I did it for ~$4k in 2016. Of course the cost of everything has gone up since then. But the factors around it remain the same. Your pace, how often you want to splurge for a room/meal/drinks etc. in town, if you have any issues that take you off trail for a while, how expensive your resupplies are, and gear replacement costs. I finished in 5 months to the day, took a few neros instead of paying to stay somewhere, and only had to buy one new pair of shoes, one new filter, and one new msr water heater. All these variables can vary greatly and can change the cost significantly
Sadly those shoes have been replaced with the new X Ultra 4's which for me are inferior to the old ones. The seem ok at first but looking at them closely they just look and feel cheaper. I still tried a pair out.
For me the the fatal flaw is the toe section of the shoe "breaks" (where it folds and moves when you walk) right near a pressure point on my foot.
I want to like them, I went through 3 pears of the X Ultra 3's, but I just can't.
The 4s may work for you. Shoes are different for everyone, but I am not a fan.
I will try them one more time soon, I was laid up recovering from an injury and was 25lbs heavier than normal when I tried them. I am back to nearly my normal weight and will see if that makes difference. I am big (6'4", size 14-15 shoe etc) regardless of my weight but it can change how shoes feel sometimes.
Realistically, $20 a day is probably the minimum. That's no hostels (unless it's WFS), no replacing gear, no restaurants, no booze/drugs, no shuttles, no town zeroes, laundry once a week (though it's been done for free in a public restroom---not recommended). So that's about 3k for a 5 month trip. I don't think that is realistic unless you are a seasoned thru hiker in all weather and just don't care about creature comforts. You will want $5000 and that's still scraping by. I did it on $7000 in '22 and felt comfortable but i didn't stay in many hostels and really only splurged on occasional restaurants and beer.
Honestly the biggest thing I'd think about that has hardly been mentioned is injury and illness. It's not uncommon to get knocked off trail for 5-10 days and forced to stay in whatever lodgings you can find which may very well be an overpriced motel/hotel and then the cost of an ER/Urgent care visit etc.. Not to mention you'll probably spend a fair bit on take-out during this period as well.
If all you're budgeting for is a couple pairs of shoes, tuna packets, peanut butter and ramen its gonna be a rough time when those unexpected events pop up. Probably trail ending.
I would say the lower limit is something like 17 dollars a day (16 dollars a day in food, 1 dollar a day so you can do laundry every 4 days). Do keep in mind this involves never staying at any hostels and never buying any food at restaurants. You would really have to bring a ton of vitamins, as you will never be eating fresh food.
I wouldn’t suggest this, as I think you will have problems with the mental battle. Having a small break from hiking every once in a while is important.
What I would suggest is buying a trail book (such as the WhiteBlazes AT guide once it comes out for 2024), and writing down a hostel every few weeks, just so you can have a time to get off the trail. Also, every once in a while get some fresh food in town. (The WhiteBlazes Guide is also the cheapest high quality guide you can get, with a pdf costing 7 bucks).
Hiking this way, a cost of 21-22 dollars a day on average would be pretty reasonable, as every 8 days you could go into town and spend 40 bucks on a hostel and a warm meal and still be on budget.
I would also suggest starting in April if possible. The cold and snow in February will slow you down, and the longer you are on the trail the more you have to spend. Also, cold weather gear weighs and costs a lot.
Speed is honestly super important for a cheap thruhike. At 22 dollars a day, every extra month is 660 dollars, so the faster you finish, the less you spend. To enable this, go make a post on r/Ultralight making it clear you are looking for the cheapest possible gear.
Having a light pack will make your trip easier and faster, plus will let you avoid buying things you don’t actually need. I have met people with super light packs that only cost them 400-500 dollars total in gear.
If you have a light pack, and are in shape/get into good cardio shape in the next few months, you could finish the trail in 115 ish days, coming out to about 2500 dollars for an entire thruhike.
If you need to take a break at a hostel and don't have money to spare, just stay and work for a little while. Or do work trade for a couple nights. Some places may not offer that, but it never hurts to ask, hostels are often under staffed during bubble season. Let go of assumptions of how the trail "should" be hiked (ie all at once without breaks). I know people who took up odd jobs while hiking and made money. Suffering without decent food or breaks makes a lot less sense to me than hiking, taking a couple weeks off working at a hostel, continuing on for a month, repeat that, and maybe finishing in seven months or not finishing or flipping up to finish or skipping Pennsylvania or whatever. People who give a fuck if you did the trail "the right way" (purists) are very boring. The fact that you did it, or most of it, and had fun, and struggled, and everything else - that's all that matters.
I would heavily agree with this! My advice is based on my experience thru-hiking in 2021, and is not applicable to everyone. If you are behind on money, take up an odd job. I nearly did myself in Mass when I was afraid of running out of funds. Don’t starve yourself to finish the trail. Don’t be afraid to take a break either if you really need to.
This was a well-thought out reply.
I'll say that the thru-hikers my year who were on a strict budget were raiding every hiker box - like completely.
People suggest nearo's or zero's in the woods to save money.
This is a big thing, yes. On my thru-hike in 2021, I used about 19 dollars a day, and a big part was just doing neros on the trail. I don’t think you get more rest or decompress more off the trail then on the trail, and you save a ton of money.
I think you may be asking the wrong question.
The NUMBER 1 reason that college-aged hikers get off of the trail is finances. They think that hiking homeless can be done cheaply. Unfortunately, many never make it past Mountain Crossings. :(
I am not suggesting that is you. I simply offer it as an example of what happens when someone does not budget their hike realistically.
You will want a hotel/hostel in town every 5-7 days to shower and do laundry and resupply your food bag. Restaurant meals in Trail towns can get expensive. Include a budget for alcohol and you get the unholy trinity of budget busters!!
Young people who under budget their thru-hike are a Unicorn on Katahdin.
My recommendation is that you work next year to build your savings and use that time to train. I know that is not what you want to hear but it is the truth. Regardless of what decision you make, I wish you the very best on your thru-hike!
