The "faster" thing is in part controversial because many equate it with basically "running" the trail instead of enjoying it. Most "fast" hikers however get to their milage not by walking significantly faster, but walking longer days. Get on the trail early, leave it late. In fact I would say that such an approach adds much to the enjoyment of nature and solitude. If you crawl out of your tent at 8 and pack up and leave by 8.30 or 9.00 you have spent some of the most beautiful hours of the day without paying much attention to world around you. Same is true when you reach camp early and hang out with people or waste away in you tent on the phone. Now there is nothing wrong with that. That might be exactly why you are out there. But the flat light in the morning and evening (which photographers call "golden hour") is imho best enjoyed on the trail with new views opening up all the time. If you average 2mph but you do it for 14 hours with an hour lunch break and two smaller breaks (say walking 5am to 9pm) you do a 28 miler. Leave at 9am and finish by 5pm with an hour break and you will have done 14 miles. So a faster hike does not have to mean a faster walking speed. Now, whether you want to do long days or not might depend on why you are out there. If you are out there for the community or the tramily there might be no good reason to walk long days. Also weight - your own and that of your pack - or any other health issues might not make long days possible. And since hiking is not a competitive sport but recreation to some, money might not be an issue. That is fine. And in that case a video how to save money during a thru hike might not be relevant to that crowd. That is fine too. But I think all tips provided are valid. They indeed reduce the cost of a thruhike. And that is what the video promised to convey. Which of the tips would work for any particular hiker depends on that hiker and why he is out there.
You really went into that! Haha, less time in towns tho means more on trail so even if you do more miles than others, you are outside longer. So some could argue you see more, not less, even if you are faster! Lots of crazy things and experiences happen at night on trail! Anyways, everyone keep walking 👣 and practice LNT!
Valid tips great video. I personally would be the hiker awakening for sunrise/sunset "golden hour." Long slow days. I don't do well with feeling pressured to get somewhere or obtain some sort of goal with hiking. I'm sure many have hiked the ECT, PCT, Appalachian trail, North country trail, ext with a goal or time set they'd like to accomplish their thru hike. It's wonderful to say I'd like to accomplish this in this amount of time compared to... But I personally think this for me takes the greatness and beauty out of hiking. Adds a feeling of being on a time clock. Yes longer days not necessarily faster running thru it. But even with longer days at a slower pace in your mind you're still on a time clock to get to a destination. If you set out your hikes with no expectations , goals, times or agendas then there's unlimited time, Rivers, streams, views, breaks just to take nature in. I'd have the slowest time not being compared to anyone meeting my destination and being able to remember and induldge in the small things and the absolute beauty of nature. .to me hiking is just that
@@lucyvanica2490 I think your style of hiking is perfectly legitimate. It is about being outdoors and that is wonderful. I get what you are trying to say. Let me add though that any thru hike or even a day hike may require you to be "on the clock" simply because the terrain you venture in may not be benign. If you are in the Colorado Rockies in the summmer, you have to be down from the heights before afternoon storms that are very much like clock work, for example. If you cross a desert you will want to use cooler seasons and cooler hours of the day. You may have to push, just to make it possible and stay healthy and alive. You need to plan and you cannot just wonder about. If you venture into wilder areas, it may be nature that dictates most of your journey. For example: of course, nobody forced me to cross the Negev desert, but as soon as I comitted to experiencing that beautiful landscape I was on the clock. There are only so many water sources and they are days apart. You only can carry so much water. So being on the clock is what both lets you experience the area and come out alive. This summer I traversed the alps and there is only a certain window before snow cuts your journey short and every day in between you are on the clock for resupplys and dealing with weather. It is similar for those who attempt the PCT or CDT. There are certain windows if you want to do it and that puts you on the clock. You are certainly right that people have different reasons to attempt a thru hike (or any other adventure). Some want to be out there, some want to prove themselves, some want to set a record, some want to enjoy nature, some want to do many or all of the above. But I would add that certain kinds of landscape and wilderness may not even be enjoyed without being on the clock. They cannot be experienced leasurely because they are not save. They are outside the comfort zone. A slow pace would make them impossible to discover. And there is nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of state parks and nature areas, that may be experienced in the mode you describe. In fact, I think you may enjoy the videos from the guys over at adventure archives (youtube channel). They often spend 3 days doing just 10 miles in total and produce nice videos of their exploration, tuning every leaf and mushroom. It is a perfectly legitimate and beautiful way to experience nature, but of course it is a very different one from experiencing the vastness and change of landscape that comes with a long distance hike. Distance has its own beauty - not as a number - but as the experience of change and diversity. Both micro and macro approaches yield their own reward.
Donjojohannes - Birett Ballett - Kathmedia I think a fast hike requires getting up way earlier than 8-9 am. That is too late to start. The sun is already out by then and you won’t even be ten miles in when it’s beating down on you hard. Early is key as in 5-6 am. Late starts are after 8-9 am. Most don’t hike past 11 pm. Most don’t night hike at all really. I would have loved to but that damn wind is brutal when the sun is down. I nearly froze when I night hiked in freezing cold rain, I was completely soaked and never dried out and had to put on wet clothes the next day only to have it snow ❄️ on me. Keep in mind I was also barefoot. That really wasn’t the problem though. To hike fast is to hike early and to hike longer. Most do not keep a 3 mile pace consistently. I remember my biggest day 26 miles took me 11 straight hours of non stop walking, I even ran at some points and only took a 2 minute break to get water during this whole time. I had a light pack too but some sections are harder than others so the 3 mile pace is not really obtainable every day.
@@drewblanche I agree and if you click the "Show more" (or whatever youtube calls it in English) at the end of my original comment you can read it in its entirety. I do not suggest that getting up at 8 or 9 is a great idea for a "fast hike" but on the contrary that people who get up early and bed down late, will appear "fast" because they do many more miles even though they don't physically walk any faster. That was what I was getting at.
Summary - hike faster to make the trip shorter - avoid towns - by washing off in lakes/streams so you feel clean enough to not get a motel for a shower - carry a little more food - when you go into town - check out hiker boxes for free food and stuff - try and get in and out in the same day - if you get a motel, split it with other people - don't spend money on drinking or smoking - repair your gear - buy generic brands - mail food boxes ahead
Keep coming back to this video, and it is one that I consistently recommend to people for mindset while hiking any trail. Now I'm fascinated at the struggle with the focus......
There's a balance; every time i found myself going faster I would stop and ask myself, "Do you remember what you saw?" If I answered no then I slowed down. I'm out there to experience the trail, and personally I'm fortunate that I don't have to set deadlines like 100 days or 150 days doesn't matter to me as long as I can recall the places I passed by.
@@jhonyermo when you're out there you tend to zone out. The faster you hike, the more prone you are to making mistakes as well. Anish had a goal that few would care to attempt. You're using an outlier and on the PCT, the speeds are increased because the grading is so nice.
