I was wondering how much money would be a required to do a through hike of the PCT? Not including travel to and from the trail and gear. I was reading Yogi's guide and it says $4000-$7000 is the average.

Do you think it would be possible to go with only $2000?

Do you think it would be possible to go with only $2000?

No.

Food and zero days, motels, etc... all add up surprisingly fast.

Edited by kthompson on 06/01/2011 21:14:15 MDT.

You will have to have an iron will to not stay in a hotel, not eat out and not have any expensive gear failures. Yogi's pretty much right on for the costs.

If you were very experienced with long distance hiking, a very fast hiker, and somewhat antisocial, maybe. Many fresh hikers take a lot of expensive perks in the early part of their hike, possibly to heal both mind and body. Hikers also tend to swap out a lot of gear at the same time.

So if you're trail hardened and have lots of experience, you won't feel a need to do that. You'll also schedule your hike so that you aren't stopped by snow, or rather, you'll have the skills and confidence to continue. Staying away from groups means you'll only go into town when only you need to, and for as long as only you need to. Being fast reduces your time on the trail, and can in turn saves you money.