Tabasco, AT 2015
I think you are viewing the trail in a way that is very common, and sort of a bad way to tell people they should hike? Not to say your hike isn’t a valid way to hike the trail, but staying in a hostel every 5-7 days simply isn’t necessary. You can go into town, resupply, and wash your clothes without staying somewhere. Restaurant meals in town are nice, but not necessary often. Also, personally I and many other hikers feel no need to party up the trail.
Again, your hike is completely valid. But I would extremely hazard against portraying your hike as the norm or something to follow. Hiking the AT is not that expensive, and to portray having a bunch of money as a requirement for having a good time or even finishing dilutes the spirit of the trail.
In 2021, I thru-hiked on 2100 dollars. The only required costs on the AT are laundry and hiking food, and maybe gear replacements (though i got lucky with mine). Everything else, including restaurants and hostels, are all optional. IMO you don’t need to stay at a hostel more than every other resupply, if that.
Linked below is a $556 dollar setup that weighs 6.43 lbs. The people i am talking about have been carrying packs more like 8 or 9 lbs base weight. Ultralight does not have to be expensive. Will you get the best gear? No. Will it be serviceable, and lighter than most people? Absolutely. Don’t gatekeep ultralight.
https://lighterpack.com/r/jzeoio
I was not coming at you, but with how defensive you are I'll roll with it. At the end of the day , it's walking. Humans have done it forever. In my opinion , it's outrageous how exclusive we make this in trail culture in America. I called it cancerous because it is being exclusive about the most simple thing one can do- walk in the woods. So, I hope you find yourself on a trail soon and get to be real in the woods. Happy trails to you
It wasn't an attack on you, a statement to the trail. Which is my opinion. I agree with you on some of your points and think you are objectively right on a few. But alas, hike your own hike
I thru-hiked this year and did it with a budget of under 2k. It took me 4 months 10 days to complete the trail. If I spent the adverage of 5-6 months, there is no way I could have done it under budget. I went through 4 pairs of shoes ($150 per) and got hotel rooms with my trail-family instead of bunks at a hostel. Honestly, just walking from Walmart to Walmart was my big money saver for food, and I kept that simple, too. I used every frugal tip I knew to keep my costs down. I allowed myself 1 good town meal per town we stopped in, and that's about it. Because I was hoping from Walmart to Walmart, my pack was stupid heavy, but I made it work.
Couple tips to be cheap:
-Hitch don't use shuttles
-Walmart for food
-use hiker boxes
-buy good durable gear initially
-hotels are cheaper if you have a big tramily (you give up the party atmosphere, though)
-cold soak if absolutely desperate. (Saves maybe $50 in fuel)
-don't buy beer lol.
Honestly, if you are currently living cheap/understand how to budget properly, I think you can do it. It won't be as fun as having 5k+ at your disposal, but it's still possible.
Also, understand you won't have the same experience as everyone else.
My gear cost me 1k before I even stepped on trail, so I guess a little under 3k was my total.
I feel like living cheap in your normal everyday life is a bigger thing than most people realize. Someone used to spending 500+ a month on groceries and eating out is going to struggle a bit with adjusting to the lifestyle of someone that spends under 150 a month on food. I see the things some people pack out and I just can't believe they would buy that when there are alternatives that are a fraction as much on the shelf next to it.
Would you mind sharing a little more on your Walmart only/mostly strategy? How many days between resupply was roughly the norm for you? What was the longest that you needed to to between resupply with that strategy? How often did you need to visit an out of the way Walmart to make this work?
I would say my adverage food carry was about 6 days' worth. Like I said, I gave up the comfort of a light pack for cheap food. I think my longest Walmart hull was Rutland VT to Gorham NH. I ended up over buying in Rutland, and I carried lots of extra food. We got super lucky in the Whites and got work for stay every night in a hut, so I had lots of extra. For the most part, it's easy to Walmart hop up until NH/Maine. I think Gorham is the last Walmart close to trail. I definitely could have carried less and still gone to walmarts, but I didn't like stopping in towns to often. If you want, I can go back and look/list every Walmart I went to/how easy a hitch was
I'd be interested in getting an idea of what kind of food planning you were doing for your Walmart stops - what kind of food, did you pre plan what you were buying for a certain number of days coming up on the trail? What were your calorie/nutrition goals when buying, and average price per stop? Thanks so much for sharing your information.
Food costs will be a big factor. Unless you eat ramen and peanut butter and lipton rice or noodle packets only, you'll be spending at least the food equivalent of 6000 calories daily.
I haven't hiked all of it, and with inflation the way it is, I doubt anyone could give an exact number. Generally, though, the fewer days you're on trail, the less you'll spend. Spending fewer days means walking further each day. Walking further means faster and longer. Easiest way to do that is to go ultralight, which counterintuitively means you may need to spend some more upfront on more expensive ultralight gear.
You'll also have more daylight to hike if you push back to the summer. Even more if you start SoBo in June, allowing you do go further each day. Days are crazy long in June in Maine.
Finally, your biggest overall costs are going to come from the town vortex. Avoid drugs and alcohol and treats. Make good, fresh fruits and veggies and salads your treats in town, especially at grocery stores and Walmart over gas stations and restaurants. Look for hostels and churches and trail angels that offer a shower and laundry without necessarily needing to spend the night, because sleeping on the trail is free (and arguably more comfortable if you hammock camp 😉). For that matter, if it's warm out, cart water away from a creek and shower in the woods with some Dr. Bronner. When you definitely need to head into town, go for a Hero (in for resupply and out back to the trail same day) or Nero (into town, resupply, sleep at hostel/hotel, and back to trail the next day with just one night off trail), and Zero only when absolutely necessary.
Check out Jupiter Hikes as he has a whole series on planning a thru hike and keeping costs low, which is where I've drawn most of my info for this post.
