Cost Of A Thru Hike SpringerTo Katahdin

[ALLEGHENY]

Guideline for traveling: Take half of what you think you need and twice the money.

And put some in reserve.

I got messed up talking about money in my posts and abbreviated hundreds with a K. Way too much.

[jj dont play]

And put some in reserve.

I got messed up talking about money in my posts and abbreviated hundreds with a K. Way too much.

Yea I was thinking dang you must of stayed at some really nice places and ate nothing but filet mignon



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ALLEGHENY]

I'm going to try and account for every penny spent on my upcoming hike of 38% of the AT by keeping a ledger. I've never really tried to track of how much these trips cost me.

I looked at my statements of credit card and bank withdraws after one of these posts on here. Then I added it up. If I recall it was $4470 not counting pre hike gear purchase. I have no true idea what each item cost. I was just throwing a general example of what it may of cost me each week on average.

[ALLEGHENY]

Yea I was thinking dang you must of stayed at some really nice places and ate nothing but filet mignon



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry!
I did not live that high on the hog. Regular national chain motel and some touristy B&B $50 - $80. Maybe not steak every week but after a shower and shave, haircut (3). A nice sit down restaurant, tips , and I like a beer or two. Just like grams, consumables add up. I had the means and I was on vacation.

[MuddyWaters]

Wow. Maybe I'm misreading your post (and I might be) but $60/week for food (not including a restaurant) sounds high for hiking. I have spent no more than $70 for parent and child/week on the trails (any trails), and we did fine, I'm not a tightwad (but I didn't drink alcohol and I rarely eat red meat). This included some food my "supplier," an Adirondacks man who creates delicious, healthy freeze-dried food geared to hikers (but also fine for making at home). I would think the most expensive think would be the B&B. (Was that independent, non-AYH hostel in Virginia, I believe, ever sold? Seemed like an ideal place for hikers or former hikers to own and run.)

Could you kindly break down the $60/weekly for food for one person? Not a criticism, just wondering. Maybe I should budget more for my thru-hike.

A lot depends on where you buy resupply. Some places are higher than others. As well as how many calories you eat. $10 per day isnt high by any stretch if you like some jerky protein, meat sticks, etc. You can easily hit $15 per day for trail food. Want a mountainhouse for dinner occassionally, its another $8 . If you like prepackaged items for simplicity, it also gets more $$$.

4 oz of beef jerky ALONE would be $8 at a convenience store, and only 320 calories. Slim jims and beef sticks are ~$1-2 each with tax. Snickers or peanut mms, $1.50 each, etc. These are high cal/oz. 10 snickers would only be 2400 cal, but would cost $15.

[FooFooCuddlyPoops]

Another way to save money for the hike is too watch out what you buy on gear pre-hike. Do you need sea to summit dry bags or can you get by with a off brand?

I am am planning my first long distance section hike (va - ???) part of my budgeting is pre-hike as well. While I went cheap in some places, I splurged on others. Clothing doesn't have to be top notch. Pack, Shelter, bedding, I ran by the rule of each item has to be under 2.5-3lbs. My hammock system was expensive as heck, but my bedding is homemade while still being light weight.

This is where it can add up. If your worried about money, make sure you don't spend it off trail before you get on to it. I cut back on eating out, drinking, traveling, etc before my hike. I am basically living very frugally until my 3-4 month vocation.

[Miel]

OK, thanks for breaking that down.

[soilman]

$60 a week for food does sound a little high but it can get close to that pretty easily.
Here's a "typical" diet and a guess at "average" prices and is probably a bit skimpy on how much you really end up buying. Add 10-20% if not shopping at Dollar General or Walmart.

7 tuna packets at $1.25 each = 8.75
7 Knorr sides at $1.00 each = 7.00
1 box of pop tarts = 4.00
bag of Fritos Corn chips = 4.00
7 power bars/cliff bars = 7.00
7 candy bars = 7.00
1/2 pound block of cheese = 4.00
bag of bagels = 4.00
total-------------------------- $45.75

I think this is very conservative. This amount of food wouldn't last me 4 days.

[MuddyWaters]

I think this is very conservative. This amount of food wouldn't last me 4 days.

Exactly. Thats probably generously 2000 cal per day, not 4000
At minimum multiply by 1.5+

Bagel 150
Cliff bar 210
1 oz cheese 100
Tuna pack. 80
Pop tart 200
Candy bar 240
Knorr side 500
Fritos 2 oz 360

[4eyes]

Maybe around 5000 just to play it safe. Always better to have too much than not enough!

[George]

ok the highest number I have seen on any spending thread was 10K - excluding medical expenses does anyone have tales of a higher number

[Puddlefish]

ok the highest number I have seen on any spending thread was 10K - excluding medical expenses does anyone have tales of a higher number

I was considering hiring a personal shopper/chef/shuttle driver to meet me at the roads, for resupply and fresh laundry delivery. Maybe hire some Trail Sherpas as well, but that might be considered tacky.

img_9811.jpg

[MuddyWaters]

ok the highest number I have seen on any spending thread was 10K - excluding medical expenses does anyone have tales of a higher number

Sisu's 2014 trail journal claims $12000. Some special circumstances, but especially off season without others to share expenses, waiting out cold weather in towns, hostels and trail infrastructure closed, and trying to eat healthy. He did say he coyld do a conventional hike for half of that. Basically, he was 2x overbudget.

[Feral Bill]

To be optimistic, we have to eat anyway, so the added cost of eating on the trail is around zero. Same for replacing worn out clothes, having a meal out and a drink, or even an occasional night in a motel. See, now we're getting a really cheap vacation.

[ALLEGHENY]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...light=mt+squid

Wish I had found this 4 years ago.