Saving Money on a Long-Distance Hike or Bike Trip
Maggie Slepian
One of the biggest roadblocks to taking on a thru-hike or long-distance bikepacking trip is the budget. Not only do you have to account for buying gear, on-trail expenses, and transport to the trail, but the lost income can be a real bruiser. Most places recommend being ready to spend about $2 per mile of trail (on average), and having enough in your bank account to pay for all of your bills while you’re there. Here are my five tips for saving money when planning and taking on a thru-hike or extended bike trip.
1) Shop used gear whenever possible
A backpacking or bikepacking gear setup can cost thousands of dollars, and much of that cost is unavoidable. You need a tent, a sleeping system, and the bags or backpack to carry your gear, but these are all items you can find used, or at least at a discount. Start shopping early, and we mean a solid year early, if possible. That way you can come up with a comprehensive list of the gear you need, have the time to do research for your optimal items, and also plan for sales, used-gear shopping, and waiting for the best deals to come up. Leaving the gear shopping for the last minute means getting stuck with hefty price tags and not a lot of options.
Look on gear trading websites and forums, second-hand outdoors stores, Craigslist, and try to time your shopping with REI Garage Sales. Seasonality matters too. Look for your puffy as the weather warms up—last year’s models and colors will be on sale, and shop after the holidays and as the seasons are changing. Stores want to clear their shelves for the upcoming season and you can grab great clearance deals on apparel and hardgoods.
2) Know what gear will cross over from your closet to your pack
It can be tempting to buy all brand new everything from specialized outdoor brands, but that grungy base layer in the back of your closet, or the fleece you wear to get the mail can pull double duty as an at-home item and a layer for your trip. There are certainly some items you have to buy from a targeted gear shop, but you probably own most of the clothing and clothing accessories (hats, gloves, technical socks) already.
3) Limit your time in town on the trail
Once you’re on the trail, this is the biggest money pit. One night in a trail-town motel can cost the same as replacing a $100 pair of shoes, and three meals in town can cost the same as a week of resupply. Sure, the allure of towns is unavoidable, and no one out for hundreds (or thousands) of miles should deny themselves the joy of a warm meal and a hot shower. But be smart about it. If you have to make choices, get yourself a restaurant meal, but skip the hotel. Wait for a hostel to take a shower, whether it’s in this town or the next town. And the longer you stay in town, the more money you’ll spend going out to eat—the town vortex can be a vicious cycle, so getting in, grabbing your resupply and a meal, and getting back on the trail is priority.
4) The post office can be expensive
This is a hidden cost many hikers / bikers don’t anticipate when setting out for a long trip. Bounce boxes and the desire to ship extra gear and clothing home can quickly add up. In theory, a bounce box is a great idea—a box of extra items you might not need all the time, but can be shipped ahead to trail towns to pick through. On my AT thru-hike we had a large bottle of ibuprofen, a few extra charging cords, some spare socks, and I don’t even remember what else. We barely used any of it, and every time we wanted to send it forward, it cost us $20. We bought the items in the box multiple times over in post office fees. We also sent home food we didn’t want, and in one case, a pair of old shoes I was convinced I would wear at home. Be scrutinous with your post office spending, and unless you have something critical in your bounce box or the towns have little to no resources, it’s probably not worth sending it ahead on the trail.
5) Share whatever you can
This mostly pertains to town expenses like hostel or hotel rooms, but is a good rule of thumb in general. Pair up with other hikers or bikers who need a ride into town and split the Uber. When you’re resupplying and don’t need all 25 ZipLock bags or 20 packets of noodles, share the packages with the other hikers in your group and split up the larger bulk items from the store. Hiking with a partner makes this even more in depth—you’ll likely be sharing the cost of a shelter, a cookset, and other smaller items in your setup.
Long-distance hiking and biking isn’t free, but for spending several months on the road or trail, it’s one of the least expensive ways to travel. Be smart with planning and once you’re out there, your dollars will stretch that much more.