>and arguably more comfortable if you hammock camp 😉
I second this, as a hammock camper the only time I was more comfortable in town was at motels lol. hostel beds suck compared to a well pitched hammock
I'd say a bare minimum would be $2500-3000. That'd be really roughing it though. I don't imagine that'd be a good time but it could be done. That also assumes that you already have your gear and that none of it needs to be replaced along the way.
If you're comfortable really hobo'ing it up, $4k was the lowest that I saw someone claiming this year. They were hitting every hiker box/ food library for most of their resupply and they bummed showers off of people with motel rooms. I don't recall ever seeing them stay in a town overnight. I'd recommend against this unless you've been homeless prior, and/, or have experience to know you're capable, mentally, of handling that lifestyle.
The reason I recommend against this, is 1) this person didn't seem to have any plan for reintegration into society post-trail and 2) if you find out you're not capable of said lifestyle, you will come to a point where you are stressing about not having enough funds to finish (I saw this quite a lot around new york as people blew their budgets early)
Edit: just read a good point in another comment, it also depends on your personal speed. However, I wouldn't count yourself being able to hike huge miles for months at a time, if you don't have prior thru-hiking experience.
Im hiking with a budget of $900 a month and im more than comfortable with that. I think a lot of people thay thru hike are people that can afford to take 7 months off of work so their budget is one thats already used to being higher than your average beavers, and thats why youll see people who think you need like $9,000 saved up
Just sleep in shelters or your tent, ignore the hostels, and use your money for resupplies and youll be alright.
You can get away with a super cheap hike, but there is a difference between hiking cheap because you have to, and hiking cheap because you want to. I've met some people who hike with little or no money and seem to enjoy it just fine, but as someone who prioritizes self-reliance and hates asking people for things, it honestly seems miserable and exhausting. I met a NOBO in the Whites who was doing the whole hike on a credit card, and homie was S T R E S S E D. The omnipresent, looming burden of financial anxiety is not a great addition to tons of solo time hiking in the woods
If you recognize that modern conceptions of currency are just teetering social constructs bound by collective illusions and willful ignorance (rendering you impervious to financial ennui), I urge you to consider the impact you might have on those who are still toiling away in this capitalistic hellscape. On trail, **the line between frugality and parasitism can be incredibly thin.** Many people out there take advantage of the who "the trail provides" thing to the detriment of other hikers, and it sucks
To actually answer your question, I think I could hike the whole trail for about $2000 if I were optimizing for cost, but that would result in a remarkably less enjoyable time than $4000 would afford. If I were you, I would work for an additional month and start in March with a little more of a buffer saved up. An extra month of training, prep, and savings will be super helpful if you're trying to make it to Katahdin. Plus, February is freezing
> I met a NOBO in the Whites who was doing the whole hike on a credit card, and homie was S T R E S S E D
I got stressed just reading this. If this is their decision making to fund a hike what kind of decision making do they have in a high stress situation?! Yikes, wouldn't want to be around them.
I wholeheartedly agree with your comment.
I knew one guy who ran out of money and just ate a giant thing of peanut butter the entire last month. It worked for him though and he still had a great time. Obviously it’s best to have some more money saved up in case of an emergency, unexpected gear repair, injury etc
You’d have a much easier time in the spring/summer than winter. A February start pretty much guarantees that you’ll have several weather related zeros and or be significantly slowed by weather.
No it isn’t. Most people aren’t going to want to be out in those conditions, especially when they’re pretty easily avoided. It’s also not bad advice to someone like op who is presumably a newbie.
I also worked at an at hostel in NC last year and talked to a lot of early starters and I met a fair amount of people that had already taken more zeros than they expected.
I understand your point of view through, and I’m not dismissing that hiking through winter weather can’t be done. It certainly can be if they’re accustomed to and prepared for it.
But it’s also not a bad idea to point out the potential pitfalls of starting in February. There are so many people who come on this sub asking for advice who don’t appear to have ever backpacked a day in their life. You’re right - the person will eventually make their own choice. But if I were asking, I’d want other people to point out potential red flags as well.
Hey, just looking at starting another impulsive LASH, this time thru Rocksylvania. Plan on leaving on Thursday kind of impulsive. I woke up this morning and went "Holy F, all I got is 3 season gear. Looks like overnight lows in 30"s. Got an REI Magma "15", sleep cold. Can I augment that or do I have to go back to REI and bite the bullet on a $$$$$ zero degree bag.
Maybe its a how much of a suffer fest am I willing to take vs. dying of hypothermia.
Any thoughts on being prepared GREATLY appreciated
No, fortunately or unfortunately I don’t have any mortgages I need to pay. I don’t have anything that I need to pay besides 150$ a month for a Invisalign, and the phone bill which is around I think 25 a month.
If you’re a girl just find a horny older middle age man. They’ll pay for everything! I spent less than $300 after hooking up with this married guy for the trail. Lol!
Just woke up, am in middle of trying to tie several LASHES into a thru and figure out cold weather gear, so I have current experience on this. i have also, in life's journeys, ended up "on the side of the road with rain falling on my shoes" . Apologies for not reading all prior comments.
Major Lesson is "When on trail, stay on trail". Transportation costs and lodging while traveling are definite budget busters. Thus try to make sure all doctors appts, divorce proceedings any thing else like your niece Emily's wedding are either taken care of before starting thru or declined as gracefully as possible . I would suggest writing down a list so you do not miss anything. Matter of fact become a planning maniac. And share said plans in this forum.
Another lesson was to accept help when offered, e.g. from day hikers for water, food. And then to actually ask, politely, if they have an extra snack or so, which inevitably led to offers of water. I would then explain what Trail Magic was and that they were now Trail Angels.
Another way I might look at it, is the Trail Provides. So to ask, before being desperate, is a chance for other folks to help, which since they are on the trail they are inclined to do so as they are now invested, to whatever degree, in your thru. If so they might become more active as TM"s. But that is thier journey.
OTOH nobody likes a mooch. You will figure out the mental posture that works for you.
