View Full Version : Hiking the AT with $1000 in my bank account
I'm not going to spend money in town, I'm not going to pay to stay in a hotel. This is strictly a trip along the AT and for someone that's trying to get away from society I'd say this is do able. I have 6+ months supply of food that I'm shipping out along the trail as well as extra shoes and misc gear. The $1000 is just extra.
catkonosky
01-04-2013, 15:23
What about clothes? also transportation? How are you planning on getting home from ME? And as far as the hotels go, it is up to you. however, its much easier said when you are under your roof, when you're on the trail I'm sure you'll begin to feel differently about those hotels and restaurants.
Hosaphone
01-04-2013, 15:28
I'm not going to spend money in town, I'm not going to pay to stay in a hotel. This is strictly a trip along the AT and for someone that's trying to get away from society I'd say this is do able. I have 6+ months supply of food that I'm shipping out along the trail as well as extra shoes and misc gear. The $1000 is just extra.
That's what they all say...
I think a lot will come down to whether you can force yourself to eat the food you've purchased. You'll also need good luck that you gear holds out and that the extra shoes still fit when you need them.
Theoretically it could be possible. Get a late start for better weather, try to "bathe" and "do laundry" on the trail may help you feel more like you're living on the trail and not simply doing short hikes from town to town.
Whether you finish or not, you're sure to have an adventure! Leave yourself with enough money to get your life back in order once you get home afterwards...
If you want to get away from society on a budget, do some trail crew work. They feed you well, you get to work in some beautiful and remote places and some even offer a small stipend.
http://www.backdoorjobs.com/maine-conservation-corps.html
http://www.trailcrew.org/
http://www.wta.org/volunteer/trail-work-parties
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/workingtogether/volunteering/?cid=fsbdev3_036682
Otherwise you are 19. Pick up a job at home depot for a bit, save up money and then hike when you don't have to worry about a tiny budget as much. $4000 or so is a good base line. At $8 an hour, that's $250 a wk after taxes roughly working full time. Work for about 6 mos and you have over $6k. Assuming you don't have too many responsibilities at your age, you can easily use $3000 of that for your AT hike savings (if not more). (ARe you living at home for example?)
That puts you in later June and about the right time for a SoBo hike.
Working and saving money ain't romantic..but it IS realistic. :)
Or you can scrimp by on $1000 for a thru-hike (ha! :) ), hike a few weeks on the AT for a nice section hike or look at other alternatives.
WingedMonkey
01-04-2013, 15:52
Go for it.
And if you only take 100 days to do the trail it might even cost you less.
Different Socks
01-04-2013, 15:58
That's what they all say...
I think a lot will come down to whether you can force yourself to eat the food you've purchased. You'll also need good luck that you gear holds out and that the extra shoes still fit when you need them.
Theoretically it could be possible. Get a late start for better weather, try to "bathe" and "do laundry" on the trail may help you feel more like you're living on the trail and not simply doing short hikes from town to town.
Whether you finish or not, you're sure to have an adventure! Leave yourself with enough money to get your life back in order once you get home afterwards...
"force yourself to eat the food you've bought"?
What does that mean exactly? Don't you eat the food you've bought in towns along the way? Don't people even try to mix things up a bit on their menus or do you think its all ramen and spam and tuna and mac'n'cheese?
The food/snacks/desserts I'm shipping to myself for my next thru will have so much variety, I'll be the envy of every hiker.
Either walk as far as you get( which a high probability is less than 1/2 ) or get a job and save more to hike later.. Good Luck
Lone Wolf
01-04-2013, 16:25
I'm not going to spend money in town, I'm not going to pay to stay in a hotel. This is strictly a trip along the AT and for someone that's trying to get away from society I'd say this is do able. I have 6+ months supply of food that I'm shipping out along the trail as well as extra shoes and misc gear. The $1000 is just extra.
:)............
Drybones
01-04-2013, 16:26
I see no reason you can't do it, just a matter of doing without, if you're accustomed to doing without you'll make it fine, if not you'll be home soon.
Cookerhiker
01-04-2013, 16:28
Report back to us when you've finished your hike and let us know how you did (honestly:)).
Omaha_Ace
01-04-2013, 16:42
"How to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail with only $1000" - I'd buy that book
Hosaphone
01-04-2013, 17:00
"force yourself to eat the food you've bought"?
What does that mean exactly? Don't you eat the food you've bought in towns along the way? Don't people even try to mix things up a bit on their menus or do you think its all ramen and spam and tuna and mac'n'cheese?
