Mountain Mike
05-13-2012, 15:57
How to hike long distance cheaper.
On controversial topics about hiking is always how much it costs. The price is always
covers a huge range. To me it’s like asking somebody on the street how much a car costs. Some will be happy with an old beater that gets them from point a to b with no frills. Another wants a luxury spacious one with leather seats, satellite radio, & headed leather seats. Which answer is right? Both and neither. Like anything else you have to decide what works for you. Saying that, this article is just to offer some suggestions on how to hike cheaper. It’s not for everyone or for that matter anyone. Just some hints to think about & decide if some will work for you in some way.
Why the high estimates? When people first envision the AT they think of it as a trail through the wilderness. The reality is it’s not. It’s a path through the woods crossing numerous roads & through several towns. A hiker can re-supply every few days if they chose to. How & how often you do this is a major factor. Most hikers will spend more of their budget on town stops than food & equipment replacement/repair for the trail. The lure of 4 walls & a soft bed may not be what you envision planning but after a few days of rain just being dry is hard to resist. Then add restaurants meals. Your appetite will become unreal. On my thru I got off the trail for a while due to a sprained ankle & to work a few firework shows. Even when I got dropped back off at the hostel where I left off I decided on a zero due to the heat. I still ate 5 meals that day after over a week of feeding anytime I wanted at home. Eating in restaurants is expensive, then add a few bears to you tab…
So how to do it cheaper:
PLAN: Read trail journals. See how other people hiked the trail. Learn the realities of life on the trail. If you have a clear expectation of what to expect you can prepare better. Your mileage, appetite & level of comfort on the trail will be drastically different on week 4 of the trail than it is on week 1. Buy one of the trail guides; either Awol’s or the Companion from ALDHA. They will help you decide on the costs of places to stay in towns & shopping. Many hikers use these guides alone for the trail although I like having maps. You do not need the ATC state by state guides.
FOOD: This is your major expense & concern during you hike. Both on & off the trail.
Buy in bulk. See Mag’s article about re-supply & decide what works for you. If you do mail drops you can spend months shopping for deals locally. Stock up when things are on sale. What you spend on a ramen at a convience store can buy you a dozen in a bulk store. A big box of instant mashed potatoes can make a whole lot of individual meals, just add your own flavoring. Same with oatmeal. One container of quick cook can be divided in drops, carry supplements like dried fruits & sweeteners to add to it depending on your meal. Making you own alternative to packaged food isn’t all that hard or time consuming. Look at the cooking section on hear for ideas or go to library for books on trail cooking. Check out some of the references below for places that sell bulk trail food. Consider buying some freeze dried meats, TVP & veggies to build your own meals or add to store bought meals. Of course you could save a lot by dehydrating your own. If you go with the old standby of Knorr/Lipton packs with a few supplements of dehydrated meats & veggies can make them gourmet. Even going with commercial freeze dried foods shopping around can get you up to 20% discount buying your meals in bulk. Shipping can add to the considerably to the cost. If you buy most of your stuff at home & have it repackaged for the trail so you can get it and go without spending a night in town it's cheap. If you are spending the night anyway some stuff may not be worth shipping to towns with larger store. Maybe ship some items you are not likely to find. Or buy bulk items at bigger town & ship them ahead.
In towns consider cooking for yourself especially if with a group. Many hostels have cooking supplies some even a grille. At one hostel a bunch of us got together and pooled our money to make burritos. We dived up responsibilities slicing, dicing & cooking. Made for a tasty, memorable meal. With a bunch of people there are a lot of options. Make a deli spread of meats, cheeses, bread, veggies, & salads. Grill up steaks or chicken, baked potatoes, & corn on the cob. Make a huge salad. Even if you alone there are options. Make a 6 egg omelet, with fresh veggies & cheese. Fry a potato to go with it. Boil the rest of the eggs to carry out of town with you. I know lots of people are saying how it’s supposed to be a rest day, but this article is about saving money. Besides town stops are anything bust restful as any LDH knows.
Towns: Limit town stops & Zero days. You do have to stop & re-supply but how you do it can make a big difference. If you can get in & out of town without a night you saved the cost of lodging. Even if it’s a few miles & take a zero on the trail. Most hostels & campgrounds offer a shower only rate. Try & do it while you do laundry to save time. Pick which place to stop based on your budget. Using the hy-bred re-supply pick larger towns where you can buy what you want & ship ahead. If there are several of you, is renting a motel room cheaper than staying in a hostel? Share laundry loads. With the limited amount of clothes several hikers can combine loads. Share grocery shopping. Sort of the buy in bulk as above if you are buying as you go. Often the little things you need, can be bought in quantities & split up; fuel, tp, coffee & other drinks, etc.
Links:
Trail Journals: http://www.trailjournals.com/journals.cfm
Mags planning guide: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?54175-A-Quick-and-Dirty-AT-Guide&p=1278541#post1278541
AT Guide: http://www.theatguide.com/
ALDHA (Appalachian Long Distance Hiker Association) http://www.aldha.org/
Food:
Harmony House: http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/
Honeyville Grains: http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/
Just Tomatoes: http://www.justtomatoes.com/jtstore/pc/All-Products-c2.htm
Mountain House: http://www.mountainhouse.com/
Wilderness Dining: http://www.wildernessdining.com/
Wisefoodstorage.com
Recipes:
http://www.onepanwonders.com/
Backpacking Chef: http://www.backpackingchef.com/
trailcooking.com
hungryhammockhanger.com
This is a quick attempt at first version. I will add links when I come up with them.