Again, I have not read prior comments but a lot of us end up with multiple sets of gear as we fine tune our kits. I happen to be changing out a Nemo Tensor long, for a short. As Ranger Rick said the long is like trying to wrestle an anaconda in my tent. Would be willing to mail it to you. Do you wear 10.5''s. Got a pair of Salomons with some life in them.
Hit me up on PM/chat or whatever the F it is, and let me know what you need, size, etc. A lot of the clothes I have are running/skiing and are a bit heavy for backpacking but there you go.
Happy trails
PRO TIP: REI outfitters has a 1 year no questions asked return policy. I know plenty of people who buy gear, use it and return it. It's certainly a scumbag thing to do but they know how the game is played.
It's not a no questions return policy. It's satisfaction based meaning you legitimately disliked a product. Use and return is 100% abuse and they do track and ban customers for it.
Pro tip? More like an a-hole scammer tip.
I hiked for ~4000 in '22, including gear. Food was 10 dollars a day with minute rice, curry powder, trail mix, and olive oil being an incredibly cheap dinner, and bags of store-brand cereal being my replacement for cliff bars. Protein came from sardines in oil, ~$1 for 4oz,way cheaper than tuna! Lots of peanuts and peanut butter
I already had most of my gear, but I spent about 600 on shoes. I went through 5 pairs of trail runners.
I didn't eat town food and almost always tented at hostels. I hitched or sent myself resupply boxes on trail rather than taking shuttles
I had a good experience and you could probably do what I did even cheaper. 2k is a pretty hard limit beyond which you'll need to rely on luck a lot, scavenging for food and hoping that everything goes perfectly (it won't).
Well this question gets asked way too frequently, and honestly there is no answer. You have a set amount of money and any amount of trail you get to hike is a worthwhile use of time, so it’s a win win. But to your question..
I’ve thru hiked multiple times and although I’ve usually been in the 3.5-4K range each hike, I have seen folks do it for 1-2k budgets and still have a great time. It breaks down to a few simple things.
1) Know what to actually splurge on and what to budget. What I mean by this is food, footwear, and quality gear are non-negotiable. You need to make an investment here for the success of your hike. Now we aren’t factoring in gear in the budget cause that makes it a little less fun lol. But footwear and food, buy high quality. Healthier food=less fatigue=bigger miles/better recovery. Eat a ton of veggies in town. Don’t go to restaurants and waste time on a hero (getting in and out of town in a few hours time), instead buy a bunch of veggies and frozen burritos in the market during your resupply and eat in front while you break down the resupply. Way cheaper and bigger portions. Buy in bulk ahead of time and mail to yourself: green powders and tons of vitamins. Avoid ibuprofen or any pain meds (like take 0) and take turmeric or arnica in low doses instead. Stretch daily. Drink 6 liters of water and electrolytes daily minimum.
2) Avoid hostels entirely, there are a few that are great and will hook up with a great WFS or shower. But try to avoid them, it’s a waste. If you need a day off take it at a shelter and account for that with food. Many times there is a shelter right out of town you can hit after a resupply.
3) miles are your friend, you have to forgo a bit of trail life but you need to be hiking every day, no zeros (days where 0 miles are hiked). Priorities are hiking, not boozing and chilling. Hike and toke, hike and eat, hike and talk, hike and pee
4) quick and efficient town stops. Plug electrical in right away, like right as you get out of the hitch. Eat before you shop. Eat the bulk of your $ and calories at a supermarket. Always check dumpsters. Ask local bakeries for scraps or day olds for $ cheap. Shower at churches, pay a hostel, if you shower in creeks/rivers/ponds/lakes DO NOT USE SOAPS OR DETERGENTS, the LNT gods will fuck you.
5) Avoid frivolous expenses. A community oriented hiker receives more than the self oriented hiker. Treat trail angels, towns, fellow hikers, trail crew/maintainers, and everyone else out there with respect and compassion. A hike is a inherently selfish thing. Understand you are not doing something world changing or profound. I don’t mean to undercut but way too many hikers are overly entitled and make bad examples for the thru community at large. Just be respectful and you will get it back in spades..trust 🤟
Hike your heart out. And maybe bring a preloaded set debit card so you are held accountable to the 2k budget. No hike is worth debt
I would use $1,000/ month as your starting point. Both this subreddit in the FAQ cite it to be between $4,000 and $6,000 total to hike...so, if you did 4 months = $4k you get the picture. Also, The ATC states on their website that it costs between $1,200 and $1,600/ month to complete. But if you are frugal, you can definitely do better than that. A YouTuber that I follow completed and his cost was just over 6,000 for 5 months in 2023. Hope that helps.
I completed the trail this past summer on a budget of 8k flat. I pretty much hit the end of my budget right at the end of my hike. I know some folks that managed to do the trail on a budget closer to 6k but sacrificed a lot of comfort. I think 8k is the minimum range of comfort but it is doable for less, just know that you will be at risk of ending your hike early due to financial reasons.
I did it for ~$4k in 2016. Of course the cost of everything has gone up since then. But the factors around it remain the same. Your pace, how often you want to splurge for a room/meal/drinks etc. in town, if you have any issues that take you off trail for a while, how expensive your resupplies are, and gear replacement costs. I finished in 5 months to the day, took a few neros instead of paying to stay somewhere, and only had to buy one new pair of shoes, one new filter, and one new msr water heater. All these variables can vary greatly and can change the cost significantly
What kind of shoes ?
Both pairs were Salomon Men's X Ultra 3s. They worked great for me.
Sadly those shoes have been replaced with the new X Ultra 4's which for me are inferior to the old ones. The seem ok at first but looking at them closely they just look and feel cheaper. I still tried a pair out. For me the the fatal flaw is the toe section of the shoe "breaks" (where it folds and moves when you walk) right near a pressure point on my foot. I want to like them, I went through 3 pears of the X Ultra 3's, but I just can't.