The food/snacks/desserts I'm shipping to myself for my next thru will have so much variety, I'll be the envy of every hiker.
I mean unless you're an experienced hiker and know what you will want to eat, mail dropping food can be hit or miss. I've read trail journals of people who put a lot of thought and care into it, and it works out really well for them. On the other hand, there are plenty of examples of people who thought they would enjoy eating oatmeal every morning for 4 months and then got sick of it after a week.
BobTheBuilder
01-04-2013, 17:02
How about you hike until you run out of money and then go home?
Toolshed
01-04-2013, 17:11
you'd be amazed at how different you might think after just 5 days on the trail, let alone 25, 45, 65 or 85 days. It is nice to be able to conjour up images of your endeavors when you are sitting in front of the computer with a warm cup of coffee and a few hours to read TJ and daydream...More often than not, you/your thoughts change during the journey....
Hike until the money runs out.
$1000 worth of hiking for $1000.
Guaranteed.
Seriously though, in addition to supported/unsupported records.
There should be a record for unsupported $1000, how far you can get, etc.
Blissful
01-04-2013, 17:36
Good luck.... Easy to say this stuff in the comfort of one's surroundings. Better to save up.
If you want to get away from society on a budget, do some trail crew work. They feed you well, you get to work in some beautiful and remote places and some even offer a small stipend.
http://www.backdoorjobs.com/maine-conservation-corps.html
http://www.trailcrew.org/
http://www.wta.org/volunteer/trail-work-parties
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/workingtogether/volunteering/?cid=fsbdev3_036682
A good suggestion.
It's a good way to get out there and enjoy the backcountry, and there's plenty of time between projects to go backpacking.
Personally I would not have shipped out all that gear and clothes with just $1000 to go and collect it all with.
Then again, sounds like a fun challenge.
May the odds be ever in your favour.
Slo-go'en
01-04-2013, 17:46
Seriously though, in addition to supported/unsupported records.
There should be a record for unsupported $1000, how far you can get, etc.
I'm considering taking on that challenge this spring. The goal -find out how far can I get with $1,000 pocket money, being reasonably frugal along the way. I figure probably Cataba in VA.
it would be a theoretical possibility to survive on the AT for a thru hike on $1000. I would say that you will have to keep clean by jumping in creeks, moving away from the source, soaping, rinsing with your cook-pot several times and then maybe jumping back in. I've done this a lot - you can get clean but it is quite cold. You really might only be able to pay for a hostel 5 or 6 times total - - that's just better than one a month but sometimes you can get a cheap shower at a campground. You will not be able to party at all (unless you get some magic). Your food will be very basic and you'll get tired of it - oatmeal, potatoes, peanut butter, pasta sides, and maybe some dried fruit - - even foil packs of tuna fish will be a luxury. You'll need to purify water with bleach because aqua-mira alone costs $80 - $100 for most thru-hikes. You see where I'm going with this - - the trip would be theoretically possible but most things that thru-hikers typically don't think much about paying for ($20 fee in the GSMNP, a $7.00 tent site at a campground, $4.95 for some replacement batteries for your headlamp, $14.00 for some new socks, a pint of ice cream, $5.00 (see, there goes $50.00) and that's just a typical stop at some random camp store.
You could theoretically do it but your adventure would just be about seeing if it could be done, suffering through, hitch-hiking a lot and probably asking for a lot of help from folks. It might not be the grand adventure you have in mind. But COULD it be done, yeah - probably.
The Solemates
01-04-2013, 18:33
i think i may be able to hike the trail for $1000, but having no money to my name when i got done is foolish stupidity
Lone Wolf
01-04-2013, 18:38
this ain't happenin'. good trollin'
i think i may be able to hike the trail for $1000, but having no money to my name when i got done is foolish stupidity
I already have arrangements back home. I will be perfectly fine when I get off the AT just unemployed for a brief period. How would you go about doing this?
Old Hiker
01-04-2013, 19:06
Just wondering - what happened to the fiance from previous posts?
mountain squid
01-04-2013, 19:30
Report back to us when you've finished your hike and let us know how you did (honestly:)).Concur.
Good Luck and Have Fun!
See you on the trail,
mt squid
read how to hike (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?73587-how-to-hike) thread containing links to other threads concerning this topic
I would not ship the food ahead. I would save that money and spend as I go.
