[at-l] ACK!

[jpf23235@yahoo.com (JPF)]

Dear - V,

I have never thru-hiked the AT, but I am currently planning a thru for '03.
Hope to see you and BF on the trail! My budget is a working document (and I
certainly welcome feedback from those who have completed thru-hikes). My
current estimated cost for the trip is about $3800. This does not include
the costs of living at home while I am away, since wife's income will take
care of that.

Based on comments I've read about others experiences, this is higher than
some but far from being on the high-end. While it constantly changes, it
goes something like this:

Equipment 			 $325
Clothing 			 $400
Food 		 		 $1,236
Lodging & Travel 	 	 $1,904

Several things to note -
1) I already own the lion's share of the equipment & clothes I need for this
hike.
2) My "food" category includes trail supplies, some food purchased along the
trail, and in towns during overnight stays. Trail food cost is estimated on
basis of purchasing in bulk prior to departure. (I expect this may increase
slightly).
3) My "Lodging and Travel" line item includes $500 in travel costs to get to
and from Springer and Katahdin. Off-trail lodging is based on an average
cost for an estimated 30 nights of lodging. This includes on & off trail
motels, lodges, and/or hostels.

Again, based on what I have researched, the size of this budget can be
seriously trimmed. On-trail food supplies and off-trail lodging seem to be
the real expenses. On-trail food is usually more expensive than you can get
at home, so the balance between on-trail purchases and mail-drops plays an
important part.  For some people, travel to and from home is a notable cost.
Two hikers traveling together can reduce costs (and weight). Almost all of
the research I have seen agrees that the minimum cost is somewhere in the
range of $2500 for the trip alone. I'm sure that there are many who have
done it cheaper, but this represents an average estimate.

Hope this helps,

Joel



> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-l-admin@mailman.backcountry.net
> [mailto:at-l-admin@mailman.backcountry.net]On Behalf Of
> Noctturne@aol.com
> Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2001 2:18 AM
> To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: [at-l] ACK!
>
>
> Hi, newbie here.  My boyfriend and I are planning to thru-hike in
> 02 or 03,
> but (I hate to admit this) he's never seen a real live tent
> before and I've
> only spent a few nights out at KOA type campgrounds.  Now, in
> case any of you
> are already wanting to yell/rant/scold/assume we can't do it, here's the
> deal:  I need help.  I've been doing all the reading I can for several
> years(!) because I've *always* wanted to take this trip, but only
> recently
> found out that Boyfriend might want to do it too.  I have a good
> idea of how
> long it takes, what to expect, I'm having some success finding
> what gear I
> should use and how to drop food, stuff like that.  What I'm still stumped
> about, though, is how much this is going to cost.  The whole
> timing of the
> trip rides on how much money I need to save for gear/food/other
> expenses, and
> how much time I have to do it.  Part of my expense will be my
> rent for the
> four or five months I'm gone, so I don't have a lot to spend on
> other things.
>  Can anyone give me advice on thru-hiking for the disadvantaged?
> Also, are
> there any single people here?  How did you handle getting back into the
> "real" world...i.e., finding an apartment fast so you don't have
> to sleep on
> a bench, reclaiming your job, etc.
>
> I really want to do this, and bf is getting out of college the
> summer after
> next...I can either go then, before he goes into the police
> academy, or in 02
> by myself, if I have enough money by then.
>
> One other thing...I have a hatchling ball pythoin, so I can't
> exactly send
> him to the vet to be boarded.  Any advice thatwise?
>
>  - V
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