Cost of a Current-Day Hike

[Megapixel]

Hello to all! I am in need of all thoughts on what the typical cost of a thru hike would be for a married couple planning on doing this in the next year or two. I have read weather carrot's article from 2003, and I'm sure costs have increased since then. Anyone 2009 thru hikers willing to chime in on their cost??? Anyone else???
A few things, we already are set on gear, including backup gear...I'm talking trip cost only... not getting to or from trail heads either. Just mile 0 to 2180. We also do not smoke, and drinking is celebratory for us at best... very infrequent. We also are already health insured and do not have to figure that into the equation.
I guess another part to this is mail drops vs. resupply... which would work out more cost effective?

Thanks in advance, and I eagerly await your responses! :banana:banana:banana

[Manwich]

$3000

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[bigcranky]

Depends on a lot more than booze. Do you like a motel room with a private shower, or maybe a B&B, or are you both okay with grabbing a shower at the hostel and hitting the trail again? Or sleeping "together" in a large room full of snoring hikers?

My wife and I like to stay at the occasional B&B instead of the local hostel when we hike. We eat better (well, more expensively anyway.) We like a private hotel room, and a night off in town. We already have all our gear, etc., and there is no way on Earth we could do a thru-hike for $3000. We might, maybe, keep it to twice that.

[Megapixel]

Depends on a lot more than booze. Do you like a motel room with a private shower, or maybe a B&B, or are you both okay with grabbing a shower at the hostel and hitting the trail again? Or sleeping "together" in a large room full of snoring hikers?

My wife and I like to stay at the occasional B&B instead of the local hostel when we hike. We eat better (well, more expensively anyway.) We like a private hotel room, and a night off in town. We already have all our gear, etc., and there is no way on Earth we could do a thru-hike for $3000. We might, maybe, keep it to twice that.


So my best guess based on our personalities is a hostel in town when desired, and a restaurant type meal once per week/town. Probably throwing in 3 or 4 hotel stays throughout the journey will be sufficient otherwise.

[Graywolf]

$3000

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3000$?? Maybe for a single hiker, then again, it would depend on how much town stays you do and how much eating out you do...."eating Out" as in how much you spend at restraunts and such...

Is that longer than 10 characters... I forgot I was kicked off once for a long article, over 500 characters, and it said it wasn't long enough...lol

So maybe this will surfice..

Graywolf

[Graywolf]

oh, by the way, your topic title kinda confused me as it said, "Cost of Current Day Hike"", but I figured it out..

Graywolf

[Lone Wolf]

five thousand........

[Megapixel]

five thousand........


For the both of us ? Elaborate a bit please. Thanks!

[Megapixel]

oh, by the way, your topic title kinda confused me as it said, "Cost of Current Day Hike"", but I figured it out..

Graywolf

Man, I have a way with words! LOL:D i can see how that would be confusing.

[CrumbSnatcher]

$2.00 per mile per hiker
being a couple, im thinking you could be a little lower $3.00-$3.50 per mile

[Lone Wolf]

For the both of us ? Elaborate a bit please. Thanks!

yes. total

[Megapixel]

$2.00 per mile per hiker
being a couple, im thinking you could be a little lower $3.00-$3.50 per mile


yes. total


Thanks to the both of you !!!!

[CrumbSnatcher]

depends on alot of things, i heard a dollor a mile for along time. when i say 2 per mile thats what? 4,300 or so. thats what i spent last time a few years ago. some people spend alot more than this. but i would guess most spent less. around 4 grand will get you quite a bit. good town food all the time, a dozen zeros or so, hostels, motel once in awhile. 4 month hike would be cheaper than a six month hike. will your gear hold up. will you take ran days off or hike? how much time you spend in towns are the big expense!

[mountain squid]

(This is a cut/paste reply to a pm I sent someone before, for a married couple times 2 obviously)


The easy answer to that question is ‘more than you think’. Although it is only walking, you can certainly spend a lot of money while doing it.

