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sleepingbear
05-02-2012, 23:37
Right now I'm planning on $2200 for my on trail budget. I know it's a little slim but I plan to limit my town stays to 2 days a month. Also i want to stay away from motels as much as possible. I haven't really done the day to day specific calculations but if all goes well i hope to be hiking for 5 months + an extra week off to stay with family in New York City. Is it possible? How much more should i be saving if it wouldn't be enough? Comments, suggestions, etc.

WIAPilot
05-02-2012, 23:51
I have just bumped a thread that we have been posting for the last few days. Read THE REAL COST OF HIKING THE AT. You need to plan on about $5000 for the thru. $4000 if you want to cut it thin. Otherwise, you are going to end up mooching off everyone who has planned accurately or end up not finishing the hike. You really can't do it on $2200 unless you eat Ramen and hardly ever stay in a hostel.

WIAPilot
05-03-2012, 00:16
I just did the math on this and if you take 2 days each month for hostels, you are going to want to go out for pizza or whatever during those times. Factor in your laundry and you are looking at close to $75 each month for town trips = so that leaves $1,825. That leaves you about $11 per day to eat, for fuel, for showers, for laundry, and to replace any shoes or gear along the way. Now factor in that at 20, you are going to be burning up a HUGE amount of calories and will probably need to eat 2-3 times what you normally do.

Live_for_hiking
05-03-2012, 09:38
$2200.00 to hike the entire AT will be very difficult. I could not do it. However, I am not you .....

The first thing I noticed is that you are young. When I was your age, the thought of hiking the AT was pretty new and I thought about delaying a career after graduating college in order to hike the trail. I didn't. I didn't have the funding to be able to do the hike. 20+ years later, I'm in a position to financially be able to follow through on an old dream.

If I had to make the decision again .... I'd have hiked as far as I could on what little money I had. I do not think I would have finished with only a couple grand, but I think it is important to make meaningful attempts at things you deem important in life. You could always take what you learned and make an attempt later in life!

So my thought is: Go as far as your budget will allow you to go. Don't diminish the journey or experiences by worrying about your budget. Fulfill every whim on the trail with the money you got. When it's gone, know you hiked as far as you could and use that motivation to plan for a future thru hike.

edit: if you plan your town trips wisely (get in and out) you may be surprised how far you can go.

oldbear
05-03-2012, 10:04
Something else that you really need to factor in is the cost of taking care of part of your life that's still going on even though you're on trail
Like you I'm doing a NOBO hike in 2013 and I'm allocating 5K for the part of my life that's on trail ( including gear ) and 5 K for the part of my life that's off trail i.e. paying taxes on my house , utilities , having somebody taking care of my animals , having somebody mow my lawn and so on

WIAPilot
05-03-2012, 10:28
You know, everyone is going to have an opinion, but to me - "hike as far as your money will take you" mentality is just dumb. (Sorry Live!) If you really want to do the ENTIRE AT, that would be like flushing your $2200 down the toilet. You have about 11 months to save at LEAST $1000-$1500 more - and you will STILL have to scrimp on that amount, but at least you will make it!

Take on some extra part-time jobs; ask for "AT Fund" Cash for birthdays and holidays instead of presents; go on cheap dates or find a girl who wants to hike the AT and has money LOL; stop drinking; start selling some things you don't want on eBay or yardsales; don't eat out. You have almost a year to save some serious cash. But I can think of nothing more disheartening than setting yourself up for failure than to not have enough money from the very start. No one should quit the AT due to lack of money when it can easily be avoided at this point.

Bobby
05-03-2012, 11:33
I hiked the AT when I was 25. I spent a lot of time planning, preparing and setting up mail drops. I had a vision of what I thought it was going to be like and what I thought I would need to make it happen. From the moment I got off the bus in Atlanta those best laid plans changed.

I thought I was embarking on a wilderness experience – one that would have me living simply and quietly in the woods as I walked from Georgia to Maine. I knew there would be others doing the same, but I totally under estimated the social aspect of an AT thru-hike.

I met so many people and had so many great experiences with wonderful people – both in the woods walking and in “civilization” along the way.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that the opportunities to spend money were about 10 fold what I had “anticipated and planned for”.

