View Full Version : How cheaply could you realistically do a thru-hike
I hiked the AT in 2011 and spent way more than I needed to. I didn't anticipate meeting so many great people who I wanted to drink with in towns lol. Also, I put myself in the emergency room in Hanover. Anyway, I spent well over $2 per mile.
In 2014, I'm hiking the PCT and I want to see how cheaply I can do it. Do any of you have any tips? Other than stop going to bars. I only went to three hotels/hostels on the AT after Massachusetts, so I'm okay with avoiding them on the PCT.
It's not that I don't have the money saved to do the PCT at $2+ per mile, but I want to see if it is realistic to attempt doing it for less than $1 per mile (not including unexpected and expensive gear replacement or potential ER visits).
Thanks guys! I came here because this is where I get the best advice! That is both true and a ploy to get your help!
Ryan Grayson
ryangrayson.blogspot.com
elkie-girl
06-01-2013, 17:59
Supposedly PCT has less people than AT, so your chances of avoiding need to go to a bar are better. You can also carry some wine with youin a dedicated plastic bag (also mix your wine with water, it will kill bacteria- old recepe known by Greeks and Romans), you can buy some good local wines for 3.99 a bottle and I live in CA and know it.
I'm not much of a drinker actually, it was more about spending too much money in towns with new friends. Which I don't think this will be the case on the PCT. I'm wondering though, how cheaply per mile is doable. Has anyone done it for say 50 cents a mile?
A lot depends on when you start and your pace. Start early, good chance you will spend extra days in town. Start later, avoid much of the crappy weather. Go early in Sierra or regular timing in bad snow year, increase zeros in recovery. I took very few zeros, no real zeros after Tahoe. You will be more experienced on this hike but only you can answer how much the towns will pull you in and extract from you. Have a great hike, it's a great trail.
pelenaka
06-01-2013, 23:19
You're off to a good start realizing those situations that are a $ drain. Can you follow your $ trail to see where the biggest hits happened ? A bottle of decent wine around a campfire with fellow hikers ala the junkyard scene in Stand By Me, with or without the bologna sandwiches, lol.
When I was younger I literally had to stop working 2nd shift weekends. Daughter was already @ the sitter asleep, my usual bedtime wasn't til 3 a.m. & the clubs really didn't kick it til after midnight night anyways ... Oh those were the days my friend ...
The worst being a payday weekend.
I'm afraid my anecdote made me seem like an alcoholic lol. Although my friends and I were confused 2 or 3 times with another group who called themselves the Hangover Crew.. hmm.
I plan on doing the PCT in 5 months. Originally I was going to try to stick to a $3000 budget, but I'm going to try to do it for less. After getting off the AT I've only been working to fund the next trip. The year after the AT, I hiked the Long trail, JMT, Wonderland Trail, Teton Crest Trail, and Highline Trail in Glacier. I have the backpacking bug, majorly. If I can minimize expenses then I can do this more often. I've already started making my own gear and got rid of most of my belongings, my house, and I no longer have an appetite for gadgets and things I don't need on the trail. I just want to keep hiking until my health or an accidental baby stops me heh.
elkie-girl
06-02-2013, 01:48
What's your average per day mileage and how often do you get into towns for resupply? As far as how cheaply it can be made, some say there was a guy how made the whole AT for $20, including food and gear. As for gear, he found too many stuff thrown out within first 100 miles from Mt Springer, as for the food - as the story goes - there were too many of day hikers happy to share their food with him. I don't believe the story really, but then again there was Granma Gatewood who did it for really cheap ("buy keds, take a side bag and shower curtain, get wieners for food and the rest trail would provide" - that was her advice after doing 2 ATs in her 60s and 70s). There're many transient people having no income, yet capable of living and feeding themselves every day of the year. So, the question is not how cheap you can make it (you can make it for free), the question is how cheap you want to make it.
AT..... $592 and 29 cent. Sounds like good a number as any.
kayak karl
06-02-2013, 08:12
what's your food budget now for food per month?
budget for entertainment?
petty cash?
is it higher or lower then other people in your position?
do you stick to your budget???
garlic08
06-02-2013, 08:53
I spent more on the PCT than I did on a later AT hike, but that was because it was my first long hike and I had to spend more on shoes and other gear to get the right stuff finally. I spent more on food, too, before I found more inexpensive ways to resupply. I spent more on lodging on the PCT, because I took more zero days in more expensive locations like S Lake Tahoe. (I skipped the VVR because I'd heard stories from hikers spending over $200 there for one zero day.)
