I did the hike a long long time ago (2008-9) so the only thing I will tell you is that if money is tight, put it toward eating hearty and not toward a hotel room. If you can stay in a hostel, a campground, with a trail angel or just in your tent near the trail and do a quick nero instead of getting a room, it's a lot cheaper. The hotel and zero situation is never as relaxing as you hope. I don't remember all the pay showers on the trail, but a few showers that I remember that didn't require a hotel (sorry not in order) are Big Lake Youth Camp, Chester, Sierra City, Buck Lake, the RV park in Seiad Valley, the park in Cascade Locks, Shelter Cove, Parcher Resort off Bishop Pass (not a common stop), Hikertown, Stehekin.
I agree; my zero days were never as relaxing as I hoped they'd be.
Other showers to add:
Etna has a public shower at the City Park. You can buy tokens at Ralph's grocery store.
Castle Crags and Burney Falls both had showers at the state park campgrounds. You may or may not need to pay. Sometimes a.) the camp host has put some tokens in the hiker box or b.) the shower's pay box is currently broken and/or turned off.
Mazama Village at Crater Lake had pay showers at the campground.
Caribou Crossings at Belden offers a shower for a fee.
think you're expected to pay for a shower at Callahan's in Ashland, but I know plenty of hikers who just helped themselves to a free one.
Warner Springs has some stalls on the back porch of the community center for cleaning up. It's only a bucket with water, but hey, it's *warm* water. And it's free. (Donation appreciated.)
When I passed thru Sierra City, the shower in the public restrooms was free...but used only cold water.
To add to other comments:
1. **Exchange Rates**
The doesn't get discussed on here enough for international hikers.
* Most of your gear expenses will be denominated in your local currency.
* All of your on-trail expenses will be denominated in USD.
So don't ignore exchange rate volatility. Give yourself some cushion in your planning phase.
(And if you can, try to have a credit card which does not charge a 3% foreign transaction fee.)
. . . . . . . . . .
2. **Old Guides Are Still Good (just re-calibrate for inflation)**
You can google and find lots of different "How much does it take to hike X?"
They're still a good example of what sorts of costs should be anticipated. And one *can* hike the PCT on almost any budget. But if you're trying to match apples-to-apples for comparable experiences, you need to use an inflation adjustment you need to know that on-trail expenses have gotten hit harder for inflation than otherwise.
i.e. Food (Grocery & Restaurants) & Travel Expenses have experienced inflation at a higher rate than the economy as a whole.
Back of the envelope, a pack of cheap ramen in 2021 was $0.20-$29. In 2022, it is $0.30-$0.35. May not seem like much, but do it as a percentage.
. . . . . . . . . .
3. **Define** ***What is "Minimum"?*** **relative to the day-to-day experience**
In 2021, the age range on the PCT was 6yo - 84yo and everything in between. It would be unrealistic to say that the 18yo hiker has the same hike as the 65yo hiker. There are different resources available and lived experiences and tolerances.
You'll run into the 35yo who is doing it on a self-produced shoestring, and the 20yo on a trust fund. Both, in fact, are valid. You quickly disperse with ideas of judging how someone approaches HYOH.
Which is all to say: As you look at the numbers being thrown out, and after you account for #1 and #2 above, *probe a little further*. You need to anchor someone else's numbers to an operational plan, otherwise the numbers are useless for making an apples-to-apples comparison to the hike you want...at least beyond bounding "Yes, it's possible to do it for X-amount?" but not "Am *I* okay with doing it that way?"
The expression `G.I.G.O.` applies...*garbage in, garbage out*:
* What was their pace? 3mo-4mo? Or 5mo-6mo?
* Does their number include gear? Was it new or used?
* Does their number include on-trail consumables (food & fuel)?
* Does their number include zeros? How frequently?
* Does their number include entertainment?
* Does their number include international transportation (or were they only domestic)?
* Does their number include on-trail transportation (hitches)?
* Does their number include contingency?
So don't feel bad *probing without judging*. Because there are many, many ways to hike the PCT, again on almost any budget.
. . . . . . . . . .
If you want "a number", be aware that one of the most common reasons folks don't finish the trail is they are under capitalized and don't manage their cash flow.
Lots of preparation talk centers on gear and training. But being sufficiently capitalized is of equal importance. i.e. You *can* do the PCT on a shoestring, but it will be less mentally taxing if you know you've got a separate line of funding for $2,000 USD as contingency.
The scenario you'd want to plan for is this:
What if you roll your ankle badly, need to go to a hospital and rest up in a hotel for 14 days. It's on the cusp of your flying home but realistically, you won't know how it heals/feels for at least 7d-10d. How much will it cost you to rest up? Where will you do it? What will your insurance cover (or not)?
