Cost of food for 1 month

[A-Train]

Don't forget a lot of folks don't have a real strong appetite for the first 10 days - two weeks. That'll tend to push the average somewhat lower, but once the "hiker appetite" kicks in, yeah, $50/week/hiker could be a royal PITA.

Very good point

[clured]

It never ceases to astonish me how expensive on-trail eating can be. You have it all planned out on the way into town - a burger, and a quick in-'n-out at the grocery store, and back onto the trail only $40 poorer. Then you stumble into town, you ramble around in a hungry daze for three of four hours, and spend $70-$80.

At least the AT goes through some pretty affordable areas (in the south at least). Last summer I was hiking in Europe and resupplying in little touristy towns in the Pyrenees - more than once I was cowed into buying a 3 euro beer (about $4.50 American).

Also keep in mind that town-eating isn't just a luxury; the caloric "camel-up" in town is a key part of nutrition for long-distance hiking, and without it you'd lose too much weight, I think.

[KG4FAM]

Your ENTIRE breakfast is a naked bagel?

And your whole dinner is a box of mac and cheese?

And all you eat between 7:30 and 5:00 is a couple of granola bars?

Well, I applaud you, but most folks require significantly more.

yep, and even on trips lasting longer than a month that is what i eat

the bagel is 1st breakfast, then i eat again a hour or so later with one of my many granola bars. I ain't talking about a wimpy bagel either like you find in the frozen food section. I eat the big ones. If i cant find the big ones then i eat the equivalent of the size that i can find.

you can get sunbelt fudge covered chocolate chip granola bars for 25 cents. it has 25 cents written on the package so that is the price everywhere. for 2 bucks that is 8 granola bars. I think they are 210 calories.

[Jack Tarlin]

Well, I dun't know where you live, but in these parts, a big fat "non wimpy" bagel costs a helluva lot more than fifty cents.

Never mind the fact that most people require more than this to make a meal, regardless of the wimpiness of the bagel.

Please note: I'm not disputing you, your eating preferences, or your diet.

All I'm saying is that the vast majority of folks require a lot more in terms of food and calories while hiking, especially after the first few weeks of the trip.

In short, most folks spend more than fifty bucks every time they hit a supermarket, never mind fifty bucks per week.

Which means $100 or more for a couple per week is perfectly reasonable.

Most couples spend more.

[Lilred]

I budget a hundred a week when I section hike, and I use mail drops. It all depends on what you do while in town. The days of a $25 hotel room are gone for the most part. Hostels are per person, and they're getting cheap at $20. IF you can get in and out of town without stopping for anything, I'd go with 50 each, but not much less.