Practice being frugal now and see how cheap you can live. Good way to save money for trip.
cliffordbarnabus
01-04-2013, 23:44
I've done it. it's doable. just stick to your guns. don't deviate. don't splurge. walk. camp. spend days in town and nights on trail. hit the $5.99 ayce's. enjoy bread and pb. you can make it happen and the only person who can prevent it from happening is....also....you.
Caitlan, I will not get into a debate or discussion with you or anyone else who wants to thru the AT on a $1000 budget, People have done it but that doesn't mean that you will or you will not do it. Everyone is different. Beyond that, I will tell you, I've never witnessed nor heard about someone quitting a thru because they had too much money or resources. HOWEVER, I've heard and witnessed MANY times hikers having to quit or excusing themselves from thru-hikes because they lacked funds and/or resources.
I suspect U avoided reading, and CAREFULLY CONSIDERING, MAGS post. Read it again! Solid advice!
Caitlan is just a troll, in earlier post she was asking people to send her gear becuase she was "robbed", she also was going to hike with her boyfriend.. i guess they broke up in the last 3 hours... so sad
A little more than year a ago I had the desire to hike the trail.. I was very close to pulling the trigger and almost decided to give a thru hike a shot the summer of '12. I would have had at the very most $2500 after gear; to travel (from WI), live off of, and return home with. Today I think I probably wouldn't have had the $$$ to do it comfortably and def would have been broke upon my return home. Instead i found a new job that winter, earning a little more money, but enough to save more.Then, last summer I knew that the a thru hike on the AT is something I'm serious about and now I have saved money to hike the trail without burdensome financial worries, the risk creating debt or having to sacrifice personal enjoyment. Most importantly I'll have funds to rent a place and settle back in to life while I decide what's next me whenever i finish.
If you think you can hike without budget constraints effecting the quality of your time go for it! But i gotta imagine that for most folks having the funds to take a break from the "real-world" is the biggest factor in deciding when/how to go about a thru hike.
I'm not going to spend money in town,
HA HA HA That's a good one. I say that to myself all the time but as I'm adding up what I HAVE LEFT IN FUNDS, as I leave town, UMM, LOL it's another story. You must be a very disciplened and mature 19 yr old. LOL I wish you well.
The Cleaner
01-05-2013, 01:09
Doing a thru hike on 1000$,sounds like a pipe dream:confused: or rather a bong dream:eek:....Thru hikers without plenty of money wore out their welcome at most places 20 years ago.....BTW anybody heard from Rifle lately?
I'm sure he's cold if he's still on the AT. Last thing saw from him was a journal entry.... http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=14325
Grand Poobah
01-05-2013, 01:16
I will say hiker boxes late in the season or for SOBO's are fairly filled with food. you can typically score some decent food, but that will require you to go into towns. Also, how much do you know about thru hiking? I think I stayed in 2 hotels (1 paid for by another hikers father visiting) the entire trip, hostels on the other hand, i stayed at a good number of them. I just finished my SOBO hike in Dec with about 2900$ but was supported by family with food drops every 2 weeks or so. So not all my food, but a decent amount. This also caused me to carry extra food or leave it in hiker boxes because non-hikers really dont understand how we eat and plan out our food between towns. I also drank my fair share of craft beers along the way from different parts of the country I have never visited. So it was all part of the experience for me.
Good luck.
If you have your food for 6 months and gear, don't smoke weed or cigarettes and aren't a drunk in town, you should easily be able to hike the entire trail.
there are plenty of examples of people who thought they would enjoy eating oatmeal every morning for 4 months and then got sick of it after a week.
Really what did they eat then? There's only so many basics for a hiker to choose from. I've eaten the same crap for every hike. It taste great after 20 miles!
Tuckahoe
01-05-2013, 01:36
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?91026-How-much-it-cost-me-in-to-thru-hike-the-AT-in-2012
There are some realistic numbers there.
Most of the naysayers aren't very good at reading comprehension. He says he has food for six months shipped and and extra gear. That leaves $40 a week for whatever. If he skips in and out of town for $20 which can buy a meal and a cheap hostel, he'll have $60 the next town. As long as he has his food and doesn't have any serious vices, he can do it.
Grand Poobah
01-05-2013, 01:39
Also I ate 2-3 packets of oatmeal and coffee every morning for 4.5 months, unless I was out and ate what i had.
Most of the naysayers aren't very good at reading comprehension. He says he has food for six months shipped and and extra gear. That leaves $40 a week for whatever. If he skips in and out of town for $20 which can buy a meal and a cheap hostel, he'll have $60 the next town. As long as he has his food and doesn't have any serious vices, he can do it.
