I just wanted you to know that I've been stuck for about 5 hours now watching your videos I'm watching them like a Netflix series. thanks for sharing all this info I hope to get to try this hike someday.
des fessler I'm inspired as all hell. I've been too. This will be my pre-military goal to aspire to who I want to be. I'm on the opposite coast so I'll be doing the shorter John Muir Trail first
Me too! haha I feel like quitting my jobs and just leaving... but I'm putting my husband through school right now so I cant. Someday I'd like to though
Work for an outdoor outfitter and it is awesome, they pay isn't great but I work there only part time and I have gathered an obscene amount of outdoor gear for next to nothing with employee discounts and gear that is returned and can't be sold.
"Each of us has an Up North. It's a time and place far from the here and now. It's a map on the wall, a dream in the making, a tugging at one's soul. For those who feel the tug, who make the dream happen, who put the map in the packsack and go, the world is never quite the same again. We have been Up North. And part of us always will be." Sam Cook
Just wanted to let you know that I ran across your videos by accident and have been totally hooked! Here it goes, I'm going to gush. I adore you! I love that you give really practical, real advice. I've watched other videos and read books about the AT and I never felt like those folks were speaking to me. The equipment was always too expensive or fancy, and they were all tactical, weird dudes or super unattached hippies. You remind me of my friends back home in Kentucky! Gal, you make the AT seem possible for me. It's something that I've wanted to do for several years now. I just have to find a way to make it happen. Thanks for sharing your experience, knowledge, and personality!
If you really want it you have to make it a priority. This will not be for everyone, however we have sold out house and downsized our belongings. After all life is not about material things it is about experiences and truly living. we are preparing for our thru hike and making it our priority. To each their own. I do understand.
Thru-hiking the AT is one of my lifetime missions. I plan to do it after I retire, since I know the year I will be retiring and it will let me do this without sacrificing my career. It's been a thing I wanted to do for many years.
I plan on hiking the A.T. in 2.5 years. My plan is to steady build my equipment. I am going to get back up equipment tat can be shipped to if need be, i.e. tent, backpack, shoes, clothes, as well as mre supplies. And I am going to carefully plan out which towns I stay in, zero days, extra expenses. I don't own much, so everything will go in storage. Just buying everything and going is irresponsible. Plan your trip carefully.
I've been watching your videos for pretty much all of the last few days, and thinking about doing a small hike like the John Muir Trail or the Tahoe Rim Trail, and hopefully working up to the PCT or the AT. Your videos have been really inspirational.
During my 1988 thru-hike, I had zero resources, worked a part time job in a bakery for two summers to save. My bucket list is to re-do it after I retire at 50 with relatively unlimited resources to see the difference in affording to stay at the hostels and what-not and the extremely lite weight gear available now compared to the Vietnam military surplus stuff I used back then.
@ryan rogers Work hard for 30 years and be smart with spending and saving and you'll be surprised at what you can do. I think he was referring to "unlimited trail resources" in comparison to his previous hike. If he did it on the cheap the first time, having 10K would seem like unlimited resources.
@ryan rogers I understand. I'm in the same boat. I've worked in the same company for 32 years. Hardly ever get any time off. Some of us have to set our priorities and bide our time. One of these days soon, they will see the back of me. Good luck and perservere.
You have such wonderful videos! I have your E-Book and donate to your Patreon page, and whenever I have a random question about the trail, I look and you have posted a full length video about that topic! Thank you for inspiring me Dixie! I am currently planning for my own 2017 NOBO AT Thru Hike! I have %90 of my gear and am so excited for March!
Cesar! Thank you for your support :) I'm glad you're finding the channel helpful and I'm SO happy to hear you're thru-hiking next year. If you have any questions, let me know. You've got this!
Great information Dixie! A subject not often talked about but always on the minds of us future hopeful thru hikers. This whole planning and training for a thru hike can be very overwhelming, but as always, you take a subject, remove all the bs, and present it in a clear, simple and fun way! Thanks for another great video!
You are seriously my spirit guide. I'm really looking into thru-hiking and I LOVE these videos. I am new to your channel, but I appreciate what I see. Have you made a video on hiking alone (as a woman, specifically) versus with someone? I'd love to hear what your thoughts.
First off, many thanks to Dixie for her wonderful advice, kind personality and enchanting smile! As for hiking finances, I was able to save a bit off the cost of food on the trail by augmenting my supplies with as much powdered potatoes, ramen, peanuts and peanut butter as I was comfortable eating. Also, by taking a few extra steps and a little time for fishing and to collect wood, I was able to catch fish on artificial lures which then of course had to be cooked on a small wood fire. A small quantity of meal and oil will also be required, but the luxury of eating fresh trout or bream/bluegill every 10 days or so was well worth it. I used a hand line with a few bronze colored Little Cleo ultra-lite lures and crickets that I caught for fishing. This accounted for minimal amount of weight and space.Happy trails!
$1000 a month seems absurdly high. That's over thirty bucks a day! I spent about $3500 on an eight month hike and rarely felt like I was pinching pennies.
