How to Afford a Thru-hike: Save and Budget for a Thru-hiking Lifestyle
3 financially savvy thru-hikers share how they save and budget for backpacking a long trail and living a hiking lifestyle
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Updated March 24th, 2024
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW THRU-HIKERS AFFORD TO TAKE THE TIME OFF TO HIKE A LONG TRAIL?
Have you ever dreamed of saving up enough money to go on your own trip?
Are you hiking this summer — and on a strict budget?
Have you hiked before and want to change careers so you can hike again?
In this guide, we walk you through time and trail-tested tips for leaving your job and affording a thru-hike. We cover how to save money for a hike, leave your job, spend less on money and gear, and save money during the day-to-day of your hike.
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Video
Watch the full video of the panel here.
Why a thru-hiking budget matters
All of our panelists have read a book called Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence. This book is very popular in the thru-hiking community for helping you understand what really matters (and for thru-hikers, that means time on trail!)
These are the top reasons why your budget matters:
Because "how do you afford to thru hike" is in the top 2 questions we get as thru hikers.
Because running out of money is in the top 5 reasons that hikers get off trail.
Because thru-hiking is hard! Who wants to worry about money on a thru hike? If we can take away one of the layers of difficulty, you are in a better position to succeed and enjoy your hike.
Because there are many, many small expenses that you may not think of…and they add up. Thru hiking can nickel and dime you.
Because we really, really don’t want you to put your hike on a credit card.
tips for getting time off from your job to thru-hike
Ask your employer for extended vacation or sabbatical
Ask for continued health insurance
Ask for unpaid time off
Give yourself a buffer in your return date
Quit your job
Of all the hikers Treeline Review founder Naomi Hudetz met on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2009 (in the middle recession!), she only knew of one person who didn’t get their old job back after quitting to hike
Are you looking for a new profession after your hike? A thru hike gives you time to figure it out.
Job share
Find someone with similar experience to yours who also wants extended time off or only temporary work to fill in for you
For example, a skier who wants winters off is a perfect job-share person for a thru-hiker (who wants summers off)
Find seasonal employment
Want to hike every year? Find a seasonal job that gives you summers off.
For example, ski resorts, desert trail maintenance crews
How to lower your hiking budget
Limit town stays
Share hotel rooms
Stay in hostels
Go into and out of town in the same day
Save town days for when you really need it (e.g., weather is miserable, illness)
Thru-hiker Theo “Blis” says you should budget $10 per hour you are in town
Avoid or limit restaurants
Have a plan for restaurant expenses and stick to it
Buy food in grocery stores instead (e.g., rotisserie chicken, salad in a bag, fruit, microwavable meals)
Hydrate before you eat
Breakfast is usually the cheapest restaurant meal (with no alcohol too)
Some hikers go straight to the grocery store for a can of beans to avoid over indulging at restaurants
Avoid the party scene
Alcohol and cannabis are expensive
Alcohol can lead to other bad decisions (both financial and otherwise)
How to save money on gear for your thru-hike
Do your research beforehand so you aren’t faced with gear replacement on trail. That’s where Treeline Review is here to help you buy right the first time.
Look for tried & true gear that other thru-hikers call durable.
Buy last year’s model. Frequently the changes are very minor, such as color. We keep an eye out for discounts on our Deals Page.
Watch for sales on the gear you’ve selected (e.g., Backcountry frequently has 20% coupons). One way learn about these sales is directly from a brand’s newsletter. We aggregate coupon codes and other sales or discounts on our Deals Page.
Buy the less fancy version for less important items. You don’t need top-of-the-line gear for every item in your pack. Splurge where it matters and go for a quality but less expensive option for somewhere it doesn’t matter as much. For example, you could choose a $55 Z-Lite Sol sleeping pad (instead of the $210 NeoAir XLite NXT) so you can splurge on other gear like an $670 Zpacks Duplex tent.
Borrow from friends. This is an especially good plan for items you won’t carry the whole thru-hike, like bear cans.
Make your own gear. YouTube has tons of videos about this.
Buy used gear. Some people are “gear enthusiasts” and buy a lot of gear they never use. If you feel icky about used gear, check out our guide for finding quality and clean used gear and how it’s good for the planet.
Places we recommend:
REI Re/Supply (formerly, Good & Used).
Backpacking Light (may require membership)
Facebook groups
Reddit
Learn how to repair your own gear. Dental floss almost always works. Check out our entire Repairs section for how to fix zippers, patch up holes, and more.
Don’t spend a lot on thru-hiking clothing. It will get thrashed regardless of how much you paid for it.
Places we recommend:
Used gear stores
Walmart, Target, Costco have cheap wicking synthetic shirts for under $20
Goodwill
For highly technical items, consider REI Re/Supply or Patagonia Worn Wear
Be smart about buying shoes.
Your feet may swell and/or get bigger through the hike so buying your shoes ahead of time may not work
Zappos has free overnight UPS shipping, which saves on shipping costs. This can help alleviate the cost associated with having to buy whatever shoe you can find in a trail town and make sure you get the right size and model for your feet.
Ways to save money for your hike
If you own your home, rent it out during your hike and/or get a roommate before your hike to pay the mortgage
Look for house sitting opportunities that provide free housing (House Sitters America)
Cut expenses ruthlessly on things that don’t matter to you (e.g., iTunes purchases, Starbucks). This stuff adds up.
Open a separate savings account just for your hike.
Make regular weekly transfers
Make it extremely difficult to get money out to reduce temptation to spend it before your hike (e.g., don’t get a debit card with it)
Avoid debt. Don’t use credit cards. Don’t buy a new car/
Cancel subscriptions. Netflix, cable TV, magazines, and Amazon Prime all add up. Instead, spend that time planning and reading about your upcoming hike.
Get rid of your car and make errand walking part of your training.
why you should trust us
These financially savvy thru-hikers have managed to afford multiple thru-hikes. They share their tips for saving, budgeting, and more.
Naomi “TP” Hudetz is founder at Treeline Review and is dedicated to helping more people get outside without putting it on their credit card. Naomi completed much of the original research and data for this article on How to Afford a Thru-hike. Naomi is a Triple Crowner having completed the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail, in addition to many other long hikes. You can read all Naomi’s articles on her author page.
Mike "FE" Unger left his high-stress corporate job to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2006. That experience forever changed him, and he purposefully re-arranged his life to allow for as much adventuring as possible. Today, he’s hiked over 28,000 miles on North American long trails and is one of a handful of people who is a Double Triple Crowner, having hiked the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails twice each. He’s a frequent contributor to Treeline Review.
Felicia "POD" Hermosillo is a Special Education school teacher. She's thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trail as well as many other trails including the Te Araroa in New Zealand. She's host of the Trail Show podcast, which has been downloaded over 1 million times in 150+ countries since its 1st episode went live in 2012. She’s a frequent contributor to Treeline Review. There is no place she would rather be than outside.
Larry Boy has hiked the Hayduke Trail, Triple Crown Trails, as well as The Greater Yellowstone Loop and the Route in Between. He self-describes as "un-entrepreneurial." You can follow his adventures at lbhikes.com.
Moderated by: Liz “Snorkel” Thomas is Editor-in-Chief at Treeline Review. Snorkel is a Triple Crowner who once held the women’s self-supported record on the Appalachian Trail. She’s also author of Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-hike, which won the National Outdoor Book for Best Instructional Book. In addition to editing, she also writes for Treeline Review.