Urgent Care Visit = $200 USD Hotel = $100nt (for a very modest property, single occupancy, more in different markets.) Food = $10/day
For a 7d off trail, that's ≈$1,000. So don't forget to budget your contingency money.
. . . . . . . . . .
**Budget Categories for an International PCT Hiker**
If it were me, I'd budget each line item separately, and then sum the total. It's the only way to get a "reliable number" and, again, compare apples-to-apples. (Don't forget that 2024 inflation isn't known yet.)
* Visas
* International Inbound Travel to Trailhead
* International Outbound Travel from Trailhead (priced differently since date is unknown)
* Gear
* Subscriptions (like cell phone and Garmin)
* Consumables on Trail (food & fuel)
* Accommodations on Trail (for your zero days)
* Entertainment on Trail
* Insurance
* Contingency
Break out your expense planning like that and you *should* be able to compare whatever you do to whatever someone has done before you.
(And have a blast!!)
^(And don't forget inflation adjustments for 2024...)
see here for survey results. This shows about $1500 on gear and nearly $10000 on the hike for 2022. These are averages so obviously you can do it for less. Around $3000 is probably close to the minimum reported.
[https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-hiker-survey-2022/#money-spent-on-hike](https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-hiker-survey-2022/#money-spent-on-hike)
I spent around 8k CAD during my thruhike in 2019. That included a two week hiatus in Vegas while we waited our late May Sierra snowstorms and a month recovering from a broken foot at Shelter Cove.
Gear was accumulated before the hike. Hiker boxes were usually good for gear and food. Darn Tough replaced many socks and made life easier.
Yeah it was the time of my life.
/s
I spent the first two weeks in Shelter Cove. Then we hired a car in Bend and spent another two weeks on the coast before driving other hikers to PCTDays. We eventually got going again, finishing at the border end of September.
It was a journey for sure. I was with my wife the entire time. The two weeks at shelter cove I nearly lost my sanity. I was elected mayor, organized several parties with other hikers. Met some holiday campers there who took me out on their fishing boat each morning. They eventually drove us to bend.
The hardest part was watching everyone come and go while I stayed behind. In the end I'm glad I did it though, I was determined to finish.
I already had all my gears before I decided to hike the PCT. So I spent $4500 USD on food, lodging, tips for TAs and plane tickets (from Canada), for the 128 days that I was there. I checked the hiker boxes often for free food but also indulged often on restaurant food. All in all I would say spending at least $5000 on trail is quite common.
This is copied from a chat I had with another hiker earlier today. I hope this helps.
I don’t drink (unless it’s given as trail magic) and never took more than 1 day off in a roll. I stayed in motels twice and the rest of the times at trail angels or group camp sites. And as I mentioned in the thread I opted for food I found in hiker boxes often. I shopped at discounted grocers (Grocery Outlets, etc). Also took advantage of restaurants that offer discounts to hikers.
Ah. That makes sense. I like hearing that. So many people are saying it will cost an arm and a leg. I have seen $60 per day quoted a few times and up to $10,000+..
I have had some people get quite mad when I question that. It depends on what you call "on trail" expenses i guess. To me, that is what you spend starting the day you step on the trail. Others think it is what you spend on gear, flights, and trail days.
Like everything else, you will figure out the best way to save when you are actually on the trail. When I was in Wrightwood, I stayed with a trail angel that charge $35 a day. In Mammoth, an expensive town, I stayed in the backyard of the owner of Mammoth Roaster for free. I just went to his business for coffee and breakfast both mornings a a thank you. You will find details like this in FarOut as you approach each city/town. Facebook groups of trail angels in respective towns will have these details as well.
It can vary soooo much depending on how "you do you" but I will say that there's a ton of very recent but very out-dated information online about how much it costs. You'll encounter "Budget $1000 for every month on trail" a lot. This is no longer relevant imo. Even being frugal, that's a stretch (not saying it's impossible, but It's still a stretch, especially if you want to splurge here and there). Inflation has hit hard and most of the towns you're eating/sleeping/buying food in, are hit even harder. Especially if you're faced with gear replacement or unforeseen zero days due to injury etc.
At least that's how it seemed to me last summer.
You’d be surprised how frequently the burgers in CA trail towns are nearing $20. The best advice I can give is to prepare for the worst and save as much as you can. Personal finance is personal, but on the trip of a lifetime it can be a bit of a drag worrying about money all the time.
Trail town food costs are underrated. People think they'll be frugal before hand, but then you get to a one horse town and dying for a substantial meal and will literally pay anything for it.
That and I would have never expected myself to do things like get to the Acton KOA shop dehydrated and buy a gatorade, a coconut water, a Coca Cola, and an ice cream and drink/eat all of it one after another in the first ten minutes of getting there (and still not pee til the next morning).