I believe that younger people are more affected by this particular aspect of a thru-hike experience. My AT hike was just as much a social experience as it was a “wilderness” experience – (I use the word wilderness with a smirk).

With the socializing and friendships made, came more opportunities to spend money – opportunities I did not wish to pass up.

Why do you think so many people hike the AT over and over again? It’s not for the wilderness experience that’s for sure.

Bottom line – what I thought and planned for = $

What I experienced and lived with = $$

JoshAuerbach
05-03-2012, 11:41
How about say 1800 to 2000 to do half of the at? Cuz that's what I'm lookin at..

Jeff
05-03-2012, 12:34
I hiked the AT when I was 25. I spent a lot of time planning, preparing and setting up mail drops. I had a vision of what I thought it was going to be like and what I thought I would need to make it happen. From the moment I got off the bus in Atlanta those best laid plans changed.

I thought I was embarking on a wilderness experience – one that would have me living simply and quietly in the woods as I walked from Georgia to Maine. I knew there would be others doing the same, but I totally under estimated the social aspect of an AT thru-hike.

I met so many people and had so many great experiences with wonderful people – both in the woods walking and in “civilization” along the way.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that the opportunities to spend money were about 10 fold what I had “anticipated and planned for”.

I believe that younger people are more affected by this particular aspect of a thru-hike experience. My AT hike was just as much a social experience as it was a “wilderness” experience – (I use the word wilderness with a smirk).

With the socializing and friendships made, came more opportunities to spend money – opportunities I did not wish to pass up.

Why do you think so many people hike the AT over and over again? It’s not for the wilderness experience that’s for sure.

Bottom line – what I thought and planned for = $

What I experienced and lived with = $$

Excellent post !!!


Also, it's been said many times but deserves repeating....prices are more expensive in the northeast compared to the south. Budget accordingly.

WIAPilot
05-03-2012, 13:35
I agree. Great comment. And prices are likewise more expensive at stores near the trail and Hostels, etc. I mean, they have to make a living too. It just isn't always feasible to hitch into town to shop at the grocery stores.

Moose2001
05-03-2012, 14:02
Bobby makes great points. The social thing pulls many hikers into town, spending more money than planned and even taking them off the trail. Could you do it for $2200? Yes. Would it be the hike you want it to be? Only you can decide that. If you go out with $2200 then you won't be able to do much of anything in town, you'll be needing help from other hikers for motel rooms and you'll be living out of a lot of hiker boxes. You decide what kind of hike you want.

Sevsa
05-03-2012, 15:44
Agree with most of the above comments. If it was me I would postpone it as long as possible to ensure I had the money to do it without worrying too much about my expenses. You can decide how much is enough but I think $2200 won't allow to enjoy the total experience of something you will probably do only once. So to answer your question it is possible but will be a bare bones experience.

stranger
05-03-2012, 19:21
Right now I'm planning on $2200 for my on trail budget. I know it's a little slim but I plan to limit my town stays to 2 days a month. Also i want to stay away from motels as much as possible. I haven't really done the day to day specific calculations but if all goes well i hope to be hiking for 5 months + an extra week off to stay with family in New York City. Is it possible? How much more should i be saving if it wouldn't be enough? Comments, suggestions, etc.

That's all great...here is what will happen:

It's day X and you are camped on your second night out of town when a strong front moves in and pours on you all night. It starts raining around 4pm and continues all night, there are breaks but in the morning it picks up again and at 10am you decide to make the break in the rain. You hike for 9 miles, up and down, everything is wet. You can hear the water in your shoes and the wind is picking up. It's cold. You decide to stop early at a shelter but it's packed to the rafters of others who had the same idea. You decide to keep moving. You arrive at a road with cars zooming by, you know there is a motel 5 miles down that road, your other option is to camp up ahead and set up a wet tent in the rain. So this one time, THIS ONE TIME, you head into town...
Happens every year (more than a few times), bring as much money as you can and have that option. Expectations and reality are very different once it starts raining and you get cold.

JAK
05-03-2012, 19:41
Nothing wrong with making your goal to see how far you can hike on $2200.
Doesn't automatically make you a moocher.