Yea and in the other Thread she started today, she was begging for gear for her and her boyfriend becuase they were robbed, its a troll plain and simple.
Yea and in the other Thread she started today, she was begging for gear for her and her boyfriend becuase they were robbed, its a troll plain and simple.
That may be but it wasn't part of the argument. However, if that's the case it and it's all bull, it ain't gonna happen.
Yea and in the other Thread she started today, she was begging for gear for her and her boyfriend because they were robbed, its a troll plain and simple.
Thanks for yanking me back from the cliff.... Wasn't aware of the other posts.
Most of the naysayers aren't very good at reading comprehension. He says he has food for six months shipped and and extra gear. That leaves $40 a week for whatever. If he skips in and out of town for $20 which can buy a meal and a cheap hostel, he'll have $60 the next town. As long as he has his food and doesn't have any serious vices, he can do it.
I think it was Colter who (in relation to speed hikes claims) said it is one thing to be encouraging it is another thing to give false and ungrounded "Just go for it man! Don't listen to the naysayers.)
The speed record attempts and the ultra-cheap thru-hike attempts pop up every year like mushrooms after a rain storm.
While your ideas sound good in theory, in practice very few first time thru-hikers have the kind of discipline you mention...never mind a 19 yo. And just how much food/equipment does this person truly have? I dunno myself...but someone still has to pay for the shipping of said food. And if the person get's sick of the food, well then they may be in a few surprise.
I think a person is far better served by the 'radical' idea of waiting three months (Mar vs June), save their money by working and then do a SoBo hike.
It ain't romantic. It's not the hippy "Just do it man!" vibe. And it isn't fun.
But, many of the people who aim to do a uber-inexpensive thru-hike are living in lala land. I've seen people on the the trails who attempt this. They end up quitting and/or mooching off people.
So suck it up. Work a few extra months and then have a thru-hike where you don't have to worry about the money as much.
If working a mere ~5+ months to save money takes too much..how the hell are you going to have the discipline to do a thru-hike?
Even if the thread is BS, this claim comes up enough where these thoughts are worth repeating.
If I was to do a frugal hike of the AT I would probably do it SOBO and unannounced and avoid people as much as possible. I would still do trail towns, but try and hit them at a time when they are not expecting hikers. I would certainly work an extra 5 months before the hike, but I wouldn't spend that on the hike. It would be for when the hike was over. If I had the time and the money that most people seem to recommend for the AT, it would be on a different expedition like sailing a small boat across the Atlantic or something involving hiking and paddling and perhaps cross-country skiing, way up North maybe, not doing something so many have already done before and being chastised about not spending enough doing it. I get raped enough in every day life. I am used to spending very little money here hiking, paddling, cross-country skiing. Its cheaper than going out to bars and dinner and the movies and I see no reason to change that. It's the time, not the money. The less it cost the more time I could afford to take off.
Yeah, this thread is probably started by a troll. But so what? No less honest that people encouraging others to spend more than they really need to, because it has become an industry instead of a recreational activity.
[QUOTE=Mags;1386224...The speed record attempts and the ultra-cheap thru-hike attempts pop up every year like mushrooms after a rain storm.
....in practice very few first time thru-hikers have the kind of discipline you mention...never mind a 19 yo....
I think a person is far better served by the 'radical' idea of waiting three months (Mar vs June), save their money by working and then do a SoBo hike.
It ain't romantic. It's not the hippy "Just do it man!" vibe. And it isn't fun.
But, many of the people who aim to do a uber-inexpensive thru-hike are living in lala land. I've seen people on the the trails who attempt this. They end up quitting and/or mooching off people.
So suck it up. Work a few extra months and then have a thru-hike where you don't have to worry about the money as much.
If working a mere ~5+ months to save money takes too much..how the hell are you going to have the discipline to do a thru-hike?
Even if the thread is BS, this claim comes up enough where these thoughts are worth repeating.[/QUOTE]
REALITY CHECK! I know. Sometimes it offends. Sometimes it can hurt the ego. It's often solid advice though.