I quit drinking and smoking before I began my thru hike because I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford that stuff. My main expense besides the occasional motel was my food. My re-supplies were up in the $60 range (being vegan) and since I would buy too much food, thinking I would be able to eat most of it at a hostel before I got back on trail. Most of the time I had to leave so much of it in the hiker box or just give it away to others that were there. You may think you’re super hungry but after one meal you are full and all that extra food you can’t pack out it gets wasted. The best tip to saving money is not only finding a way to earn money while you are hiking but to bring the right gear out there from the start. I spent over $300 at Mountain Crossing my first week because I didn’t have a warm jacket and no rain protection. I also had cotton I had to replace and the bill quickly added up. They do take advantage of you because they know they can. The last best tip to save tons of money is to not avoid the rain. I would stay an extra day or two in town if I saw it was going to rain the next day. I hated the rain so much. This cost me lots of time and money because even with a $130 rain jacket I still couldn’t keep dry. Even with a $330 double walled tent I got soaked and the stakes pulled up out on the ground in the first week during a huge storm ⛈ you live and learn but it never gets any easier. Just less of a concern I suppose. 👍🏻
With regard to sending most or all your food to yourself on trail, some people say, 'how do you know what you want to eat on a Tuesday afternoon a month from now"? Oh, I know what I want to eat on the trail. It's really quite similar to what I eat at home. Whole grains like 5 minute brown rice, whole wheat couscous, 5 minute quinoa, oatmeal, various varieties of beans and lentils , dehydrated vegetables, dried figs, dates, raisins, apricots, etc. Nuts and seeds, ya know actual food. I'm not wanting the empty calories you find at the dollar store along the trail. And it seams so many hikers wind up eating pretty much the same food all the time anyway. So the argument, how do you know what you want to eat a month from now doesn't make much sense. I eat whole foods at home, I eat whole foods on trail. And I'm not talking about the grocery store of the same name. So this is why for me, I send packages. Which happens to save a lot of time in the long run as you say. I believe there are more than a few monster hikers quietly doing the same thing. I believe Scott Williamson has a similar approach and diet as you.
@@nonegiven3814 I thought that hiking I could lose a bunch of weight, but wow, I was starving after hiking 10 miles and didn't think I could fill myself up!! So I can see how people will go into town and buy a bunch of garbage to eat.
If you zero at the first campsite after a town you only have to carry extra food a short distance. The thing about hiking faster is that you still spend the same $/day so if you want to maximize your days of hiking that's not a useful strategy. I highly recommend buying large bags of plain oats and eating lots of porridge with whatever ingredients you want to add.
Another tip. Instead of going INTO the grocery store, take a peek inside they're dumpster to see what perfectly good food they threw away for being one day past it's best by date, or for it's packaging being a little bit damaged. So much of my savings for my upcoming hike have been saved that way, dumpster diving in my home town.
I bought fast food 1 time on my thru hike, and only paid for a 10$ room once. I stopped at as many towns I could just to carry less weight and never bought unnecessary or expensive food. You can still do more resupply stops.
I agree with all your tips except one. Please remember that not all hikers are young and super “able”. I tried my absolute very best last year, to hike the entire AT but my body simply said NOPE. I capped out at 12 miles a day, with only a few exceptions. I’m trying again this year but need to give myself seven months where you can do it in probably two. It’s not a matter of being lazy, it’s that I’m 55 and have a completely different body then people like you. Just a gentle reminder that you are an exception. Most people are just not physically able to do what you do in the time that you do it. I genuinely hope that you are grateful for your healthy body!
Act old later I don’t buy that. Unless you have actual injuries. The body is forced to get stronger. People in their 70 s start power lifting. Running etc No excuses I’m 52 btw
One thing I learned from this. Send my own food ahead. This can be true for any trip! I plan on traveling Oregon/Washington next year. Maybe do some day hikes. Not sure if I will be ready for any overnighters. But I plan on shipping a box of food to myself since I will be flying up there from Florida. I may have to ship some other stuff too. great idea!!
The "faster" concept is something that I really embrace for mountain and trail things. The less time it takes to get things done, the easier and happier those things become.
Excellent and pertinent information as it lines up with my own style and goals.. I will be utilizing most, if not all of these as much as possible. Thank you!
All great advise! Buy in advance and know your budget! Only thing is moving faster... you gotta listen your body cause for me when people go faster or push themselves beyond the miles they need to go... you can damage your body and then your off the trail for months. I say hike your own pace when it comes to speed. You wanna be safe and enjoy your time out there.
You make a lot of sense. thanks for sharing your video. My husband and I just began our journey Grab and going on the Floiida trail. we have 93 miles in so far. we have a long way to go.
I stealthed camp every night except two when doing my bicycle tours. But when I stay in a hotel room, my expenses just went through the room and I would spend loads of money on food those nights. Towns drain money quickly. Let me ask a question, how long did you have to stay in town recharging your electronics. Some of those 20000mah chargers can take 8 hours to recharge. Thanks for great video.
Hello Jupiter, I think one also has to count the hidden costs for a thruhike: During the time you are travelling, you don't have the opportunity to earn money by your regular job. So the costs are about 2k$ for food and gear plus 3*monthly salary (which is probably much higher than the costs for food). (I know this calculation is a matter of opinion)
What I missed… How and when do you recharge your power banks? Where do you find a power outlet for several hours? … if not overnight in a hostel/motel/hotel/angel-palace. Note: I am from The Netherlands. Back in 1986 (on the PCT, south bound - walked about half of it) I did not need any power. Back then I had one photo camera only running on a battery that easily lasted a full year. Now I have a GoPro (Hero 7), a digital camera, and a Garmin Inreach. I am planning to do the PCT again next year (again south bound). Any suggestions for power reloading without (necessarily) doing zeros?
A restaurant! And often times at parks you can find a power outlet, but a restaurant is a pretty sure bet since you're probably going to be eating there for a while, gives you a couple hours to charge. Now with all this new quick charge technology that can often times be enough. Pretty much the second I get to town I am looking for some outlet anywhere, among my other town chores.
Wow, I did not expect a response within 10 minutes! About recharching at restaurants/parks. It crossed my mind but what also crossed my mind is that a gazillion other thru hikers are doing the same thing … as such creating a traffic jam. Any experience with that? Addon: Why are you not hiking now ;-)
Yea I guess that could happen. Always I try to be respectful of the town. On the pct I found outlets at mcdonalds, outside grocery store, at parks, outside gas stations, trail angels, etc.
Some related question... I see everybody videotaping their trip. And I am going to do that too (suffering the weight penalty - camera, heavy duty powerbank, cables, lightweight tripod). My question: How, when and where can you upload your video(s) along the trail? I expect no detailed answer (if any). But I appreciate to know, not being a US citizen, what is realistic and practical. Given uploading can take many hours.
@@wimahlers I'm not the one to really ask that since I upload everything after I've finished, but i feel I can speculate well enough. I imagine most of these people have to stay at a hostel/motel/hotel to upload. Editing from the trail would be difficult but I can see doing that at night in my shelter, while uploading from the trail itself would likely be very hard. Uploading doesn't take too long however given a good connection, maybe an hour?
Hike faster is of course will save you money but for a lot of us it doesn't make sense as the whole point is to spend lots of time on the trail. I agree with most other tips. I have hike the AT 20 years ago and the PCT about 18 years ago, now I would love to hike the great Himalayan trail.
