2020 Sobo Thruhike cost

[h. hastings]

I thought I'd post an answer to a question that is frequently asked here on the forums, namely what does it cost to complete a thruhike?

A bit of background information: I started the trail with my Katahdin summit on July 2nd and finished on Springer Mountain on Nov 27th for a total of 149 days. I took 12 zeros making it 137 days of hiking. I started the trail with the intention of having no schedule to keep or budget to stay within. It would take me as long as it needed to and I would spend as much as I needed to. I don't drink alcohol or smoke. I don't like walking in the rain and avoided long stretches of bad weather or really cold nights by staying in town. When in town or at a hostel I got a private room whenever it was available (which was most of the time). Having been backpacking for years I already had the gear I needed and didn't buy anything special for the hike. The only gear I had to replace while on trail was my trekking poles (broken), poop trowel (lost), and shoes of course (new pair every 500 miles). That all said, the total cost (minus getting to Baxter and getting home from GA) came to roughly $8,300. The only time I balked at paying for something was for a shuttle from Uncle Johnny's into Erwin (I rode a bike instead!).

My hike would probably be described as luxury level. I never split costs with anyone to save money and to be truthful, usually never looked at the total bill anywhere before paying. As I said before, I was going to pay whatever it cost to complete my hike while being comfortable and enjoying myself. The end result was I never had a bad day on trail. There were hard days but I never felt like I didn't want to or couldn't continue my hike. Not having a schedule or budget removed two of the biggest concerns I might have had and I could simply enjoy myself every day.

[Slo-go'en]

$8,300 works out to be under $4.00 a mile ($3.78 +/-) You probably hit the high end of average. 3 to 4 dollars a mile is likely the average spread these days.

[TJ aka Teej]

Thanks, Ghost.

[HankIV]

Thanks, that is about my game plan for this summer. Hope to start a little earlier. Same no budget.

Funny, I have no problem using 3 sided shelters, but get a little creeped out with bunk rooms. Seems like many hikers are the opposite. Did you mostly tent, or use shelters?

Did you find most places open? Did you get one of the book guides or just use Guthooks?

[h. hastings]

Stayed in a hammock (Warbonnet Ridgerunner). Didn't use a pad so staying in a shelter was out of the question even if they were "closed". I used the Guthook app for almost all my trail information. I didn't run into many places that were closed until I got down south and that was more because some hostels had closed for the season. Had more shuttle drivers that weren't taking riders but still had no trouble finding a ride when I needed one.

[Fëanor]

$8,300!!!! either the private rooms or the lobster dinners were expensive?

[One Half]

$8,300!!!! either the private rooms or the lobster dinners were expensive?

For some reason people expect prices on the trail, to do the trail, should be frozen in time. I have been reading for years about the $1-$2 per mile rule. Seriously. But that "rule" started out probably 25 years ago! Prices increase. So the hostel that used to be able to charge $10 back in 1990 isn't going to exist if they kept their prices the same. Same for hotel rooms. I used to be able to get a decent room, anywhere not just on the trail, for $60. These days I spend $100 when I travel for the basic comfort level of clean! (Of course covid has cut room costs so that $100 now gets a much nicer room).

Thanks to the OP for this thread.

[HankIV]

The OP said up front he went luxury. Not that hard to spend.
137 days on trail using nice grade dehydrated food and organic bars you could easily spend $30/day = $4,110
4 pairs of shoes @ $150= $600
12 zeros in town and 12 others due to rain, private rooms @ $100 = $2400
Town food 24 times, $50 dinner, $50 between breakfast and lunch =$2400, less $360 of trail food cost = $2,040
I’m at $9,150 right there. No shuttles or tax.

Clearly could be done much cheaper, but given his parameters not hard to imagine.

Not sure his or her deal, but I’m a similar age and will be cash in a few hours from those 60-80 hour weeks of my youth that fortunately paid off, but precluded hiking when the discomfiture of a tighter budget might not have been as objectionable.

[Fëanor]

The OP said up front he went luxury. Not that hard to spend.
137 days on trail using nice grade dehydrated food and organic bars you could easily spend $30/day = $4,110
4 pairs of shoes @ $150= $600
12 zeros in town and 12 others due to rain, private rooms @ $100 = $2400
Town food 24 times, $50 dinner, $50 between breakfast and lunch =$2400, less $360 of trail food cost = $2,040
I’m at $9,150 right there. No shuttles or tax.