Since I totally agree with the last sentence in Mag's post too, I'll add, why get hung up in attempting to complete a thru-hike if the goal is "to get away from civilization for awhile?" Just do a AT section hike COMFORTABLY until the money runs out. Mission accomplished! No need to attempt a thru-hike where the odds are even higher of quitting, given the situation, that leads to developing and further strengthening the habit of being a quitter? Lack of meaningful sincere feedback by the OP is suspect. It's these double ended double minded wishy washy thread starting questions and comments that lead to endless debate, chaos, and confusion that never resolve anything. It's a favorite troll tactic. Done here.
I hiked with a guy in '06 who did what thousand-dollar-hiker is proposing to do. He pre-bought all his food at Sam's Club, then had his brother ship him boxes about every three weeks, to save on shipping costs. Yes, he carried 21 days' worth of food at a time in his monster pack.
He rationed his money by having a $100 limit on withdrawals from his debit card. He avoided motels, zero days, shuttles, and all those other money-draining activities.
He also lost 55 pounds (which happens when you all you have is a packet of intant oatmeal for breakfast) and was on the grubby side of thrus, for lack of showering and laundering. :-)
So that was one guy who succeeded in doing a budget hike. Along the way, though, we left behind quite a few hikers who ran out of money, one as far north as Massachusetts, on a SOBO hike. One day I ran into a group of six outside Daleville, most of whom were quitting for lack of money.
Yeah, it's possible, but it rarely works out. Especially if you have the slightest doubt in your mind, which is the only reason you'd start a thread asking the question. If you could do it, you'd KNOW.
Mags' proposal is much sounder--delay a few months and save up more money.
Eighty-Eight
01-06-2013, 01:25
I'm not going to spend money in town, I'm not going to pay to stay in a hotel. This is strictly a trip along the AT and for someone that's trying to get away from society I'd say this is do able. I have 6+ months supply of food that I'm shipping out along the trail as well as extra shoes and misc gear. The $1000 is just extra.
I took 6 months to hike from GA to ME and spent a shade over $950.00. Of course, that was in 1972, when a grand would buy about what 5K does today.
Slo-go'en
01-06-2013, 02:10
Although a grand isn't likely to get you to Maine, it could get you to Harpers Ferry - about half way to Maine. Which wouldn't be all that bad a way to spend a couple of months "escaping society".
yellowsirocco
01-06-2013, 06:05
I think the Long Trail is a good alternative for the $1K crowd. That would be a very comfortable budget. And with the LT they would have something accomplished as well.
Interesting discussion - of course, I have begun to think that the OP is either a Troll or just someone really half-baked (asking for donations, etc.).
In my opinion, it boils down to lifestyle, smarts, and resourcefulness and I don't think the OP hits the mark.
If one's desire is to be very resourceful, very wilderness oriented, avoiding towns, hostels, restaurants, etc. as much as possible, keep clean on the cheap, and eat lots and lots of pasta sides, ramen noodles, peanut butter, bulk oatmeal, and whatever is found in hiker boxes this sort of thing could (and probably does) get done. I'd say that someone probably manages a thru hike on $1000 or less ever year. Most people spend $4000-$6,000 and I sure that someone spends $20,000.
The $1,000 hiker would have to be a very resourceful and purposeful person - - this would be the type of person that carefully searches yard sales and flea markets for a backpack and makes their own modifications makes their own Ray-Way type Quilt, get's used gear on e-bay, etc. This sort of person might be able to obtain free food and rides (not by begging) but just by being friendly, nice, helpful, etc. This person would be fit and fast - - the shorter time on the trai, the less money would be spent. They would be an accomplished hitch-hiker and not be too afraid to check out the dumpster behind the grocery store for expired food that's still good.
Regardless of what or who the OP is claiming to be, just from the nature of the way the questions are phrased, I don't think this person meets the criteria for someone who could do a $1000 thru-hike because that person would exhibit some real resourcefulness that I don't sense in the OP.
shadow11
01-06-2013, 11:31
Just remember most folks on here are not young enough to know everything.
Rocket Jones
01-06-2013, 12:43
...says the new user with 3 posts to his name, each of which were in support of Caitlan. :)
I'd like to think of it as being pragmatic.
Is it possible to do this? Yes. Is it probable that she'll do it? No. The number of people who actually make it on a budget like this are few and far between.
This past year Animal did a thru on a very limited budget like this - all his gear was from walmart, he bought tons of cheap food/filled his bucket up when he was in town and was still going strong when I met him in Hanover. That being said, it was still hard for him - he wasn't able to go into town and hang out with other hikers because he was hard up for $$ (case in point, another hiker bought his AYCE that night, and another one bought the beer he drank).