Have you seen the $1 (pretty sure ultralight) headlamps at Walmart? They are LED and come with a head strap or cap clip. AND ONE DOLLAR!! Found them on the way to HostelInTheForest last week.
Did no one bother to look at the specs? Looks like they offer 4 hours of battery life at (a not very bright) 20 lumens...and it looks like a new set of batteries will cost you about $4. So, $1/hour...multiplied by a thru-hike’s worth of nights. Even if you stole the batteries out of the other 9, and only used the headlamp an hour/evening, and did the whole trail in 90 days, you’re still looking at $50 in batteries. Plus the original $10 you spent. With that same $60, you could buy a much brighter, much more versatile, longer-lasting, more durable, much less wasteful (i.e., you won’t have to add literally 45 batteries to our landfills) headlamp that can recharge via USB. And then you could take it on another thru-hike at no extra cost.
You have said in the past that you're not faster than most people, you just spend more time per day walking. The trail doesn't move by you appreciably faster than most anyone else. You see and experience it all but find yourself at some very interesting places when many are at camp. The question is do most of us have the stamina or endurance or what ever it is to spend more of our day walking? On my next long distance hike I want to try less zeros and more neros. Or try what some people call in-and-outs. Heroes as you say. That's my plan to save money and to enrich my experience by staying out in nature where I really want to be. Total immersion. spelling edit...
I never done this long distance shit but I have done some 16 hour day hikes on mountains and the only problem you will have is foot damage. Endurance is the least of your worries. If the trail is easy with minimal altitude rise then you will have no problem
Oh man! I have gone through a few things. I think for the vast majority of people, buying and filming/photographing with a nice phone is the answer, a step up from that would be something like a sony rx100 or a sony zv1, and if you really love playing with larger cameras then a DSLR is the answer. The bigger the camera the less fun it is to carry and I often find I actually use it less because it becomes a burden both physically, and mentally. Though with a small enough lens it isn't bad! For years and thousands of miles I have used a panasonic lumix g7, with a 14mm pancake lens. I love the thing, but recently I have switched to the sony zv1 to see how that goes. It's smaller and lighter but the quality wont be quite as good.
Nice video, I have a ? about sending boxes. A box is $15-$20 to send right? Do you think it ends up as a wash in the end with the cost of sending a box? Also, what are some techniques you use to keep clean on the trail? I think this is a great topic. I pride myself on taking a bum-bath with my bandana and Skurka had an interesting video on the backcountry bidet. Thanks Jupiter!
You can save big money by not buying all name brand gear ; I noticed Walmart carry alot of basic gear ,ie. base layer (dry power)Walmart carries , instead of spending 50.00 plus you can put that money either toward your hike or on better essential gear. I inventoried my gear cutting down and did replacements from Ebay or Walmart.
Yea! I do the same and am all for the cheap gear. Ive been trying to avoid walmart lately but would like at some point to do a video about getting an entire gear setup there.
Jupiter, I wouldn't get all my set up from Walmart, but take the money I saved on some common items from Walmart that may not have such long durability but are cheap and easily obtained and invest in higher quality,( my big three)....but each person needs to get past the name recognition game and be honest...thanks for pointing out , the biggest and most costly is not always necessary for a successful hike!
If you are a Thru-hiker and you are minimizing the number of days in trail towns, how do you recharge your electronics? I understand you can carry a power bank with you to recharge your phone but at some point, your power bank needs recharging too.
I carry a 20,000 Anker battery. Takes about 6-8 hours to charge (use quick charge wall port). Worth the extra weight to get 7 phone charges on the trail!
@@actoldlater...itsnevertool5288 something cool about the big banks too is that when any of these small or large get close to being fully charged they slow down the rate drastically. So to get 100% on say a 6,000 will take a lot longer than to get that same amount on a 20,000
a two port charger is good. i carried a back up battery on my last hike but still had to charge my phone and back up separately. charging both simultaneously would have saved me a huge amount of time.
At some point you'll need food so you will go into town. At that point I look for an electrical outlet at a local park, behind the grocery store, at a hostel, trail angel, gas station, restaurant, laundromat, etc! Even if I don't stay at a hotel or hostel while in town, I charge up at one of those locations. I carry a battery bank to achieve this, so I can charge that while I handle my town chores, and come retrieve it when I am ready to get back on trail. I personally use a 20,000mAh battery but more common is folks using a 10,000mAh.
Do you think there is a setting on your camera that you can manipulate to stop your camera from losing focus on you and focusing the background over and over?
Okay, this is pretty standard money saving advice for the A.T. I was hoping to hear some more nitty gritty specifics, but this is good info. Also, I thru hiked last year,and NEVRR heard the term "Hero"...I love it!
I think it's the extent some take these things. Like staying in just two hostels in 2,400 miles. It's easy to say avoid this or that but to hear the degree as to which some do this is another thing.
yeah, you're really hardcore about not staying anywhere and hiking twice as fast, lol. I gotta say though, as a smoker, I wish it were as easy as just "Not smoking". For me, its a terrible 28 yr addiction of mine, and I found the trail to be the most difficult place to be while trying to quit cigs. I switched to the roll your own version, and that saved me a ton of money. p.s. before you picture me flicking my cig butts on trail, just know that I picked up EVERY cig butt I saw on out there, lol!
@@JupiterHikes Okay, I get That, But specially for a shorter trail like the pinhoti or the orzak hilghland trail, ( and especially if you an FTK) is thre any preparation required. I mean are you gonna send yourself boxes?
For fats I add olive oil to all my dinners that's definitely the more necessary nutrieny. I think it's less a matter of protein or fat but just getting the right calories. When I hiked the 5000mi ect I didn't lose a single pound. I ate good, and generally if you're not ingesting total trash the nutrients are there. 5-7k calories in a day is a lot and these foods are just loaded with ESPECIALLY protein, because everyone's so worried about it. And generally fat too. Fat, again being more needed.
it is this most fucking awesome trail at halpatiokee regional park. Highly recommend it's in the back of the park and is just wonderful. Great kayaking too
Haha uh oh! Well my advice to you now then, is to go backpacking and camping so much. That when it comes time to leave on that big trip it will be very clear to your family this is something you really understand and want to do. There will be endless stupid questions, and you'll need to have confident answers to all of them
my family I often go on trips to Townsend, which is a little town right outside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Ive yet to experience any serious hiking, though I try to go out as much as I can. I live in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida so its hard to get out when I'm down there :)
My hope is to live in either the Nantahala or Pisgah National Forests to be closer to the mountains and the outdoors. I'm fairly certain you've been to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and if so, is there a hiker box there? Not so I can take stuff (which I feel like is bad etiquette) just so I can see what you were referring to. BTW I was trying to find information the International AT when I came across your channel and I heard about the ECT
Personally, I use to travel without spending money at all, so with a budget of 0€, what I love about that is that when you have no money you are forced to ask help to other and by doing that you meet a lot of wonderful people :) I really love your videos and your good energy, thank you so much for the content you share !!