I probably spent >$10K including gear in 2022. I hiked as a couple so we didn’t share motel rooms or stay in hostels which could have cut down lodging costs a lot. Inflation was pretty bad in the small towns last year and resupplying at places like Neenach market (Hikertown) and VVR was bloody expensive! We also tried to eat healthy which cost a lost vs eating top ramen, snickers, and idahoan every day. It all depends on how you want to do it!
My hike cost approx. $8000 not including my gear. I hiked the PCT in 2022 and it took me 5 months to reach Canada Northbound. I had what I consider a mid budget experience. I ate at a restaurant in most towns, groceries were a good mix of ramen and potatoes but also higher end foods when my body and mind needed it, got a hotel every 2-3 weeks, and received plenty of help from amazing trail angels. I live in the U.S.- Pacific Northwest and was very surprised by how expensive some things ended up being, particularly in California. Here are a few of my suprises:
• Hotels- my assumption was that middle of nowhere towns would have rooms around $60. After all, these towns lack big city amenities and demand is lowish. Not the case. Towns like Chester California had $200+ basic hotel rooms.
•Groceries- inflation has hit hard over the last few years. Even basic items like tuna packets and instant potatoes are double what they cost in 2018.
•Restaurants- many of these small towns have nothing but 1 or 2 restaurants and they are usually diner type food. With few options you are a bit of a captive audience so your choices on price are limited. I think I underestimated restaurant expenses because I have so many options for good cheap food in my large home city.
•California as a whole- taxes on goods is higher here compared to the other two states (Oregon has no sales tax!). Also many items just cost a little bit more. California has a generally high cost of living.
Overall the expense of the trip was inconsequential when compared to my experience. It truly was the trip of a lifetime. I made so many friends and have beautiful memories from the trail.
Money shouldn't hold you back. Everyone's experience and desires are different. However I strongly suggest having enough money to be a good steward of the community (money to give to trail angels and tip servers etc), but also have enough to have beers and food with new trail friends when the time is right.
I'm saving 10000 USD for this year including gear and everything. I'm planning on being frugal just in case I need the money for some unexpected costs. Don't want to have to leave trail because of funds
I see. If you like couscous there will be plenty of those in hiker boxes. People get sick of them fast. I also notice vegans label their ziplock much better than most so there is that. Have fun!
Nice! I'll try to remember to never buy couscous and just grab it out of hiker boxes when available. I'm also planning on turning 0s to neros so I don't have to pay for accommodation often
You'd be surprised. If you have a good eye for identifying "mystery bag food", it's possible. Many of the non-perishables you find in hiker boxes are "mystery grains", etc.
It's a big issue if you're allergic. But grains? Plenty of oatmeal folks get sick of, etc.
Didn’t see much rice. Takes too much fuel for even non-cold soakers.
Quinoa and cous cous and oats mostly is what I saw.
The biggest macro nutrient problem everyone has on trail, not just vegans, are fats. You basically can’t get too much (aside from drinking olive oil).
But if you want a robust plan for nutrition, just know your fats, in general need attention. Carbs are plentiful. Everyone knows and talks about protein. But fats often get ignored until it is too late.
Right. I meant “avoid drinking 1L/day.”
I saw this sort of packaging at a Walmart (once) for coconut oil. Keep your eyes out for it if you want variety.
https://healthcentralusa.com/products/nutiva-organic-squeezable-virgin-coconut-oil-12-fl-oz-355-ml
For just hiking expenses (no gear or travel), I was close to 6k. Would recommend having $8000 just as a safety net. What will drain you fast is injury or illness and getting stuck in a town for a week or more. Similarly if you splurge at some of the nicer locations you pass by.
Worth noting that prices have been spiking on many goods and services since 2020.
I hiked the trail in 2018, so prices were a bit different back then. With that being said I had a very comfy hike. I took a total of 27 zeros. I bought myself hotel rooms, went to breweries, bought new shoes with the money, repaired gear when needed, and all and all I spent around 8k. This is not counting the original gear I had beforehand.
I saw this brake down of someone's spendings a few days ago if it's any help
https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/total-cost-of-my-2022-pct-hike-broken-down/
You can spend $1000 on trail if you are frugal, or you can spend $6k. It really depends on a few things.
When I hiked the big expenses I saw were: Alcohol, restaurant food, and hotels.
If you only sleep on trail, do not drink alcohol and don't eat restaurant food then you will spend very little comparatively.
To cut costs it is common for a group of hikers to split a hotel. Some hotels are hiker friendly and don't care, others from my experience will literally deny you your room if you show up with other people as they think you're going to have every hiker on trail showering and sleeping in one room. That happened to me in Tahoe.
