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walkinslow
10-22-2012, 21:10
Can two people ( father and son ) do a thru for $5,000.00 provided we have gear already?

MuddyWaters
10-22-2012, 21:13
Can two people ( father and son ) do a thru for $5,000.00 provided we have gear already?

Yes, it can theoretically be done.

Now that is established, the question you probably meant to ask was if YOU can do it.

Nobody else can answer if you can do it, but most will tell you that you wont enjoy doing it that cheap, and they are probably correct.

Darwin13
10-22-2012, 21:16
sure anything's possible. but a lack of money shouldn't be the reason to get off trail, at least thats what i think .

kayak karl
10-22-2012, 21:28
sure anything's possible. but a lack of money shouldn't be the reason to get off trail, at least thats what i think .
if your out of money you have no choice nut to get off!

kayak karl
10-22-2012, 21:28
...but to get off ;)

kayak karl
10-22-2012, 21:30
your question is can you hike for $2500. not much saving for two.
do a search. you will find a few threads.

Jan LiteShoe
10-22-2012, 21:38
Can you eat, resupply, replace gear, take in a hostel in bad weather, phone home, pay basic ongoing bills (cell,etc) for appx $84 a week? That's what a 5-month thru would run, if you do the math for three ($1,666,66 for 20 weeks. (And a six-month thru would give you $69.44 per week per person). That might help you decide. You could certainly do a comfortable half-trail in spades.

Jan LiteShoe
10-22-2012, 21:40
Sorry, didn't read closely - you're proposing to hike with $5,000 divided by two folks, not three. That's $125 per week for a five-month thru, $104-ish for a six-month three.

cabbagehead
10-22-2012, 23:00
assumptions:
You have fancy lightweight gear including a shelter < 1 lb with no poles.
Your combined pack weight (no food or water) is < 24 lbs.
You carry 10 to 60 lbs of food/water.

The trail will take < 5 months at 15 miles a day. Cut out Maine and part of NH. You will have at least $40/day.

kayak karl
10-22-2012, 23:06
why cut out Maine and part of NH??

cabbagehead
10-23-2012, 00:11
why cut out Maine and part of NH??

- It's a hassle to get to town there. It's harder to get the best food at the best price.
- The hut people aren't completely predictable.
- The mountains look a bit repetitive.
- It's dangerous. The dangers can be avoided by being fit and propper technique. Mountains and staying safe take time.
- nice scenery though

Donde
10-23-2012, 00:33
Cut out the best part of the trail, why not. $5k x2 is tight. You can try and then just quit when/if you run out of money and come back later.

leaftye
10-23-2012, 01:36
Can two people ( father and son ) do a thru for $5,000.00 provided we have the right gear already?


Fixed.

Let's assume the fixed quote was true. If you knew how to hike smart, and did so, I believe it's entirely possible.

Seriously though, if you're asking this question, you probably haven't settled on the right gear for you yet. That's okay though. Work on building your experience and knowledge, go hiking, and let's hope it works out.

chiefduffy
10-23-2012, 04:19
...you're proposing to hike with $5,000 divided by two folks, not three. That's $125 per week for a five-month thru, $104-ish for a six-month three.


The hike is doable, but money will be very tight and town nights few.

(Good to see you in here Jan! Welcome back)

10-K
10-23-2012, 06:03
The secret to the success of this scenario is to hike 20 mile days.

20 mile days is doable. Running out of money based on $5000 for 2 people is a crapshoot but the faster you hike the better your odds.

Lone Wolf
10-23-2012, 07:03
Can two people ( father and son ) do a thru for $5,000.00 provided we have gear already?

possible. not probable

RED-DOG
10-23-2012, 08:44
Yes 2 people can complete a Thru-Hike using 5,000, you have to be careful how you spend your money.

leaftye
10-23-2012, 08:46
The good thing about hiking together is savings can come from bigger packages that are more affordable per unit with less excess to discard. If doing a zero in a hotel, lodging is split among the pair. Let's just say that for some things, the additional cost for the second person is nothing or minimal.

The downside is that if I were thru hiking alone, I'd want to budget more than $5000 for the trip. Not necessarily because I'd spend it all, but because I don't want to stress about conserving money during a thru hike.

10-K
10-23-2012, 08:55
Wouldn't start without $7k available myself.

I wonder how many times I've said that on this forum...... :) I don't think I've said anything new for about 2 years...

garlic08
10-23-2012, 09:08
Many hikers spend more than that on the AT hiking solo, so that's definitely a challenge. You might make a budget like that more easily on your second thru hike, after you get most of the kinks worked out. But as others have said, it's not impossible.

