Low Cost Lifestyle
One thing that attracts me to Long Distance Hiking is that it is a very inexpensive lifestyle. Consider that if you don't pay rent, or electric, water, gas, and other utility bills, and you don't pay for gasoline, or other car expenses, and you don't spend money entertaining yourself in the city, you'll be saving quite a bit of money. And even though you'll buy some gear, and eat more food than usual, and buy that food in more expensive places than usual, those extra expenses may be much less than the money saved by not living in town.
Of course, some people have mortgages or family expenses that don't go away during a hike.
Still, it's worth comparing the savings versus the extra expenses.
| Hiking Costs | Possible Savings |
|---|---|
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General Gear1 Clothing2 Boots and Socks3 Groceries4 Restaurant and Bar5 Lodging6 Laundry7 Shipping and Postage8 Transportation9 |
Rent Electric Bill Water and Sewer Bill Heating Bill Other Utility bills Home and Car Insurance Gasoline Other car expenses Entertainment |
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1 - With the exception of clothing, boots, and socks, most gear will last several seasons. 2 - With the exception of boots and socks, a high quality set of hiking clothing will last at least one year. 3 - High quality boots last about 500 miles, longer on easier trails. Excellent quality hiking socks last about 150 miles, perhaps longer if it's possible to keep them very clean. 4 - Those who buy and ship food may save money by buying in bulk, at inexpensive sources, but some of those savings will be negated by shipping costs. On the AT and PCT, hikers can save a bit of money by taking what they can out of hiker boxes (where other hikers have dumped their excess gear and food) before visiting the grocery store. 5 - Obviously, one could save money by not eating out at all. 6 - It might seem easy for a hiker with camping gear to skip lodging establishments altogether, but that's usually where laundry and showers get done. Also, it's tough to walk past a motel if it's been raining for days... 7 - Yes, laundry is just a few bucks a load, but over 6 months, it adds up. 8 - Even hikers who don't ship all their food end up sending stuff home or ordering replacement gear. 9 - You've got to get to the trail, and home again at the end. |
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Cheapskates
The vast majority of Long Distance Hikers I've met are pretty dang thrifty. Maybe if they were willing and able to spend lots of money, they wouldn't walk from place to place. I don't hike because I'm poor, but on the other hand, I can afford to walk across the country for months at a time, staying in cheap motels once a week or so, while if I stayed in luxury hotels nightly, I'd run out of money a lot sooner. So even though some hikers have much larger budgets than others, it's pretty safe to assume that if you meet a long distance hiker, he won't be freely tossing his money about.
That's good news for anyone on a budget, because most hikers are willing, and even looking, to split the cost of laundry loads, motel rooms, rides, and etcetera.