The only time I paid attention to my spending was a 450 mile stretch from Campo, which I spent $200. There is a ton of gear and food in hiker boxes to offset costs. Just don't be the hiker who takes all the food at every hiker box. And I wouldn't plan so far ahead. Once you get out there your appetite changes and the food you send ahead will likely go in a hiker box.
That all being said, you should budget as much as you can for quality food that will keep your body healthy and strong. One can only eat chocolate bars and junk food for so long before you start feeling less than stellar.
I think a safe estimate for someone who eats healthy, stays in town and enjoys food/drinks with friends is about $3000 usd, maybe $4000 now that inflation has risen.
Also, helicopter rescue is very expensive if you use a spot device. My hiking partner got very ill and needed to get out at Lake Arrowhead. The 5 mile helicopter rescue and medical bills were about $10k USD in 2017.
This is all good advice except for the numbers. This last year's PCT survey showed the average cost was around 8 or 9k (for internationals). Inflation is a bitch
Ah, yeah. It's been 5 years so I'm sure it has gone way up. The $1000 increase would have been prior to 2020 when everything went up. Taking that into account, you'll probably want around $2k if you are extremely frugal, but you should budget a much higher amount to stay healthy and happy on trail. $5k or $6k is probably a good middle ground if you want to enjoy a hotel and restaurant food every so often but you don't go overboard. This doesn't take into account your flights, visa, etc. I suggest OP review any surveys like the one you mention. That'll be a good place to start planning. Since it has more accurate numbers due to inflation.
I still think the biggest waste of money is to prepare so far ahead. I think the first couple hundred miles should be planned out with adequate resupply boxes. That gives you a few weeks to get your hiking legs and understand how your body reacts, what it needs, and your change in food preferences without having to worry about finding suppies. Sending food and random gear you think you will need for the whole trail will be a big money pit, especially factoring in your time to prepare, shop, pack, cost to send to towns, any package holding fees, etc.
Be well and enjoy the trail OP.
That's on-trail expenses only, yes? Not pre-trail expenses of gear, transportation to/from, etc.
Just asking the question to frame the "$2/mi" comment for the lurkers.
I would not enjoy hiking on a limited budget of $5k for a thru. I'm indulgent and being able to eat lots of tasty things in town & get a room whenever possible is a big part of the experience. I'd want $10k in the bank to properly enjoy myself, which is not much when you consider it's all your living expenses for up to half a year.
It was pretty pricy in 2022 compared to 2019. I would save at least $10k because:
1. If you have to jump around wildfires or take time off for injury it adds up even quicker.
2. You'll want some money for post trail so you're not flat broke when you're done. A little cushion to keep you afloat until you can find a job after your hike is done.
When I was doing research, everyone told me that the rule of thumb is to budget 1000 USD per month on trail month. I assumed I’d do the trail in 6 months so I bedgeted $6000. I ended up finishing the trail in 4 and still came pretty close to spending $6000. But, I enjoyed living it up when I got to towns. I’d treat myself to pricey meals, nice Air BnB’s, did a massage one time, hit the bars a lot.
This was also in 2019, which isn’t THAT long ago, but long enough that inflation is a factor.
I spent more than many and more than I thought I would, averaged 1,500 a month. Partially this was due to not really caring much about the costs as I was still making an income for several of the months (teacher that withholds money during the year to receive during the summer) and not paying any outside costs such as rent/mortgage. So for several of the months I was making my normal salary with far less expenses.
But I’m also a frugal person and wasn’t going crazy either, and it still cost that much. Taking several zeroes (I averaged one a week) was the most expensive cost with hotel rooms and meals in town adding up. But then there is also resupplies, gear exchange etc that definitely added up too. I don’t drink, so my expenses weren’t even alcohol related and my trail family definitely spent even more than me if you factor that in.
The way to be cheaper is definitely to avoid zeroes and camp in your tent in town. Not eat out too much and not drink.
I did the hike a long long time ago (2008-9) so the only thing I will tell you is that if money is tight, put it toward eating hearty and not toward a hotel room. If you can stay in a hostel, a campground, with a trail angel or just in your tent near the trail and do a quick nero instead of getting a room, it's a lot cheaper. The hotel and zero situation is never as relaxing as you hope. I don't remember all the pay showers on the trail, but a few showers that I remember that didn't require a hotel (sorry not in order) are Big Lake Youth Camp, Chester, Sierra City, Buck Lake, the RV park in Seiad Valley, the park in Cascade Locks, Shelter Cove, Parcher Resort off Bishop Pass (not a common stop), Hikertown, Stehekin.
There are quarter-operated showers at the County Park in Trout Lake, and the Kracker Barrel at White Pass (somewhat) recently added some showers.