So my perspective is skewed based on my chronology. You may do it exactly opposite because of your AT experience and simple desire to spend less.
I read a book on the PCT of a couple that did it very fast and inexpensive. (The Trail Life by Julie Urbanski) The entire Key to their hike was 7 day rule. All their resupplies were for 7 days and they not even once stayed in town during the day. Packing 7 days of food can sure be a challenge as far as weight, it can surely wear on you the first few days. good luck
One of the problems with "money drain" on a "long haul" hike is that in trail towns we are attempting to recover from trail sufferings by buying comfort. Out on the trail we are tired, cold, hot, hungry, wet, etc. and when we get to a trail town we try to recover by spending money to get comfort. This is more of a mental thing than a physical thing. We start thinking about what we are going to do in the next town several days in advance. The longer the hike the worse it gets. That is why so many people run out of money during the last half of a thru-hike on the AT. When I started down in GA I was happy to stay in a cheap hostel and cook supermarket food in the kitchen. By the time I got to NY I stayed in Hotels and ate restaurant food, or worse yet, delivered food. I spent Zero days in bed watching TV, taking several showers or soaking in the tub. Of course, this is a delusion, you can't buy your way to recovery. The truth is that I'm just as well rested after spending $30 in a trail town as spending $300. I think, that just knowing, that throwing away money in town won't make you feel better out on the trail will help.
What's your average per day mileage and how often do you get into towns for resupply? As far as how cheaply it can be made, some say there was a guy how made the whole AT for $20, including food and gear. As for gear, he found too many stuff thrown out within first 100 miles from Mt Springer, as for the food - as the story goes - there were too many of day hikers happy to share their food with him. I don't believe the story really, but then again there was Granma Gatewood who did it for really cheap ("buy keds, take a side bag and shower curtain, get wieners for food and the rest trail would provide" - that was her advice after doing 2 ATs in her 60s and 70s). There're many transient people having no income, yet capable of living and feeding themselves every day of the year. So, the question is not how cheap you can make it (you can make it for free), the question is how cheap you want to make it.
Toward the end of the AT, I would plan for 20 miles every day. My goal is a minimum of 17-18 mile average on the PCT.
This is encouraging, although I don't ever want to take food from another thru-hiker, that seems more evil than taking candy from a baby, but on the AT I turned down free food offered by locals every once in a while. I'll stop doing that for sure.
Although I won't rely on it, I wondered if there would be any time to fish on the PCT. I suppose it may be against the law on much of the trail. I don't know.
what's your food budget now for food per month?
budget for entertainment?
petty cash?
is it higher or lower then other people in your position?
do you stick to your budget???
My food budget varies, but I'm definitely able to stick to a budget. I'm currently trying to find a nice balance between eating somewhat healthy and finding the cheapest calories. Protein is possibly the hardest to find cheaply, which is why I wondered if fishing is a possibility on the PCT, although like I said above, I would never rely on it. I might like to try to take advantage of that when possible though, so I don't have to buy as much food at the next resupply.
I don't need to spend a dime on entertainment. I have a kindle full of books and hiking everyday and talking to awesome fellow backpackers is the only entertainment I need.
I would say my budget now is much lower than most. Truth be told, I'm slowly moving into hobo status. By choice, of course.
I spent more on the PCT than I did on a later AT hike, but that was because it was my first long hike and I had to spend more on shoes and other gear to get the right stuff finally. I spent more on food, too, before I found more inexpensive ways to resupply. I spent more on lodging on the PCT, because I took more zero days in more expensive locations like S Lake Tahoe. (I skipped the VVR because I'd heard stories from hikers spending over $200 there for one zero day.)
So my perspective is skewed based on my chronology. You may do it exactly opposite because of your AT experience and simple desire to spend less.
What were your more inexpensive ways to resupply? Do you have any suggestions?
My lodging toward the end of the AT and on the Long Trail were almost completely limited to couchsurfing or finding possibly illegal places to crash in town. On shorter hikes, I sleep in my car. So lodging is one expense I know I can get rid of.
I read a book on the PCT of a couple that did it very fast and inexpensive. (The Trail Life by Julie Urbanski) The entire Key to their hike was 7 day rule. All their resupplies were for 7 days and they not even once stayed in town during the day. Packing 7 days of food can sure be a challenge as far as weight, it can surely wear on you the first few days. good luck
That's good advice. 7 days seems doable. As long as I can fit it in a bear can, since I know that is required on a lot of the PCT. I'll probably avoid carrying that much food in dryer areas where I'll need to carry more water though.
