Carrying Cash on a Thru Hike

[MountAndew]

Just wondering how much cash I should carry with me. Do most places along the trail (hostels, trail towns, etc.) take credit cards nowadays, or should I keep a good amount of cash on hand? I'm assuming most, if not all the towns have ATM's so getting more cash along the way probably isn't too big of a concern.

Thanks!

[Lone Wolf]

i always carried $100 or so

[kayak karl]

yep, always left town carrying 100 cash. post offices and some stores give cash back.

[Bronk]

Carry enough cash to tide you over until you can get a credit card replaced if it is lost or stolen or damaged. What if somebody steals your pack with your wallet in it? On my thru attempt I carried my ID card, credit and debit cards and a couple hundred in cash, as well as my headlamp and a lighter in a pouch I wore around my neck...and I never took it off.

[RED-DOG]

Most places excepts debit/credit cards but i always carried around 100 dollars cause some places such as a small mom and pop store will not except plastic.

[peakbagger]

Don't carry travelers checks, most folks don't have a clue what to do with them. I used to run into private ATMs on occasion in some trail towns. Usually a low maximum withdrawal amount and a high fee to use it.

[xrayextra]

I carried about $100 cash and my debit card. Always kept it on me in the same zipped up pocket, never in my pack. Loctite has a really nice small Ziploc type bag perfect for cash and credit cards.

[danil411]

i did carry more cash in the Whites to pay for AMC huts food and lodging.

[squeezebox]

Somewhere around here I've got a nice little nylon neck pouch, probably is big enough to carry my Sawyer filter in as well. I hope I can find it. Don't forget to carry your health ins. info as well, Also a list of meds and medical conditions. And anything else important in case we find you unconscious somewhere.

[garlic08]

One thing happened to me, not too unusual, my credit card company got hacked and they issued all new accounts. I was out hiking and didn't know the card I was carrying was cancelled. It took another week+ to maildrop a new card up the trail. So now I travel with a credit card, and a debit card (excellent for getting cash back without fees from grocery stores and POs as noted above) and the $100 cash everyone else is carrying.

[squeezebox]

I found it!! the neck pouch. I bought it at Rei on their "Let's get rid of this" table. Cost less than $10, wt. 1.2 oz., size- 5x6 in. flat, 2 zip pockets on front, removable strap, big enough for the sawyer, not waterproof. Thanks for reminding me this would be the best way to carry cash, cards and other important stuff.

[Coffee]

$100-300 in cash is a good number. Keep in mind that some small business owners prefer cash and some will provide cash discounts. I like to pay cash for smaller purchases in towns to help small merchants avoid credit card fees which are substantial. Post offices sometimes, but not always, offer cash back. In one small town, I could only get $20 cash back since the small PO didn't have more on hand they were willing to part with. Larger grocery stores offer cash back. Try to find an ATM card that offers ATM fee refunds. I recently got an ATM card from Fidelity that refunds all ATM fees. Those fees can really add up over time.

[gbolt]

Don't forget the smallest CF sac from Z-Packs. It is the perfect size to hold a Drivers License, Credit Card, Bank Card, Insurance Card and $Bills weighing in at .8 oz (more or less depending on how many $ Bills) and costing $4.95 when I purchased it. Haven't been on the website to look at it since. Best of all, it's Water Resistent (except through the pull string end). It stay's in my back zipper pocket, just like my regular wallet. Sometimes I move it to the front pocket (afraid of bending and cracking the cards) but that pocket is not zippered. Great purchase that I use whenever I am in the woods for more than a dayhike.

[Coffee]

I also use the zPacks wallet zip pouch. Also have pouches for my cell phone and camera.

[SteelCut]

I also use the zPacks wallet zip pouch. Also have pouches for my cell phone and camera.

+1. I use these as well.

[tiptoe]

A little off topic, but I find it worthwhile to notify both my bank and my credit card issuer of my section hikes before I go. I inform them of approximate the time frame and the general area I'll be in. That way the cards won't be frozen if they find what they consider improbable uses from unlikely locations.

[Coffee]

A little off topic, but I find it worthwhile to notify both my bank and my credit card issuer of my section hikes before I go. I inform them of approximate the time frame and the general area I'll be in. That way the cards won't be frozen if they find what they consider improbable uses from unlikely locations.

I've done that for foreign travel but never in the US. Never had any issues.

[cbg]

$250.00 cash when I leave town, health insurance card, debit card, credit card & drivers license for ID

[Connie]

Coffee, depends in your bank, I suppose. My bank does that!

[Don H]

I carried my license, insurance card, credit card and cash (usually $100 max.) in a fishing license holder. The holder is plastic with a zip lock type closure and has a hole for a lanyard. I kept it in my pocket tied to a belt loop.

It looks like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/License-Ho...nyard/20629975