Realistically...

[Edvvard]

how much do you spend on food during a thruhike? I figured 100 a month..

This is assuming you don't pig out every time you get into a town

[Feral Bill]

What do you spend on groceries now?

[Edvvard]

I can usually do around 100 a month for myself with some food being put back.

[modiyooch]

It depends on how often you plan to go to towns, how much self control you have when you hit these towns, and where you get to do your shopping. Smaller towns and country stores will cost you more.
I have been supporting my daughter on the MST which basically has no resupply points on the parkway. I went to Sam's Club and bought case quantities. I've been resuppling her from my car. Even with groceries in the car, Pisgah Inn and Asheville snagged us when we went through.

[M1 Thumb]

$3.33/day might be pushing the envelope for a food budget. That will almost rule out the occasional stop at a gas station to buy a $1 Snicker bar and $1.38 Mt. Dew for an uplifting treat. I would seriously entertain trying to increase your monthly food budget.

[Wheeler]

"realistically"? your gonna pig out in town.

[Pickleodeon]

agreed. I'd rather have extra money than not enough. Plan on eating a lot, especially in town.

[bigcranky]

Yeah, $100 a month is a pretty severe limit on food for a thru-hike. When I hit town I plan on spending $100 on resupply and meals in town, and that's every 5 days or so. And that's a bare minimum. But then I hate Ramen noodles.

[emerald]

I'd like to see a one week menu that meets just the macronutrient requirements and comes in at under $25/week. It might be fun to have a look.

[Edvvard]

I suppose I'll up it to 150 or 200. ha.

[Adayak]

$100/month will get you rice and water every day. It will get boring to eat the same thing over and over.. up your budget some and get real food when you're in town. It will help keep you sane.

[gunner76]

Of course you can always catch the shelter mice to add some variety to your diet.

[turtle fast]

$100 is too low. Not that it is not possible, but you will be eating more. In reality...you WILL pig out in town.....why do you think AYCE buffets are listed in the Thru-Hikers Companion? Its because your body will strive for calories as your daily requirements exceed your daily intake and you start burning your fat reserves. It also would suck to get with a group of hikers you like, they ask if you want to eat for example at the Homeplace Restaurant in Catawba... and you do not have the cash to spare to do it.

[garlic08]

I spent $750 on pack food and $700 on town food on my 3.5 month AT thru hike. I enjoyed eating well in town.

[on_the_GOEZ]

I've heard estimates as high as $2 a mile. This seems about right if you stay in hotels or B&Bs every resupply. And if you dont ship any of your food.

But ramen is cheap..

[Appalachian Tater]

Realistically, you are probably going to be doing more work while hiking than you usually do, which will require more energy, which your body gets from stored fat or food. If you spend $100 a month now on food and maintain the same eating patterns you might need $200 or even $300 just to get enough calories.

Then you have to think that some of the places you will be buying food are more expensive than your regular grocery stores and you may not be able to take advantage of sales like you do at home to stock up.

You will also want to eat in restaurants when in town unless you are very unusual. A big restaurant meal will not seem like a luxury after a few weeks hiking but something your body needs. It is really amazing how much food it is possible to eat. You might eat more for breakfast than you have ever eaten at Thanksgiving dinner after eating just as much food the night before. After a few weeks, I would usually wake up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep until I had eaten something.

It is very easy to spend $35-50 a week on trail food even if you shop carefully and then that much again in town on restaurants. I would want at least $300 a month minimum available just for food while thru-hiking even if trying to avoid restaurants. That's $1500 for a five month thru, as a very minimum. $500 wouldn't come close to being enough.

[Bronk]

I wouldn't want to hike on less than $300 a month in food.

[on_the_GOEZ]

If this is all of the money you can gather before leaving, fine. I would suggest hiking as far as your can, saving as much as possible with food, hotels etc., and seeing how far you get, hopefully to K. Just imagine if you somehow doubled that amount, then you could (hypotheically) hike twice as far... YOYO!? 8))

[Bags4266]

I'd like to see a one week menu that meets just the macronutrient requirements and comes in at under $25/week. It might be fun to have a look.


I don't want to see the menu... I like to see the person on that menu after 5 months!

[Feral Bill]

I don't want to see the menu... I like to see the person on that menu after 5 months!

Only likely if they didn't turn sideways