All good, well thought out tips. There’s no doubt money is one of the top three reason people don’t finish these long hikes. I think hotels are very personal. I need occasional time to just hibernate and reset myself. So I don’t share rooms and I stay in hotels every ten days or so. The other thing is food. You’re the guy who admitted in a video that you eat the same thing every single day! 😱😱. I’d kill myself. I think too many hikers shun quality healthy food, to save weight. It’s quite possible to eat fresh good food along with the bars and ramen, and not just at restaurants.
It was a pair of Altras, she had resewn them multiple times and glued them a couple times. The tread was mostly gone but just goes to show if you don't have the money but have the will there is always a way.
Store brand food and simple consumables are great. Be careful with gear though and do plenty of research beforehand. Some generic brands have great quality, but others are just down right cheap and not durable.
Speedy Gonzalez may save $, break records, and make times get to goal/destination quicker. However I'd prefer to enjoy the beautiful scenery, work at my own comfortable pace and enjoy nature and the solitude. In everyday life it's go go go rat race and hardly any down time to relax. Hiking to me is not about speed, or hurrying up or rushing an adventure. It's quite the opposite. I can finally slow down, I'd like to take it all in and enjoy the small things you'd otherwise miss when in a hurry. Pondering. In control of my time by slowing it down and enjoying every second of the time I got on the trail in nature away from society and pressures. Focus more on the journey not the destination. Enjoy the small things take it all in the journey will teach you a lot about your destination.
yes, & even more authentic, I believe, to spend less time in the towns. I would love a sit-down meal once in a while to supplement the diet with salads, fresh foods, & meats. Still, I foresee maildrops of real, wholesome foods I don't have to plan out, shop for, substitute with fast/junk food if I can't get what I want, then organize ,divide it & etc. Shopping solely on trail, would interrupt my healthy diet, bank account, & time with stress of the so-called rat race. The other tip I was thinking was offer a trail friend a few dollars (or some of your food) to use their hotel/motel shower if they are planning to stay.
I like this video but there is some things I don’t know if it really works for a lot of people for instance sending yourself all this food would never work for me I’ve only done one long trail but I noticed that my taste totally changed as I was hiking all day so I couldn’t just eat like snicker bars and Ramen I needed like real food also which you can’t send through the mail but a lot of other useful tips especially about staying out of town’s and using the gear you got
Getting food beforehand is a gamble, you saw that Jupiter got injured on his Yoyo PCT attempt so all the food he bought beforehand was waiting for him when he got home. Unless you have a medical or ethical reason to have a particular diet then personally the risk isn't worth it. I tried the buy in bulk/cheap beforehand and I got injured on the trail and I still have trail food from 7 months ago. I won't be doing that again.
I'll be hiking the PCT this April! So far, I've spent less than $500 on gear, and I only need a couple of small items now. I am really lucky and have gotten gifted things for Christmas in the past, or Amazon gift cards. I am slowly stocking up on food for resupply boxes. I really hope that I'll be able to crank out a lot of miles each day. I love the videos you've been putting out lately! :)
Hahaha I also hiked with one pair of shoes on the at for 1k+ on the AT hahaha almost died when I went down a mnt in the whites. A few days later I got my new ones.
I know I'm going to get riddiculed for this blasphemous cost reduction but, synthetics instead of down or wool. Yes they may smell a tiny bit more or be bulky. Who cares. Save some money for the trail. If it can be comparible weight wise, then save a few bucks w synthetic: quilt, puffy fill jacket, t-shirt, beanie, socks. You most likely will already use synthetic buff, running tights and shorts, synthetic capalene over shirt and longjons, button down long sleeve shirt, underwear, hat, sun gloves, warm neoprene gloves. Just keep going and use all synthetic. Also maybe use sturdy last year's design running shoes (New Ballance, Saucony, etc.) instead of $200 trail runners. Insert thick foam inserts w an arch support and go. Okay, go ahead, give me hell...
Love your videos. Cheap food may save you money during your time on the trail, but I don't see it as a cost savings in life. The cost of future health issues can be quite high. Just look at people over 40 that eat at places like McDonald's. They have a much higher rate of health problems. This doesn't start when you turn 40, it only starts to become apparent. If you want to save money, then eat good food, that costs more. Don't be persuaded by what was left in a hiker box.
These hikers are eating garbage most of time. They should utilize fasting on the easy parts of the trail.. Many fasters hold down labor intensive jobs eating their own body fat and cleaning up their health at the same time
People really go throw shows like that? I'm pretty sure all my shoes have thousands of miles on them... Lol never really hiked before tho. Thousands in civilian world/jogging?
The "faster" thing is in part controversial because many equate it with basically "running" the trail instead of enjoying it. Most "fast" hikers however get to their milage not by walking significantly faster, but walking longer days. Get on the trail early, leave it late. In fact I would say that such an approach adds much to the enjoyment of nature and solitude. If you crawl out of your tent at 8 and pack up and leave by 8.30 or 9.00 you have spent some of the most beautiful hours of the day without paying much attention to world around you. Same is true when you reach camp early and hang out with people or waste away in you tent on the phone. Now there is nothing wrong with that. That might be exactly why you are out there. But the flat light in the morning and evening (which photographers call "golden hour") is imho best enjoyed on the trail with new views opening up all the time. If you average 2mph but you do it for 14 hours with an hour lunch break and two smaller breaks (say walking 5am to 9pm) you do a 28 miler. Leave at 9am and finish by 5pm with an hour break and you will have done 14 miles. So a faster hike does not have to mean a faster walking speed. Now, whether you want to do long days or not might depend on why you are out there. If you are out there for the community or the tramily there might be no good reason to walk long days. Also weight - your own and that of your pack - or any other health issues might not make long days possible. And since hiking is not a competitive sport but recreation to some, money might not be an issue. That is fine. And in that case a video how to save money during a thru hike might not be relevant to that crowd. That is fine too. But I think all tips provided are valid. They indeed reduce the cost of a thruhike. And that is what the video promised to convey. Which of the tips would work for any particular hiker depends on that hiker and why he is out there.
You really went into that! Haha, less time in towns tho means more on trail so even if you do more miles than others, you are outside longer. So some could argue you see more, not less, even if you are faster!
Lots of crazy things and experiences happen at night on trail!
Anyways, everyone keep walking 👣 and practice LNT!