I plan on hitting the trail in 2021,,saving money this year as needed,then learn the Mailbox drops,learn the trail,go through this year finding out what to travel with on a daily basis,etc
you know I am very glad I am watching this again, I am 17 and would very much like to hike the at, the first time I watched this, I was rather worried and felt that I would need so much money for this, however watching it again I realize I won't need as much as I thought which is a relief, it is still a lot but much less than I originally thought, and much more managable, as I don't really have to worry at all about off trail expenses and can really just focus on on trail(excluding great for the most part) though I do have some saving up to do I am glad to have found it to be a much more managable amount thank you for what you do and all of the content you pit forth I appreciate that
War eagle on your truck... and me and a friend is doing the A.T. ON NOV. 26 -29 we just starting so we will do as much as we can . I enjoy your videos and learning new stuff from them .. so thank you and happy hiking !
Getting ready to do a NOBO FLIP FLOP in 24 days, thank you for your information it has helped tremendously, even though I got started late on the financial part, I'll be ok.. I'm excited to get started, even at my age it's been a dream come true to do this.. Thank you again
Perhaps I missed it but don't forget transportation home. You are now 1,600 miles from your start point and must get back to your car or to home which may still be hundreds of more miles. I checked and for me a 34 hour train ride, two transfers would get me within 90 minutes of home. I would first have to travel 70 miles from the trail end to reach the train station.
What are you mean crappy old truck that's a Toyota girl I've got a 2005 Toyota Corolla LE with 156,000 miles on it it it doesn't use a drop of oil and gets phenomenal gas mileage Toyotas are good
Thanks for the great videos about the AT, Dixie! I live near Shenandoah National Park so I hit the AT a lot, working on a plan to hike the entire trail. I'm starting a channel "Easy Villain's Pursuit", to document all of the hikes I do around the US. During these, I plan to review current and received gear, educate about the areas and discuss suggested topics. I've been a hiker for a long time but your channel was inspiration for me to start my own as well. My company has mentioned sponsoring me to do the AT if I can get a large enough RUclips following so any support would be greatly appreciated!! So, thanks for the great vids and the support!!
I'm hiking the PCT in 2018 and I've already started buying gear. what I am doing is, I am buying hear and testing it out now, but I am also buying gear solely for the trail. so I have 2 complete sets of gear so if something breaks or wears out I can always have someone send me my back up gear. It's a lot easier to already have it then to try to find something in town. also, saving up now, a year before I start so I have on the trail money. live cheap for a year and invest in higher quality foods and gear for the hike. I've never done more than a 40 mile day hike or 2 day hike but I know preperation will definitely boost my performance on trail.
You did NOT edit out your doggie!!?? Your videos and Craig's thru hike this year have convinced me to take three months off next year and go to the AT. It's the positive attitude you both have that makes it so appealing. Good luck with your PCT plans, looking forward to more informative videos.
Don't cancel your truck insurance and u can ask agent to have electronic checking. That's what I did when I was traveling. Other reason it will protect u from losing the value when truck got stolen or fire. Or u can sell the truck but u have to find other truck with extra money when u get back home. Good luck Dixie.
I'd like to add a suggestion that might be helpful for services like cell phones. You can always try calling your provider and see if they can help you out with a suspension or plan of some sort to help bring down expenses while thru-hiking.
I had some good luck finding stuff on the Steep And Cheap website. Definitely not the biggest selection, I think they get leftovers after clearance sales at outdoor stores, but I found stuff that was literally half the price of the EXACT same thing at bigger stores. I don't recommend using this site for things like shoes that you NEED to make sure fit properly unless you know exactly what you want, but I saved hundreds on that site. Happy trails, everybody!!!!
Been watching other AT trail vlogs on RUclips. Most of them are suggestions while watching these videos so they tend to be other girls hiking the trail. This one girl and her BF started the trail and you could just tell there was something off. Sure enough, they quit in a day. This woman is the gold standard for bad ass chicks. She could probably get through Ranger school without any recycles.
I've been training for the Trans Catalina Trail (all 3 days of it ) for like a year. Apparently I'm in such esteemed company, I feel oh so much lesser. I just bought a bunch of envelopes to stuff money in for transportation, camp sites etc. About as disciplined as I can get. This process has been educational and rewarding, it really doesn't matter but it will get done, and maybe some other things I have been thinking about.
Another awesome video Dixie, Thank you. Yeah the finances to do the AT thru hike were more than I thought they would be (I already bought your ebook, it's great). But it sounds like it is so worth it.
So lets be clear. $1000 to gear up with what you need. And $1000 for each month in six months (you might buy health insurance). Plus add in some transition money after you get done. So grand total is $10,000 to walk the trail. Given that folks might get $10 take home pay after taxes, etc. you end up with spending $10,000 to take care of yourself for a year; and can save $10,000 if you lucky. So bottom line is it will take you are year to save up enough to allow you to hit the trail. Now think about your partner doing the same savings. It gets kind of tough. GOOD LUCK on getting there.
