$$$ Costs of a thru-hike? $$$

[Captain_Slo]

but i think it's also valid to ask "what did YOU spend?"

Specifically: what's the range in prices for shuttle to/from the trail?

[brian039]

Anyone know of camping permit fees?

Thank you!

Unless you have family or something in the area you're pretty much going to have to pay to stay in Baxter State Park. You can avoid paying the fees in the Whites but it requires you to walk about a half-mile down hill to the free camping spots which means you're walking a half-mile uphill in the morning. You can stealth camp in the Whites as long as you are below treeline but it is extremely difficult to find a place to set up a tent. There are a few other random spots that charge fees but you can easily just find a different spot to camp.

[Jeff]

Another reason to have some extra $$$ put away...in case you have to get home for a family emergency. Happens to several hikers every year. If you have not budgeted an "emergency fund", a trip home could end your hike.

[CrumbSnatcher]

I figure $10/day on food...that's about 30%more than I spend at home (I'm a grad student, I eat pretty much a trail diet on a regular basis) $20 would definitely provide wiggle room but I can't imagine spending more than double what I spend at home on the trail. Holy cow! Thanks for your input. I wonder what other folks' average food cost is?

30% more per day?, you'll eat 3 times more on trail than at school. most college kids eat like crap/cheap don't they? town stops will be more like a college student going home for a holiday MEAL at the parents exspense
sorry i meant at the parents house. jersey joe i agree it can be done cheap!
can you believe snicker bars are about 50cents more EACH,than back in 2002-03 :-)

[CrumbSnatcher]

3-4-5-6-7 month long hike? makes a big difference i would guess.

[WingedMonkey]

As for prices going up, I don't think the food prices have gone up too much in the past 10 years, especially the way I did it(buying in bulk and mail dropping)

A few weeks ago I was checking an old backpack shopping list I found when cleaning out some stuff.
I'm too lazy to post a complete listing here, but I was amazed at how much standard items from bags of M&M's (for making gorp), pop tarts, Lipton/Knorr dinners and so on have shrunk in size/weight.

The same is true of standard groceries we use at home, this is the practice over the years to decrease size of product while seeming to maintain price.

First they shrink it, then they slowly increase the price.
At the rate things are going it will take three pop-tarts to equal the calories of what use to be two.

Please note pop-tarts are for reference, I seldom use them any more, but I can see how those stocking up at gas station have little choice.

[CrumbSnatcher]

A few weeks ago I was checking an old backpack shopping list I found when cleaning out some stuff.
I'm too lazy to post a complete listing here, but I was amazed at how much standard items from bags of M&M's (for making gorp), pop tarts, Lipton/Knorr dinners and so on have shrunk in size/weight.

The same is true of standard groceries we use at home, this is the practice over the years to decrease size of product while seeming to maintain price.

First they shrink it, then they slowly increase the price.
At the rate things are going it will take three pop-tarts to equal the calories of what use to be two.

Please note pop-tarts are for reference, I seldom use them any more, but I can see how those stocking up at gas station have little choice.

Great thoughts WM, me and the ole' lady talk about that at home all the time, the portions are definitely getting smaller. food stores,fast food restraunts everywhere and everything. they even split the king size snicker into 2 pieces now, giving you convienence, NO they probably gave you less candybar

[Captain_Slo]

Great thoughts WM, me and the ole' lady talk about that at home all the time, the portions are definitely getting smaller. food stores,fast food restraunts everywhere and everything. they even split the king size snicker into 2 pieces now, giving you convienence, NO they probably gave you less candybar

but greater surface area = more chocolate

[Toy2boy]

In attempts to keep this on track:

Costs ($$$) DURING a thru-hike?

Updated List

ATM Charges
Batteries
Campsites & Shelters in the White Mountains
Clothing
Clothing repairs
Emergencies (health)
First aide supplies (sun screen, mole skin, etc...)
Food resupply
Fuel
Gear
Gear fixes
Hygiene items (soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.)
Laundry services / supplies
Lodging (hotels, hostels)
Mail drops (receiving)
Mailing bounce boxes
Mailing home supplies
Mailing postcards, gifts, etc...
Maps
Miscellaneous purchases (cards, books, etc)
Park Permits?
Phonecard / cell phone charges
Restaurants
Showers
Shuttles
Town entertainment (movie, alcohol, etc.)

Any additions you can think of?
Thank you for your time!

