As of today,...

i figure this can be a update on were we are all at


i got 1,500 in the bank..... im saving 250 every week till i quite me job in march and leave,... im expecting a little more here and there too(my girlfriend broke up with me).... so ill have some where between 4000 to 3500.... plus income tax so give or take an extra 1000 or so... total i plan to hike with will be 5000 to 4500....

as im looking at more of a resupply and move on hike i hope i have enough left over to get back to Texas but hey if i dont ill just have to find out how much my family loves me :P

um start date ive set my mind on march the 13th,...

gear left i need,... thermal underwear, down jacket, solarcharger, kindle touch, and misc items..... i really just need to put it all together finaly for once and go over it again...

"gear left i need,... kindle touch"

I would say this is gear you want. I have yet to see/hear how the kindle stands to the abuse. I do wonder though why you choose touch vs keyboard? I wonder mostly because I plan on a kindle and will nearly definitely take it on my next long distance hike to replace books and my journal. - But I plan on the Kindle Keyboard for the journal portion - perhaps that is not a use for you?

Sounds like a fairly solid plan though, I tend to be pessimistic about finances so I'd guess by March you may actually have about $3000, minus what you buy for extra gear. Whatever the case may be, this is enough to stick through if you budget well and don't feel the need to stay in a motel ever town stop. I wish you the best, and enjoy! I wish I'd be out there again this year.

Solarchargers only work well in direct sunlight. The AT, aka the green tunnel, doesn't get enough direct sunlight to make them worth carrying.

4 EYE please stop quoting old material - Most over the counter panels are over priced and may fall into what you are describing home brew and Bruton doesn't.

Kyocera Solar

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Originally Posted by Wise Old Owl

4 EYE please stop quoting old material - Most over the counter panels are over priced and may fall into what you are describing home brew and Bruton doesn't.

Kyocera Solar

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You know of some magic "shade charger"? I don't know of any solar chargers that don't require direct sunlight in order to provide any reasonable amount of charging capability.

With a Kyrocera panel or panels (Home brew ) wiring - 12 volt to 5 volt voltage regulators.... I can get the charg indicator on my old phone to flash charge on sunset and partial cloudy days. I pumped out that article right here on Wb about a year and a half ago...even showed how to wire it.... so the idea is that with the old stuff you couldn't. Today the collector lines are thinner smaller lighter and closer - so now yea - this will collect on ambient light....

30days at 20$ a day = 600
60days at 20$ a day = 1200
90days at 20$ a day = 1800
120 days at 20$ a day = 2400

30 days at 40 a day =1200
60 days at 40 a day =2400
90 days at 40 a day =3600
120 days at 40 a day = 4800

i have not thruhiked yet but does a thruhiker really go thru that much loot during the trek? it seems i can hike with alot less than 40$ a day but like i said i have never thruhiked. my section hikes are way less than that.

@nitewalker - it depends on many factors. A lot of people on the AT these days do not go for the adventure through the woods, but for the journey from town to town. Doing this will drive the cost much higher than what I went on. I simply stayed away from all the extras; motels, most hostels, most restaurants etc - and I made the trip; excluding gear; for less than $1200. I didn't really do it by choice, it just ended out that when I got started and my money balanced out, I had to make it work. I was not out there for the town life, actually was quite shocked how busy the trail actually was and how many people just bounce to towns. Which is great, for some. So the price all depends on what you are looking to get out of it.

For thermal underwear, I highly recommend The Underwear Guys. Great prices on overruns and factory seconds. I've ordered from them a couple of times and am a very happy customer.

Instead of a down jacket, this article will show you how to modify a surplus field jacket liner into a very serviceble insulation layer. It's simple, inexpesive and works well.

RE: Kindles - I carried mine for 500 miles last spring with no trouble and I meet thru-hikers in Maine who were still using a Kindle. Keep it dry, in a padded case and try not to sit on it while its in the pack and it should be fine.

RE: Solar chargers: Small ones are a waste of money and big ones are too expensive. Steady progress is being made, but it hasn't trickled down to the consumer level yet. Give it a few more years.

Money: Between meals, resupply and a room, it's real easy to drop 100 bucks everytime you hit a town. More as get north. Since there are about 30 towns, you can do the math.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nitewalker

30days at 20$ a day = 600
60days at 20$ a day = 1200
90days at 20$ a day = 1800
120 days at 20$ a day = 2400

30 days at 40 a day =1200
60 days at 40 a day =2400
90 days at 40 a day =3600
120 days at 40 a day = 4800

i have not thruhiked yet but does a thruhiker really go thru that much loot during the trek? it seems i can hike with alot less than 40$ a day but like i said i have never thruhiked. my section hikes are way less than that.

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Lets say you average 20 miles per day (including zero days, say one per week, a fast/tough pace by most thru-hiker standards). That would be roughly 130 days or just under 4 1/2 months. On section hikes you're not looking at a lot of the things that add up:

Like bathing (most folks like a shower after being on the trail for x number of days), plain old relaxing (hiking is tiring and you'll be sore - unless you're superman you'll want some zeros), resupply stops, laundry days, sitting out bad weather, etc

Figure in:
Lodging - a hostel room ($20-30) or motel room ($60+ esp up north+++) while you resupply, bathe, do laundry, wait out weather, and just relax/recoup, etc. Average maybe $45/week if you keep it cheap up north
Laundry - wash and dry cost is probably $5, more if you ever have to wash and dry a sleeping bag.
Restaurant - while you are in town you will want a restaurant meal. Yeah, you will. Probably two if you stay overnight. $20 to $30 for breakfast and a dinner without drinks.
Food - buying small quantities at trail town stores you will likely pay more than usual for food supplies $5 - 10 per day depending on preference
Alcohol / beer / etc - who can resist a cold one or two or three or . . . at a local pub with that $10.95 8 oz burger and fries?
All the rest - batteries, more toothpaste, postage mailing stuff home or bouncing a box, shuttles if needed, shoe and clothing and gear replacement.

