February 22, 2005- Trips like this need to be financed somehow. I've been saving money for years to pay for my vacation. Money, however, is not unlimited and many hikers have to stop sooner than they wanted because they run out of money. Expenses include food and supplies purchased along the way, a weekly stop at a laundry (if one is available), local in town transportation, and an ocassional restaurant meal or hotel, bunkhouse, or hostel stay. Many, but not all towns the trail goes through operates a hostel or bunkhouse of sorts where for a reasonable fee, generally less than $20.00, a hiker can arrange for a bunk for the night and a shower.
People generally do not carry a lot of cash when they hike. They used to rely on travvelers checks that wer mailed to them but now are relying more on in town ATMs.
Atypical budget may look like this:
Catagory Cost per day Number of Days Total Expense
Food & Supplies $9.00 180 $1,620.00
Laundry $8.00 26 laundry days $208.00
Transportation $100.00
Hotels/Hostels $300.00
Restaurant Meals $300.00
Transportation to and from Trail $250.00
Contingency $200.00
Total $2,978.00
The above figures don't necessarily reflect my budget but they do reflect what some people might spend.
Posted by john at February 22, 2005 05:27 PM