Best way to prepare for a frugal hike is to practice at home. Also saves money for the hike.

untitleddocument
05-03-2012, 19:55
Personally, I spent $450 on all my gear, and another $400 worth of food that I have sent home with friends from college all along the AT who want to section hike with me / live close enough to do drops for me. I bought food in bulk and in a wide variety so I won't get sick of it a few weeks in. I am left with $650 to hike as far as I can for three months this summer. I know I could never make it all the way on that kind of money, but I don't think half way is out of the question. Plus I am doing it SoBo and am a bit of a loner, so I doubt I will leave the trail other than for resupply.

I believe you can do it sleepingbear, just go for it!

aaronthebugbuffet
05-03-2012, 19:55
I think that is a very slim budget and will take some discipline. I would suggest take as much as possible and if you run out come home.
If you make all the way thats great if not you will still have an awesome experience.

sleepingbear
05-03-2012, 20:17
Thanks everybody for the comments and suggestions. You've given me a lot to consider. I think overall i'll probably have to postpone it for another year or two. The thing I 'am mostly worried about is money that I might have to spend to restart life. Apartment, college tuition etc.

DavidNH
05-03-2012, 22:37
Sleeping Bear.. I suggest you read Stranger's post very carefully several times. The man is telling it like it is!

Remember, whether you thru hike the 2200 miles in one go or section hike several hundred miles at a stretch, you will go into town, eat at restaurants and stay at hostels even a few hotels. What ever your thoughts are now, after you have hiked 3-4 days in a driving rain that only lets up occasionally and you are fully soaked, hostels and hotels will not only be appealing they may be necessary. Nothing ever dries out in a shelter. Believe me I've tried. it don't work. After you've been out for a week or so, food is about all the hiker thinks about. Some hikers do extra long days just to get into town to feast at the diner or the buffet.

There will be days when your feet are soaked through, your socks are wet, and your feet hurt. Other times you will be emotionally and physically exhausted. a hotel night can do wonders for you physical and spiritual renewal.


its fine to try to hike cheaply. But you'd best have a good 5 grand stashed away ready to spend for your adventure. I have heard that lack of money is one of the top reasons hikers don't complete their thru hike.

I personally don't see how you can complete a thru hike on 2200 dollars in 2013. I'm sure it's possible. But think of all you'd have to give up. Do you really want to come to a town for resupply and NOT be able to stay at the hostel and not chow on real food at a restaurant? There will often be trail magic and in places free hiker feeds along the trail but you should not count on this or expect this. Before you answer this, put your self in the position that you've been on trail for several weeks, you are starved, hungrier than at any time in your life previously, and it's been raining for days. NOW answer the question.

DavidNH

garlic08
05-04-2012, 09:50
To hike on $1 per mile you need speed, guts, and experience, and good measures of all those. Look at Weathercarrot's article on hiking the AT cheaply. I'd say try it, but try to have about a grand stashed for contingencies and your "reentry" funds.

When I hiked the AT I had no practical limit on my spending, didn't skimp on anything, stayed in motels and ate in restaurants whenever I wanted, and still managed to do it for about $3500 including transportation and gear replacement. I could see a young, tough, fast, and experienced hiker doing it for a buck a mile.

I heard a pretty good rule of thumb: $1000 per month. If you're out there for six months, it'll probably cost you six grand.

DavidNH
05-04-2012, 10:30
To hike on $1 per mile you need speed, guts, and experience, and good measures of all those. Look at Weathercarrot's article on hiking the AT cheaply. I'd say try it, but try to have about a grand stashed for contingencies and your "reentry" funds.

When I hiked the AT I had no practical limit on my spending, didn't skimp on anything, stayed in motels and ate in restaurants whenever I wanted, and still managed to do it for about $3500 including transportation and gear replacement. I could see a young, tough, fast, and experienced hiker doing it for a buck a mile.

I heard a pretty good rule of thumb: $1000 per month. If you're out there for six months, it'll probably cost you six grand.


I'd have to say that's pretty close garlic08. Back in 2006 when I thru hiked (and yes I made it all the way!) I spent a bit over 5,000. Now it's six years later so everything will cost a bit more.