If you take a town zero once per week on average to do all the above that's at minimum probably $70 (and I'm probably low here) at each town/zero or $1400. Add in the batteries and incidentals, even if you get out cheap, say $10/week budget. That's another $200. Then add trail food. $5/day would be tough - a can of tuna is a buck, as are pasta meals, gorp, etc. So maybe you could get by on $35 -$50/week in food, but $50-70 is probably more reasonable - you'll be hungry and will want decent food. That's another $1400.

That's $3000. Without transportation to and from the trail (this can be typically $500, more or less), beer, shuttles, new shoes, replacing gear, and. . . A few pairs of hiking shoes will add a couple hundred, shuttles and replacing any gear could be a couple hundred . . . call it $3500. Add transport to Springer and from Katahdin. That's probably $4000 (within a few hundred either way) or roughly that magic $2 / mile people speak of. Which on a 130 day hike is $30/day. If the hike takes longer, like 5 months, you do more town days/zeros, which drives up the cost per mile. It wouldn't be hard to hit that $40/day figure if you like staying in a decent motel once a week to relax and bathe and resupply and do laundry and eat a couple of town meals. Oh, and then add beer.

It's all going to add up.

And most likely you'll have to replace some gear, especially shoes. I would say a minimum of about $300. I've met a few who can do it on the cheap, but they are rare. Not saying it can't be done though.

You might think you can get in and out of town without spending much, but it is VERY difficult to resist town food. After a few months your appetite will be out of control. I went to McDonald's one morning and had two bacon egg cheese biscuits and two hash browns. I got there at the tail end of breakfast, so instead of leaving, I waited til lunch and ate 4 double cheese burgers and two small fries. Yes, after a 1,000 or so miles of hiking you can actually eat that much. So, I spent over $10 just off of the dollar menu, before resupplying, showering, doing laundry, getting fuel, etc. It adds up pretty quick.

I would suggest not bringing a solar charger, instead an extra battery or two for your phone if it's that much of a concern.

As for how much you will spend... chances are, a lot. Having at least $1000 more than you expect to spend will not hurt you a bit.

My start date is March 11-13 depending on getting a ride from the train station before Atlanta and how long it takes me to do the Springer Mountain approach trail. Been hiking 5-7 miles 5 days a week and feeling good - still have a beer baby though. Need a lighter tent and sleeping pad but can make do with everything else I have on hand. I even picked up a sweet down jacket and some base layers this week thanks to some much appreciated gift cards. I'm going old school for the journal and books and hope to read some paperbacks I always wanted to along the way. Two and a half months to go and really looking forward to the journey and realization of a 20+ year dream. Yesterday I visited the Harper's Ferry ATC building and picked up my 2012 Data Book and the barefoot sisters Southbound book which is great. Still looking for AWOL on the Appalachian Trail.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 4eyedbuzzard

Lets say you average 20 miles per day (including zero days, say one per week, a fast/tough pace by most thru-hiker standards). That would be roughly 130 days or just under 4 1/2 months. On section hikes you're not looking at a lot of the things that add up:

Like bathing (most folks like a shower after being on the trail for x number of days), plain old relaxing (hiking is tiring and you'll be sore - unless you're superman you'll want some zeros), resupply stops, laundry days, sitting out bad weather, etc

Figure in:
Lodging - a hostel room ($20-30) or motel room ($60+ esp up north+++) while you resupply, bathe, do laundry, wait out weather, and just relax/recoup, etc. Average maybe $45/week if you keep it cheap up north
Laundry - wash and dry cost is probably $5, more if you ever have to wash and dry a sleeping bag.
Restaurant - while you are in town you will want a restaurant meal. Yeah, you will. Probably two if you stay overnight. $20 to $30 for breakfast and a dinner without drinks.
Food - buying small quantities at trail town stores you will likely pay more than usual for food supplies $5 - 10 per day depending on preference
Alcohol / beer / etc - who can resist a cold one or two or three or . . . at a local pub with that $10.95 8 oz burger and fries?
All the rest - batteries, more toothpaste, postage mailing stuff home or bouncing a box, shuttles if needed, shoe and clothing and gear replacement.

If you take a town zero once per week on average to do all the above that's at minimum probably $70 (and I'm probably low here) at each town/zero or $1400. Add in the batteries and incidentals, even if you get out cheap, say $10/week budget. That's another $200. Then add trail food. $5/day would be tough - a can of tuna is a buck, as are pasta meals, gorp, etc. So maybe you could get by on $35 -$50/week in food, but $50-70 is probably more reasonable - you'll be hungry and will want decent food. That's another $1400.

That's $3000. Without transportation to and from the trail (this can be typically $500, more or less), beer, shuttles, new shoes, replacing gear, and. . . A few pairs of hiking shoes will add a couple hundred, shuttles and replacing any gear could be a couple hundred . . . call it $3500. Add transport to Springer and from Katahdin. That's probably $4000 (within a few hundred either way) or roughly that magic $2 / mile people speak of. Which on a 130 day hike is $30/day. If the hike takes longer, like 5 months, you do more town days/zeros, which drives up the cost per mile. It wouldn't be hard to hit that $40/day figure if you like staying in a decent motel once a week to relax and bathe and resupply and do laundry and eat a couple of town meals. Oh, and then add beer.

It's all going to add up.

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the creature comforts will get ya all the time. i suppose it can add up rather quick.