My wife and I did a 6 week bicycle trip thru Eastern Europe in 2009-just the 2 of us. We had a fantastic time, but I felt a bit guilty doing this "leisure" tour as we saw so many people for whom this sort of thing might seem impossible. Then it hit me that the money that most spend on cigarettes and alcohol in a year--in that part of the world--would pay for the trip...including good bikes. It's a matter of priorities. As you say, "Live below your means" for a while. I bicycled from Mexico to Canada....across the Rocky Mountains and back to S. Cal with only a few hundred dollars! [Well, that WAS back in 1974....but the principle stands.]
Exactly! I had a lady several months ago tell me, "It must be nice to be rich so you can do things like this.." Also, a guy not long ago suggested that I must have "mommy and daddy" supporting me. Truth is, I've worked hard for everything I have. I have supported myself since I was 18 and have held a job since I was 14. I'm by NO MEANS rich. Sure, if my mom and dad could help support my journey financially, I'm sure they would, but they can't. What it boils down to is to work hard and prioritize. If I can do it anyone can. Stop making excuses and make it happen! I'm glad you and your wife had a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing this with me :)
Super late but don’t cancel your insurance suspend it!! Update the address to the location the car will be at, allowing them to get your mail in case something happens. But if you’ve had your insurance for any period of time don’t cancel as you may lose any form of longevity discount when you have to start a new policy. ~I work in insurance and hate to have people have to spend more because they were misinformed or just didn’t know what to do.
Love your videos, can't thru hike till I retire from the AF in 4 years but love seeing the journey and all your thoughts on it. You're absolutely gorgeous by the way.
Thanks for all your videos. They all are very informative. What I would like to know about finances on the trail is: How much cash do you carry? Do all or most of the places accept credit cards? Are ATMs readily available when you need cash?
I really want to do the PCT in 2017 or 2018 but I'll have to sell my house first before I could even start planning for real. I'm still dreaming though. My job pays bonuses in March as well so I have to work through at least mid March. Oh well.
im planning on doing this, i want to do a thru hike, but id be bringing my two dogs, so id have to just stick to the trail, only going into town when i needed to resupply. but before i do that, im going to binge watch all your videos and get as much know how as possible
I've not Thru hiked it yet, but ive always thought that sending yourself care packages at post offices whenever possible is the cheapest route, since you can easily by your resupplies in bulk at a salvage store for lower prices.
6:30 I wonder how many people get off the trail into the city, spend the night at the hotel (just for one night, they say) and when they woke up in the morning, decided to not go back to the trail?
Well looks like i will have to wait until 2020 for my thru hike as im dealing with a death in the family and having to raise funds for funeral expenses. Family priorities first.
Thank you..so helpful Im planning and hoping to do the AT Trail next year..so I have a year to prepare and save money..it might even be 2 yrs from now..since I've heard you talk of how much $ a month it will cost..thanks again.God bless and good luck with your future endeavors!
Wait!! I'm not watching the videos in order, so my biggest question right now is -- what happened with that dog?! I wasn't overly worried until I saw the collar hanging from someone's bag! Please tell me, before I stay up all night searching through the videos!! :-( :-D Thanks! Love the videos. I'm not sure I'll ever do this, would probably rather day hike, but love the idea. :-)
Laura Ratliff I know I'm late, but he sadly passed away while Dixie was hiking the APT. It's shown and explained on her Appalachian trail documentary video.
Is there a list we can find of restocking locals along PCT. Perhaps a list of post offices that on average thru hikers will use by sending pre shipping. Also how much post offices charge to hold your packages? Thanks. Enjoy your video.
i've heard some hikers say they did it on the bare minimum of 3000 dollars and some have said not to take less than 5000 not including gear. which some said like flat broke outside you can get all the gear for about 800 dollars.
DO NOT CANCEL YOUR AUTO INSURANCE WITHOUT CHECKING THE LAWS REQUIRING INSURANCE ON A CAR.. YOU MAY HAVE TO TURN IN THE LICENSE PLATES AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY MAY UP YOUR RATES THERAFTER... In my state the fine for no insurance is high plus you loose your drivers license for one year .
Hey... Gotta say, Your videos are Awesome! They get me thinking more about improvements to make in my gear setup. So would you say 6 months is a comfortable.. AT through hike or are you really covering major miles daily. Also.. your lil truck is Great.. Those little trucks are survivors. 😁
I really think anyone could make it work in 6 months. I went over because I had to make 2 side trips home that were about a week each. I need to do a video showing the miles I covered on average...and zeroes taken..
I'm on the other side of the fence here, this video confirmed I'll never be able to do it. Day hikes are fun too lol that's what i'll keep telling myself. Side note, you saved me a bunch of money on gear I don't need now lol
Good video. More entertaining and well done than most. I agree that you should not skimp on your shelter, sleep system, and pack; but you can still save money by looking for deals. I got a lightweight pack and a tent (tarp) from Six Moon Designs that were both discounted as they were being discontinued. Still good quality. I know that other cottage manufacturers discount items they are discontinuing as well, and there is the REI garage sale as well, which can be good for some gear.
