How much did all of your equipment cost?

[rachels0880]

How much did all of your equipment cost for a thru trip?

[Mountain Bluebird]

Pack $175
Tent $200
sleeping pad $120 new
Cookset $120 new
sleeping bag $268
poncho, big Agnes, $71 new

$954 more or less.
Everything else comes from gear/clothing I already have

Bluebird

[egilbe]

Quilt: $230
sleeping pad: $110
tarp and net tent $300
pack: $450

then probably another $400 or so for clothing/down jacket/hats/socks.

but some of that is for Winter hiking. Add in snowshoes and spikes it's another $350 or so....


i gotta quit spending money

[Dochartaigh]

Sadly, $1,621 my spreadsheet says, for a quote-on-quote 'high-end' under 10 pound base weight setup. Not planning a thru, but all the same gear will be used for regular hiking trips (which I do) or a thru hike. That's only counting 1 down quilt, where throughout the year I'll switch between two different weight quilts depending on the temperature. Also not counting the clothes (shoes, socks, pants, underwear, shirt, hat) I would be wearing while hiking.

[MuddyWaters]

$2000-2500

[garlic08]

My AT spreadsheet shows $850 including a real nice Marmot Helium 15 bag, Tarptent Contrail, and Gossamer Gear pack.

[Dogwood]

How much did all of your equipment cost for a thru trip?

For a NOBO AT thru-hike in 2006, from my then financial perspective on hiking gear, I went cheap and bought some cheaper heavier conventional hiking gear. I got lucky on some close outs and at the counter discounts at Campmor in Paramus NJ where I bought the majority of my kit(shelter(1p tent), backpack, sleeping bag, stove, cookware, hiking boots, apparel, etc) all in one bundle at the same time. For example, I scored a nice but conventional bomber Osprey Aether 75 L when Osprey was revamping to the Aether 70L size for $70 regularly a $240 backpack at the time. I spent $467 at Campmor. I remember plunking down the hard earned money as if it was yesterday. I was so excited. The rest of the gear I had or made do with what I had. I maybe purchased an additional $160 on items elsewhere. The rest of the gear I had or made do wit what I had. So about $630. I had nothing down, merino wool, graphite, cuben fiber, etc. Much of my apparel was very bulky. It got me on the trail but hauling a 59 lb kit with 11 days of heavy mostly junk food and much gear redundancy. I weighed my kit on the Amicalola Falls SP scale. This wt and bulk did not include what I was wearing. I struggled physically at the start of the hike being sore and spent by Blood Mountain Georgia. It was frustrating and tough mentally! I was barely enjoying it at times. Yet, I was intent on going the distance no matter how long it took but rather slowly though no matter my cheap heavy bulky gear.

As with many AT thru-hiker wannabes I was open to learning like a sponge about gear, seeing what worked for others, various approaches to LD backpacking, eating, resupplying, fitness, etc. I was fortunate that I learned a lot RAPIDLY AND ASSIMILATED AND APPLIED THAT KNOWLEDGE AFTER MINDFUL CONSIDERATON EXPONENTIALLY RAPIDY TO THE THRU-HIKE. I was fortunate to receive much wise advise from those much more experienced than myself which I find wonderful about the trail community.

By mid Virginia I had splurged out of my thru-hiker budget and bought a new backpack a Granite Gear Vapor Trail which shaved off 3 lbs 6 oz over the Osprey. About the same time I splurged and bought a Montbell Super Stretch 30* 800 fp sleeping bag. This move shaved 2 lbs 11oz off my sleeping bag, a Slumberjack, which despite it's 20* temp rating, kept me cold at 30* AND saved me a ton of bulk.

Fast forward to Pennsylvania where I regularly had a sub 35 lb kit carrying at most 6 days high cal/oz nutritionally dense foods while maintaining a 24+ daily mileage enjoying my thru-hike more. When I figured it out I dropped nearly 8 lbs off my BIG 4 with some comparable rated but much less bulky, heavier, wiser gear choices.

This is a snapshot of the evolution of a LD hiker, and consequently our gear and tactics, we should all be aware of that so often happens while embracing this journey as well as the journey referred to as thru-hiking. And, as long as we stay open to advancing, display some humility, knowing we don't know everything the evolution always continues.

Good luck with your gear.

[Dogwood]

I don't know why I lose my paragraph breaks and spacing when I post?

Sorry for the run on appearance.

[imscotty]

My current 3-season gear list is at $2,880. Let's just say I treat myself well. Don't tell my wife!