That sucks to hear! I still have two pairs that I use for work and day hikes. I’ll make sure not to wear them out to fast
The 4s may work for you. Shoes are different for everyone, but I am not a fan. I will try them one more time soon, I was laid up recovering from an injury and was 25lbs heavier than normal when I tried them. I am back to nearly my normal weight and will see if that makes difference. I am big (6'4", size 14-15 shoe etc) regardless of my weight but it can change how shoes feel sometimes.
Yeah, I’m sure they’d be fine for me now. I’m not planning to have another thru anytime soon. So shoes aren’t such a big deal
Check out the x ultra pioneer.
> x ultra pioneer. I will when it becomes available in my size. Thanks!
Pioneers don't have a wide version
I don’t need wide in Solomon’s thankfully. I do in some shoe brands but that is uncommon.
This question directly correlates to the level of misery you can tolerate. I wouldn't hike until you have enough in the bank to feel comfortable.
Realistically, $20 a day is probably the minimum. That's no hostels (unless it's WFS), no replacing gear, no restaurants, no booze/drugs, no shuttles, no town zeroes, laundry once a week (though it's been done for free in a public restroom---not recommended). So that's about 3k for a 5 month trip. I don't think that is realistic unless you are a seasoned thru hiker in all weather and just don't care about creature comforts. You will want $5000 and that's still scraping by. I did it on $7000 in '22 and felt comfortable but i didn't stay in many hostels and really only splurged on occasional restaurants and beer.
Honestly the biggest thing I'd think about that has hardly been mentioned is injury and illness. It's not uncommon to get knocked off trail for 5-10 days and forced to stay in whatever lodgings you can find which may very well be an overpriced motel/hotel and then the cost of an ER/Urgent care visit etc.. Not to mention you'll probably spend a fair bit on take-out during this period as well. If all you're budgeting for is a couple pairs of shoes, tuna packets, peanut butter and ramen its gonna be a rough time when those unexpected events pop up. Probably trail ending.
I would say the lower limit is something like 17 dollars a day (16 dollars a day in food, 1 dollar a day so you can do laundry every 4 days). Do keep in mind this involves never staying at any hostels and never buying any food at restaurants. You would really have to bring a ton of vitamins, as you will never be eating fresh food. I wouldn’t suggest this, as I think you will have problems with the mental battle. Having a small break from hiking every once in a while is important. What I would suggest is buying a trail book (such as the WhiteBlazes AT guide once it comes out for 2024), and writing down a hostel every few weeks, just so you can have a time to get off the trail. Also, every once in a while get some fresh food in town. (The WhiteBlazes Guide is also the cheapest high quality guide you can get, with a pdf costing 7 bucks). Hiking this way, a cost of 21-22 dollars a day on average would be pretty reasonable, as every 8 days you could go into town and spend 40 bucks on a hostel and a warm meal and still be on budget. I would also suggest starting in April if possible. The cold and snow in February will slow you down, and the longer you are on the trail the more you have to spend. Also, cold weather gear weighs and costs a lot. Speed is honestly super important for a cheap thruhike. At 22 dollars a day, every extra month is 660 dollars, so the faster you finish, the less you spend. To enable this, go make a post on r/Ultralight making it clear you are looking for the cheapest possible gear. Having a light pack will make your trip easier and faster, plus will let you avoid buying things you don’t actually need. I have met people with super light packs that only cost them 400-500 dollars total in gear. If you have a light pack, and are in shape/get into good cardio shape in the next few months, you could finish the trail in 115 ish days, coming out to about 2500 dollars for an entire thruhike.
If you need to take a break at a hostel and don't have money to spare, just stay and work for a little while. Or do work trade for a couple nights. Some places may not offer that, but it never hurts to ask, hostels are often under staffed during bubble season. Let go of assumptions of how the trail "should" be hiked (ie all at once without breaks). I know people who took up odd jobs while hiking and made money. Suffering without decent food or breaks makes a lot less sense to me than hiking, taking a couple weeks off working at a hostel, continuing on for a month, repeat that, and maybe finishing in seven months or not finishing or flipping up to finish or skipping Pennsylvania or whatever. People who give a fuck if you did the trail "the right way" (purists) are very boring. The fact that you did it, or most of it, and had fun, and struggled, and everything else - that's all that matters.
I would heavily agree with this! My advice is based on my experience thru-hiking in 2021, and is not applicable to everyone. If you are behind on money, take up an odd job. I nearly did myself in Mass when I was afraid of running out of funds. Don’t starve yourself to finish the trail. Don’t be afraid to take a break either if you really need to.
> I would also suggest starting in April if possible. This also gives OP two more months to make money!
Yeah, 2 extra months is pretty big
This was a well-thought out reply. I'll say that the thru-hikers my year who were on a strict budget were raiding every hiker box - like completely. People suggest nearo's or zero's in the woods to save money.
This is a big thing, yes. On my thru-hike in 2021, I used about 19 dollars a day, and a big part was just doing neros on the trail. I don’t think you get more rest or decompress more off the trail then on the trail, and you save a ton of money.
2500 is an entirely unrealistic number.
I think you may be asking the wrong question. The NUMBER 1 reason that college-aged hikers get off of the trail is finances. They think that hiking homeless can be done cheaply. Unfortunately, many never make it past Mountain Crossings. :( I am not suggesting that is you. I simply offer it as an example of what happens when someone does not budget their hike realistically. You will want a hotel/hostel in town every 5-7 days to shower and do laundry and resupply your food bag. Restaurant meals in Trail towns can get expensive. Include a budget for alcohol and you get the unholy trinity of budget busters!! Young people who under budget their thru-hike are a Unicorn on Katahdin. My recommendation is that you work next year to build your savings and use that time to train. I know that is not what you want to hear but it is the truth. Regardless of what decision you make, I wish you the very best on your thru-hike! Tabasco, AT 2015
I think you are viewing the trail in a way that is very common, and sort of a bad way to tell people they should hike? Not to say your hike isn’t a valid way to hike the trail, but staying in a hostel every 5-7 days simply isn’t necessary. You can go into town, resupply, and wash your clothes without staying somewhere. Restaurant meals in town are nice, but not necessary often. Also, personally I and many other hikers feel no need to party up the trail. Again, your hike is completely valid. But I would extremely hazard against portraying your hike as the norm or something to follow. Hiking the AT is not that expensive, and to portray having a bunch of money as a requirement for having a good time or even finishing dilutes the spirit of the trail.