On controversial topics about hiking is always how much it costs. The price is always
covers a huge range. To me it’s like asking somebody on the street how much a car costs. Some will be happy with an old beater that gets them from point a to b with no frills. Another wants a luxury spacious one with leather seats, satellite radio, & headed leather seats. Which answer is right? Both and neither. Like anything else you have to decide what works for you. Saying that, this article is just to offer some suggestions on how to hike cheaper. It’s not for everyone or for that matter anyone. Just some hints to think about & decide if some will work for you in some way.
Why the high estimates? When people first envision the AT they think of it as a trail through the wilderness. The reality is it’s not. It’s a path through the woods crossing numerous roads & through several towns. A hiker can re-supply every few days if they chose to. How & how often you do this is a major factor. Most hikers will spend more of their budget on town stops than food & equipment replacement/repair for the trail. The lure of 4 walls & a soft bed may not be what you envision planning but after a few days of rain just being dry is hard to resist. Then add restaurants meals. Your appetite will become unreal. On my thru I got off the trail for a while due to a sprained ankle & to work a few firework shows. Even when I got dropped back off at the hostel where I left off I decided on a zero due to the heat. I still ate 5 meals that day after over a week of feeding anytime I wanted at home. Eating in restaurants is expensive, then add a few bears to you tab…
So how to do it cheaper:
PLAN: Read trail journals. See how other people hiked the trail. Learn the realities of life on the trail. If you have a clear expectation of what to expect you can prepare better. Your mileage, appetite & level of comfort on the trail will be drastically different on week 4 of the trail than it is on week 1. Buy one of the trail guides; either Awol’s or the Companion from ALDHA. They will help you decide on the costs of places to stay in towns & shopping. Many hikers use these guides alone for the trail although I like having maps. You do not need the ATC state by state guides.
FOOD: This is your major expense & concern during you hike. Both on & off the trail.
Buy in bulk. See Mag’s article about re-supply & decide what works for you. If you do mail drops you can spend months shopping for deals locally. Stock up when things are on sale. What you spend on a ramen at a convience store can buy you a dozen in a bulk store. A big box of instant mashed potatoes can make a whole lot of individual meals, just add your own flavoring. Same with oatmeal. One container of quick cook can be divided in drops, carry supplements like dried fruits & sweeteners to add to it depending on your meal. Making you own alternative to packaged food isn’t all that hard or time consuming. Look at the cooking section on hear for ideas or go to library for books on trail cooking. Check out some of the references below for places that sell bulk trail food. Consider buying some freeze dried meats, TVP & veggies to build your own meals or add to store bought meals. Of course you could save a lot by dehydrating your own. If you go with the old standby of Knorr/Lipton packs with a few supplements of dehydrated meats & veggies can make them gourmet. Even going with commercial freeze dried foods shopping around can get you up to 20% discount buying your meals in bulk. Shipping can add to the considerably to the cost. If you buy most of your stuff at home & have it repackaged for the trail so you can get it and go without spending a night in town it's cheap. If you are spending the night anyway some stuff may not be worth shipping to towns with larger store. Maybe ship some items you are not likely to find. Or buy bulk items at bigger town & ship them ahead.
In towns consider cooking for yourself especially if with a group. Many hostels have cooking supplies some even a grille. At one hostel a bunch of us got together and pooled our money to make burritos. We dived up responsibilities slicing, dicing & cooking. Made for a tasty, memorable meal. With a bunch of people there are a lot of options. Make a deli spread of meats, cheeses, bread, veggies, & salads. Grill up steaks or chicken, baked potatoes, & corn on the cob. Make a huge salad. Even if you alone there are options. Make a 6 egg omelet, with fresh veggies & cheese. Fry a potato to go with it. Boil the rest of the eggs to carry out of town with you. I know lots of people are saying how it’s supposed to be a rest day, but this article is about saving money. Besides town stops are anything bust restful as any LDH knows.
Towns: Limit town stops & Zero days. You do have to stop & re-supply but how you do it can make a big difference. If you can get in & out of town without a night you saved the cost of lodging. Even if it’s a few miles & take a zero on the trail. Most hostels & campgrounds offer a shower only rate. Try & do it while you do laundry to save time. Pick which place to stop based on your budget. Using the hy-bred re-supply pick larger towns where you can buy what you want & ship ahead. If there are several of you, is renting a motel room cheaper than staying in a hostel? Share laundry loads. With the limited amount of clothes several hikers can combine loads. Share grocery shopping. Sort of the buy in bulk as above if you are buying as you go. Often the little things you need, can be bought in quantities & split up; fuel, tp, coffee & other drinks, etc.
Links:
Trail Journals: http://www.trailjournals.com/journals.cfm
Mags planning guide: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?54175-A-Quick-and-Dirty-AT-Guide&p=1278541#post1278541
AT Guide: http://www.theatguide.com/
ALDHA (Appalachian Long Distance Hiker Association) http://www.aldha.org/
Food:
Harmony House: http://www.harmonyhousefoods.com/
Honeyville Grains: http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/
Just Tomatoes: http://www.justtomatoes.com/jtstore/pc/All-Products-c2.htm
Mountain House: http://www.mountainhouse.com/
Wilderness Dining: http://www.wildernessdining.com/
Wisefoodstorage.com
Recipes:
http://www.onepanwonders.com/
Backpacking Chef: http://www.backpackingchef.com/
trailcooking.com
hungryhammockhanger.com
This is a quick attempt at first version. I will add links when I come up with them.