Brothers, who put college on hold, get lesson on survival hiking Appalachian Trail -

[WhiteBlaze]

<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="7" style="vertical-align:top;"><tr><td width="80" align="center" valign="top"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"></font></td><td valign="top" class="j"><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br /><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1" /></div><div class="lh"><a href="http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHto5F1bcOFdWNtD4FNAe6Xu2Dr9A&url=http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2012/05/22/brother-leave-college-behind-to-thru-hike-appalachian-trail/"><b>Brothers, who put college on hold, get lesson on survival hiking <b>Appalachian Trail</b></b></a><br /><font size="-1"><b><font color="#6f6f6f">Fox News</font></b></font><br /><font size="-1">In late February, they put their college classes on hold to thru-hike the <b>Appalachian Trail</b>. Thru-hiking — hiking a long-distance trail beginning to end — is popular among thousands of trekkers each year. But only one in four hikers are able to <b>...</b></font><br /><font size="-1" class="p"></font><br /><font class="p" size="-1"><a class="p" href="http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&ned=us&ncl=dWPBZ4NAjIIrxOM"><nobr><b></b></nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table>

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[ShoelessWanderer]

I know the statistics of likely hood of finishing the trail, but that really sucks that the brothers didn't get to finish together.

[WIAPilot]

When I read that the brothers "spent an average of $10 per day," I felt that it made this an irresponsible article because it is so misleading. And this $10 per day included hostels. It doesn't mention food drops or help from parents so every college kid out there gets the idea that it costs only $10 per day or about $1800 for 6 months - including hostels. I just don't believe you an buy food, hostel stays, fuel, showers, laundry, and gear repairs/replacements for that amount unless you have an awful lot of help along the way.

I have to wonder if hostels who operate by donation only are given anything or maybe $1-$2 by hikers on this kind of budget. That doesn't even pay for their hot water for showers. How long are they going to be in business?

[Spokes]

I was confused by this statement in the article: "On most nights they stayed in hostels or in sleeping bags at campsites."

That seems both true and inaccurate at the same time!