I’ll throw some numbers at you (guesstimates, of course). If your hike takes 152 days (14 miles/day) and every 4 days you end up in town, that is 38 times to spend money. Multiply that 38 by how much money you might spend each time in town.

lodging/night - $20
resupply - $20
dining out - $20
whatever else - $5

38 x $65 = $2470.00
　
Lodging expense is assuming a stay at a hostel or sharing a room with other hikers. Sometimes it will be cheaper, but other times more expensive. Of course, you might choose not to stay in town and only do a resupply, but that might be difficult if your friends are staying or if the weather is lousy. If you take a ‘zero’ in town, it will cost you twice as much. It will also cost twice as much if you do a slackpack the next day.

Resupply expense is buying enough food until the next time in town. You’ll need at least 3 Bs, 3 Ls, 3 Ds and lots and lots of snacks.

Dining out expense is just that ‘dining out’. You will eat; and eat ALOT when in town. Depending on when you get into town, you can figure at least one Dinner and probably a Breakfast next morning (there will probably be plenty of times when a Lunch is thrown in also). Of course it is possible to eat from your food supply, but when you have the opportunity to have a PIZZA instead of noodles and a tuna packet, PIZZA will likely win more times than not. Again, if you take a ‘zero’ in town, your dining out expense will be more.

Whatever else expense might be coin laundry, shuttle, movie, postage to mail something home, just whatever else, including extra food/drinks not included in dining out expense.

Some other expenses to consider:
phone
gear replacement including shoes
transportation/lodging to and from the trail
any side trips you might take (many hikers go home for a wedding or something; some hikers take the trip into NYC, etc)
anything at home that might require money (storage of goods, mortgage/rent, vehicle, insurance, etc)
medical emergency
alcohol – this is a huge expense for many
　
Now, you might finish in fewer than 152 days (maybe more, too) and you might only stay in town every 5 days, which would obviously reduce your town expenses (but increase your resupply expenses). There are so many variables it is impossible to cover them all. You’ll need to make adjustments as required concerning yourself and your habits and your spouses. Bottom line is as I stated ‘to have more than you think’. More is definitely better than less. Running out of funds probably would mean ending your hike early, while having funds leftover when finished is better than being broke....

(Don't get fixated on $2470, that is only a guesstimate.)

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[CrumbSnatcher]

nicely put mt. squid. i think 2,500 would be closer to the bottom end on funds IMO, new hikers might spend more?. but i like the way you laid it out! never hurt to end with some cash leftover. plan more- spend less

[Megapixel]

This has been most helpful MOUNTAIN SQUID. thanks!!!

[mweinstone]

i need 35000.00$ to do it. i like to buy crap for folks and me. alot of crap. i like to remove the financial burden from the folks around me that i love for a time at least.i borrowed 8 thou from a credit card and spent another 8 to get 13 40 miles to vernon last year. for the 300 it costs each month to pay it back, the steaks and bourbon and unlimited ability to help others was well worth it. if my art sells and i become the next piccosso, ill spent that much each time i hike. for now, out of work and on spagettie, ill hike from hiker box to hikerbox with the same exspectaation of fun.

[bigcranky]

Squid, I can't remember any time when I spent $20 on a 4-day resupply. I always seemed to spend more. Sometimes a LOT more (Hot Springs comes to mind, but I was shopping at the outfitter before I'd had dinner. I was starved.)

[CrumbSnatcher]

i liked his layout/formula, but i thought the prices he listed seemed really low

[mweinstone]

gimmmi all your money!