Do we think it's possible to do a $1000 hike? Sure, it's been done before (usually by those with more experience who already have good lightweight gear). Do I think this girl, who is already looking for free gear, handouts and help, who doesn't seem to know what's going on, can complete a $1000 hike? Personally, no. But I've been proven wrong before, so good luck.
Slo-go'en
01-06-2013, 14:33
The statement "trying to get away from society" in her first post is a red flag. Sounds more like a troubled youth wanting to escape reality than a serious attempt at thru hiking the AT.
But the subject of doing a low budget thru-hike does come up pretty often, typically by younger folks who understandably don't have a lot of money. Of course, you don't have to be young to be poor. It's not uncommon to run into people of all ages on the trail with hardly two nickels to rub together.
It would be interesting to see a break down of trail expenses by state. Well, maybe by state wouldn't be too good since some states are much longer then others. So how about how far does the first $1K get you? How far does the next $1K get you and so on. We know it gets more expensive when you cross the masion-dixon line, but by how much and where does it peak?
Maybe some aspiring MBA student will keep track of all expenses and do some charts. That study could be worth a few collage credits, especially if they could get a few other hikers to input data too. hint hint...
A few years ago, in response to a similar question, I came up with a test in the vein of the stuff you see in women's magazines. It went something like this:
Can you do a cheap thru-hike?
1) What sort of car do you drive?
a) No car. I take the bus or ride a junker bike.
b) Beater more than 15 years old. Bought it used.
c) Reliable car, but nothing flashy.
d) Car my parents gave me.
e) I like nice wheels, and money is no object.
2) Where do you live?
a) Hellhole
b) Small apartment.
c) Modest single-family home.
d) I've always lived with my parents, or in a dorm room or apartment they've paid for.
e) I like to be comfortable, and make a good impression on friends and family.
3) Where did you get your current winter coat?
a) Cast-off ffreebie
b) Goodwill shop
c) Big box store.
d) From my parents.
e) Quality clothing is worth the money.
4) When is the last time you went out to eat, and where did you go?
a) I can't remember that far back in time.
b) McDonald's dollar menu
c) Outback or Applebee's.
d) Wherever my parents took me.
e) What I put in my body is important, so I'm picky about what I'll accept.
5) Where do you buy groceries?
a) I scrounge.
b) Super Wal-Mart
c) Grocery store with decent selection.
d) My folks do the shopping.
e) I only buy organically-grown food.
I think you get the point.
People who always choose A have a chance of doing a cheap thru-hike. Not spending money permeates every decision they make.
B's might be able to pull it off.
C's will probably do a moderately-priced hike, which they prudently save for and execute under budget.
I think the folks who are deluded about their ability to live cheaply are often D's. They haven't been out on their own financially, and don't really have the mental tools for making the choices that will let them stretch their money far enough to finish a hike. They are shocked, shocked I tell you, at how quickly money leaks away.
E's won't scrimp on their hike, but they probably don't need to.
I like how you put Applebees and Outback on the same line Marta :p
evyck da fleet
01-06-2013, 16:47
It would be interesting to see a break down of trail expenses by state. Well, maybe by state wouldn't be too good since some states are much longer then others. So how about how far does the first $1K get you? How far does the next $1K get you and so on. We know it gets more expensive when you cross the masion-dixon line, but by how much and where does it peak?
I was in Damascus when I spent dollar 1,000. I spent dollar 2,000 resupplying in Duncannon so I could have made it to Port Clinton/Hamburg before I was out of money. I spent dollar $3,000 resupplying in Hanover which got me to Gorham. And I spent just short of $4,000 before detouring to Boston and NYC on my way home.
Two things stood out to me. I spent a lot early on doing lower mileage and heading into towns more often even though its cheaper in the south. For the hikers on a limited budget, I noticed they spent a lot more than expected by this point replacing cheap or broken gear. They also had usually spent more than planned gettting to the trail.
Secondly, I spent a lot the last few hundred miles. Part of that was making travel arrangements, part was celebrating in Millinocket after finishing and the big outlier was having to take three zeros and pay for the town food at the hostel in Gorham for meals while getting over norovirus. I spent one day feeling really tired, one day fighting it off and one day resting before heading back out thanks to a SOBO couple claiming to be thru-hikers doing work for stay who got sick at the last hut in the Whites
while I was there:(
Marta, that's an excellent post. Good one to dig out as these posts come out...usually every year around this time! :)
I suspect most of these "budget post" hikes are from category D.
