It's so cheap to hike the AT!!!

[llittle_llama]

So a friend asked me how much I spent on all my gear last night. I replied with maybe $1500 or so. Doesn't seem to bad considering how much I have. Got home and started thinking about it and remembered my REI dividends had come in a week or so ago since I don't need anything else at the moment I never opened it....



$300!!!!!!

So at 10% of every purchase that makes my true total $3,000! Then I thought about it more and remembered my wife has a membership too. Asked her what hers was and it was another $75. Then I remembered all my sale items, garage items, and the garage sale items aren't counted. Then there are the things I bought on Amazon, eBay, here in the classifieds, and other online retailers. I have spent thousands preparing for this trip! Granted I have 4 tents now (One is going back to REI, one is a garage sale from REI and cannot be returned and the last is my Fly Creek UL1 I'm going to sell on here), and 3 sleeping bags (two of which I'll be putting up for sale) for the most part it's all accounted for.

So tell me, what did you think​ you spent/would spend on gear and what did you actually spend (food not included)?

[fastfoxengineering]

I've spent a good amount of money on gear. It's more from trying different equipment to find what I like and I learned it all the hard way.

Also, hiking is one of my main hobbies, so I have different gear for different hikes. I've also spent money on some diy materials to learn some things.

I have since narrowed my gear down to no more than I can fit in a foot locker. However, there's still alot of various gear I have. Couple different rated quilts, two backs, etc.

If I was thru hiking the AT and know what I know now. I'd prob spend about a grand and be completely happy with my setup. That's buying everything new and some diy thrown in.

Add $500 if I wanted some top brand clothing.

So I should conclude with $1500 and I'd have my dream kit for an AT thru hike. But I'd most likely still be able to use most of that gear afterwards.

I should add, that's only counting one pair of shoes. I'd most likely go through 4-5 pairs on a long hike like the AT.

If your curious, my base weight would be about 6-7lbs for a typical northbound hike.

The little stuff is cheap. Water bottles, a pocket knife, lighter, ground sheet, butt pad, pencil and paper, lexan spoon. That's no more than $25 a third of my gear list.

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[Bronk]

I was discussing fishing lures and equipment with a friend of mine several years back and he said something pretty profound: "Some lures are designed to catch fish, and others are designed to catch fisherman."

You can spend as much or as little as you want on gear. There are quite a few on this forum that spend far more time shopping for gear than they do hiking. Using the stuff is the only way you're going to figure out what works for you. I try to do one big purchase a year so that I'm cycling through my gear every 5 years or so. Which means if I make a bad purchase I'm just living with it for a couple years. But I don't make many bad purchases anymore...I'm on the other side of the learning curve. I always tell newer people to start with inexpensive gear and then upgrade one piece of gear at a time...otherwise you end up with $3,000 to $5,000 worth of gear and you're only using about $1500 worth of it.

I think you're better off starting with a dirtbag $300 set of equipment and upgrading...that way you're not spending a lot of money on a hobby you might not even like, and if you decide you do like it you're getting some experience before you blow lots of money on stuff you don't know much about.

[llittle_llama]

I think you're better off starting with a dirtbag $300 set of equipment and upgrading...that way you're not spending a lot of money on a hobby you might not even like, and if you decide you do like it you're getting some experience before you blow lots of money on stuff you don't know much about.

Well I totally agree with that, it's just too easy to upgrade things right away. For instance I started with the cheap three dollar plastic shovel from REI for digging my cat holes, but once I post it up on here that I had that everyone told me that it was wrong and that there was a much better way to be had. Purchasing the nice titanium shovel has literally given me the best shovel I will ever have. I will never have a need to upgrade it or replace it and that money will never have to be spent again. It's the same with the water filter system, I bought the cheap Sawyer and I plan on using it the whole way through. There isn't too many things that are small like that you can upgrade, but it feels like it's easier to just buy the really nice small things and never have to worry about them again. I'll never need to replace my fork or spoon know that I have them in titanium, but titanium cook set should never have to be replaced, and I love my pack so I don't see myself are placing it anytime soon.

[Hikingjim]

My typical kit that is AT-suitable is worth about 2k new. Mostly things bought over the years, gifts from people. "what do you want for christmas? Gear. This specific gear. Nothing else."