Valid tips great video. I personally would be the hiker awakening for sunrise/sunset "golden hour." Long slow days. I don't do well with feeling pressured to get somewhere or obtain some sort of goal with hiking. I'm sure many have hiked the ECT, PCT, Appalachian trail, North country trail, ext with a goal or time set they'd like to accomplish their thru hike. It's wonderful to say I'd like to accomplish this in this amount of time compared to... But I personally think this for me takes the greatness and beauty out of hiking. Adds a feeling of being on a time clock. Yes longer days not necessarily faster running thru it. But even with longer days at a slower pace in your mind you're still on a time clock to get to a destination. If you set out your hikes with no expectations , goals, times or agendas then there's unlimited time, Rivers, streams, views, breaks just to take nature in. I'd have the slowest time not being compared to anyone meeting my destination and being able to remember and induldge in the small things and the absolute beauty of nature. .to me hiking is just that
@@lucyvanica2490 I think your style of hiking is perfectly legitimate. It is about being outdoors and that is wonderful. I get what you are trying to say. Let me add though that any thru hike or even a day hike may require you to be "on the clock" simply because the terrain you venture in may not be benign. If you are in the Colorado Rockies in the summmer, you have to be down from the heights before afternoon storms that are very much like clock work, for example. If you cross a desert you will want to use cooler seasons and cooler hours of the day. You may have to push, just to make it possible and stay healthy and alive. You need to plan and you cannot just wonder about. If you venture into wilder areas, it may be nature that dictates most of your journey. For example: of course, nobody forced me to cross the Negev desert, but as soon as I comitted to experiencing that beautiful landscape I was on the clock. There are only so many water sources and they are days apart. You only can carry so much water. So being on the clock is what both lets you experience the area and come out alive. This summer I traversed the alps and there is only a certain window before snow cuts your journey short and every day in between you are on the clock for resupplys and dealing with weather. It is similar for those who attempt the PCT or CDT. There are certain windows if you want to do it and that puts you on the clock. You are certainly right that people have different reasons to attempt a thru hike (or any other adventure). Some want to be out there, some want to prove themselves, some want to set a record, some want to enjoy nature, some want to do many or all of the above. But I would add that certain kinds of landscape and wilderness may not even be enjoyed without being on the clock. They cannot be experienced leasurely because they are not save. They are outside the comfort zone. A slow pace would make them impossible to discover. And there is nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of state parks and nature areas, that may be experienced in the mode you describe. In fact, I think you may enjoy the videos from the guys over at adventure archives (youtube channel). They often spend 3 days doing just 10 miles in total and produce nice videos of their exploration, tuning every leaf and mushroom. It is a perfectly legitimate and beautiful way to experience nature, but of course it is a very different one from experiencing the vastness and change of landscape that comes with a long distance hike. Distance has its own beauty - not as a number - but as the experience of change and diversity. Both micro and macro approaches yield their own reward.
Donjojohannes - Birett Ballett - Kathmedia I think a fast hike requires getting up way earlier than 8-9 am. That is too late to start. The sun is already out by then and you won’t even be ten miles in when it’s beating down on you hard. Early is key as in 5-6 am. Late starts are after 8-9 am. Most don’t hike past 11 pm. Most don’t night hike at all really. I would have loved to but that damn wind is brutal when the sun is down. I nearly froze when I night hiked in freezing cold rain, I was completely soaked and never dried out and had to put on wet clothes the next day only to have it snow ❄️ on me. Keep in mind I was also barefoot. That really wasn’t the problem though. To hike fast is to hike early and to hike longer. Most do not keep a 3 mile pace consistently. I remember my biggest day 26 miles took me 11 straight hours of non stop walking, I even ran at some points and only took a 2 minute break to get water during this whole time. I had a light pack too but some sections are harder than others so the 3 mile pace is not really obtainable every day.
@@drewblanche I agree and if you click the "Show more" (or whatever youtube calls it in English) at the end of my original comment you can read it in its entirety. I do not suggest that getting up at 8 or 9 is a great idea for a "fast hike" but on the contrary that people who get up early and bed down late, will appear "fast" because they do many more miles even though they don't physically walk any faster. That was what I was getting at.
Summary
- hike faster to make the trip shorter
- avoid towns
- by washing off in lakes/streams so you feel clean enough to not get a motel for a shower
- carry a little more food
- when you go into town
- check out hiker boxes for free food and stuff
- try and get in and out in the same day
- if you get a motel, split it with other people
- don't spend money on drinking or smoking
- repair your gear
- buy generic brands
- mail food boxes ahead
Keep coming back to this video, and it is one that I consistently recommend to people for mindset while hiking any trail. Now I'm fascinated at the struggle with the focus......
There's a balance; every time i found myself going faster I would stop and ask myself, "Do you remember what you saw?" If I answered no then I slowed down. I'm out there to experience the trail, and personally I'm fortunate that I don't have to set deadlines like 100 days or 150 days doesn't matter to me as long as I can recall the places I passed by.
But he's not talking about "going faster". He's talking about carrying more food and going into town less, etc.
@@schwubs to carry less you must go faster, right?
@@schwubs at the beginning of the video he specifically talks about going faster
HAHAH Anish did the FKT for the PCT avg 3 miles and hour. And you can't remember what you saw at THREE MILES a MF hour? Give me a break.
@@jhonyermo when you're out there you tend to zone out. The faster you hike, the more prone you are to making mistakes as well.
Anish had a goal that few would care to attempt. You're using an outlier and on the PCT, the speeds are increased because the grading is so nice.
I quit drinking and smoking before I began my thru hike because I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford that stuff. My main expense besides the occasional motel was my food. My re-supplies were up in the $60 range (being vegan) and since I would buy too much food, thinking I would be able to eat most of it at a hostel before I got back on trail.
Most of the time I had to leave so much of it in the hiker box or just give it away to others that were there. You may think you’re super hungry but after one meal you are full and all that extra food you can’t pack out it gets wasted.
The best tip to saving money is not only finding a way to earn money while you are hiking but to bring the right gear out there from the start. I spent over $300 at Mountain Crossing my first week because I didn’t have a warm jacket and no rain protection. I also had cotton I had to replace and the bill quickly added up.
They do take advantage of you because they know they can. The last best tip to save tons of money is to not avoid the rain. I would stay an extra day or two in town if I saw it was going to rain the next day. I hated the rain so much. This cost me lots of time and money because even with a $130 rain jacket I still couldn’t keep dry. Even with a $330 double walled tent I got soaked and the stakes pulled up out on the ground in the first week during a huge storm ⛈ you live and learn but it never gets any easier. Just less of a concern I suppose. 👍🏻
Great info... and keep up the never ending battle with your auto focus! It has become my favorite part of your vids 😂
the edits are just me cursing the focus. one day ill figure it out
With regard to sending most or all your food to yourself on trail, some people say, 'how do you know what you want to eat on a Tuesday afternoon a month from now"? Oh, I know what I want to eat on the trail. It's really quite similar to what I eat at home. Whole grains like 5 minute brown rice, whole wheat couscous, 5 minute quinoa, oatmeal, various varieties of beans and lentils , dehydrated vegetables, dried figs, dates, raisins, apricots, etc. Nuts and seeds, ya know actual food. I'm not wanting the empty calories you find at the dollar store along the trail. And it seams so many hikers wind up eating pretty much the same food all the time anyway. So the argument, how do you know what you want to eat a month from now doesn't make much sense. I eat whole foods at home, I eat whole foods on trail. And I'm not talking about the grocery store of the same name. So this is why for me, I send packages. Which happens to save a lot of time in the long run as you say. I believe there are more than a few monster hikers quietly doing the same thing. I believe Scott Williamson has a similar approach and diet as you.
Nobody seems to utilize fasting..your body fat is stored food
@@nonegiven3814 There is a growing body of evidence that fasting helps prevent and recover from cancer among other things
...