Clearly could be done much cheaper, but given his parameters not hard to imagine.

Not sure his or her deal, but I’m a similar age and will be cash in a few hours from those 60-80 hour weeks of my youth that fortunately paid off, but precluded hiking when the discomfiture of a tighter budget might not have been as objectionable.

To each his own! I guess!!
Since when did hiking become such a couture to where you had to spend such outrageous $$$

[h. hastings]

"Since when did hiking become such a couture to where you had to spend such outrageous $$$"

I didn't have to spend that much, I chose to. I started my hike with the conscious choice of not caring how much it was going to cost. Other hikers make their own choices.

I've heard it said that completing a thruhike is 90% mental. I'm convinced that one of the major factors in my not having any issues with that aspect was not having to worry about finances during my hike. Whether it might take me longer than I expected to finish or that I just wanted to spend an extra day or eat a good meal in town, I didn't care.

[Slo-go'en]

To each his own! I guess!!
Since when did hiking become such a couture to where you had to spend such outrageous $$$

It always cost outrageous money to thru hike. How outrageous varies greatly with the amount of one's disposable income. Even if you try to be real frugal, it takes a sizable wad of cash to pull off a thru.

[Fëanor]

It always cost outrageous money to thru hike. How outrageous varies greatly with the amount of one's disposable income. Even if you try to be real frugal, it takes a sizable wad of cash to pull off a thru.

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

[h. hastings]

personally, I thought any given hike shouldn't cost you more than $500 for food\stove gas ...

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.

[HankIV]

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

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.

[perrymk]

It's refreshing to see an honest cost attempt. I have seen some numbers that ran quite low but a little digging revealed hidden, unmentioned costs or tactics. Not necessarily malicious, but like forgetting to count the cost of care packages from friends and family.

I've done a quick estimate of a 2 week section hike: 100 gallons of fuel, $300; 5 nights hotel, $500; 4 days travel food (I bring a cooler and eat at Subway), $100; 10 days trail food (FBC prepared at home), $200; shuttle, $400.

total: $1500.

I am trying to estimate on the high side. This does not take into account on-the-road car repairs or gear. I am guessing on the shuttle. I figure it will take me 20 such trips to section the AT so total cost will approach $30,000 over several years. The fuel cost will actually come down as each hike gets closer and I may be able to shave 1-3 nights off of hotel stays.

[LittleRock]

I've done a quick estimate of a 2 week section hike: 100 gallons of fuel, $300; 5 nights hotel, $500; 4 days travel food (I bring a cooler and eat at Subway), $100; 10 days trail food (FBC prepared at home), $200; shuttle, $400.
total: $1500.

FWIW, I spent only $600 on my last 2 week section hike (Port Clinton, PA to I-87 in NY, which included 2 travel days and 13 hiking days):
$75 Gasoline (roughly 1,000 miles of driving in a Toyota Corolla)
$250 for two shuttles (total driving distance was about 200 miles)
$175 for trail supplies (including trail food, on-trail food stops, and canister fuel)
$100 for one night in a motel

I saved money by bringing food with me to eat in the car, not taking a zero day (due to COVID), and I was able to drive to and from the trailhead in one day (though at 8 hours each way I've now likely reached the limit of what I can drive in one day). My only night in a motel was when I stopped for resupply/shuttle in Delaware Water Gap.

This also of course neglects the cost of gear, which I did not include because I've been doing this for years and already have a complete set of gear. But, I did buy a new pair of boots specifically for this trip which would add another $150 to the cost.

[Fëanor]

It's refreshing to see an honest cost attempt. I have seen some numbers that ran quite low but a little digging revealed hidden, unmentioned costs or tactics. Not necessarily malicious, but like forgetting to count the cost of care packages from friends and family.

I've done a quick estimate of a 2 week section hike: 100 gallons of fuel, $300; 5 nights hotel, $500; 4 days travel food (I bring a cooler and eat at Subway), $100; 10 days trail food (FBC prepared at home), $200; shuttle, $400.

total: $1500.