If I added in the other money I have spent on canoes, kayak, mountain biking, -20 extra winter camping gear, skis, etc, then it's quite a bit! Probably spent about 1k a year on various things for about 10 years straight, but have the equipment necessary for multiple activities, all seasons

[TX Aggie]

I'm not doing a thru hike anytime soon, and for me my camping/hiking funds are funds that were previously being used for..... "other outdoor recreational activities." My spending has been to transition from heavy Army gear, to update lighter weight gear for myself and 2 kids. Luckily I can make due with most of what I have and transition slowly. It's just I'm nowhere near the lightweight packer category yet. My last overnight with my girls on the AT, my pack tipped the scales around 60 lbs.

At 45, I'm starting to see the advantages of spending a little money on lighter gear.

[Patriot76]

There are gear nerds, ultra light backpackers, light weight backpackers, and cheap backpackers. I am a combination of a light weight backpacker (age and knee replacements) and cheap. I was introduced to backpacking at the age of 15 in a school class called "Outdoor Survival." In that class we made one item from a Frostline Kit. That was in the 1970's and my choice was a backpack which I do not think they offer any more. More importantly, my first backpacking trip was to the Stratesbowl carrying a grocery bag (paper) and carrying my Coleman sleeping bag on my shoulders.

Long story short, I still use many of my purchases from the 1970's. I destroyed the Frostline backpack in the late 70's and purchased a Kelty Tioga that I still use for long trips and hunting adventures My graduation gift was a Eureka Timberline 4 season tent that I still use during the winter. Now my three season sleeping setup includes the plastic used to protect mattresses used as a tarp tent, poncho for a ground cloth, foam sleeping pad/sitting pad, and a first generation polarguard sleeping bag purchased when I graduated and a military poncho liner. I sleep under another liner every night because it is light weight and warm. Total weight including a newer backpack purchased in the 1980's is less than 10 pds. and since they were purchased a few years back, $ 380.

All of my clothes and other equipment are old, but useful. Am I happy with my setup, yes. Would I trade it, that depends on my through hike of the AT next year.

The point of this post is to say you do not need to invest in a lot of gear to try backpacking. Start with what you have at home and supplement as needed.

[dharmabum2]

There are gear nerds, ultra light backpackers, light weight backpackers, and cheap backpackers. I am a combination of a light weight backpacker (age and knee replacements) and cheap. I was introduced to backpacking at the age of 15 in a school class called "Outdoor Survival." In that class we made one item from a Frostline Kit. That was in the 1970's and my choice was a backpack which I do not think they offer any more. More importantly, my first backpacking trip was to the Stratesbowl carrying a grocery bag (paper) and carrying my Coleman sleeping bag on my shoulders.

Long story short, I still use many of my purchases from the 1970's. I destroyed the Frostline backpack in the late 70's and purchased a Kelty Tioga that I still use for long trips and hunting adventures My graduation gift was a Eureka Timberline 4 season tent that I still use during the winter. Now my three season sleeping setup includes the plastic used to protect mattresses used as a tarp tent, poncho for a ground cloth, foam sleeping pad/sitting pad, and a first generation polarguard sleeping bag purchased when I graduated and a military poncho liner. I sleep under another liner every night because it is light weight and warm. Total weight including a newer backpack purchased in the 1980's is less than 10 pds. and since they were purchased a few years back, $ 380.

All of my clothes and other equipment are old, but useful. Am I happy with my setup, yes. Would I trade it, that depends on my through hike of the AT next year.

The point of this post is to say you do not need to invest in a lot of gear to try backpacking. Start with what you have at home and supplement as needed.

I just finished reading the story of Grandma Gatewood and its startling to observe the difference between her gear needs and ours. Reading these posts and others it seems that for some the gear has become paramount. I'm wanting to realize more of spiritual than consumerist experience.

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[rocketsocks]

I just finished reading the story of Grandma Gatewood and its startling to observe the difference between her gear needs and ours. Reading these posts and others it seems that for some the gear has become paramount. I'm wanting to realize more of spiritual than consumerist experience.

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Oh, well, in that case...throw a loaf of bread in an old sack and jump over the back fence, see where life takes ya!

[One Half]

I just finished reading the story of Grandma Gatewood and its startling to observe the difference between her gear needs and ours. Reading these posts and others it seems that for some the gear has become paramount. I'm wanting to realize more of spiritual than consumerist experience.

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Not the only difference. The number of miles she covered in a day. The friendliness of people who fed her and let her sleep in their homes. While there is still some of that, there are many more who would abuse it and thus the kindness is spread thinner in some ways.

