Thru-Hiking on a budget - IDEAS?

[Neemor]

okay, I've seen a couple posts about money on the trail. but i want to know how much you guys spent in total on the trail?(not including your initial gear) if anyone on here has done it under $1,500?

I was planning to have $4,000 for my thru hike. but....Gear.... ha i got alot nicer gear than i had originally planned to.

I am budgeting to start the trip with $3,000. -having that much on springer mountain, so not including buying my gear and the first load of food.


I was thinking of planning out a "per mile" budget. so every mile of the trail i walk i have $X.xx to spend in the next town. and having about $500 of "emergency" money.

is that a good idea?


what did you guys do to stay on a budget?

P.s. i dont wanna hear that i need more money. ha because I already know that. but it doesnt look like i will have anymore. I am going to be buying food as i go instead of mail drops.

Thanks guys!

[jawnzee]

Sleeping on the ground outside is really rather inexpensive. Just stay out of towns. Get in, resupply at a grocery store and eat a meal there too while you're at it if you're real good. Spending on one meal at a restaurant isn't so bad either. Never sleep inside, you're not on the AT to sleep inside, ey? Don't get all caught up in thinking that you're going to let down trail friends if you don't spend tons of time and money with them in town, there are tons of amazing people all over the trail and spending time with them on the trail is a lot more fun than spending time with them sitting around inside.

[Slo-go'en]

Even if you never stay at a hostel or motel (which means you'll almost never have a shower or have clean clothes), the cost of food is insanely expensive. Go to a local convenience store and buy 2-3 days worth of food and see how much that costs. Now multiply that by 100 and you'll have an idea of how much food will cost you. Then budget twice that.

Has anyone finished a thru hike on $1500? - Some claim to but by being beggars and scavengers. You really don't want to be that kind of hiker, always being on the edge of starvation and always with your hand out.

All you can do is try to be frugal (which is easier said then done) and just go as far as the money you have will take you. Starting later in the season them most folks (late April or early May) avoids the worst of the spring weather which drives people into town for a day or two or three waiting out storms. Also building up to big miles as quickly as possible shortens the hike which results in less money spent.

[CarlZ993]

I'd have extra in reserve in case there are some bumps in the road. You could catch Lyme disease & be holed in somewhere for 3 - 4 days. Also, things get more expensive up north.

If you hiker longer days (start earlier, stop later) & minimize your zero days, you'll finish the quicker. The less time you're on the trail, the less money you spend. When you do get in a town, tank up on calories & chores that need to be done (wash clothing/self, get trail food, etc) & keep going. [Note: I didn't do that. In towns, I grabbed a hostel bunk or got a room - often shared - @ a motel. As a result, I ended up spending about $1,500 more than I expected.]

Good luck on your hike.

[4shot]

what did you guys do to stay on a budget?

P.s. i dont wanna hear that i need more money.

Thanks guys!

This topic shows up here about every 2-3 days. What did I do do to stay on budget? Figured out how much I would need than saved up 3 times that much. A normal person can't wrap their mind around spending $20 at a convenience store just for lunch which consists of 3 hot dogs, a large bag of chips, 2 snickers and a half gallon each of chocolate milk and Ben and Jerry's pistachio ice cream. and leaving the place hungry.

or you can do what most people do...show up at Springer or Mt. K with what you have saved and then go home when you are out of money. You might make it to Damascus or Dalton in either case. that seems to be the norm for most "thru hikers".

[lonehiker]

I am budgeting to start the trip with $3,000. -having that much on springer mountain, so not including buying my gear and the first load of food.


I was thinking of planning out a "per mile" budget. so every mile of the trail i walk i have $X.xx to spend in the next town. and having about $500 of "emergency" money.

is that a good idea?


what did you guys do to stay on a budget?

P.s. i dont wanna hear that i need more money. ha because I already know that. but it doesnt look like i will have anymore. I am going to be buying food as i go instead of mail drops.

Thanks guys!

You may not want to hear it, but, you probably need a couple thousand more. That being said, just start and see how far you can go. Who knows maybe you will be able to make it. Just don't be too disappointed if you have to stop early

[MuddyWaters]

Go shopping. See what food actually costs and do the math.

[Lone Wolf]

walk til the money runs out. go home, work, then go back out the next year

[Jeff]

Equipment and shoe failures can blow a tight budget.

[One Half]

Im very curious why people with tight budgets don't do more mail drops with food and other necessities. I can buy good quality food and prep it at home and then have it shipped to me and KNOW what my food costs are. Or I can buy cheap food cheaper at home in large grocery stores instead of spending three times that money in 'convenience stores' while hiking.

[jawnzee]

Has anyone finished a thru hike on $1500? - Some claim to but by being beggars and scavengers. You really don't want to be that kind of hiker, always being on the edge of starvation and always with your hand out.

I'm sure this has happened, but this is not a truth.