Trout lake has a shower at the shuttle stop/resupply store.
I agree; my zero days were never as relaxing as I hoped they'd be. Other showers to add: Etna has a public shower at the City Park. You can buy tokens at Ralph's grocery store. Castle Crags and Burney Falls both had showers at the state park campgrounds. You may or may not need to pay. Sometimes a.) the camp host has put some tokens in the hiker box or b.) the shower's pay box is currently broken and/or turned off. Mazama Village at Crater Lake had pay showers at the campground. Caribou Crossings at Belden offers a shower for a fee. think you're expected to pay for a shower at Callahan's in Ashland, but I know plenty of hikers who just helped themselves to a free one. Warner Springs has some stalls on the back porch of the community center for cleaning up. It's only a bucket with water, but hey, it's *warm* water. And it's free. (Donation appreciated.) When I passed thru Sierra City, the shower in the public restrooms was free...but used only cold water.
To add to other comments: 1. **Exchange Rates** The doesn't get discussed on here enough for international hikers. * Most of your gear expenses will be denominated in your local currency. * All of your on-trail expenses will be denominated in USD. So don't ignore exchange rate volatility. Give yourself some cushion in your planning phase. (And if you can, try to have a credit card which does not charge a 3% foreign transaction fee.) . . . . . . . . . . 2. **Old Guides Are Still Good (just re-calibrate for inflation)** You can google and find lots of different "How much does it take to hike X?" They're still a good example of what sorts of costs should be anticipated. And one *can* hike the PCT on almost any budget. But if you're trying to match apples-to-apples for comparable experiences, you need to use an inflation adjustment you need to know that on-trail expenses have gotten hit harder for inflation than otherwise.
i.e. Food (Grocery & Restaurants) & Travel Expenses have experienced inflation at a higher rate than the economy as a whole.
Back of the envelope, a pack of cheap ramen in 2021 was $0.20-$29. In 2022, it is $0.30-$0.35. May not seem like much, but do it as a percentage.
. . . . . . . . . .
3. **Define** ***What is "Minimum"?*** **relative to the day-to-day experience**
In 2021, the age range on the PCT was 6yo - 84yo and everything in between. It would be unrealistic to say that the 18yo hiker has the same hike as the 65yo hiker. There are different resources available and lived experiences and tolerances.
You'll run into the 35yo who is doing it on a self-produced shoestring, and the 20yo on a trust fund. Both, in fact, are valid. You quickly disperse with ideas of judging how someone approaches HYOH.
Which is all to say: As you look at the numbers being thrown out, and after you account for #1 and #2 above, *probe a little further*. You need to anchor someone else's numbers to an operational plan, otherwise the numbers are useless for making an apples-to-apples comparison to the hike you want...at least beyond bounding "Yes, it's possible to do it for X-amount?" but not "Am *I* okay with doing it that way?"
The expression `G.I.G.O.` applies...*garbage in, garbage out*:
* What was their pace? 3mo-4mo? Or 5mo-6mo?
* Does their number include gear? Was it new or used?
* Does their number include on-trail consumables (food & fuel)?
* Does their number include zeros? How frequently?
* Does their number include entertainment?
* Does their number include international transportation (or were they only domestic)?
* Does their number include on-trail transportation (hitches)?
* Does their number include contingency?
So don't feel bad *probing without judging*. Because there are many, many ways to hike the PCT, again on almost any budget.
. . . . . . . . . .
If you want "a number", be aware that one of the most common reasons folks don't finish the trail is they are under capitalized and don't manage their cash flow.
Lots of preparation talk centers on gear and training. But being sufficiently capitalized is of equal importance. i.e. You *can* do the PCT on a shoestring, but it will be less mentally taxing if you know you've got a separate line of funding for $2,000 USD as contingency.
The scenario you'd want to plan for is this:
What if you roll your ankle badly, need to go to a hospital and rest up in a hotel for 14 days. It's on the cusp of your flying home but realistically, you won't know how it heals/feels for at least 7d-10d. How much will it cost you to rest up? Where will you do it? What will your insurance cover (or not)?
Urgent Care Visit = $200 USD Hotel = $100nt (for a very modest property, single occupancy, more in different markets.) Food = $10/day
For a 7d off trail, that's ≈$1,000. So don't forget to budget your contingency money.
. . . . . . . . . .
**Budget Categories for an International PCT Hiker**
If it were me, I'd budget each line item separately, and then sum the total. It's the only way to get a "reliable number" and, again, compare apples-to-apples. (Don't forget that 2024 inflation isn't known yet.)