Now, I just need to see the "I am going to totally crush some hiking record. I've camped A LOT" post next...
Followed by "I have time off in April and May. I want to thru-hike the Colorado Trail. I'll carry snowshoes! Can I do it ???".
The hiking circle of life will be complete!!!! ;)
Marta, that's an excellent post. Good one to dig out as these posts come out...usually every year around this time! :)
I suspect most of these "budget post" hikes are from category D.
Now, I just need to see the "I am going to totally crush some hiking record. I've camped A LOT" post next...
Followed by "I have time off in April and May. I want to thru-hike the Colorado Trail. I'll carry snowshoes! Can I do it ???".
The hiking circle of life will be complete!!!! ;)
#1 can be interchanged with "I'm planning to win the Boston Marathon this year. What kind of shoes should I wear? Don't laugh at me because I'm going to train really hard."
#2 is the sort of question I deal with every day here. What do mean the Going to the Sun Road/everything in Glacier National Park is closed? I want to see it now! Can't they just plow away the snow?
I'd like to think of it as being pragmatic.
Is it possible to do this? Yes. Is it probable that she'll do it? No. The number of people who actually make it on a budget like this are few and far between.
This past year Animal did a thru on a very limited budget like this - all his gear was from walmart, he bought tons of cheap food/filled his bucket up when he was in town and was still going strong when I met him in Hanover. That being said, it was still hard for him - he wasn't able to go into town and hang out with other hikers because he was hard up for $$ (case in point, another hiker bought his AYCE that night, and another one bought the beer he drank).
Do we think it's possible to do a $1000 hike? Sure, it's been done before (usually by those with more experience who already have good lightweight gear). Do I think this girl, who is already looking for free gear, handouts and help, who doesn't seem to know what's going on, can complete a $1000 hike? Personally, no. But I've been proven wrong before, so good luck.
pretty much my exact thoughts but remember that there is about a 97% chance that we are just theoretically chatting because I think there is about a 50% chance that this person doesn't even exist (in the form that she claims) and if she does, there is about a 75% chance that she won't even make it the southern terminus of the trail - - that gives her about a 1% chance (or worse) in finishing a thru (as proposed).
pretty much my exact thoughts but remember that there is about a 97% chance that we are just theoretically chatting because I think there is about a 50% chance that this person doesn't even exist (in the form that she claims) and if she does, there is about a 75% chance that she won't even make it the southern terminus of the trail - - that gives her about a 1% chance (or worse) in finishing a thru (as proposed).
So many percantages! The only percentages I deal with are in poker! Heck the only math I do is beer math, rent math, mileage math and gambling math! You can take your fancy percentages somewhere else good sir!
Because I believe you are absolutely correct on all counts.
While your ideas sound good in theory, in practice very few first time thru-hikers have the kind of discipline you mention...never mind a 19 yo. And just how much food/equipment does this person truly have? I dunno myself...but someone still has to pay for the shipping of said food. And if the person get's sick of the food, well then they may be in a few surprise.
I think a person is far better served by the 'radical' idea of waiting three months (Mar vs June), save their money by working and then do a SoBo hike.
The question wasn't about her chances of making it, it was about finances.
Maybe I'm the one that has a reading comprehension problem or didn't read in-between the lines, but the way she put it originally all her food and shipping was accounted for along with having spare gear. It sounded like after expenses, she'd have $1000 to hike with.
Would she be better off with $2-$3,000 after food? Sure, but it wouldn't be necessary.
I've run out of money and went flat broke twice while attempting a thru-hike so I know how it works. If I had food waiting at the next town, I doubt I would have voluntarily left the trail either time.
starbright
01-07-2013, 03:31
I'm a B so I might just beable to pull this off. Yeah:)
You don't have to be poor to be frugal, and make good choices. Also, people can change.
It's not just a question of spending habits and giving in to pressure, It's about morals, and resolve.
Being frugal = living well, and making good choices, and setting an example for others.
Anything short of sustainability is not sustainable.
The question wasn't about her chances of making it, it was about finances.
Maybe I'm the one that has a reading comprehension problem or didn't read in-between the lines, but the way she put it originally all her food and shipping was accounted for along with having spare gear. It sounded like after expenses, she'd have $1000 to hike with.
Would she be better off with $2-$3,000 after food? Sure, but it wouldn't be necessary.
I've run out of money and went flat broke twice while attempting a thru-hike so I know how it works. If I had food waiting at the next town, I doubt I would have voluntarily left the trail either time.