@@nonegiven3814 I thought that hiking I could lose a bunch of weight, but wow, I was starving after hiking 10 miles and didn't think I could fill myself up!! So I can see how people will go into town and buy a bunch of garbage to eat.
thanks for all the content! its great to see these kinds of conversations grow. happy trails Jupiter!
If you zero at the first campsite after a town you only have to carry extra food a short distance. The thing about hiking faster is that you still spend the same $/day so if you want to maximize your days of hiking that's not a useful strategy. I highly recommend buying large bags of plain oats and eating lots of porridge with whatever ingredients you want to add.
Oats, porridge and rice. Best tip ever for a cheap thru-hike.
Another tip. Instead of going INTO the grocery store, take a peek inside they're dumpster to see what perfectly good food they threw away for being one day past it's best by date, or for it's packaging being a little bit damaged. So much of my savings for my upcoming hike have been saved that way, dumpster diving in my home town.
Great trip
Glad I'm not the only one. Just had some macaroons off the sidewalk 😅
I bought fast food 1 time on my thru hike, and only paid for a 10$ room once. I stopped at as many towns I could just to carry less weight and never bought unnecessary or expensive food. You can still do more resupply stops.
That's awesome! I personally don't have the restraint so just avoiding the temptation is what works for me
I agree with all your tips except one. Please remember that not all hikers are young and super “able”. I tried my absolute very best last year, to hike the entire AT but my body simply said NOPE. I capped out at 12 miles a day, with only a few exceptions. I’m trying again this year but need to give myself seven months where you can do it in probably two. It’s not a matter of being lazy, it’s that I’m 55 and have a completely different body then people like you. Just a gentle reminder that you are an exception. Most people are just not physically able to do what you do in the time that you do it. I genuinely hope that you are grateful for your healthy body!
It is more about hiking for longer, get up early and set up camp late. Of course depending on your physical ability.
Act old later I don’t buy that. Unless you have actual injuries. The body is forced to get stronger. People in their 70 s start power lifting. Running etc
No excuses
I’m 52 btw
@@shawngregory1312 yikes
Love your videos! Stuart Florida here. I backpack all over the country but love hiking in our state too!
One thing I learned from this. Send my own food ahead. This can be true for any trip! I plan on traveling Oregon/Washington next year. Maybe do some day hikes. Not sure if I will be ready for any overnighters. But I plan on shipping a box of food to myself since I will be flying up there from Florida. I may have to ship some other stuff too. great idea!!
The "faster" concept is something that I really embrace for mountain and trail things. The less time it takes to get things done, the easier and happier those things become.
Excellent and pertinent information as it lines up with my own style and goals.. I will be utilizing most, if not all of these as much as possible. Thank you!
One the BEST videos on hiking I have seen! Keep up the good work!
I did the AT for less than $2000 in 97 days
All great advise! Buy in advance and know your budget! Only thing is moving faster... you gotta listen your body cause for me when people go faster or push themselves beyond the miles they need to go... you can damage your body and then your off the trail for months. I say hike your own pace when it comes to speed. You wanna be safe and enjoy your time out there.
You make a lot of sense. thanks for sharing your video. My husband and I just began our journey Grab and going on the Floiida trail. we have 93 miles in so far. we have a long way to go.
I stealthed camp every night except two when doing my bicycle tours. But when I stay in a hotel room, my expenses just went through the room and I would spend loads of money on food those nights. Towns drain money quickly. Let me ask a question, how long did you have to stay in town recharging your electronics. Some of those 20000mah chargers can take 8 hours to recharge. Thanks for great video.
I'd like to know about the electronics as well. I've seen some carry a small solar panel set up.
Hello Jupiter, I think one also has to count the hidden costs for a thruhike: During the time you are travelling, you don't have the opportunity to earn money by your regular job. So the costs are about 2k$ for food and gear plus 3*monthly salary (which is probably much higher than the costs for food).
(I know this calculation is a matter of opinion)
Sound advice, especially on the town stops. As far as going faster, some of us just can't but I get your logic behind it.
Thanks for the tips. Will implement them on my thru hike. 🤓
What I missed…
How and when do you recharge your power banks?
Where do you find a power outlet for several hours? … if not overnight in a hostel/motel/hotel/angel-palace.
Note: I am from The Netherlands. Back in 1986 (on the PCT, south bound - walked about half of it) I did not need any power. Back then I had one photo camera only running on a battery that easily lasted a full year.
Now I have a GoPro (Hero 7), a digital camera, and a Garmin Inreach. I am planning to do the PCT again next year (again south bound). Any suggestions for power reloading without (necessarily) doing zeros?
A restaurant! And often times at parks you can find a power outlet, but a restaurant is a pretty sure bet since you're probably going to be eating there for a while, gives you a couple hours to charge. Now with all this new quick charge technology that can often times be enough. Pretty much the second I get to town I am looking for some outlet anywhere, among my other town chores.
Wow, I did not expect a response within 10 minutes!
About recharching at restaurants/parks. It crossed my mind but what also crossed my mind is that a gazillion other thru hikers are doing the same thing … as such creating a traffic jam. Any experience with that?
Addon: Why are you not hiking now ;-)
Yea I guess that could happen. Always I try to be respectful of the town. On the pct I found outlets at mcdonalds, outside grocery store, at parks, outside gas stations, trail angels, etc.
Some related question...
I see everybody videotaping their trip. And I am going to do that too (suffering the weight penalty - camera, heavy duty powerbank, cables, lightweight tripod).
My question: How, when and where can you upload your video(s) along the trail?
I expect no detailed answer (if any). But I appreciate to know, not being a US citizen, what is realistic and practical. Given uploading can take many hours.
@@wimahlers I'm not the one to really ask that since I upload everything after I've finished, but i feel I can speculate well enough. I imagine most of these people have to stay at a hostel/motel/hotel to upload. Editing from the trail would be difficult but I can see doing that at night in my shelter, while uploading from the trail itself would likely be very hard. Uploading doesn't take too long however given a good connection, maybe an hour?
Hike faster is of course will save you money but for a lot of us it doesn't make sense as the whole point is to spend lots of time on the trail. I agree with most other tips. I have hike the AT 20 years ago and the PCT about 18 years ago, now I would love to hike the great Himalayan trail.
Have you seen the $1 (pretty sure ultralight) headlamps at Walmart? They are LED and come with a head strap or cap clip. AND ONE DOLLAR!! Found them on the way to HostelInTheForest last week.
Did no one bother to look at the specs?
Looks like they offer 4 hours of battery life at (a not very bright) 20 lumens...and it looks like a new set of batteries will cost you about $4.
So, $1/hour...multiplied by a thru-hike’s worth of nights. Even if you stole the batteries out of the other 9, and only used the headlamp an hour/evening, and did the whole trail in 90 days, you’re still looking at $50 in batteries. Plus the original $10 you spent.
With that same $60, you could buy a much brighter, much more versatile, longer-lasting, more durable, much less wasteful (i.e., you won’t have to add literally 45 batteries to our landfills) headlamp that can recharge via USB.
And then you could take it on another thru-hike at no extra cost.