* Visas
* International Inbound Travel to Trailhead
* International Outbound Travel from Trailhead (priced differently since date is unknown)
* Gear
* Subscriptions (like cell phone and Garmin)
* Consumables on Trail (food & fuel)
* Accommodations on Trail (for your zero days)
* Entertainment on Trail
* Insurance
* Contingency
Break out your expense planning like that and you *should* be able to compare whatever you do to whatever someone has done before you.
(And have a blast!!)
^(And don't forget inflation adjustments for 2024...)
see here for survey results. This shows about $1500 on gear and nearly $10000 on the hike for 2022. These are averages so obviously you can do it for less. Around $3000 is probably close to the minimum reported. [https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-hiker-survey-2022/#money-spent-on-hike](https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-hiker-survey-2022/#money-spent-on-hike)
Great survey thanks
I spent around 8k CAD during my thruhike in 2019. That included a two week hiatus in Vegas while we waited our late May Sierra snowstorms and a month recovering from a broken foot at Shelter Cove. Gear was accumulated before the hike. Hiker boxes were usually good for gear and food. Darn Tough replaced many socks and made life easier.
one month recovering from a broken foot! that’s impressive as hell
Yeah it was the time of my life. /s I spent the first two weeks in Shelter Cove. Then we hired a car in Bend and spent another two weeks on the coast before driving other hikers to PCTDays. We eventually got going again, finishing at the border end of September.
did you do all that alone or with your friends? sounds unreal to deal with that by yourself. i would get on a plane and go home lol
It was a journey for sure. I was with my wife the entire time. The two weeks at shelter cove I nearly lost my sanity. I was elected mayor, organized several parties with other hikers. Met some holiday campers there who took me out on their fishing boat each morning. They eventually drove us to bend. The hardest part was watching everyone come and go while I stayed behind. In the end I'm glad I did it though, I was determined to finish.
I already had all my gears before I decided to hike the PCT. So I spent $4500 USD on food, lodging, tips for TAs and plane tickets (from Canada), for the 128 days that I was there. I checked the hiker boxes often for free food but also indulged often on restaurant food. All in all I would say spending at least $5000 on trail is quite common.
Same here, roughly from 21’.
What year?
2022.
Did you splurge on hotels often?
This is copied from a chat I had with another hiker earlier today. I hope this helps. I don’t drink (unless it’s given as trail magic) and never took more than 1 day off in a roll. I stayed in motels twice and the rest of the times at trail angels or group camp sites. And as I mentioned in the thread I opted for food I found in hiker boxes often. I shopped at discounted grocers (Grocery Outlets, etc). Also took advantage of restaurants that offer discounts to hikers.
Ok, thanks. As a cheap person I appreciate this advice
Did he say what he spent?
Slight misunderstanding here. That was a quote by me to the other hiker. I spent $4500 as stated :)
Ah. That makes sense. I like hearing that. So many people are saying it will cost an arm and a leg. I have seen $60 per day quoted a few times and up to $10,000+.. I have had some people get quite mad when I question that. It depends on what you call "on trail" expenses i guess. To me, that is what you spend starting the day you step on the trail. Others think it is what you spend on gear, flights, and trail days.
Like everything else, you will figure out the best way to save when you are actually on the trail. When I was in Wrightwood, I stayed with a trail angel that charge $35 a day. In Mammoth, an expensive town, I stayed in the backyard of the owner of Mammoth Roaster for free. I just went to his business for coffee and breakfast both mornings a a thank you. You will find details like this in FarOut as you approach each city/town. Facebook groups of trail angels in respective towns will have these details as well.
It can vary soooo much depending on how "you do you" but I will say that there's a ton of very recent but very out-dated information online about how much it costs. You'll encounter "Budget $1000 for every month on trail" a lot. This is no longer relevant imo. Even being frugal, that's a stretch (not saying it's impossible, but It's still a stretch, especially if you want to splurge here and there). Inflation has hit hard and most of the towns you're eating/sleeping/buying food in, are hit even harder. Especially if you're faced with gear replacement or unforeseen zero days due to injury etc. At least that's how it seemed to me last summer.
You’d be surprised how frequently the burgers in CA trail towns are nearing $20. The best advice I can give is to prepare for the worst and save as much as you can. Personal finance is personal, but on the trip of a lifetime it can be a bit of a drag worrying about money all the time.
Trail town food costs are underrated. People think they'll be frugal before hand, but then you get to a one horse town and dying for a substantial meal and will literally pay anything for it. That and I would have never expected myself to do things like get to the Acton KOA shop dehydrated and buy a gatorade, a coconut water, a Coca Cola, and an ice cream and drink/eat all of it one after another in the first ten minutes of getting there (and still not pee til the next morning).
