just want to elaborate some more on these costs stated above, do they include the cost of equipment? Imo , they shouldn't, unless this is your first hike, your equipment you buy once and update as needed.
personally, I thought any given hike shouldn't cost you more than $500 for food\stove gas not including travel costs and maybe the unforeseen equipment failures and that figure can change a bit based on the length of the hike. The fact that you say "How outrageous varies greatly with the amount of one's disposable income." its telling me you're splurging! :P
Last edited by Fëanor; 01-05-2021 at 14:48.
The cost I posted did not include the cost of acquiring my gear. It did include the cost of gear I replaced while on trail. As a mental exercise while hiking one day I tried to figure out what it would cost me if I suddenly lost my pack and everything in it and had to replace everything but what I was wearing. I think I came up with a figure in the neighborhood of $1800-2000. I usually buy upper end gear (since I can afford to) and reap the benefits of carrying a lot less weight than I used to.
To be honest, if I had lost my pack on trail I could have probably replaced almost everything from the gear I still had at home (bit of a gear junkie)....
"Ghost"
NPT Nobo 2013, AT Sobo 2020
I personally love to "splurge" on my longer hikes. Whether it's the journey to the trailhead, meals in town, foods for the trail (that I actually like and will eat), zero days in town to take care of myself -- or just to enjoy the the area I'm visiting. My hikes are my vacations, and I budget & plan to enjoy them the way I like to enjoy them. Vacations to Disneyworld or trips to the beach aren't my thing, but there are people who enjoy splurging there. Different strokes for different folks.
fortis fortuna adjuvat
I have documented just about every aspect of my section hike. Trips, mileages, trailheads, direction, guests, dates, photos, shuttle's, hostels, sleeping locations on trail, nights spent on trail....but i have not kept up with how much I have spent completing the AT. Last time I checked or tried to keep up with it it was over $21k. With plane tickets, rental cars and air bnbs I would not be surprised if my total was over $45k
Trail Miles: 4,980.5
AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
Foothills Trail: 47.9
AT Map 2: 279.4
BMT: 52.7
CDT: 85.4
Food is the hardest cost to anticipate on a hike. There are so many variables that affect it. Planning food for a 3-4 day camping trip is NOT the same as planning food for a 3-4 day section of a thruhike, especially after the first month or so on trail. The sheer amount of food you want to eat increases dramatically, ie hiker hunger. The places that are available for purchasing food vary widely. Getting resupply at Dollar General or a big chain grocery is very different than doing it in a convenience store/gas station. The latter can easily cost twice the former. Even hiking solo vs in a tramily matters. When solo you buy what you you need and sometimes have to pay per item prices. A group can buy at bulk prices and divide it up amongst the group members.
Five hundred dollars might get me about 4 weeks of food on trail. Town food (and believe me, you will come to appreciate bacon cheeseburgers and pizza!) is a whole other cost to anticipate.
"Ghost"
NPT Nobo 2013, AT Sobo 2020
"When solo you buy what you you need and sometimes have to pay per item prices."
Many times on the PCT in Southern CA I purchased more than I needed for certain resupply items because that was simply what came in a box. When that happens, you have a classic cost vs. weight conundrum. If you insist on carrying only what you need until the next resupply, you can easily give away excess food. But you're burning money. Good example is olive oil which in one place I could only find a 16.9 ounce bottle which was way more than I needed for a few nights before the next resupply. Same with powdered milk. I opted to carry more than I needed in certain places, but optimized on sections that required heavy water carries. Just another HYOH thing to grapple with.
I have to say, all good examples and suggestions, Thank You All!!! ....perhaps I dint understand the logistics and costs involved.
PS Gambit McCrae WOW!!
I met a thruhiker once and the discussion of cost of the hike came up. He figured it was about $40,000 as he was an electrical engineer that took a leave for 5 months which was five months of no income, he then said it was worth every bit of it.
I used a simple spending app on my iPhone called, “Spending”, and kept track of every single penny I spent on my last AT section.
The screen shot shows what I spent in seven weeks from Rutland to Katahdin. $2200 for seven weeks, about $1200 per month.
That works out to a six month hike at $7200, on trail costs. Add in $500 for four pair of shoes I bought.
That cost did not include the home dehydrated dinners for every night.
That $8K - $9K total cost is right in there.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
One persons splurge is another’s necessity. $500 for a week long section would be splurging for a weekend hike, miserly for a month for most. I will ere on the splurge side, for much the same reason. I love sleeping outside but do relish a HOT shower after a week or so. Try a cool sponge bath at the end of your next day hike, project that for 5-6 days and I think you’ll see why.
Looks like you took your time.. that can increase your costs?
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