[Patriot76]

Oh, well, in that case...throw a loaf of bread in an old sack and jump over the back fence, see where life takes ya!

It is amazing you bring up a loaf of bread. That is what I had with peanut butter, 4 cans of soup/beans, a sheet of plastic, emergency kit with whistle, compass, and fire starters in a paper bag. I do not think they had plastic bags back then.

Where did life take me? A love for the wilderness, respect for dreams, desire to set goals, not caring what others think, and most importantly self sufficiency at the age of 60. If you do not hike for your experience and do it to impress others, there are other and cheaper ways. I agree with Dharmabum 2, spiritual experience over consumerist experience.

Every one has the right to select naturalist or consumerist. The original back packers were the mountain men and trappers that came west in search of their lifestyle. I am still searching for mine.

[b-square]

Reminds me of the old commercial. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?.....The world may never know. Some things are best left unanswered.

[4eyedbuzzard]

It is amazing you bring up a loaf of bread. That is what I had with peanut butter, 4 cans of soup/beans, a sheet of plastic, emergency kit with whistle, compass, and fire starters in a paper bag. I do not think they had plastic bags back then.

Where did life take me? A love for the wilderness, respect for dreams, desire to set goals, not caring what others think, and most importantly self sufficiency at the age of 60. If you do not hike for your experience and do it to impress others, there are other and cheaper ways. I agree with Dharmabum 2, spiritual experience over consumerist experience.

Every one has the right to select naturalist or consumerist. The original back packers were the mountain men and trappers that came west in search of their lifestyle. I am still searching for mine.

"Who has not felt the urge to throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." - John Muir.

[garlic08]

...The original back packers were the mountain men and trappers that came west in search of their lifestyle...

It's nice to think of it so romantically, and I do, too. But I wonder, if beaver hats never became fashionable, or if there was no gold in them thar hills, how many mountain men we would have had. I think it was a difficult job for many of them.

[egilbe]

The mountain men were after beaver. Good money in beaver pelts, at the time. Overtrapping beaver may have been mans first man made ecological disaster. All those damns and natural flood control went with the beaver. All in search of profit. Money is the root of all evil.

[Old Hiker]

"So tell me, what did you think​ you spent/would spend on gear and what did you actually spend (food not included)?"

Hard to say, since I've been camping/hiking for many decades, starting with the Scouts. I've tried really "cool" gear that worked at the time, then upgraded to better/lighter gear, either after the original gear wore out or I got tired of futzing with it.

Even some GREAT gear has worn out and I've had to replace it: Pocket Rocket, 1st SoLong 6.

Some gear I loved I couldn't master the learning curve of wet, blowing, 35* mornings: Clark Jungle hammock.

I'm pretty satisfied with my gear. I could drop some weight here and there, but most of the weight would either be stuff I never used on the Trail, so I don't have to buy more or less food/water between resupplies. I actually found out *gasp* I would live without over-carrying either one.

I'd like to drop a pound or so on another pack, but it has to be one that is just as durable as my Osprey was. Maybe try a Packa, since my pack is smaller now than my JanSport was.

Right NOW, for NOW, I doubt I'll be making any long distance hikes any time soon. Legs, knees and feet are still bad, even 6 months after finishing. I'd like to. I want to. I would like to try another Thru hike to see if I could move faster. I'm trolling journals, videos and posts on WhiteBlaze. Gimme another couple 3 years. Then I'll start looking and maybe buying gear.

[Old Hiker]

.......................... Money is the root of all evil.

Not quite: "For the LOVE of money is a root of all kinds of evil, " emphasis added.

[John B]

Am I missing something? You spent all that money buying gear for a thru, and now you're not going to hike because you can't figure out how to haul all of that stuff in a 65L pack? And the solution is to quit the hike and sell all of your stuff?? What did I miss?

[Old Hiker]

Am I missing something? You spent all that money buying gear for a thru, and now you're not going to hike because you can't figure out how to haul all of that stuff in a 65L pack? And the solution is to quit the hike and sell all of your stuff?? What did I miss?

Wrong thread, methinks.

[Old Hiker]

Am I missing something? You spent all that money buying gear for a thru, and now you're not going to hike because you can't figure out how to haul all of that stuff in a 65L pack? And the solution is to quit the hike and sell all of your stuff?? What did I miss?

Wrong thread, methinks.