On off trail finance I live in a council flat and it is illegal for me to rent it out. So will have to pay rent, council tax, electric while away. If i gave it up then would have to rent private while away. When i get back from next trip will go pre-payment meter which will cut my costs.
Hey whats goin on. Just wanted to say been watching your videos an they are pretty awesome! I do section hiking on the AT an im definitely learning alot from your channel
Love your videos. You mentioned in this one factoring in money for replacement gear, and made the example that “maybe your filter gets lost or stolen”, which made me wonder... is theft a big deal on the trail?
Great videos. I know this one is a bit old but I did noticed the AU tag on your old truck. I would be willing to send you the extra VOLS tag I have. Goodness gracious, I would hate for you to have to drive around with an Auburn tag.
Finances permitting, def worth checking out REI for gear selection and buying. By no means the best bargain bottom dollar deal out there. However, REI does offer great customer service should you ever need something i.e.: returns, exchanges, warranty replacements, etc.
great info, just wondering if navigation was ever an issue for you, there is not much info on any of the youtube videos on how you guys deal with that.
Navigation is not an issue on the AT as long as you have reasonably good common sense and don't easily get disoriented. The trail is generally very well marked. That said, the trail markings get thin in Maine, but by paying reasonable attention, this is not a problem. Caveat: A snowy winter in New England will bury trails marking deep below the snow surface.
When I ask "How much money do you need to hike through the AP?"...What I'm asking is just from the start to the finish as in I already have the hiking gear and everything back home is taken care of! ...I'm just dropped off at the start with all my gear, HOW MUCH MONEY DO I NEED to hike it?
When you talk about these long hikes, you go through this and that national park, forest etc. Do these places charge you to walk through them on your trail?
There are several parks along the trail where you must 'register' and sign in to a log book while you are passing through. This is somewhat of an informal permit. The log books are all entertaining to read (kind of like a high school yearbook). The only place along the trail where an actual paid permit is required is Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Costs $20 for use of their shelters and campsites along the duration of that region. Shenandoah and Baxter parks are free to pass through, but registration is required. Several other parks and designated nature areas along the way that require no permit, no registration, and no fee. Green Mountain NP in Vermont and White Mountain NP in NH may require fees to use certain designated campsites, but there are plenty of free shelters and trailside tent areas throughout the region. Different rules apply to different parks at different times for different reasons. Everything is posted very well for expectations as you pass from one to the next. It is highly recommended to register your start with the Appalacian Trail Conservancy so that you can choose a start date that will help to minimize overcrowding and environmental stress at the start of your journey. This is much less of a concern for people who start in Maine going southbound, or West Virginia as a flip flop. They like to keep a general idea of how many people are out there on the trail. Some parks keep track of hikers passing through in case of emergencies. TL;DR.. $20 in mandatory park fees for the entire 2192 mile walk in the woods. Cheapest toll road in America!
Ooook.....this doesnt have anything to do with finances for a trip like that...but....i had to walk from downtown L.A. to Orange County...about 45-50 miles....about 3 or 4 days.....when i got there...even before i got there....my ability to walk was becoming increasingly PAINFULL.,like i was walking on a bed of nails,or shards of glass. Come to find out,,rhe muscles etc in my foot...seized up,and i couldnt even put any weight in my foot...much less walk. Its taken about 2 months to get to a point to where i can walk with a relatively low amount of pain... My heel,the bottom of my foot from the arch to my heel and the right side of my right foot were affected. Any ideas, thoughts ?
Thanks Dixie for this video and the costs for a thru hike adventure. I have a friend in Michigan who is considering doing the AT and I don't think he has any idea how much it will cost him so I will be sure and let him know about this video.
I just wanted you to know that I've been stuck for about 5 hours now watching your videos I'm watching them like a Netflix series. thanks for sharing all this info I hope to get to try this hike someday.
Thank you so much! You should definitely go for it. It changed my life!
Me too right now
des fessler I'm inspired as all hell. I've been too. This will be my pre-military goal to aspire to who I want to be. I'm on the opposite coast so I'll be doing the shorter John Muir Trail first
Me too! haha I feel like quitting my jobs and just leaving... but I'm putting my husband through school right now so I cant. Someday I'd like to though
6 months later and now I am guilty of this :) Great vids!
Im a truck driver. Wife and I are putting all our stuff in storage, getting rid of our apartment and taking 6 months off work. Cant wait.
"A student loan that is been around so long it is like a pet and has a name" Sounds like a Dave Ramsey quote.
I was wondering if anyone else caught that!
I thought the same thing.
The DR plan is Baby Steps...not Hiking Steps. Lol
Instruction unclear. Sold everything. Selling my body now just to make ends meet.
Richard Park
Richard Park 21st
Nice
Work for an outdoor outfitter and it is awesome, they pay isn't great but I work there only part time and I have gathered an obscene amount of outdoor gear for next to nothing with employee discounts and gear that is returned and can't be sold.
Nice!
she's so optimistic and strong, which makes her very charming. I have a great respect for that.