I'll grant you this MAGS but she also started another thread begging members here for gear because her garage was broken into (but somehow she and her husband have been "training" for 8 months) - - she's NOT you.
Alligator
01-07-2013, 09:56
Probably a good idea to just wait on posting to this thread, waiting on a clarification.
There are no extra points for suffering--at $1,000 it will be extremely difficult......
There are no extra points for suffering--at $1,000 it will be extremely difficult......
If someone said they were starting the trail with $2500-$3000 would you be saying the same? After food and gear, it's basically the same thing.
The Old Boot
01-07-2013, 12:59
Aside from the question as to whether this person has the equipment needed to make the hike, something that I see a lot of the posters have forgotten is that not all of us hike the same hike.
All the negative posts ASSUME the same thing - that town visits will be frequent and cost big bucks thereby making the budget of $1,000 impossible!
Not all of us:
drink alcohol - yes, I did at 19 but not all 19 y/olds drink, let alone heavily or frequently.
eat at fast food restaurants or eat out at all - I don't care whether I'm hiking or not and aside from the fact that I'm now lactose intolerant, I don't eat at chain restaurants - at all, ever!! Given a choice between cooking my own meal or eating at a restaurant - home cooked wins all the time!
stay in a hotel or hostel - you couldn't pay me enough to do that. 5 star or not, ain't happening. Even when I had to travel out of town on business and had no choice but to stay overnight, I carried my own byob bed because I could never sleep on the hotel beds. I'm not equipping myself with what I want in sleeping gear so I can give it up to sleep in something questionable, particularly in a common sleeping room with other snorers...lol.
Since those are the three highest costs incurred by most in a long distance hike, maybe it might be wiser to ask what the OPs' plans are in regards to these items rather than naysaying her or anyone else from the start.
Could most of you do it on a $1,000. - probably not. Could someone else - maybe. Could I if I wanted to - most likely because I don't spend money on that stuff in my daily life, it wouldn't change much on the trail.
If someone said they were starting the trail with $2500-$3000 would you be saying the same? After food and gear, it's basically the same thing.
I honestly question if the person has the food and gear. (Even if the person is fake).
Who is mailing the supplies? WHat is the food and gear? Are there backups for the gear? (shoes, socks, underwear, Bonners if not showering in town? etc?) Will they be satisfied with trail food only? Is the trail food varied enough to resist pizza and beer?
You said it is not about about making it or not, but about finances.
In the real world, they are rather intertwined.
This thread may have started as a troll, but is is instructive.
Many of these "pie in the sky" plans go out every year and ever year there is misguided cheerleading IMO.
All the negative posts ASSUME the same thing - that town visits will be frequent and cost big bucks thereby making the budget of $1,000 impossible!
It's called realism and experience..not negativity.
Rainbows, unicorns and feel good vibes are good for drum circles and Lifetime channel movies.
Not for hiking the AT.
See Marta's excellent post above.
If someone can answer the As and Bs honestly, then go for it. I suspect most people can't.
What do you think, Mags? Should the quiz be expanded and put up as an article? Aspiring cheap hike aspirants could be sent there to score themselves. We could come up with current price ranges for the A through E hikers.
hauptman
02-02-2013, 12:34
Ten Dirtbag Essentials
1. hitch everywhere
2. dollar general is you friend
3. eat less/lose weight
4. don't cook
5. avoid both expensive and cheap store bought gear. plastic + mylar + fleece and other scavenged junk and materials can work wonders for anyone with a sewing machine
6. accept that you will often be cold and wet, just learn to shirk it off
7. take cheap fire starter for colder nights
8. ziplock bags make easy dry bags
9. duct tape fixes everything
10. love your pain
58starter
02-02-2013, 13:12
Good luck, and have fun as long as you are out there. If you make it all the way on $1000 you have hiked your own hike and made it.
Good luck, and have fun as long as you are out there. If you make it all the way on $1000 you have hiked your own hike and made it.
Simple answer. Yes, it can be, has been, and will be done, again, and again, and again. Not by many, not by me...yet, and maybe not by you. Depends on your constitution and circumstances you encounter. Good luck, have fun, and know you can do it.
With the Monstrous amount of failed Thru-hikes, for lack of funds, physical and mostly MENTAL (IMO) setbacks, its fair to say that many people have hiked the A.T. for 1K. Though not very far or for very long.
I cant possibly save up 5K, will never happen. But I do budget $600 a month a live decently while hiking.