[kayak karl]

Im very curious why people with tight budgets don't do more mail drops with food and other necessities. I can buy good quality food and prep it at home and then have it shipped to me and KNOW what my food costs are. Or I can buy cheap food cheaper at home in large grocery stores instead of spending three times that money in 'convenience stores' while hiking.

Have you done a long hike with maildrops? It can really cramp your hiking style.

[Neemor]

Thanks everyone for your opinions.

So i am thinking it is wise to push my start date back a month to april 3rd so i can work another month. I would only make another $700ish, but it seems like that might help.

[Coffee]

Im very curious why people with tight budgets don't do more mail drops with food and other necessities. I can buy good quality food and prep it at home and then have it shipped to me and KNOW what my food costs are. Or I can buy cheap food cheaper at home in large grocery stores instead of spending three times that money in 'convenience stores' while hiking.

Regional rate priority mail is usually $6-8 for shorter distances like a few hundred miles and the Regional Rate B box is nearly as big as a large priority mail box costing more than twice as much to mail. Combined with shopping at Wal-Mart or another large grocery (using a loyalty card) and I can definitely see how money could be saved. The real cost is convenience and time, as well as the risk of not being able to retrieve a package from the post office on Sunday or having a package lost in the mail.

Putting aside cost, there's a difference between paying marginally more for food in small towns - even 50-75% more vs Wal-Mart, which I can accept, and being totally gouged ($3-4 Idahoan or mac & cheese, $3 clif bars, etc) that I cannot stand.

[garlic08]

Thanks everyone for your opinions.

So i am thinking it is wise to push my start date back a month to april 3rd so i can work another month. I would only make another $700ish, but it seems like that might help.

Good plan. Waiting until later in April may save even more money on lodging during snow storms.

A good, comfortable number to budget is $1000/month. A four month hike is possible if you're committed to the hike.

[Odd Man Out]

...I was thinking of planning out a "per mile" budget. so every mile of the trail i walk i have $X.xx to spend in the next town. ...

I we all had a nickel for each person who said they were going to hike the AT on a budget by not staying in town, but then found that wasn't for them, we would all have enough money to afford a thru hike. Here is another strategy to consider. Instead of starting out with the intention of thru hiking on a budget and risk not having the funds to be successful or happy, why not start out with intention of hiking the way you want to until you funds run out and then guarantee having a successful section hike (unless you make it all the way in which you had a successful thru hike).

[Sly]

Have you done a long hike with maildrops? It can really cramp your hiking style.

If planned for properly, they shouldn't.

[Sly]

walk til the money runs out. go home, work, then go back out the next year

I agree. $3K is a good chunk of change and it's possible you may make it, but don't be totally disappointed if you don't.

[Neemor]

I am not saying i wont stay in hostels along the way. I know for certain i will at least a couple times. but i know 100% i wont be getting those $65+ hotel rooms.

but things like gear, i know how to repair most things. i even make some of my own gear. so i don't think i will need to spend a lot on gear failures. but i may be wrong.

also shoes, i have two extra pairs at home that will be ready for a mail drop.


But thanks guys for helping me with a reality check! I knew i was short but i still find my self buying stupid gear that i probably wouldnt carry very long anyways. i will be more wise in my prep spending and hopefully save a few $$ more.




My family will be in NY for the summer. right near Bear Mountain. we have a camp. so i guess i can have a fall back plan of stopping there and working for 3 weeks or so to earn extra cash if i am running short.

[Dogwood]

This topic does come up around here very often so you might do some searches on WB for the extensive information already shared. I warn you though trail budgets are so varied because so many variables can enter into the financial equation. AND, please do consider no matter how much you share no one else knows you and what you're capable of.

There are SO MANY but's, if's, and's, or's that can enter into this topic. It often gets WAY OUT OF HAND and WAY TOO DEEP but FWIW, and after a more than a few thru-hikes, I've found my two largest expenditures are food and lodging. I've largely gotten these two expenditures out of the way pre-hike by 1) mailing myself some resupply boxes via USPS Flat Rate Priority which currently cost in the med size box $12.35., after repackaging I routinely get 6 days food in one of these size boxes, this isn't perfect but neither is a $1500 AT thru-hike budget so definitely some compromises have to be made as far as what's going to be convenient and comfortable in your attempt to complete an AT thru-hike. 2) I rarely do full price hotel stays by myself. I suck it up! How you work that out for yourself and still get done what you need in town can be a whole other thread in itself.

This isn't necessarily the cheapest way to do a thru-hike. This is simply a way I reduce my expenditures once on trail. This also isn't the whole story just as we will never know your whole financial story and ALL the details of it.

IMHO, based on what you shared, I would advise you don't attempt an AT thru-hike. As much as you may have bought into the need to do a thru-hike GET OVER IT. Do something simpler, more comfortable, and more convenient budget wise and in regard to other aspects(like weather) - do a long cherry picked section hike. Come back to the AT on different hikes at different seasons. It's a great way to experience a hike and a great way to experience the AT! Heck, you're young enough, you have yrs, and the convenience of being in the vicinity of the southern AT.