View Full Version : ATM, Cash, What did you carry?
My husband is planning his thru hike for this upcoming spring. For those of you who thru hiked, how did you carry your money? Did you take a ATM, carry any cash, and what is a normal and safest way you dealt with your money issues?
I advise against bringing an ATM. They weight a LOT and require a power source. ;p
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I brought a credit card and some cash. My plan was to have additional cash mailed to me in my resupply boxes.
garlic08
11-30-2010, 00:35
Credit card, mostly, for me. I carried some cash and never used an ATM.
HA Ha! Funny! Thanks for the advice!
4eyedbuzzard
11-30-2010, 00:48
Debit / ATM Bank Card and a back-up credit card. Make sure of expiration dates. Best to have a back up in case: a card gets cancelled due to being on a "corrupted" list and you have to wait for a replacement card; the magnetic strip gets damaged (although usually a transaction can be manually entered).
A few hundred cash to start.
Replenish cash with no fees by getting cash back when making purchases at many retailers (especially W-M, bigger grocery stores, and Post Offices, but note that smaller PO's often don't have a lot of cash, ask first). Several companies/banks have ATM cards that have no ATM fees / reimburse all fees anywhere - I think Bank of America, E-Trade and a few others.
Travelers checks are pretty much a dinosaur - they can still be used, but a lot of the younger cashiers don't even know what they are.
Johnny Thunder
11-30-2010, 00:54
i'd caution against travelers checks. most banks WILL NOT supply you with them...some won't even take them. And like is stated above...most young cashiers don't know about them.
ATM cards work fine. You can get cash back all over. Though the South is more a cash-only (or has more cash-only places) than the mid-atlantic and north. So starting with a chunk of cash isn't a bad idea. just not so much that you get worried about it.
If you can carry a spare credit card that's helpful. In the event that you lose your primary atm card you can always work something out with fellow hikers...use your credit card to buy their groceries (get cash), etc. Then have a new ATM card sent.
One little tip about bringing any type of bank card. Have the bank put a note in your file saying that you're travelling for the next few months. Good banks, often small banks, will notice strange transactions all far away from home and will stop your account if they cannot contact you.
mweinstone
11-30-2010, 07:15
i started my road trip to springer one year when bag o tricks gave me a ride from the doyal hotel . in the morning when i said goodby to rm 23 and left, i walked into my pnc bank next to the doyal and withdrew 8000 dollars. it was bundels of big bills. lots of weight. but i carried it. spent it mostly before damascus. took 30 zeros on the first 500mi. did fun magic. had no worries. flashed wads,and it was fun and safe. cause im just that fearless and for a reason. because men fight and die for my countrys freedoms as i will fight to prove the trails saftey levels. i belive money in a pack causes no danger when carried by hikers with no fear and good sence. by the way, i spent 16000 getting to vernon new jersy from springer another year and thaught nothing of it. im poor, and worked to the bone for that cash. no way im holdin back when im loaded. its not cool to save money or spend it wisely in my opinion. i belive one should be a cheerful giver and that the right hand should never know what the left hand is doing. sorry if thats offencive.rather starve to death after giving all away than not. its what i like.
I advise against bringing an ATM. They weight a LOT and require a power source. ;p
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Damn you. Only reason I clicked on this thread was to make this joke.
2 different credit cards, debit card, driver's license, insurance card and cash.
Tip: If your cards are old/worn get some new ones and leave the old ones at home to have as backups.
Tip 2: Get used to saying, "Keep the change." :)
Tip 3: Keep a few $20s in a place separate from your main stash.
ChinMusic
11-30-2010, 16:20
The extra CC is a good idea. A friend of mine had to zero for about a week waiting to have his card replaced.
I want to hike with Matty, he's buying!
I think when I thru-hike in a few years, I will carry a hunting knife. When I see a poor defenseless woodsland creature, off with his head. I'll field-dress the little sucker, use the meat for my food supply, and then trade the pelts for supplies when I get to town or run into one of the local native tribes. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can bag a full-grown brown bear and then live high on the hog for a few weeks. Ahhh, who needs cash?
Signed, Dan'l Boone, Esq. :p
fiddlehead
02-05-2013, 02:49
Lots of threads talking about the budget for a hike on here Rickey.
Consensus seems to be $2 to $4 a mile depending on: How much you can afford and How much you want to rough it.
Good luck on your hike.
Stay warm. Have fun.
Moved topic/thread to the "General" forum.