I did a 12 day trek at Philmont, NM and it changed my life. I can't even imagine how much this would change my life
That's awesome!
I know I’m 3 years late... but i love philmont! going every year until 2024
Philmont 1975 group 7-23 L1. It was a game changer for me too. We climbed The Tooth of Time at night so we could be up there at sunrise. Awesome.
I've hiked at Philmont too, and I'm getting ready to thru hike the AT
"Each of us has an Up North.
It's a time and place far from the here and now.
It's a map on the wall, a dream in the making, a tugging at one's soul.
For those who feel the tug, who make the dream happen, who put the map in the packsack and go,
the world is never quite the same again.
We have been Up North. And part of us always will be." Sam Cook
Just wanted to let you know that I ran across your videos by accident and have been totally hooked! Here it goes, I'm going to gush. I adore you! I love that you give really practical, real advice. I've watched other videos and read books about the AT and I never felt like those folks were speaking to me. The equipment was always too expensive or fancy, and they were all tactical, weird dudes or super unattached hippies. You remind me of my friends back home in Kentucky! Gal, you make the AT seem possible for me. It's something that I've wanted to do for several years now. I just have to find a way to make it happen. Thanks for sharing your experience, knowledge, and personality!
Therm-a-Rest is my most precious item, a good nights sleep it the most important part of any adventure.
If you really want it you have to make it a priority. This will not be for everyone, however we have sold out house and downsized our belongings. After all life is not about material things it is about experiences and truly living. we are preparing for our thru hike and making it our priority. To each their own. I do understand.
Thru-hiking the AT is one of my lifetime missions. I plan to do it after I retire, since I know the year I will be retiring and it will let me do this without sacrificing my career. It's been a thing I wanted to do for many years.
When r u going? I am retireing in 2019 and plan to start in MA in early May. Maybe I'll see you out there. Trail name is Strider.
It just makes me smile to watch these videos. Thanks for being an interesting and refreshing personality on RUclips.
I plan on hiking the A.T. in 2.5 years. My plan is to steady build my equipment. I am going to get back up equipment tat can be shipped to if need be, i.e. tent, backpack, shoes, clothes, as well as mre supplies. And I am going to carefully plan out which towns I stay in, zero days, extra expenses. I don't own much, so everything will go in storage. Just buying everything and going is irresponsible. Plan your trip carefully.
A.T 2020! Your videos are motivational.
What are you talking about??? Your truck is awesome!
I've been watching your videos for pretty much all of the last few days, and thinking about doing a small hike like the John Muir Trail or the Tahoe Rim Trail, and hopefully working up to the PCT or the AT. Your videos have been really inspirational.
Thank you, Clyde! So glad to hear it :)
During my 1988 thru-hike, I had zero resources, worked a part time job in a bakery for two summers to save.
My bucket list is to re-do it after I retire at 50 with relatively unlimited resources to see the difference in affording to stay at the hostels and what-not and the extremely lite weight gear available now compared to the Vietnam military surplus stuff I used back then.
@ryan rogers Work hard for 30 years and be smart with spending and saving and you'll be surprised at what you can do. I think he was referring to "unlimited trail resources" in comparison to his previous hike. If he did it on the cheap the first time, having 10K would seem like unlimited resources.
@ryan rogers I understand. I'm in the same boat. I've worked in the same company for 32 years. Hardly ever get any time off. Some of us have to set our priorities and bide our time. One of these days soon, they will see the back of me. Good luck and perservere.
You have such wonderful videos! I have your E-Book and donate to your Patreon page, and whenever I have a random question about the trail, I look and you have posted a full length video about that topic! Thank you for inspiring me Dixie! I am currently planning for my own 2017 NOBO AT Thru Hike! I have %90 of my gear and am so excited for March!
Cesar! Thank you for your support :) I'm glad you're finding the channel helpful and I'm SO happy to hear you're thru-hiking next year. If you have any questions, let me know. You've got this!
Another tip for those of you buried in student dept, consider never going home again xD .. Good video
Love your sunny attitude about thru-hiking
Great information Dixie! A subject not often talked about but always on the minds of us future hopeful thru hikers. This whole planning and training for a thru hike can be very overwhelming, but as always, you take a subject, remove all the bs, and present it in a clear, simple and fun way! Thanks for another great video!
You are seriously my spirit guide. I'm really looking into thru-hiking and I LOVE these videos. I am new to your channel, but I appreciate what I see. Have you made a video on hiking alone (as a woman, specifically) versus with someone? I'd love to hear what your thoughts.
Meredith Gunter 🔨😲😲😣😘🐼🐼🐼🐼😾💗👽😔😪😒😱😎
I'm not sure what you mean by those symbols... but I would be very interested in Dixie's answer to Meredith's question...
Thank you so much Dixie.
Very kind.
From cub scout to the USMC I'm an outdoors man bonafide Tramp been everywhere..love your work new fan here
Another great video!!! thank you for being so thorough and honest.
