down. This is a frequent problem if you travel in parts of the world where credit card fraud is frequent (Russia, Nigeria, etc.). It is a good idea to inform your bank in advance where you will be traveling. They can put a note on your file telling them that you really are where the charge is coming from.

If your travel takes you away from the large cities in third world countries, make sure you have local currency. Debit Cards and Credit Cards don't work where they have no electricity and local merchants may not accept U.S. Dollars.

And, it goes without saying that you should not keep large sums of cash where it can be seen. (What doesn't seem like a large amount to you is enough to kill for in some parts of the world.) Keep most of your cash and your passport in a belt under your clothing. Keep a "throw away" billfold with a few dollars and a copy of your passport in your pocket. If you need some of the cash from your hidden belt, don't access it in public. Go to a private place to get it out. You never know who is watching.

And, as I said in the previous post, always keep a couple of $20 bills tucked away -- not in your billfold.

One last tip. If you travel to third world countries, be sure to take a stash of $1 bills. I have seen a lot of Americans in far away places with nothing smaller than a $100 bill. It is amazing how much good will you can buy with $1 in places like China or Africa. I always take at least 100 in $1 bills when I travel outside the U.S.

[Shutterbug]

Shutterbug are there lots of places to get cash and what about credit cards :-?

Don, if your question to me was strictly about the AT, the answer is that there are ATM's where ever there are businesses and credit cards are accepted almost everywhere.