[Young Gun]

Well im pretty inexperienced with 15+ day hikes but if you dont mind repetition why cant you buy a 12 pack of grits for $3.00 and 7 packs of ramen for $1.50 a 12 pack box of granola bars $3.00 and a canister of planters peanuts for $2.00 thats roughly 12 breakfast 7 lunches and 7 dinners for around give or take 10.00 for a weeks supply of food 4 or 5 weeks in a month brings you to $50.00 max and $50.00 for 6 months brings you to around $300.00 now I know you have to mix it up but even spending 300 extra is only 600 dollars im sorry if this is stupid

[Young Gun]

I also meant that to be for one person

[Compass]

Well im pretty inexperienced with 15+ day hikes but if you dont mind repetition why cant you buy a 12 pack of grits for $3.00 and 7 packs of ramen for $1.50 a 12 pack box of granola bars $3.00 and a canister of planters peanuts for $2.00 thats roughly 12 breakfast 7 lunches and 7 dinners for around give or take 10.00 for a weeks supply of food 4 or 5 weeks in a month brings you to $50.00 max and $50.00 for 6 months brings you to around $300.00 now I know you have to mix it up but even spending 300 extra is only 600 dollars im sorry if this is stupid

That list comes to a total of 9000 calories which would barely make it two days. For 7 days that would be a whopping 1300 calories a day.
From what I have seen a diet of ramen causes extra zero days in towns to gorge and recharge the dietary battery.

[garlic08]

My wife and I hiked the PCT together. Everything, including gear and travel, cost about $8,000, working out to well under $2/mile each. Subtracting gear and travel and some miles for a shorter trail, I'd want about $5000, with a serious $1000 contingency fund, to hike the AT as a married couple. But lots of single hikers find a way to spend way more than that, too.

I hiked the AT with a good friend last year. We shared motel rooms and some bulk food costs. We each spent about $2500 on just the hiking (food, lodging, misc.). We also hiked fast, about 3.5 months, which saved a lot of money, but we spent a lot more on motels than you're planning on. Lots of variables. Good luck.

[bigcranky]

Well im pretty inexperienced with 15+ day hikes but if you dont mind repetition why cant you buy a 12 pack of grits for $3.00 and 7 packs of ramen for $1.50 a 12 pack box of granola bars $3.00 and a canister of planters peanuts for $2.00 thats roughly 12 breakfast 7 lunches and 7 dinners for around give or take 10.00 for a weeks supply of food 4 or 5 weeks in a month brings you to $50.00 max and $50.00 for 6 months brings you to around $300.00 now I know you have to mix it up but even spending 300 extra is only 600 dollars im sorry if this is stupid

Because it's nowhere near enough food. Those grits packages? I would eat four a day for breakfast and still be hungry an hour later. That canister of peanuts would last a day, maybe two. The granola bars might last three days. It's possible to do a weekend hike on reduced rations, but not a long distance hike.

I've met hikers who are eating Carnation Instant Breakfast in the morning and one Ramen packet in the evening. That was early in the hike, and I truly hope they were able to make it all the way. You need to feed the machine, and it's a hungry beast.

[mweinstone]

i never eat. ever. im an air plant.

[Red Hat]

Matti, I know you eat because you love bacon! And those wonderful pancakes you make.....

[Lone Wolf]

he gave up bacon

[George]

I have to put in my previous stated position that miles being hiked have little to do with the cost, just like at home bills/ costs are per day, month. I find that to use dry food mail dropped, with shipping comes to @ 20/day in 4-6 day drops, if I buy my food in town I will spend @ 13/day + eat much better but the weight of 3-4 days food leaving town will be the same as 5-6 days of dry shipped food. if I have to use deli, gas station, conveinence store, the cost will be 20/day or higher the weight still @ double dry food, the quality will very from very good to worse than dry + it is only practical for 2 days or less. The highest daily cost of resupply would be freeze dry from a trailside outfitter, for me this would be 25/day or more

[Blissful]

For the two of us (my son and I) it cost $8000 for the hike.

[Blissful]

i never eat. ever. im an air plant.


I used to have one of those long ago. Then it died. Bad air - ?

[jersey joe]

If you move along and finish your hike in 4 months and pop in and out of towns in the same day, you two can easily thru hike for under 3k. However, like most, you will likely be drawn to the towns, staying in hotels and eating out, so 5k for both of you is probably more realistic for a 'comfortable' thru hike.