[nsherry61]

All my gear? The stuff I use and don't use? Only the stuff I used this year? The kit I used on my last hike? Include cloths I use every day, or just backcountry specific clothing? Do I have to include the gear bought just for use when I backpack with my wife? Ski and climbing gear also, or just backpacking? Does my kayak count if I use it for some trail access?

To attempt an answer, I've backpacked on the cheap with less than $300 in gear. Most often, I probably travel with about $1000 - $1500 in gear. What I have spent over my life could have probably seeded a very nice retirement fund. I currently own, and at least occasionally think about using maybe $10,000 of gear selection.

[gregpphoto]

I got REI garage sale. Shoes $15. Pack $100, Down bag, $150. MSR pocket rocket, $15.

[Bronk]

You can spend anywhere from $300 to $3000. Depends on how frugal you are, how much time you have to gather your gear and how important name brands are to you.

[Gambit McCrae]

I would say from beginning to end all the gear about $10,000. But that is a lot of different packs, tents, sleeping bags pads stoves trekking poles maps headlamps.
I always say, you get what you pay for. And if I knew the right stuff I needed up front? It would have been about $2500. I would say when my feel are on the trail I have about $2000-$3000 from head to toe depending on if its a weekend luxury trip or an UL 10lbs base weight trip.
Example of cost difference is for a fun relaxing trip I take my Hilleberg that is a $1000 tent, If I take my Tarpent, only $300.

[nsherry61]

I got REI garage sale. Shoes $15. Pack $100, Down bag, $150. MSR pocket rocket, $15.

In comparison, some of my favorite summer gear would be Thermorest tech quilt $50 on sale, alcohol stove $1 (for the can of cat food), Tarp $10 . . . and I didn't even have to wait for a garage sale. It's real easy to live very nicely in the back country with very little investment in equipment, so long as you invest significantly in the knowledge (and practice!) to use what you have very effectively.

Sadly, there are two pieces of gear I always find I end up having to spend real money on, but really, only two: that is I still haven't found either a cold weather sleeping bag or a good backpack that I would consider excellent for crazy cheap, at least unless I wait for an REI garage sale.

[RED-DOG]

for my 2012 AT thru-hike i paid around $2000 for everything new. for my 2015 PCT thru-hike i paid around $2500 but i bought mostly UL gear which is more expensive.
for a good AT set up expect to pay atleast $ 1500-$2000 for everything brand new.

[AO2134]

I am probably at about a $1,000-$1,200 for everything (clothes, shoes, tent, pack, cook set, etc). Saving money means more to me then weight so I don't have the lightest stuff, but you could be surprised how light you could go at approximately the same money. I have a 25 lb summer pack with overnight food and 2 liters of water. I am very content with it. I barely feel it on my back and I doubt I would notice a difference if I got it down to 20 lbs.

For an example of light and cheap:

I got an REI Passage 2 tent on sale for $120.00. With footprint and all, it was well over 5 lbs. I was ok with the weight. I was not OK with the size. It took up way to much space in my pack. Then a friend sold me his old Six Moon Design Scout (sells new for $125.00). I bought it for like $75. It saved over 3 lbs and MUCH more importantly, it fit comfortably into my pack.

[gregpphoto]

In comparison, some of my favorite summer gear would be Thermorest tech quilt $50 on sale, alcohol stove $1 (for the can of cat food), Tarp $10 . . . and I didn't even have to wait for a garage sale. It's real easy to live very nicely in the back country with very little investment in equipment, so long as you invest significantly in the knowledge (and practice!) to use what you have very effectively.

Sadly, there are two pieces of gear I always find I end up having to spend real money on, but really, only two: that is I still haven't found either a cold weather sleeping bag or a good backpack that I would consider excellent for crazy cheap, at least unless I wait for an REI garage sale.

But you also dont get the fun of camping out in front of REI with beer and friends!

[plexusbritt]

First off, I'm not a thru hiker yet but I spend 10-15 days a month on the trail.

My mad coupon skills, diy, and watching eBay has me at about $400 including dry bags and kayak camping specific gear as well as clothes.

Don't ask about money spent on my horse and horse camping. That's my money hole.


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[rafe]

The stuff I'm carrying now, or the stuff I bought over the years to end up with the current kit?

[mtnkngxt]

Current 3 season trips I'm probably around $2500. For a dead of winter trip I'm easily at $4000 by the time you count everything. 0 Degree bag was almost $1000 alone.