Re: [pct-l] Budgeting...

[Owen <jrowen@ibm.net>]

Michbs@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> I am wondering if anybody of past thruhike experience has kept a budget or can
> pass on a general number and list of expenses.  I don't know how much money I
> need for this summers thru hiking plan.  If you do have an average amount,
> what does it include i.e. food, travel, gear, fees etc.   Thanks, Michelle
> * From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

Michelle, How much you spend on a thruhike depends in large part on you
and what kind of a hike you want and what kind of a budget you have. I
have known people do the AT on as little as $600 and as much as $10,000.
The questions include - how far do you have to go to get to the trail?
(i.e two one way plane tickets across the country add up quite a bit.)
What do you need to do to take care of stuff at home?  Do you have to
put your stuff in storage? That adds up too. Will you need to prepay a
mortgage? Insurance? Will you buy food you go, or prebuy and do
maildrops? Buying in bulk can save you money, but not if you have to
ship boxes across the country at $20-25 each.  Do you have all your
equipment?  Buying from scratch will set you back about $1000, or more
if you go for the top of the line stuff. Will all of your gear last?  It
is a good idea to have enough spare cash so you can replace a broken
stove or waterfilter or stolen pack if necessary. Then there are the
replacement boots/shoes every 500-1000 miles. How often will you go to
town, and how long will you stay?  If you are spending money on motels,
beer and pizza, it goes quite quickly.  We figured we spent $100 with
each town stop (but I was also buying food for the trail.)  How fancy do
you want to eat?  Freeze dried dinners costs $6/meal.  Ramen you can buy
at 6 for $1.00.  Then there is the after the trail part - you may not be
willing to go back to work right away - do you need some cash to live on
for a few months until you get used to the idea of living in the
non-trail world again. There are a lot of questions, and the answers
will vary with the individual.  
Ginny

* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

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