One of the problems with "money drain" on a "long haul" hike is that in trail towns we are attempting to recover from trail sufferings by buying comfort. Out on the trail we are tired, cold, hot, hungry, wet, etc. and when we get to a trail town we try to recover by spending money to get comfort. This is more of a mental thing than a physical thing. We start thinking about what we are going to do in the next town several days in advance. The longer the hike the worse it gets. That is why so many people run out of money during the last half of a thru-hike on the AT. When I started down in GA I was happy to stay in a cheap hostel and cook supermarket food in the kitchen. By the time I got to NY I stayed in Hotels and ate restaurant food, or worse yet, delivered food. I spent Zero days in bed watching TV, taking several showers or soaking in the tub. Of course, this is a delusion, you can't buy your way to recovery. The truth is that I'm just as well rested after spending $30 in a trail town as spending $300. I think, that just knowing, that throwing away money in town won't make you feel better out on the trail will help.
You're right. Although, I was kind of the opposite in that I spent less money on the second half of my AT hike. I think because I just got used to being dirty, smelly, and living in the shelters. After wasting a lot on the beginning of my AT hike, my comfort areas were mostly McDonalds. Free refills, phone charging, and free wi-fi, some days that was nothing short of paradise. Especially the LT where we never got more than 2 days in a row without rain.
After reading all of these posts it seems the number one rule to hiking cheap is avoid towns as much as possible :)
AT..... $592 and 29 cent. Sounds like good a number as any.
Is that what you spent, or are you saying, set a budget and find a way to make it work?
The miles come easier on the PCT (I did 21 the 1st day and I was out of shape!), there are fewer (and they are farther in between) chances to spend money. It took me 6 months to hike the AT (sounds very similar to your 1st post!) and only 4 months to hike the PCT. I didn't see rain on the PCT for the 1st 90 days - that makes a huge difference! Many of the resupply points on the PCT involved hiking in getting stuff and hiking out or just camping for free in the woods some place near by - lots cheaper!
I think the AT is a much harder trail to hike on a tight budget - it's a party heading north!
Is that what you spent, or are you saying, set a budget and find a way to make it work?
Is that what you spent, or are you saying, set a budget and find a way to make it work?
This is such a subjective issue. I pulled that out of thin air. It was the lottery number I played last night.
garlic08
06-03-2013, 09:38
What were your more inexpensive ways to resupply? Do you have any suggestions?
What worked for me was reducing mail drops to a bare minimum, not bringing a stove, and not using resupply as an excuse to take a zero. Going stoveless made things easier, and finding fuel was one less chore, and that got me out of town faster.
TheYoungOne
06-03-2013, 09:39
The problem I would see with the PCT is that prices for everything is higher in California, even more than the Northeast states on the AT. I'm just basing this on living in PA, and vacationing up and down the east coast, and comparing that to vacationing in California. Food and stuff in CA is the most expensive out of all of them. Not crazy expensive, but noticeably more. Even if you avoid partying and too many zeros, your resupply cost and replacing worn out gear cost are going to be slightly more inflated. If you are budgeting think about how much you paid to resupply once you passed the Mason Dixon on the AT and add a few bucks. Maybe someone who thru hiked the PCT can say if there is a reduced price shift once you hike into Oregon and Washington. Hopefully there is.
The problem I would see with the PCT is that prices for everything is higher in California, even more than the Northeast states on the AT. I'm just basing this on living in PA, and vacationing up and down the east coast, and comparing that to vacationing in California. Food and stuff in CA is the most expensive out of all of them. Not crazy expensive, but noticeably more. Even if you avoid partying and too many zeros, your resupply cost and replacing worn out gear cost are going to be slightly more inflated. If you are budgeting think about how much you paid to resupply once you passed the Mason Dixon on the AT and add a few bucks. Maybe someone who thru hiked the PCT can say if there is a reduced price shift once you hike into Oregon and Washington. Hopefully there is.
That's a good point that I hadn't really thought of. Everything is more expensive in California. I saw small boxes of kid's breakfast cereal on sale at a grocery store for $5.99. Or about double the cost in my neck of the woods. Same was true for bread.
On the AT, mail drops didn't save any money due to shipping costs, but maybe it would on the PCT.
A cheap hike would be very realistic.
Not sure if it would be practical, probable, or enjoyable, but it would be VERY realistic.