My rule of thumb for budgeting is $1000 per person per month, but that includes gear replacement and transportation and single occupancy. I've hiked for as little as $750 per month, on-trail cost, averaging about 600 miles per month, and I don't think I'd like to cut it down more than that, but then again I'm getting old and I have a credit card. My total cost on the AT was $3500, relatively cheap, and I don't believe I could have added a family member for an additional $1500. Just the food cost that much. Again, that was my hike. Some are cheaper, but most are not.

rotorbrent
10-23-2012, 09:36
That would probally cover your food cost, limit in town stays ect lots of articles on how to save money on the trail.

WingedMonkey
10-23-2012, 09:42
Wouldn't start without $7k available myself.

I wonder how many times I've said that on this forum...... :) I don't think I've said anything new for about 2 years...

Hiking is expensive when you spend $562 on a shuttle.

:p :p

The Solemates
10-23-2012, 13:52
Can two people ( father and son ) do a thru for $5,000.00 provided we have gear already?

too many assumptions on cost. we did it (two people) for this cost, but it depends on what you are having to pay for. I wrote this on another discussion:

it all depends on how you define "expenses". here was our breakdown.

we saved up about $10,000 to hike the trail. we did this because we worked like dogs to save - it can be done - we were poor college grads.

a look at expenses starts before the trail. we canceled our living expenses (ie no apartment), we canceled our cell phone/TV/internet/etc, we had no car payments on either of our cars, no student loans, and we were 100% debt free.

$3500 of our $10,000 savings was actual on-trail expenses. that's right...both of us spent only $3500 total to hike the trail. thats restaurants, food, laundry, shipping, everything. our nature is to be frugal, but we were not overly frugal. what do i mean by this? We had no reservations about spending on food - we spent what we wanted when we wanted. however, we didnt stop in towns very often (we averaged every 10 days or so whereas a lot of people are half that), and when we did stop in town we were very frugal about where we stayed. lots of hostels and few motels. we dont drink or smoke and didnt waste our money there. we did half mail drops and half resupplies in town (33 total resupplies, 17 being maildrops).

the remaining monies were distributed accordingly: $500 for car insurance while we were gone (let family drive the cars once a week or so while away), $1500 for a 6-month medical insurance policy, $500 for the return drive (gas money) back home (and our trip to springer was virtually free as we lived at the time just a couple hours from springer), we spent maybe $500 on miscellaneous gear before the trip (we had most of our stuff already), we spent maybe $500 on gear/gear replacements while on the trail, and we spent around $500 for a 3-day side trip into NYC (stayed with a friend).

Returning from the trail, we had $2500 to work with. We spent all of that to get our life back in order including renting a new house, and were left with $700 in the bank the day we started new jobs. $700 is not much money to work with, but we made it happen. the only reason it happened was because we didnt scrimp on expenses on the front end.

starbright
10-24-2012, 06:49
I think it is very doable I'm starting out in March of 2013 and doing my thru with $1K or less. I'm going out there to hike and see the scenery not to spend money and time in towns.


The good thing about hiking together is savings can come from bigger packages that are more affordable per unit with less excess to discard.

10-K
10-24-2012, 07:16
I think it is very doable I'm starting out in March of 2013 and doing my thru with $1K or less. I'm going out there to hike and see the scenery not to spend money and time in towns.

You say that now.....

Seeing scenery and hiking becomes the new normal within 2 weeks and I give about 99% odds that you'll start looking forward to a shower, bed, and some real food - all of which cost $$$.

Not to mention how nice it is to lay in a hotel bed watching it rain cats and dogs and thinking about how nice it is not to be camped out on an unlevel spot with a root sticking your back while water is dripping on your sleeping bag.

I think it would be more fun to hike with $1000 and quit around Damascus than it would be to try and go all the way to Maine on $1000.

Don H
10-24-2012, 08:04
I think it is very doable I'm starting out in March of 2013 and doing my thru with $1K or less. I'm going out there to hike and see the scenery not to spend money and time in towns.

Please keep us informed on how that works out for you.

Anyone know the cheapest documented thru recently? (Grandma Gatewood maybe did it for less but that was in the 50's and 60's).

Lone Wolf
10-24-2012, 08:26
I'm starting out in March of 2013 and doing my thru with $1K or less. interesting. have you had any experience in the southern appalachians that time of year?