A hint would be to go to boundary waters or somewhere like that for a week to get a feel for what it will be like
and to know what to bring and what not to
First off, many thanks to Dixie for her wonderful advice, kind personality and enchanting smile! As for hiking finances, I was able to save a bit off the cost of food on the trail by augmenting my supplies with as much powdered potatoes, ramen, peanuts and peanut butter as I was comfortable eating. Also, by taking a few extra steps and a little time for fishing and to collect wood, I was able to catch fish on artificial lures which then of course had to be cooked
on a small wood fire. A small quantity of meal and oil will also be required, but the luxury of eating fresh trout or bream/bluegill every 10 days or so was well worth it. I used a hand line with a few bronze colored Little Cleo ultra-lite
lures and crickets that I caught for fishing. This accounted for minimal amount of weight and space.Happy trails!
Do any states not require a fishing license? Every state I've seen so far have relatively huge non-resident fees for a license.
Great video Dixie. You give such an open and honest perspective about your time on the AT.
$1000 a month seems absurdly high. That's over thirty bucks a day! I spent about $3500 on an eight month hike and rarely felt like I was pinching pennies.
Mark Troup would you mind elaborating? I'm a poor college student. I would love to chat to pick your brain about the specifics
I plan on hitting the trail in 2021,,saving money this year as needed,then learn the Mailbox drops,learn the trail,go through this year finding out what to travel with on a daily basis,etc
you know I am very glad I am watching this again, I am 17 and would very much like to hike the at, the first time I watched this, I was rather worried and felt that I would need so much money for this, however watching it again I realize I won't need as much as I thought which is a relief, it is still a lot but much less than I originally thought, and much more managable, as I don't really have to worry at all about off trail expenses and can really just focus on on trail(excluding great for the most part) though I do have some saving up to do I am glad to have found it to be a much more managable amount thank you for what you do and all of the content you pit forth I appreciate that
War eagle on your truck... and me and a friend is doing the A.T. ON NOV. 26 -29 we just starting so we will do as much as we can . I enjoy your videos and learning new stuff from them .. so thank you and happy hiking !
Getting ready to do a NOBO FLIP FLOP in 24 days, thank you for your information it has helped tremendously, even though I got started late on the financial part, I'll be ok.. I'm excited to get started, even at my age it's been a dream come true to do this.. Thank you again
Perhaps I missed it but don't forget transportation home. You are now 1,600 miles from your start point and must get back to your car or to home which may still be hundreds of more miles. I checked and for me a 34 hour train ride, two transfers would get me within 90 minutes of home. I would first have to travel 70 miles from the trail end to reach the train station.
What are you mean crappy old truck that's a Toyota girl I've got a 2005 Toyota Corolla LE with 156,000 miles on it it it doesn't use a drop of oil and gets phenomenal gas mileage Toyotas are good
my '98 4Runner has 255,000...I've done some basic tune ups on a few things but she's a good'n....I'm a Toyota fan for life!!!....
like that Auburn U plate on the truck...
Thanks for all you do.
Aww, well thank you!
Thanks for the great videos about the AT, Dixie! I live near Shenandoah National Park so I hit the AT a lot, working on a plan to hike the entire trail. I'm starting a channel "Easy Villain's Pursuit", to document all of the hikes I do around the US. During these, I plan to review current and received gear, educate about the areas and discuss suggested topics. I've been a hiker for a long time but your channel was inspiration for me to start my own as well. My company has mentioned sponsoring me to do the AT if I can get a large enough RUclips following so any support would be greatly appreciated!! So, thanks for the great vids and the support!!
Beautiful thing.
I'm hiking the PCT in 2018 and I've already started buying gear. what I am doing is, I am buying hear and testing it out now, but I am also buying gear solely for the trail. so I have 2 complete sets of gear so if something breaks or wears out I can always have someone send me my back up gear. It's a lot easier to already have it then to try to find something in town. also, saving up now, a year before I start so I have on the trail money. live cheap for a year and invest in higher quality foods and gear for the hike. I've never done more than a 40 mile day hike or 2 day hike but I know preperation will definitely boost my performance on trail.
You did NOT edit out your doggie!!?? Your videos and Craig's thru hike this year have convinced me to take three months off next year and go to the AT. It's the positive attitude you both have that makes it so appealing. Good luck with your PCT plans, looking forward to more informative videos.
Don't cancel your truck insurance and u can ask agent to have electronic checking. That's what I did when I was traveling. Other reason it will protect u from losing the value when truck got stolen or fire. Or u can sell the truck but u have to find other truck with extra money when u get back home. Good luck Dixie.
I just found your channel and have binge watched,what a great accomplishment.Well done young lady.
i been sellin weed to get money for the AT. 400 more dollars left to go!!
Don't forget to bring some on the trip.
travis mavis How'd the hustle work out? Gotta support the weed man 🌿 (top buds lol)
travis mavis all about that hussle
Save some of that green for the trail!!
@bacara18 Why we live in the USA!
Thanks for your videos! Been wanting the hike the AT and am taking notes from all your vids. 😁
Rewatching some old ones. Man I miss that intro song! 😂
Thanks for the video! This was a topic which I kept wondering about - now I have some kind of reference. Keep them coming!