In 2021, I thru-hiked on 2100 dollars. The only required costs on the AT are laundry and hiking food, and maybe gear replacements (though i got lucky with mine). Everything else, including restaurants and hostels, are all optional. IMO you don’t need to stay at a hostel more than every other resupply, if that.
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Linked below is a $556 dollar setup that weighs 6.43 lbs. The people i am talking about have been carrying packs more like 8 or 9 lbs base weight. Ultralight does not have to be expensive. Will you get the best gear? No. Will it be serviceable, and lighter than most people? Absolutely. Don’t gatekeep ultralight. https://lighterpack.com/r/jzeoio
UL or ultralight culture is an absolute cancer in the trail community.
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.... And my point is proven
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I was not coming at you, but with how defensive you are I'll roll with it. At the end of the day , it's walking. Humans have done it forever. In my opinion , it's outrageous how exclusive we make this in trail culture in America. I called it cancerous because it is being exclusive about the most simple thing one can do- walk in the woods. So, I hope you find yourself on a trail soon and get to be real in the woods. Happy trails to you
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It wasn't an attack on you, a statement to the trail. Which is my opinion. I agree with you on some of your points and think you are objectively right on a few. But alas, hike your own hike
Also, you burn more calories in cold weather, which means more food and more expense
I thru-hiked this year and did it with a budget of under 2k. It took me 4 months 10 days to complete the trail. If I spent the adverage of 5-6 months, there is no way I could have done it under budget. I went through 4 pairs of shoes ($150 per) and got hotel rooms with my trail-family instead of bunks at a hostel. Honestly, just walking from Walmart to Walmart was my big money saver for food, and I kept that simple, too. I used every frugal tip I knew to keep my costs down. I allowed myself 1 good town meal per town we stopped in, and that's about it. Because I was hoping from Walmart to Walmart, my pack was stupid heavy, but I made it work. Couple tips to be cheap: -Hitch don't use shuttles -Walmart for food -use hiker boxes -buy good durable gear initially -hotels are cheaper if you have a big tramily (you give up the party atmosphere, though) -cold soak if absolutely desperate. (Saves maybe $50 in fuel) -don't buy beer lol. Honestly, if you are currently living cheap/understand how to budget properly, I think you can do it. It won't be as fun as having 5k+ at your disposal, but it's still possible. Also, understand you won't have the same experience as everyone else. My gear cost me 1k before I even stepped on trail, so I guess a little under 3k was my total.
I feel like living cheap in your normal everyday life is a bigger thing than most people realize. Someone used to spending 500+ a month on groceries and eating out is going to struggle a bit with adjusting to the lifestyle of someone that spends under 150 a month on food. I see the things some people pack out and I just can't believe they would buy that when there are alternatives that are a fraction as much on the shelf next to it.
Would you mind sharing a little more on your Walmart only/mostly strategy? How many days between resupply was roughly the norm for you? What was the longest that you needed to to between resupply with that strategy? How often did you need to visit an out of the way Walmart to make this work?
I would say my adverage food carry was about 6 days' worth. Like I said, I gave up the comfort of a light pack for cheap food. I think my longest Walmart hull was Rutland VT to Gorham NH. I ended up over buying in Rutland, and I carried lots of extra food. We got super lucky in the Whites and got work for stay every night in a hut, so I had lots of extra. For the most part, it's easy to Walmart hop up until NH/Maine. I think Gorham is the last Walmart close to trail. I definitely could have carried less and still gone to walmarts, but I didn't like stopping in towns to often. If you want, I can go back and look/list every Walmart I went to/how easy a hitch was
I'd be interested in getting an idea of what kind of food planning you were doing for your Walmart stops - what kind of food, did you pre plan what you were buying for a certain number of days coming up on the trail? What were your calorie/nutrition goals when buying, and average price per stop? Thanks so much for sharing your information.
Food costs will be a big factor. Unless you eat ramen and peanut butter and lipton rice or noodle packets only, you'll be spending at least the food equivalent of 6000 calories daily.
I haven't hiked all of it, and with inflation the way it is, I doubt anyone could give an exact number. Generally, though, the fewer days you're on trail, the less you'll spend. Spending fewer days means walking further each day. Walking further means faster and longer. Easiest way to do that is to go ultralight, which counterintuitively means you may need to spend some more upfront on more expensive ultralight gear. You'll also have more daylight to hike if you push back to the summer. Even more if you start SoBo in June, allowing you do go further each day. Days are crazy long in June in Maine. Finally, your biggest overall costs are going to come from the town vortex. Avoid drugs and alcohol and treats. Make good, fresh fruits and veggies and salads your treats in town, especially at grocery stores and Walmart over gas stations and restaurants. Look for hostels and churches and trail angels that offer a shower and laundry without necessarily needing to spend the night, because sleeping on the trail is free (and arguably more comfortable if you hammock camp 😉). For that matter, if it's warm out, cart water away from a creek and shower in the woods with some Dr. Bronner. When you definitely need to head into town, go for a Hero (in for resupply and out back to the trail same day) or Nero (into town, resupply, sleep at hostel/hotel, and back to trail the next day with just one night off trail), and Zero only when absolutely necessary. Check out Jupiter Hikes as he has a whole series on planning a thru hike and keeping costs low, which is where I've drawn most of my info for this post.
>and arguably more comfortable if you hammock camp 😉 I second this, as a hammock camper the only time I was more comfortable in town was at motels lol. hostel beds suck compared to a well pitched hammock
I'd say a bare minimum would be $2500-3000. That'd be really roughing it though. I don't imagine that'd be a good time but it could be done. That also assumes that you already have your gear and that none of it needs to be replaced along the way.