Thirsty DPD
10-24-2012, 09:32
I think it is very doable I'm starting out in March of 2013 and doing my thru with $1K or less. I'm going out there to hike and see the scenery not to spend money and time in towns.

Good for you! Assumption; Mail drops allow you eat eat better & what you want, planning & preparation. I often wonder why do the other backpackers need so much more money then I do, no where to spend it on the trail. $1000.00 will buy you lots of pizza & a few hot showers...save some for the ice cream. Your heading out to HYOH, I admire that. I believe a thru hike cost so much more then when Grandma Gatewood did it, because the culture has changed. A thru has become for many a purely social event and backpackers are getting harder to find. It's like the skydiving analogy; Why would anyone jump out of a perfectly good airplane......Well, I have this perfectly good tent I carry, so why would I get a room. I find nothing wrong with today's 'thru culture', but it's world is not my home. I'm certain you find none of the comments here a distraction. I must say $1000.00 sounds challenging, I'm sure your prepared for it. Your temporary inconveniences will pay lasting dividends. I am cheering you on.

Don H
10-24-2012, 14:32
How much are planning to spend for the bus ride and shuttle to Springer?
And how much will it cost to get home from Katahdin?
Are these costs included in your $1,000?

starbright
10-25-2012, 01:27
How much are planning to spend for the bus ride and shuttle to Springer?
And how much will it cost to get home from Katahdin?
Are these costs included in your $1,000?

The cost of gear, getting there and back are already taken care of. The $1K is for the thru-hike only. I have started a journal and will be adding a list of things I plan on eating along the way. As far as hostels, hotels not interested in them. I do intend to eat occasionally in towns when resuplying. I'm not planning on drop boxes or a bounce box at this time. I have decided to leave my dog with a family member.

Lone Wolf
10-25-2012, 06:09
As far as hostels, hotels not interested in them.
you're the first one to ever say that.

Don H
10-25-2012, 07:33
The cost of gear, getting there and back are already taken care of. The $1K is for the thru-hike only.

I think we need to define what the cost of a thru includes.
You're not including gear and transportation.
Is the $1,000 per person or for your family?
Aside from food what else is included in your budget?

Some additional costs could include:
Transportation to and from trail and town for resupply. Sometimes you have to pay and you should offer some gas money for anyone who picks you up.
Laundry. Certainly not as cheap as doing it at home. Wash, dry and soap can cost 4 to 8 bucks total.
Gear replacement. You're gonna break and wear out stuff, shoes, poles, packs, etc.
Medical/Emergencies. You're gonna twist, sprain, strain something (repeatedly!) or get sick along the way. You might need to see a doctor or go to a clinic.
Lodging/Showers. You say you're not interested in towns but are you willing to walk through towns like Damascus or Hot Springs and not stop for a shower? Even hiker hostels that only ask for donations cost money.

I'd like to see you succeed but have concerns over how realistic your budget is. I've seen many people leave the trail because they ran out of money.
Good Luck!

Enic
10-25-2012, 09:07
you're the first one to ever say that.

Maybe first to say it, but not alone in the thought.

TheYoungOne
10-25-2012, 10:33
Can two people ( father and son ) do a thru for $5,000.00 provided we have gear already?

Just a question, is your son a child, teen, or adult? If the son is an adult and willing to "rough it" on the cheap, then its not much of an issue.

If you are taking a kid or teen then you may want to bump up the money a bit. You don't want to get stuck in a bad situation with your child, or have a miserable hike because you were cheap. Also you cant expect you kid, especially if he or she is young to hike hungry and hike big miles just to make the budget work. You kid will needs to enjoy the Thru hike and be safe if you have an emergency like an injury, an equipment failure, or a need to get a hotel room in really storm weather. It about a father and son having an experience of a lifetime, not dad selfishly checking off thru hiking the AT off his bucket list and dragging the son along if he likes it or not.

Thirsty DPD
10-25-2012, 10:33
Maybe first to say it, but not alone in the thought.

Agreed, beside, at most I'm not welcome anyway, I hike w/ a Devil Dog. I like the company I keep.

10-K
10-25-2012, 10:37
Sitting at home talking about hiking to Maine on $1000 is like sitting at home during an ice storm and insisting on going on a hike.

Sounds great in my head but once I'm on the trail I think "holy crap...this sucks!!"

Good luck maybe you'll pull it off.

starbright
10-26-2012, 03:10
I think we need to define what the cost of a thru includes.
You're not including gear and transportation.
Is the $1,000 per person or for your family?
Aside from food what else is included in your budget?