[WingedMonkey]

In attempts to keep this on track:

Costs ($$$) DURING a thru-hike?

Updated List

ATM Charges
Batteries
Campsites & Shelters in the White Mountains
Clothing
Clothing repairs
Emergencies (health)
First aide supplies (sun screen, mole skin, etc...)
Food resupply
Fuel
Gear
Gear fixes
Hygiene items (soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.)
Laundry services / supplies
Lodging (hotels, hostels)
Mail drops (receiving)
Mailing bounce boxes
Mailing home supplies
Mailing postcards, gifts, etc...
Maps
Miscellaneous purchases (cards, books, etc)
Park Permits?
Phonecard / cell phone charges
Restaurants
Showers
Shuttles
Town entertainment (movie, alcohol, etc.)

Any additions you can think of?
Thank you for your time!

I don't think I understand the purpose of your list. None of the thru-hikers that were successful this past season or any other will match the same list.
Some things none of them used, some used a lot more of one item than than other hikers. some carried maps, some mooched trail information. Some hit every town some skipped every town.
Other posts give ball park figures of totals spent, and even those differ widely. Are you afraid you will forget to budget something?
What are you trying to accomplish?

[jersey joe]

How about $8(more now?) to stay in a shelter in the whites? I didn't pay that fee at all, I did work for stay(planting trees and such).

[jj2044]

Toy2boy, i looked at your list some you can get rid of , or make the cost of them alot less..... ATM charges, find a bank that refunds atm charges, i have USAA and they refund upto 25 or 50 (cant remember which)bucks a month in atm fees. Mail Drops, i dont know what your planning, but i wouldnt go crazy with them alot of people end up paying more over all and losing time becuase they have to wait in a town for the post office to open. and then i read about a couple on here that set up like 50+ mail drops then quit after a week or so.... alot people seem to think that buy before hand saves alot of money and for the MOST part it really doesnt when you add in shipping costs. Maps, I dont think you need, i didnt use them, get a good guide book and you will be fine....Park permits i dont remember paying park permits..... its been 10 years, so maybe i have just forgot, but if i did, it couldnt of been much.

[Toy2boy]

What I AM accomplishing is putting together a list of what MAY cost money while on a thru-hike. Data proceeds knowledge which proceeds planning. The "just have $5,000 or more" doesn't do me any good. I want to know the WHAT FOR and I am getting a great idea now.

[Toy2boy]

Thank you for the input jj204. Understanding the WHAT will help me with planning general strategies.

[fadeleaf]

Mine totaled about $2500 after initial gear costs.
About $1300 of that was food, $600 gear replacements, $300 hostels/lodging, and $300 misc (shuttles, laundry, shipping costs, campsite fees...)

I honestly didn't think I was being that frugal, I just wasn't treating it like a vacation. I was on the trail 159 days total, including 20 or so zeros/neros.

[Toy2boy]

Mine totaled about $2500 after initial gear costs.
About $1300 of that was food, $600 gear replacements, $300 hostels/lodging, and $300 misc (shuttles, laundry, shipping costs, campsite fees...)

I honestly didn't think I was being that frugal, I just wasn't treating it like a vacation. I was on the trail 159 days total, including 20 or so zeros/neros.

So, you ate for under $10 a day, and how old were you Fadeleaf when you didn't have your vacation?

[Captain_Slo]

Mine totaled about $2500 after initial gear costs.
About $1300 of that was food, $600 gear replacements, $300 hostels/lodging, and $300 misc (shuttles, laundry, shipping costs, campsite fees...)
.

This is super helpful. Anyone else?

[CrumbSnatcher]

Mine totaled about $2500 after initial gear costs.
About $1300 of that was food, $600 gear replacements, $300 hostels/lodging, and $300 misc (shuttles, laundry, shipping costs, campsite fees...)

I honestly didn't think I was being that frugal, I just wasn't treating it like a vacation. I was on the trail 159 days total, including 20 or so zeros/neros.

fadeleaf, did you find yourself using hikerboxes very often?
compared to a 1,500.00 hike you lived it up :-)

[Smooth & Wasabi]

I didn't notice if someone addressed it but VT does have some caretaker sites requiring payment. I believe they have a deal for thru-hikers where you can camp for a certain time period at any of them for a minimal fee but I don't remember specifics. Very minimal compared to NH but you seem to be looking for specific details.

[Toy2boy]

I found this good information after being informed HERE about possible permits needed -

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/hiking-basics/regulations-permits