You have said in the past that you're not faster than most people, you just spend more time per day walking. The trail doesn't move by you appreciably faster than most anyone else. You see and experience it all but find yourself at some very interesting places when many are at camp. The question is do most of us have the stamina or endurance or what ever it is to spend more of our day walking? On my next long distance hike I want to try less zeros and more neros. Or try what some people call in-and-outs. Heroes as you say. That's my plan to save money and to enrich my experience by staying out in nature where I really want to be. Total immersion.
spelling edit...
I never done this long distance shit but I have done some 16 hour day hikes on mountains and the only problem you will have is foot damage. Endurance is the least of your worries. If the trail is easy with minimal altitude rise then you will have no problem
The sweat gland example can happen too, do your best to clean up day to day
What type of phone / camera do you use? It looks simple. I like that.
Oh man! I have gone through a few things. I think for the vast majority of people, buying and filming/photographing with a nice phone is the answer, a step up from that would be something like a sony rx100 or a sony zv1, and if you really love playing with larger cameras then a DSLR is the answer. The bigger the camera the less fun it is to carry and I often find I actually use it less because it becomes a burden both physically, and mentally. Though with a small enough lens it isn't bad! For years and thousands of miles I have used a panasonic lumix g7, with a 14mm pancake lens. I love the thing, but recently I have switched to the sony zv1 to see how that goes. It's smaller and lighter but the quality wont be quite as good.
Nice video, I have a ? about sending boxes. A box is $15-$20 to send right? Do you think it ends up as a wash in the end with the cost of sending a box? Also, what are some techniques you use to keep clean on the trail? I think this is a great topic. I pride myself on taking a bum-bath with my bandana and Skurka had an interesting video on the backcountry bidet. Thanks Jupiter!
You can save big money by not buying all name brand gear ; I noticed Walmart carry alot of basic gear ,ie. base layer (dry power)Walmart carries , instead of spending 50.00 plus you can put that money either toward your hike or on better essential gear. I inventoried my gear cutting down and did replacements from Ebay or Walmart.
Yea! I do the same and am all for the cheap gear. Ive been trying to avoid walmart lately but would like at some point to do a video about getting an entire gear setup there.
Jupiter, I wouldn't get all my set up from Walmart, but take the money I saved on some common items from Walmart that may not have such long durability but are cheap and easily obtained and invest in higher quality,( my big three)....but each person needs to get past the name recognition game and be honest...thanks for pointing out , the biggest and most costly is not always necessary for a successful hike!
@@robertthorn9560 yup but I guess my point is the same. There's a lot of good stuff there that is perfectly fine without the 600$ price tag
And now there are a few very good Chinese UL hiking gear brand.
Great tips and topic . Thanks👍🏽
How did you keep self/clothes clean in desert in PCT with limited water sources? Did you have to rely more on towns?
Wet wipes is what a lot of people do!
At natural water sources i.e. not caches, during a break like lunch time you could always wipe down with a wet bandana and some dr. Bronner's.
But if everyone eats from the hiker boxes then they will be empty of food.
So keep it as an emergency option.
You are full of crap
WAIT, is that a PoGo plus you're carrying in your hand at 6:38??
What would it take to get you a camera with face tracking auto focus?
Love your vids, but it irks me to see you blurry half the time.
If you are a Thru-hiker and you are minimizing the number of days in trail towns, how do you recharge your electronics? I understand you can carry a power bank with you to recharge your phone but at some point, your power bank needs recharging too.
Some carry upwards of a 20,000mah bank which both charges faster and would allow you less stops, but yup, as I pick up my box I charge up and leave
I carry a 20,000 Anker battery. Takes about 6-8 hours to charge (use quick charge wall port). Worth the extra weight to get 7 phone charges on the trail!
@@actoldlater...itsnevertool5288 something cool about the big banks too is that when any of these small or large get close to being fully charged they slow down the rate drastically. So to get 100% on say a 6,000 will take a lot longer than to get that same amount on a 20,000
My 20k battery recharges in 4 hours.
I keep my phone on air plane mode, turn off all unnecessary apps, turn down screen brightness.
a two port charger is good. i carried a back up battery on my last hike but still had to charge my phone and back up separately. charging both simultaneously would have saved me a huge amount of time.
Can you give me an idea of what your week looked like per milage on the FT?
Really great information...Makes so much sense! Thankyou for sharing!!
how do i keep my phone powered for emergency/pictures if not going to hotels?
At some point you'll need food so you will go into town. At that point I look for an electrical outlet at a local park, behind the grocery store, at a hostel, trail angel, gas station, restaurant, laundromat, etc! Even if I don't stay at a hotel or hostel while in town, I charge up at one of those locations. I carry a battery bank to achieve this, so I can charge that while I handle my town chores, and come retrieve it when I am ready to get back on trail. I personally use a 20,000mAh battery but more common is folks using a 10,000mAh.
@@JupiterHikes okay, thanks for the response :))
Yay Florida! Nice job showing the trail off
Do you think there is a setting on your camera that you can manipulate to stop your camera from losing focus on you and focusing the background over and over?
Yea I found it, watch one of the last 3 new videos. Learning 🙂
@@JupiterHikes Very cool! Love your work, keep it up.
Okay, this is pretty standard money saving advice for the A.T. I was hoping to hear some more nitty gritty specifics, but this is good info. Also, I thru hiked last year,and NEVRR heard the term "Hero"...I love it!
I think it's the extent some take these things. Like staying in just two hostels in 2,400 miles. It's easy to say avoid this or that but to hear the degree as to which some do this is another thing.
yeah, you're really hardcore about not staying anywhere and hiking twice as fast, lol. I gotta say though, as a smoker, I wish it were as easy as just "Not smoking". For me, its a terrible 28 yr addiction of mine, and I found the trail to be the most difficult place to be while trying to quit cigs. I switched to the roll your own version, and that saved me a ton of money. p.s. before you picture me flicking my cig butts on trail, just know that I picked up EVERY cig butt I saw on out there, lol!
Such a smart man. Refreshing. :)
With that Pogo plus you must hatch a ton of eggs
Hey, how would you prepare to be able to keep a good pace for the duration of the trail?
Hike a lot :) And in training at least try bigger days until you 'get it' because most of it is just a mental barrier
@@JupiterHikes Okay, I get That, But specially for a shorter trail like the pinhoti or the orzak hilghland trail, ( and especially if you an FTK) is thre any preparation required. I mean are you gonna send yourself boxes?
@@turnerpower I still would. No thought just grab my box and go
If it's an fkt attempt then you're definitely planning out the resupply points.
Question. What's the best way to ensure you are getting enough protein and fats on the trail without breaking the bank>
For fats I add olive oil to all my dinners that's definitely the more necessary nutrieny. I think it's less a matter of protein or fat but just getting the right calories. When I hiked the 5000mi ect I didn't lose a single pound. I ate good, and generally if you're not ingesting total trash the nutrients are there. 5-7k calories in a day is a lot and these foods are just loaded with ESPECIALLY protein, because everyone's so worried about it. And generally fat too. Fat, again being more needed.
Hey hiking pastor. Thanks.