Gear is almost complete just getting the weight where I want it. Transportation to GA and from ME is already taken care of.

The $1000 is per person. My children have saved up $1000 each for the thru-hike. My youngest is the only one that may be a little short. That will come out of my $1000.

The $1000 includes: Food, Laundry, Showers, a restraunt now and then, and a little for replacement.

We are planning to carry 7 to 11 days of food to cut down on resupply stops and less towns.
I've done the math and believe that it can be done.

Karma13
10-26-2012, 05:49
Starbright, I think you're awesome. I'm wishing and your whole family the best luck. I'm cheering for you and your kids, and I hope you have a great hike.

Kaptain Kangaroo
10-26-2012, 05:52
best of luck to you...just having the motivation to get out on the trail is admirable.

However, a $1,000 budget, while it might be possible is going to be tough, real tough..... you will spend a lot more time cold, hungry & wet than most people do........ make sure you have the mental strategies to deal with that....and if it stops being fun, be willing to change you plans....... $1000 will get you a very comfortable 4-6 weeks on trail, and that is a fantastic experience in itself !!!

Carl Calson
10-26-2012, 16:37
We are planning to carry 7 to 11 days of food to cut down on resupply stops and less towns.
I've done the math and believe that it can be done.

i hope you're in shape. i remember carrying 6 days worth of food out of damascus and it was torture. when your hiker appetite develops, you're gonna be in a world of hurt. best of luck to you.

starbright
10-26-2012, 18:53
Starbright, I think you're awesome. I'm wishing and your whole family the best luck. I'm cheering for you and your kids, and I hope you have a great hike.


Thanks for the kind words there dosen't seem to be many on here when people find out my budget. I don't know that I will complete the entire trail but I'm going to try. I figure if I don't make it that will be because of my health problems not my budget. Thanks alot.

MuddyWaters
10-26-2012, 19:38
Many of those people have been there, and know how difficult it is. Their input should be welcomed.

When its been raining for 5 days straight, your feet are macerated and blistered and bleeding, all your gear is wet, your cold, hungry, and your sick of rice and spam, you have 2 choices.

1) Quit, or 2) take a day or two off in town to dry out, heal up, eat well, and get rejuvenated.

If you cannot take option # 2, you will take option #1 eventually.

Del Q
10-26-2012, 19:54
Absolutely. How much did Earl spend?

If you really have the proper gear, $5000 can buy a lot of food and ancillary supplies.

Doing with less is kind of a fun challenge..........and if you have credit cards, charge them up a bit, if you make it all the way ..............will be well worth it. Pay them back as you can.

starbright
10-27-2012, 01:59
Walkinslow
I'm sorry I posted on your page because it seems everybody forgot your question. I really do believe that two can hike for $5000.

Kaptain Kangaroo
10-27-2012, 04:47
Walkinslow
I'm sorry I posted on your page because it seems everybody forgot your question. I really do believe that two can hike for $5000.

I think that the responses to your post are relevant to anyone who is hiking on a very tight budget. I'm sure Walkinslow will find value in the responses you have generated !
And I don't think people have intended to be unkind........ I think they are trying to help you understand what you can expect on your hike. There really can be a big difference between what seems reasonable in the planning stage & the realities of a long distance hike. it is very easy to plan on 7-11 day sections between resupplies to cut down the town related costs....... however, on the trail you will find that you need at least 2 pounds of food per day (possibly more considering that you will have fewer town stops to gorge & top up your calorie intake) , so 11 days of food may weigh up to 30 pounds...... that makes for a very heavy pack...

It is your hike, & by just getting out on the trail you will do more than most people ever will........ but given that you do have some limitations around your hike I really would (very kindly:)) suggest that you think hard about what it is you want to get out of this experience. If it really is to get to katahdin at all costs & you are willing to put yourself & your kids through a very tough experience with a very small chance of success (it's a small chance for anyone, even those with unlimited money) then go for it....... But if you are looking for an enjoyable hiking trip in the woods with your family, maybe a different plan might be more rewarding......

melaniebk
10-27-2012, 15:22
Hiking is expensive when you spend $562 on a shuttle.

:p :p
Ouch! $562 on a shuttle? Did I miss something?:eek:

10-K
10-27-2012, 16:16
Ouch! $562 on a shuttle? Did I miss something?:eek:

That was the price of my long trail shuttle. From Massachusetts to Canada- a little over five hours.