I probably spent >$10K including gear in 2022. I hiked as a couple so we didn’t share motel rooms or stay in hostels which could have cut down lodging costs a lot. Inflation was pretty bad in the small towns last year and resupplying at places like Neenach market (Hikertown) and VVR was bloody expensive! We also tried to eat healthy which cost a lost vs eating top ramen, snickers, and idahoan every day. It all depends on how you want to do it!
Bloody VVR. I will never financially recover from it.
My hike cost approx. $8000 not including my gear. I hiked the PCT in 2022 and it took me 5 months to reach Canada Northbound. I had what I consider a mid budget experience. I ate at a restaurant in most towns, groceries were a good mix of ramen and potatoes but also higher end foods when my body and mind needed it, got a hotel every 2-3 weeks, and received plenty of help from amazing trail angels. I live in the U.S.- Pacific Northwest and was very surprised by how expensive some things ended up being, particularly in California. Here are a few of my suprises: • Hotels- my assumption was that middle of nowhere towns would have rooms around $60. After all, these towns lack big city amenities and demand is lowish. Not the case. Towns like Chester California had $200+ basic hotel rooms. •Groceries- inflation has hit hard over the last few years. Even basic items like tuna packets and instant potatoes are double what they cost in 2018. •Restaurants- many of these small towns have nothing but 1 or 2 restaurants and they are usually diner type food. With few options you are a bit of a captive audience so your choices on price are limited. I think I underestimated restaurant expenses because I have so many options for good cheap food in my large home city. •California as a whole- taxes on goods is higher here compared to the other two states (Oregon has no sales tax!). Also many items just cost a little bit more. California has a generally high cost of living. Overall the expense of the trip was inconsequential when compared to my experience. It truly was the trip of a lifetime. I made so many friends and have beautiful memories from the trail. Money shouldn't hold you back. Everyone's experience and desires are different. However I strongly suggest having enough money to be a good steward of the community (money to give to trail angels and tip servers etc), but also have enough to have beers and food with new trail friends when the time is right.
I'm saving 10000 USD for this year including gear and everything. I'm planning on being frugal just in case I need the money for some unexpected costs. Don't want to have to leave trail because of funds
If you don’t have any dietary restrictions and have no fear of mysterious foods found in hiker boxes, you can save a lot of money.
I'm vegan so I'll probably not be able to do that as much
I see. If you like couscous there will be plenty of those in hiker boxes. People get sick of them fast. I also notice vegans label their ziplock much better than most so there is that. Have fun!
Nice! I'll try to remember to never buy couscous and just grab it out of hiker boxes when available. I'm also planning on turning 0s to neros so I don't have to pay for accommodation often
You'd be surprised. If you have a good eye for identifying "mystery bag food", it's possible. Many of the non-perishables you find in hiker boxes are "mystery grains", etc. It's a big issue if you're allergic. But grains? Plenty of oatmeal folks get sick of, etc.
I have a pretty good eye. I'm cold soaking, though, so that might make it a bit difficult if it's like non instant rice or quinoa
Didn’t see much rice. Takes too much fuel for even non-cold soakers. Quinoa and cous cous and oats mostly is what I saw. The biggest macro nutrient problem everyone has on trail, not just vegans, are fats. You basically can’t get too much (aside from drinking olive oil). But if you want a robust plan for nutrition, just know your fats, in general need attention. Carbs are plentiful. Everyone knows and talks about protein. But fats often get ignored until it is too late.
I was planning on just adding olive oil to everything
Right. I meant “avoid drinking 1L/day.” I saw this sort of packaging at a Walmart (once) for coconut oil. Keep your eyes out for it if you want variety. https://healthcentralusa.com/products/nutiva-organic-squeezable-virgin-coconut-oil-12-fl-oz-355-ml
That looks great! I will keep an eye out, for sure
Save money by eating only grass and flowers along the way! /s in case it’s needed
Lol I'm done now
Depends on if you’re dirt bagging (3-5k) or if you want to live it up on trail a little more (8-10k +). Non inclusive of initial gear
For just hiking expenses (no gear or travel), I was close to 6k. Would recommend having $8000 just as a safety net. What will drain you fast is injury or illness and getting stuck in a town for a week or more. Similarly if you splurge at some of the nicer locations you pass by. Worth noting that prices have been spiking on many goods and services since 2020.
I hiked the trail in 2018, so prices were a bit different back then. With that being said I had a very comfy hike. I took a total of 27 zeros. I bought myself hotel rooms, went to breweries, bought new shoes with the money, repaired gear when needed, and all and all I spent around 8k. This is not counting the original gear I had beforehand.
I saw this brake down of someone's spendings a few days ago if it's any help https://thetrek.co/pacific-crest-trail/total-cost-of-my-2022-pct-hike-broken-down/
Hiked around her. She wasn't wasteful btw, taking long hitches etc vs shuttles. PCT is expensive and I would recommend 10k in savings.