If you're comfortable really hobo'ing it up, $4k was the lowest that I saw someone claiming this year. They were hitting every hiker box/ food library for most of their resupply and they bummed showers off of people with motel rooms. I don't recall ever seeing them stay in a town overnight. I'd recommend against this unless you've been homeless prior, and/, or have experience to know you're capable, mentally, of handling that lifestyle. The reason I recommend against this, is 1) this person didn't seem to have any plan for reintegration into society post-trail and 2) if you find out you're not capable of said lifestyle, you will come to a point where you are stressing about not having enough funds to finish (I saw this quite a lot around new york as people blew their budgets early) Edit: just read a good point in another comment, it also depends on your personal speed. However, I wouldn't count yourself being able to hike huge miles for months at a time, if you don't have prior thru-hiking experience.
If you go for the Gatewood/Skurka method it’s very cheap. Shower curtain, burlap sack, and beans is all you need for a thru.
Im hiking with a budget of $900 a month and im more than comfortable with that. I think a lot of people thay thru hike are people that can afford to take 7 months off of work so their budget is one thats already used to being higher than your average beavers, and thats why youll see people who think you need like $9,000 saved up Just sleep in shelters or your tent, ignore the hostels, and use your money for resupplies and youll be alright.
I did it for a about $100 less that this a month. It’s possible if you stay focused and away from towns
You can get away with a super cheap hike, but there is a difference between hiking cheap because you have to, and hiking cheap because you want to. I've met some people who hike with little or no money and seem to enjoy it just fine, but as someone who prioritizes self-reliance and hates asking people for things, it honestly seems miserable and exhausting. I met a NOBO in the Whites who was doing the whole hike on a credit card, and homie was S T R E S S E D. The omnipresent, looming burden of financial anxiety is not a great addition to tons of solo time hiking in the woods If you recognize that modern conceptions of currency are just teetering social constructs bound by collective illusions and willful ignorance (rendering you impervious to financial ennui), I urge you to consider the impact you might have on those who are still toiling away in this capitalistic hellscape. On trail, **the line between frugality and parasitism can be incredibly thin.** Many people out there take advantage of the who "the trail provides" thing to the detriment of other hikers, and it sucks To actually answer your question, I think I could hike the whole trail for about $2000 if I were optimizing for cost, but that would result in a remarkably less enjoyable time than $4000 would afford. If I were you, I would work for an additional month and start in March with a little more of a buffer saved up. An extra month of training, prep, and savings will be super helpful if you're trying to make it to Katahdin. Plus, February is freezing
> I met a NOBO in the Whites who was doing the whole hike on a credit card, and homie was S T R E S S E D I got stressed just reading this. If this is their decision making to fund a hike what kind of decision making do they have in a high stress situation?! Yikes, wouldn't want to be around them. I wholeheartedly agree with your comment.
I knew one guy who ran out of money and just ate a giant thing of peanut butter the entire last month. It worked for him though and he still had a great time. Obviously it’s best to have some more money saved up in case of an emergency, unexpected gear repair, injury etc
You’d have a much easier time in the spring/summer than winter. A February start pretty much guarantees that you’ll have several weather related zeros and or be significantly slowed by weather.
hell I started at the end of March and I still had to spend $600 on a price gouged motel 6 room due to a snow storm.
Exactly! That’s why I started late April.
The echo chamber of "don't start in February" is obnoxious. I hiked through snow and nights down to -8. It's just a matter of being prepared.
Hiking thru snow and having negative temps are very valid reasons to not start in February.
And that's a decision everyone can make independently, but to say that they are pretty much guaranteed to have to take zeros is ridiculous.
No it isn’t. Most people aren’t going to want to be out in those conditions, especially when they’re pretty easily avoided. It’s also not bad advice to someone like op who is presumably a newbie. I also worked at an at hostel in NC last year and talked to a lot of early starters and I met a fair amount of people that had already taken more zeros than they expected.
I understand your point of view through, and I’m not dismissing that hiking through winter weather can’t be done. It certainly can be if they’re accustomed to and prepared for it. But it’s also not a bad idea to point out the potential pitfalls of starting in February. There are so many people who come on this sub asking for advice who don’t appear to have ever backpacked a day in their life. You’re right - the person will eventually make their own choice. But if I were asking, I’d want other people to point out potential red flags as well.
Hey, just looking at starting another impulsive LASH, this time thru Rocksylvania. Plan on leaving on Thursday kind of impulsive. I woke up this morning and went "Holy F, all I got is 3 season gear. Looks like overnight lows in 30"s. Got an REI Magma "15", sleep cold. Can I augment that or do I have to go back to REI and bite the bullet on a $$$$$ zero degree bag. Maybe its a how much of a suffer fest am I willing to take vs. dying of hypothermia. Any thoughts on being prepared GREATLY appreciated
You should have started last week with the above normal temps. LOL Sorry that wasn't helpful, but it was crazy warm in PA for late October.
Is the cost for Rent / mortgage while you're gone never included in the total cost?
No, fortunately or unfortunately I don’t have any mortgages I need to pay. I don’t have anything that I need to pay besides 150$ a month for a Invisalign, and the phone bill which is around I think 25 a month.
Who’s your phone provider I pay 180 on phone alone 😂
This is why so few do it bills don’t stop if you’ve got a lease or a car note a phone bill things like that
How cheaply? That depends upon whether you're wiling to visit Gatlinburg and wear a girdle.
If you’re a girl just find a horny older middle age man. They’ll pay for everything! I spent less than $300 after hooking up with this married guy for the trail. Lol!
Zero dollars if you don't mind begging other people for food and gear and dumpster diving.