You’re starting to tame that focus!! 😂🙈
Great advice man thank you.
my frugal hero
Hah I just think about what I wish I could have done differently in 2011-2015. A lot of that being saving money or spending it more wisely.
Thanks Jupiter! :>)
Cigarettes or “smoke” lol that a quarter of an ounce I’ll never cut from my pack lmao
What trail are you on during the video??
it is this most fucking awesome trail at halpatiokee regional park. Highly recommend it's in the back of the park and is just wonderful. Great kayaking too
@@JupiterHikes awesome! Thanks!! I think we are going to check it out today or next weekend!! We will probably take the kayak with us too.
You are one hardcore dude!
Super useful video.
Pre boxing food sounds very economical
Jupiter, I want you to know, youve inspired a 15 year old to hike the ECT someday
Haha uh oh! Well my advice to you now then, is to go backpacking and camping so much. That when it comes time to leave on that big trip it will be very clear to your family this is something you really understand and want to do. There will be endless stupid questions, and you'll need to have confident answers to all of them
my family I often go on trips to Townsend, which is a little town right outside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Ive yet to experience any serious hiking, though I try to go out as much as I can. I live in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida so its hard to get out when I'm down there :)
@@kylewoody7511 where there's a will there's a way!
My hope is to live in either the Nantahala or Pisgah National Forests to be closer to the mountains and the outdoors. I'm fairly certain you've been to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and if so, is there a hiker box there? Not so I can take stuff (which I feel like is bad etiquette) just so I can see what you were referring to. BTW I was trying to find information the International AT when I came across your channel and I heard about the ECT
@@JupiterHikes "There will be endless stupid questions." Lol.
About the "keeping clean" tip... PLEASE do not bath IN a spring. If you must, quickly flowing streams and rivers are best...
My bad should have mentioned but thought that was obvious! Oops
Personally, I use to travel without spending money at all, so with a budget of 0€, what I love about that is that when you have no money you are forced to ask help to other and by doing that you meet a lot of wonderful people :)
I really love your videos and your good energy, thank you so much for the content you share !!
You can meet wonderful people without asking them for their stuff
All good, well thought out tips. There’s no doubt money is one of the top three reason people don’t finish these long hikes. I think hotels are very personal. I need occasional time to just hibernate and reset myself. So I don’t share rooms and I stay in hotels every ten days or so. The other thing is food. You’re the guy who admitted in a video that you eat the same thing every single day! 😱😱. I’d kill myself. I think too many hikers shun quality healthy food, to save weight. It’s quite possible to eat fresh good food along with the bars and ramen, and not just at restaurants.
Yoooooo what shoes lasted 1600 miles?
It was a pair of Altras, she had resewn them multiple times and glued them a couple times. The tread was mostly gone but just goes to show if you don't have the money but have the will there is always a way.
Store brand food and simple consumables are great. Be careful with gear though and do plenty of research beforehand. Some generic brands have great quality, but others are just down right cheap and not durable.
Speedy Gonzalez may save $, break records, and make times get to goal/destination quicker. However I'd prefer to enjoy the beautiful scenery, work at my own comfortable pace and enjoy nature and the solitude. In everyday life it's go go go rat race and hardly any down time to relax. Hiking to me is not about speed, or hurrying up or rushing an adventure. It's quite the opposite. I can finally slow down, I'd like to take it all in and enjoy the small things you'd otherwise miss when in a hurry. Pondering. In control of my time by slowing it down and enjoying every second of the time I got on the trail in nature away from society and pressures. Focus more on the journey not the destination. Enjoy the small things take it all in the journey will teach you a lot about your destination.
Exactly!
yes, & even more authentic, I believe, to spend less time in the towns. I would love a sit-down meal once in a while to supplement the diet with salads, fresh foods, & meats. Still, I foresee maildrops of real, wholesome foods I don't have to plan out, shop for, substitute with fast/junk food if I can't get what I want, then organize ,divide it & etc. Shopping solely on trail, would interrupt my healthy diet, bank account, & time with stress of the so-called rat race. The other tip I was thinking was offer a trail friend a few dollars (or some of your food) to use their hotel/motel shower if they are planning to stay.
I like this video but there is some things I don’t know if it really works for a lot of people for instance sending yourself all this food would never work for me I’ve only done one long trail but I noticed that my taste totally changed as I was hiking all day so I couldn’t just eat like snicker bars and Ramen I needed like real food also which you can’t send through the mail but a lot of other useful tips especially about staying out of town’s and using the gear you got
Getting food beforehand is a gamble, you saw that Jupiter got injured on his Yoyo PCT attempt so all the food he bought beforehand was waiting for him when he got home.
Unless you have a medical or ethical reason to have a particular diet then personally the risk isn't worth it.
I tried the buy in bulk/cheap beforehand and I got injured on the trail and I still have trail food from 7 months ago. I won't be doing that again.
I'll be hiking the PCT this April! So far, I've spent less than $500 on gear, and I only need a couple of small items now. I am really lucky and have gotten gifted things for Christmas in the past, or Amazon gift cards. I am slowly stocking up on food for resupply boxes. I really hope that I'll be able to crank out a lot of miles each day. I love the videos you've been putting out lately! :)
Speed is the key 👍✌️
Hahaha I also hiked with one pair of shoes on the at for 1k+ on the AT hahaha almost died when I went down a mnt in the whites. A few days later I got my new ones.
👍👍 two thumbs up on the stylish beard
You look so thin in the cover photo ! Lots of hiking
I know I'm going to get riddiculed for this blasphemous cost reduction but, synthetics instead of down or wool. Yes they may smell a tiny bit more or be bulky. Who cares. Save some money for the trail. If it can be comparible weight wise, then save a few bucks w synthetic: quilt, puffy fill jacket, t-shirt, beanie, socks. You most likely will already use synthetic buff, running tights and shorts, synthetic capalene over shirt and longjons, button down long sleeve shirt, underwear, hat, sun gloves, warm neoprene gloves. Just keep going and use all synthetic. Also maybe use sturdy last year's design running shoes (New Ballance, Saucony, etc.) instead of $200 trail runners. Insert thick foam inserts w an arch support and go. Okay, go ahead, give me hell...
Love your videos. Cheap food may save you money during your time on the trail, but I don't see it as a cost savings in life. The cost of future health issues can be quite high. Just look at people over 40 that eat at places like McDonald's. They have a much higher rate of health problems. This doesn't start when you turn 40, it only starts to become apparent. If you want to save money, then eat good food, that costs more. Don't be persuaded by what was left in a hiker box.
These hikers are eating garbage most of time. They should utilize fasting on the easy parts of the trail.. Many fasters hold down labor intensive jobs eating their own body fat and cleaning up their health at the same time
People really go throw shows like that? I'm pretty sure all my shoes have thousands of miles on them... Lol never really hiked before tho. Thousands in civilian world/jogging?
Jupiter shave your face... think about weight savings.. :D
Stop looking at the monitor please, it is distracting. Look into the lens. and stop playing with your focus.
Stop giving unsolicited advice
I can. You. Can’t
@@shawngregory1312 oh really? And why not? Both of the things I mentioned are pertinent and accurate. Please explain why I shouldn't.
That's what I thought...