[sbhikes]

You can make the case that you don't have to calculate all the food you eat into the cost of the hike. You have to eat anyway. You only need to calculate food costs over and above what you'd normally eat.

[Graywolf]

You know, I still havn't figured it out.. Why on a bicycle tour I can spend less money than on hiking.. I still havn't figured it out.. My bike trips useually average $10 a day, and that is with hotels and mechanical problems.. I did 1500 miles a few years ago and spent only $150 total...
Seems to me hiking would be cheaper..Must be a lot of restaraunts and hotels on the AT.. The part I hiked had only one hostel..$15 for the whole 4 days I was out...Hmmmmm....

Graywolf

[Disney]

For the two of us (my son and I) it cost $8000 for the hike.


But you did some traveling back and forth from the trail back home didn't you? That's going to add to the cost considerably.

I think $5,000 is fine for two, make it $6,000 for a just in case cushion.

[sofaking]

You know, I still havn't figured it out.. Why on a bicycle tour I can spend less money than on hiking.. I still havn't figured it out.. My bike trips useually average $10 a day, and that is with hotels and mechanical problems.. I did 1500 miles a few years ago and spent only $150 total...
Seems to me hiking would be cheaper..Must be a lot of restaraunts and hotels on the AT.. The part I hiked had only one hostel..$15 for the whole 4 days I was out...Hmmmmm....

Graywolf

i end up spending a lot more on bike trips- too easy to stop for beer and snacks while biking.

[YoungMoose]

I would say around 6thousand for the both of you

[gipcgirl]

For me coming from Australia just add $2800 for air fares, $350 for visa's, accommodation on the way another $300 plus I have allowed $3000 for the actual hike. then a bit extra just in case so all up about $7000 not too bad for a six month trip.

The biggest dilemma was the insurance people wanted almost $3000 to cover me for the 6 months. No way could I afford that on top, so I guess I will have to be very careful.

happy hiking
gipcgirl

[Young Gun]

Because it's nowhere near enough food. Those grits packages? I would eat four a day for breakfast and still be hungry an hour later. That canister of peanuts would last a day, maybe two. The granola bars might last three days. It's possible to do a weekend hike on reduced rations, but not a long distance hike.

I've met hikers who are eating Carnation Instant Breakfast in the morning and one Ramen packet in the evening. That was early in the hike, and I truly hope they were able to make it all the way. You need to feed the machine, and it's a hungry beast.


Well thats you and your opinion but im a smaller guy and I can keep my hands outta the peanut jar plus you dont have to eat every time your hungry I guess im just conditioned better for small rations

[Megapixel]

For me coming from Australia just add $2800 for air fares, $350 for visa's, accommodation on the way another $300 plus I have allowed $3000 for the actual hike. then a bit extra just in case so all up about $7000 not too bad for a six month trip.

The biggest dilemma was the insurance people wanted almost $3000 to cover me for the 6 months. No way could I afford that on top, so I guess I will have to be very careful.

happy hiking
gipcgirl

Yeah I wanted to go to the Byron Bay Bluesfest in April this year but airfare halfway across the globe is not cheap! I was shocked at the cost. HOpe your hike is a great one!

[bigcranky]

Well thats you and your opinion but im a smaller guy and I can keep my hands outta the peanut jar plus you dont have to eat every time your hungry I guess im just conditioned better for small rations

Not my opinion so much as my experience. Sure, out in the world you don't have to eat every time you are hungry. Better not to, in fact. But on the trail on a long distance hike, even smaller people are burning 4000+ calories per day. One common issue for male hikers is not being able to carry enough food, and losing too much weight.

Let us know how that menu plan works out on your hike. Seriously, I'd like to know.

[sticks&stones]

if you have 3 grand to spend, that is about 1.5 cents per step, I Think...

[Megapixel]

Thanks. I'm going with 6000 for the both of us after listening to responses. There will also be a small emergency fund as well, as in oops i want another hotel or a juicy steak kind of emergency. thanks all!