[pct-l] Hello - PCT costs

[atcamel@yahoo.com (Tim Hart)]

--- TOKTAADN@aol.com wrote:

>>Anybody willing to rise to the bait?

OK, here are three data points:

I spent $3100 for my 1998 AT hike, or $1.50 per mile.
I spent $2200 from Mexico to Canada for my 2000 PCT
hike ($0.75 per mile).  My 2002 CDT hike cost $2900
from Mexico to Canada (about $1/mile).  I didn't skimp
on town food or motels.  A boy scout troop I ran into
on the CDT asked me how I could afford a thru hike.  I
told them it would cost less than a weeklong family
trip to Disney World.

 The biggest expense of a thru hike is the opportunity
cost of lost wages.  This could vary from a large sum
of money to a negative number.  It could be less
expensive for some to hike and wait out the current
recession than to job hunt in an expensive city. YMMV.
 If you smoke and drink in the trail towns, you may
need to double the cost of your thru hike.

>><<It merits a seminar at a future Gathering, though
>>I've never heard it discussed in depth at any of the
>>four I've attended so far.>>

I have heard the cost of a thru hike discussed at the
Gathering.  The discussion involved $2 sneakers, $5
backpacks, etc. found at the Salvation Army - a
furnish your thru hike for less than $50 talk.  This
type of discussion is about as useful to most thru
hikers as the ultralite 1 pound total pack weight
lectures.

I would recommend having access to at least $6000 for
a thru hike.  This could be cash on hand, borrowing
from relatives, or some credit card debt.  You need to
think about possibly needing new gear during the hike.
 Also, you will need some money between the end of the
hike and the start of a "real life" job.

Camel AT 98
Starman PCT 00
Tim CDT 02



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