I am trying to estimate on the high side. This does not take into account on-the-road car repairs or gear. I am guessing on the shuttle. I figure it will take me 20 such trips to section the AT so total cost will approach $30,000 over several years. The fuel cost will actually come down as each hike gets closer and I may be able to shave 1-3 nights off of hotel stays.

why so many nights at a hotel? isnt the purpose of a hike to stay in a tent? kinda defeats the purpose? and.. (new pair every 500 miles) really? to hike the AT you will buy 4/5 pair of shoes?
Of coarse Im new to hiking, Ive never did an all nighter , just many long daily hikes(10-20 miles)... ...and could be speaking in hearsay..but?

[h. hastings]

why so many nights at a hotel? isnt the purpose of a hike to stay in a tent? kinda defeats the purpose? and.. (new pair every 500 miles) really? to hike the AT you will buy 4/5 pair of shoes?
Of coarse Im new to hiking, Ive never did an all nighter , just many long daily hikes(10-20 miles)... ...and could be speaking in hearsay..but?

Let me answer your questions one at a time ....

1) Nights in motels/hostels fell into two catagories. Usually I stayed in town overnight when I needed to do a resupply. That can that be done without staying overnight but I used the opportunity to also do laundry, take a shower, etc. The other reason was to avoid weather. I don't like hiking in the rain so if there was an extended stretch of wet weather coming up I would try to time my town stops to be off trail. The only double zero I took was to avoid rain. There was also an unusual stretch of cold weather when I was in PA that I hostel hopped because my sleep system would not have kept me warm enough. Staying inside at night enabled me to continue using my lighter gear for another 350 or so miles before switching to heavier gear.

2) For me the purpose of "hiking" was to hike the trail. I like staying in my hammock but that wasn't the reason I was out there. Played tag for a couple weeks with another hiker who was slackpacking most of the trail and only occasionally staying in the woods. He was having the time of his life just being able to hike every day. The "camping" part was secondary to him.

3) I hike in trail runners. They are good for about 500 miles and then the midsoles are shot. The uppers and tread would still be okay. Doing the math means you'll go through about 5 pairs in completing a hike. Could I have kept hiking in them longer? Sure, but my body would have paid the price. I had no issues with my feet or legs the entire trip and I'm a 60 year-old man. I attribute that to not pushing too hard too fast and always having good shoes. The last thing I wanted have happen was to have to get off the trail because I couldn't/wouldn't spend $100 or so on a pair of shoes that would have saved my hike.

[Fëanor]

Let me answer your questions one at a time ....

1) Nights in motels/hostels fell into two catagories. Usually I stayed in town overnight when I needed to do a resupply. That can that be done without staying overnight but I used the opportunity to also do laundry, take a shower, etc. The other reason was to avoid weather. I don't like hiking in the rain so if there was an extended stretch of wet weather coming up I would try to time my town stops to be off trail. The only double zero I took was to avoid rain. There was also an unusual stretch of cold weather when I was in PA that I hostel hopped because my sleep system would not have kept me warm enough. Staying inside at night enabled me to continue using my lighter gear for another 350 or so miles before switching to heavier gear.

2) For me the purpose of "hiking" was to hike the trail. I like staying in my hammock but that wasn't the reason I was out there. Played tag for a couple weeks with another hiker who was slackpacking most of the trail and only occasionally staying in the woods. He was having the time of his life just being able to hike every day. The "camping" part was secondary to him.

3) I hike in trail runners. They are good for about 500 miles and then the midsoles are shot. The uppers and tread would still be okay. Doing the math means you'll go through about 5 pairs in completing a hike. Could I have kept hiking in them longer? Sure, but my body would have paid the price. I had no issues with my feet or legs the entire trip and I'm a 60 year-old man. I attribute that to not pushing too hard too fast and always having good shoes. The last thing I wanted have happen was to have to get off the trail because I couldn't/wouldn't spend $100 or so on a pair of shoes that would have saved my hike.

Thank You Ghost! yeah one can do whatever they like, tbh am thinking of overnight hike, my first, and was like what am I missing? do i NOT think things out...

[perrymk]

why so many nights at a hotel?

It's 25 hours of driving from my house to BSP. I will probably take 2-2.5 days to drive this. I prefer staying in a hotel to sleeping in my car. Plus I can afford it. The fifth day is an 'in case' mid hike day.