[pct-l] Cost of thru hiking

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

Clifford makes a good point. I just drove across country, staying in  
cheap campgrounds on the way there and back, eating lettuce wraps and  
pemmican on the drive and two nice breakfasts, then backpacking/ 
hiking/primitive camping for 8 days. I brought something like $300 or  
$400 cash with me. I used a credit card for gas and probably spent  
$250 on gas, something a thru-hiker doesn't have to worry about.  
Otherwise, I still have over $300 in cash in my pocket. (I was given  
some cash as payment for the resupply boxes I purchased and brought  
to my CDT hiker friends.) It costs way more money to stay home.

Those zero days do add up. If you can avoid hotels or share rooms,  
you can do well. You really can't avoid food, though, but you might  
try eating grocery store food to save money. It actually works great.  
Grab sandwich fixins at the grocery store and eat that rather than  
buy a sandwich at a restaurant. Of course, one must always eat  
breakfast out since egg breakfasts are a dream come true on a thru- 
hike. Or whatever your dream come true may be.

On Jul 25, 2012, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: "Clifford McDonald" <clifmcdon at comcast.net>
>
> I'm surprised that no one yet has considered the cost of staying  
> home and
> not hiking. You still have to eat whether or not you are on the  
> trail or
> home. Subtract the daily coffee trips to Starbucks, gas and auto  
> expenses
> and hundreds of other things you are tempted to spend money on in  
> the city,
> and you might actually save money by being in the wilderness.  
> Cancel your
> cable TV and Internet service for a few months, sublet your home,  
> and think
> of other ways you might save.  As for myself, I'm retired and  
> haven't much
> to do other than pay big bucks to chase a golf ball around a  
> country club
> course or hike in the wilderness for free . I can without  
> difficulty save
> $50 a day or easily much more by hiking. Or, perhaps you are still  
> dependent
> on your parents and live at home for free; in this case I can  
> understand how
> $10 a day for trail food is an unnecessary expense.