I'd like to add a suggestion that might be helpful for services like cell phones. You can always try calling your provider and see if they can help you out with a suspension or plan of some sort to help bring down expenses while thru-hiking.
thank you @HomemadeWL. great info and gives me ideas and hope to make this happen
Great information, thanks for posting
I agree, you should have you own tv show. Discovery channel here you come. I enjoy your videos alot.
great info dixie as always
I had some good luck finding stuff on the Steep And Cheap website. Definitely not the biggest selection, I think they get leftovers after clearance sales at outdoor stores, but I found stuff that was literally half the price of the EXACT same thing at bigger stores. I don't recommend using this site for things like shoes that you NEED to make sure fit properly unless you know exactly what you want, but I saved hundreds on that site. Happy trails, everybody!!!!
Been watching other AT trail vlogs on RUclips. Most of them are suggestions while watching these videos so they tend to be other girls hiking the trail. This one girl and her BF started the trail and you could just tell there was something off. Sure enough, they quit in a day. This woman is the gold standard for bad ass chicks. She could probably get through Ranger school without any recycles.
I've been training for the Trans Catalina Trail (all 3 days of it ) for like a year. Apparently I'm in such esteemed company, I feel oh so much lesser.
I just bought a bunch of envelopes to stuff money in for transportation, camp sites etc. About as disciplined as I can get.
This process has been educational and rewarding, it really doesn't matter but it will get done, and maybe some other things I have been thinking about.
Good info. A trip like this is something that I've thinking of, but wasn't sure where to start. Thx.
Another awesome video Dixie, Thank you. Yeah the finances to do the AT thru hike were more than I thought they would be (I already bought your ebook, it's great). But it sounds like it is so worth it.
So lets be clear. $1000 to gear up with what you need. And $1000 for each month in six months (you might buy health insurance). Plus add in some transition money after you get done. So grand total is $10,000 to walk the trail. Given that folks might get $10 take home pay after taxes, etc. you end up with spending $10,000 to take care of yourself for a year; and can save $10,000 if you lucky. So bottom line is it will take you are year to save up enough to allow you to hit the trail. Now think about your partner doing the same savings. It gets kind of tough. GOOD LUCK on getting there.
My wife and I did a 6 week bicycle trip thru Eastern Europe in 2009-just the 2 of us. We had a fantastic time, but I felt a bit guilty doing this "leisure" tour as we saw so many people for whom this sort of thing might seem impossible. Then it hit me that the money that most spend on cigarettes and alcohol in a year--in that part of the world--would pay for the trip...including good bikes. It's a matter of priorities. As you say, "Live below your means" for a while. I bicycled from Mexico to Canada....across the Rocky Mountains and back to S. Cal with only a few hundred dollars! [Well, that WAS back in 1974....but the principle stands.]
Exactly! I had a lady several months ago tell me, "It must be nice to be rich so you can do things like this.." Also, a guy not long ago suggested that I must have "mommy and daddy" supporting me. Truth is, I've worked hard for everything I have. I have supported myself since I was 18 and have held a job since I was 14. I'm by NO MEANS rich. Sure, if my mom and dad could help support my journey financially, I'm sure they would, but they can't. What it boils down to is to work hard and prioritize. If I can do it anyone can. Stop making excuses and make it happen!
I'm glad you and your wife had a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing this with me :)
edog1955 yeah no doesn't work like that.
Excellent !!! Very well done !
LOL @ "Student loan that's been around long enough that it's like a pet and should have a name". Funny funny.
That’s a damn good truck!
Super late but don’t cancel your insurance suspend it!! Update the address to the location the car will be at, allowing them to get your mail in case something happens. But if you’ve had your insurance for any period of time don’t cancel as you may lose any form of longevity discount when you have to start a new policy. ~I work in insurance and hate to have people have to spend more because they were misinformed or just didn’t know what to do.
Love your videos, can't thru hike till I retire from the AF in 4 years but love seeing the journey and all your thoughts on it. You're absolutely gorgeous by the way.
ya got love this young lady .... enjoying all her videos
Crappy truck? Tacomas aren't crappy. One of my best vehicles ever. :)
Thanks for all your videos. They all are very informative. What I would like to know about finances on the trail is: How much cash do you carry? Do all or most of the places accept credit cards? Are ATMs readily available when you need cash?
I was wondering the cash situation as well especially if any hostels are donation based.
JayXX
A few are.
I had the same question.
Watching your channel makes me want to quit my 8-5 job and hike the AT. UGH. so so so tempting! Hahaha.
I really want to do the PCT in 2017 or 2018 but I'll have to sell my house first before I could even start planning for real. I'm still dreaming though. My job pays bonuses in March as well so I have to work through at least mid March. Oh well.
im planning on doing this, i want to do a thru hike, but id be bringing my two dogs, so id have to just stick to the trail, only going into town when i needed to resupply. but before i do that, im going to binge watch all your videos and get as much know how as possible
I've not Thru hiked it yet, but ive always thought that sending yourself care packages at post offices whenever possible is the cheapest route, since you can easily by your resupplies in bulk at a salvage store for lower prices.