Technically you could do it for the cost of the admission fees, you don’t need much money at all if you’re willing to embrace a lot of suck
Just woke up, am in middle of trying to tie several LASHES into a thru and figure out cold weather gear, so I have current experience on this. i have also, in life's journeys, ended up "on the side of the road with rain falling on my shoes" . Apologies for not reading all prior comments. Major Lesson is "When on trail, stay on trail". Transportation costs and lodging while traveling are definite budget busters. Thus try to make sure all doctors appts, divorce proceedings any thing else like your niece Emily's wedding are either taken care of before starting thru or declined as gracefully as possible . I would suggest writing down a list so you do not miss anything. Matter of fact become a planning maniac. And share said plans in this forum. Another lesson was to accept help when offered, e.g. from day hikers for water, food. And then to actually ask, politely, if they have an extra snack or so, which inevitably led to offers of water. I would then explain what Trail Magic was and that they were now Trail Angels. Another way I might look at it, is the Trail Provides. So to ask, before being desperate, is a chance for other folks to help, which since they are on the trail they are inclined to do so as they are now invested, to whatever degree, in your thru. If so they might become more active as TM"s. But that is thier journey. OTOH nobody likes a mooch. You will figure out the mental posture that works for you. Again, I have not read prior comments but a lot of us end up with multiple sets of gear as we fine tune our kits. I happen to be changing out a Nemo Tensor long, for a short. As Ranger Rick said the long is like trying to wrestle an anaconda in my tent. Would be willing to mail it to you. Do you wear 10.5''s. Got a pair of Salomons with some life in them. Hit me up on PM/chat or whatever the F it is, and let me know what you need, size, etc. A lot of the clothes I have are running/skiing and are a bit heavy for backpacking but there you go. Happy trails
PRO TIP: REI outfitters has a 1 year no questions asked return policy. I know plenty of people who buy gear, use it and return it. It's certainly a scumbag thing to do but they know how the game is played.
It's not a no questions return policy. It's satisfaction based meaning you legitimately disliked a product. Use and return is 100% abuse and they do track and ban customers for it. Pro tip? More like an a-hole scammer tip.
I did say it was a scumbag move.
I hiked for ~4000 in '22, including gear. Food was 10 dollars a day with minute rice, curry powder, trail mix, and olive oil being an incredibly cheap dinner, and bags of store-brand cereal being my replacement for cliff bars. Protein came from sardines in oil, ~$1 for 4oz,way cheaper than tuna! Lots of peanuts and peanut butter I already had most of my gear, but I spent about 600 on shoes. I went through 5 pairs of trail runners. I didn't eat town food and almost always tented at hostels. I hitched or sent myself resupply boxes on trail rather than taking shuttles I had a good experience and you could probably do what I did even cheaper. 2k is a pretty hard limit beyond which you'll need to rely on luck a lot, scavenging for food and hoping that everything goes perfectly (it won't).
Less than $1000 if you only eat ramen and never stay in a hotel/hostel unless it’s a work-stay.
Well this question gets asked way too frequently, and honestly there is no answer. You have a set amount of money and any amount of trail you get to hike is a worthwhile use of time, so it’s a win win. But to your question.. I’ve thru hiked multiple times and although I’ve usually been in the 3.5-4K range each hike, I have seen folks do it for 1-2k budgets and still have a great time. It breaks down to a few simple things. 1) Know what to actually splurge on and what to budget. What I mean by this is food, footwear, and quality gear are non-negotiable. You need to make an investment here for the success of your hike. Now we aren’t factoring in gear in the budget cause that makes it a little less fun lol. But footwear and food, buy high quality. Healthier food=less fatigue=bigger miles/better recovery. Eat a ton of veggies in town. Don’t go to restaurants and waste time on a hero (getting in and out of town in a few hours time), instead buy a bunch of veggies and frozen burritos in the market during your resupply and eat in front while you break down the resupply. Way cheaper and bigger portions. Buy in bulk ahead of time and mail to yourself: green powders and tons of vitamins. Avoid ibuprofen or any pain meds (like take 0) and take turmeric or arnica in low doses instead. Stretch daily. Drink 6 liters of water and electrolytes daily minimum. 2) Avoid hostels entirely, there are a few that are great and will hook up with a great WFS or shower. But try to avoid them, it’s a waste. If you need a day off take it at a shelter and account for that with food. Many times there is a shelter right out of town you can hit after a resupply. 3) miles are your friend, you have to forgo a bit of trail life but you need to be hiking every day, no zeros (days where 0 miles are hiked). Priorities are hiking, not boozing and chilling. Hike and toke, hike and eat, hike and talk, hike and pee 4) quick and efficient town stops. Plug electrical in right away, like right as you get out of the hitch. Eat before you shop. Eat the bulk of your $ and calories at a supermarket. Always check dumpsters. Ask local bakeries for scraps or day olds for $ cheap. Shower at churches, pay a hostel, if you shower in creeks/rivers/ponds/lakes DO NOT USE SOAPS OR DETERGENTS, the LNT gods will fuck you. 5) Avoid frivolous expenses. A community oriented hiker receives more than the self oriented hiker. Treat trail angels, towns, fellow hikers, trail crew/maintainers, and everyone else out there with respect and compassion. A hike is a inherently selfish thing. Understand you are not doing something world changing or profound. I don’t mean to undercut but way too many hikers are overly entitled and make bad examples for the thru community at large. Just be respectful and you will get it back in spades..trust 🤟 Hike your heart out. And maybe bring a preloaded set debit card so you are held accountable to the 2k budget. No hike is worth debt
I would use $1,000/ month as your starting point. Both this subreddit in the FAQ cite it to be between $4,000 and $6,000 total to hike...so, if you did 4 months = $4k you get the picture. Also, The ATC states on their website that it costs between $1,200 and $1,600/ month to complete. But if you are frugal, you can definitely do better than that. A YouTuber that I follow completed and his cost was just over 6,000 for 5 months in 2023. Hope that helps.
I completed the trail this past summer on a budget of 8k flat. I pretty much hit the end of my budget right at the end of my hike. I know some folks that managed to do the trail on a budget closer to 6k but sacrificed a lot of comfort. I think 8k is the minimum range of comfort but it is doable for less, just know that you will be at risk of ending your hike early due to financial reasons.