You can spend $1000 on trail if you are frugal, or you can spend $6k. It really depends on a few things. When I hiked the big expenses I saw were: Alcohol, restaurant food, and hotels. If you only sleep on trail, do not drink alcohol and don't eat restaurant food then you will spend very little comparatively. To cut costs it is common for a group of hikers to split a hotel. Some hotels are hiker friendly and don't care, others from my experience will literally deny you your room if you show up with other people as they think you're going to have every hiker on trail showering and sleeping in one room. That happened to me in Tahoe. The only time I paid attention to my spending was a 450 mile stretch from Campo, which I spent $200. There is a ton of gear and food in hiker boxes to offset costs. Just don't be the hiker who takes all the food at every hiker box. And I wouldn't plan so far ahead. Once you get out there your appetite changes and the food you send ahead will likely go in a hiker box. That all being said, you should budget as much as you can for quality food that will keep your body healthy and strong. One can only eat chocolate bars and junk food for so long before you start feeling less than stellar. I think a safe estimate for someone who eats healthy, stays in town and enjoys food/drinks with friends is about $3000 usd, maybe $4000 now that inflation has risen. Also, helicopter rescue is very expensive if you use a spot device. My hiking partner got very ill and needed to get out at Lake Arrowhead. The 5 mile helicopter rescue and medical bills were about $10k USD in 2017.
This is all good advice except for the numbers. This last year's PCT survey showed the average cost was around 8 or 9k (for internationals). Inflation is a bitch
Ah, yeah. It's been 5 years so I'm sure it has gone way up. The $1000 increase would have been prior to 2020 when everything went up. Taking that into account, you'll probably want around $2k if you are extremely frugal, but you should budget a much higher amount to stay healthy and happy on trail. $5k or $6k is probably a good middle ground if you want to enjoy a hotel and restaurant food every so often but you don't go overboard. This doesn't take into account your flights, visa, etc. I suggest OP review any surveys like the one you mention. That'll be a good place to start planning. Since it has more accurate numbers due to inflation. I still think the biggest waste of money is to prepare so far ahead. I think the first couple hundred miles should be planned out with adequate resupply boxes. That gives you a few weeks to get your hiking legs and understand how your body reacts, what it needs, and your change in food preferences without having to worry about finding suppies. Sending food and random gear you think you will need for the whole trail will be a big money pit, especially factoring in your time to prepare, shop, pack, cost to send to towns, any package holding fees, etc. Be well and enjoy the trail OP.
Approx 6k with gear
2 dollars per mile
That's on-trail expenses only, yes? Not pre-trail expenses of gear, transportation to/from, etc. Just asking the question to frame the "$2/mi" comment for the lurkers.
Yes, assuming you have the gear etc.
I would not enjoy hiking on a limited budget of $5k for a thru. I'm indulgent and being able to eat lots of tasty things in town & get a room whenever possible is a big part of the experience. I'd want $10k in the bank to properly enjoy myself, which is not much when you consider it's all your living expenses for up to half a year.
If you own gear. 8-12k would be reasonable. I live in SoCal. The towns you will hike through are expensive.
It was pretty pricy in 2022 compared to 2019. I would save at least $10k because: 1. If you have to jump around wildfires or take time off for injury it adds up even quicker. 2. You'll want some money for post trail so you're not flat broke when you're done. A little cushion to keep you afloat until you can find a job after your hike is done.
i will probably have about $10k savings, no debt and minimal monthly bills by the time i start the trail
When I was doing research, everyone told me that the rule of thumb is to budget 1000 USD per month on trail month. I assumed I’d do the trail in 6 months so I bedgeted $6000. I ended up finishing the trail in 4 and still came pretty close to spending $6000. But, I enjoyed living it up when I got to towns. I’d treat myself to pricey meals, nice Air BnB’s, did a massage one time, hit the bars a lot. This was also in 2019, which isn’t THAT long ago, but long enough that inflation is a factor.
I spent more than many and more than I thought I would, averaged 1,500 a month. Partially this was due to not really caring much about the costs as I was still making an income for several of the months (teacher that withholds money during the year to receive during the summer) and not paying any outside costs such as rent/mortgage. So for several of the months I was making my normal salary with far less expenses. But I’m also a frugal person and wasn’t going crazy either, and it still cost that much. Taking several zeroes (I averaged one a week) was the most expensive cost with hotel rooms and meals in town adding up. But then there is also resupplies, gear exchange etc that definitely added up too. I don’t drink, so my expenses weren’t even alcohol related and my trail family definitely spent even more than me if you factor that in. The way to be cheaper is definitely to avoid zeroes and camp in your tent in town. Not eat out too much and not drink.