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horicon
03-10-2011, 05:36
I am not going to hold any one to an exact figure, but what would be the cost of hiking the AT?

Marta
03-10-2011, 07:21
There are quite a few threads on this subject. You can find them by using the search feature in the toolbar.

The consensus seems to be you'll be okay is you have about $5k in the bank. Some hike it for less; some spend a lot more. Many hikers get off the trail because they run out of money, though, so it's best to err on the high side. It is easier than you might think to party your way down the Trail, which can get expensive. Faster hikes (three or four months) are much cheaper than slower hikes (>7 months). If you are maintaining a home, car, and family while you are hiking, the cost of hiking becomes the trivial part of what you have to have in the bank before you start. Many, many people delude themselves by thinking they have the self-discipline to hike extremely cheaply, but few actually pull it off, especially on their first thru-hike.

Saving the money and arranging your life to step outside for six months is probably the hardest part of the whole endeavor. Good luck with it!

Croft
03-10-2011, 07:34
I went about $2,000 over-budget on my 7-month hike last year. Food--especially when I was in town comprised most of the overage. I couldn't go to a restaurant and not order two full meals. I also stayed in motels rather than hostels a few times too many and didn't plan on shuttle costs when I took slackpack opportunities. Total trail cost including transportation to and from Springer and Katahdin was just under $7,000...and worth every penny.

horicon
03-10-2011, 12:46
Thanks. Looks like I need to some saving or fund raising.

Jedeye
03-10-2011, 13:14
I have heard of people doing it as cheep as $1000 but I think that would be tough. I have started using the formula of $2 per mile... and it has been pretty close for me.

blackbird04217
03-10-2011, 13:23
Springer and Katahdin was just under $7,000...and worth every penny.

Holy crap! That is just under 7x more than my Springer to Katahdin (minus transportation to Springer). I made it on barely $1100. I planned for $2500, and would say with any attention to your budget, $2500 should be rather comfortable. There were times when I had to say no to restaurants and outings with friends because I was aiming for approximately $30 a week.

As I said, I planned for $2500, thought I'd be starting the trail with almost $2000, but somewhere a long the way I did my math wrong... (Had to pay for loans on the side which are not included in my "trip cost") It presented a challenge, but I was not going to let it stop me.

horicon
03-12-2011, 09:38
I am planning on including cost to the trail head.