6:30 I wonder how many people get off the trail into the city, spend the night at the hotel (just for one night, they say) and when they woke up in the morning, decided to not go back to the trail?
After watching her most recent videos .... I’m watching this thinking “omg that’s a lot of makeup! !” (It’s not a lot and Dixie is gorg!)
Ouch.. This video really opened my eyes on the expenses... Seems i cant do this hike even if i wanted to
Same
Well looks like i will have to wait until 2020 for my thru hike as im dealing with a death in the family and having to raise funds for funeral expenses. Family priorities first.
Thank you..so helpful Im planning and hoping to do the AT Trail next year..so I have a year to prepare and save money..it might even be 2 yrs from now..since I've heard you talk of how much $ a month it will cost..thanks again.God bless and good luck with your future endeavors!
You have great videos, keep them coming.
Wait!! I'm not watching the videos in order, so my biggest question right now is -- what happened with that dog?! I wasn't overly worried until I saw the collar hanging from someone's bag! Please tell me, before I stay up all night searching through the videos!! :-( :-D
Thanks! Love the videos. I'm not sure I'll ever do this, would probably rather day hike, but love the idea. :-)
Laura Ratliff I know I'm late, but he sadly passed away while Dixie was hiking the APT. It's shown and explained on her Appalachian trail documentary video.
Is there a list we can find of restocking locals along PCT. Perhaps a list of post offices that on average thru hikers will use by sending pre shipping. Also how much post offices charge to hold your packages? Thanks. Enjoy your video.
i've heard some hikers say they did it on the bare minimum of 3000 dollars and some have said not to take less than 5000 not including gear. which some said like flat broke outside you can get all the gear for about 800 dollars.
I’ve seen some homeowners do air bnb while they’re gone
DO NOT CANCEL YOUR AUTO INSURANCE WITHOUT CHECKING THE LAWS REQUIRING INSURANCE ON A CAR.. YOU MAY HAVE TO TURN IN THE LICENSE PLATES AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY MAY UP YOUR RATES THERAFTER... In my state the fine for no insurance is high plus you loose your drivers license for one year .
Hey... Gotta say, Your videos are Awesome! They get me thinking more about improvements to make in my gear setup. So would you say 6 months is a comfortable.. AT through hike or are you really covering major miles daily. Also.. your lil truck is Great.. Those little trucks are survivors. 😁
I really think anyone could make it work in 6 months. I went over because I had to make 2 side trips home that were about a week each. I need to do a video showing the miles I covered on average...and zeroes taken..
And thank you! I love my truck but it's nothing fancy, haha.
Ahh.. Yeah that would be cool to see. And your very welcome.. And I also have a Lil Toyota 4X4 its Great. 😁
Love Love Love your videos!
I'm on the other side of the fence here, this video confirmed I'll never be able to do it. Day hikes are fun too lol that's what i'll keep telling myself. Side note, you saved me a bunch of money on gear I don't need now lol
Great flow to your vids...
Good video. More entertaining and well done than most. I agree that you should not skimp on your shelter, sleep system, and pack; but you can still save money by looking for deals. I got a lightweight pack and a tent (tarp) from Six Moon Designs that were both discounted as they were being discontinued. Still good quality. I know that other cottage manufacturers discount items they are discontinuing as well, and there is the REI garage sale as well, which can be good for some gear.
On off trail finance I live in a council flat and it is illegal for me to rent it out. So will have to pay rent, council tax, electric while away. If i gave it up then would have to rent private while away. When i get back from next trip will go pre-payment meter which will cut my costs.
Hey whats goin on. Just wanted to say been watching your videos an they are pretty awesome! I do section hiking on the AT an im definitely learning alot from your channel
Love your videos. You mentioned in this one factoring in money for replacement gear, and made the example that “maybe your filter gets lost or stolen”, which made me wonder... is theft a big deal on the trail?
Great videos. I know this one is a bit old but I did noticed the AU tag on your old truck. I would be willing to send you the extra VOLS tag I have. Goodness gracious, I would hate for you to have to drive around with an Auburn tag.
Finances permitting, def worth checking out REI for gear selection and buying. By no means the best bargain bottom dollar deal out there. However, REI does offer great customer service should you ever need something i.e.: returns, exchanges, warranty replacements, etc.
great info, just wondering if navigation was ever an issue for you, there is not much info on any of the youtube videos on how you guys deal with that.
Navigation is not an issue on the AT as long as you have reasonably good common sense and don't easily get disoriented. The trail is generally very well marked. That said, the trail markings get thin in Maine, but by paying reasonable attention, this is not a problem. Caveat: A snowy winter in New England will bury trails marking deep below the snow surface.
When I ask "How much money do you need to hike through the AP?"...What I'm asking is just from the start to the finish as in I already have the hiking gear and everything back home is taken care of! ...I'm just dropped off at the start with all my gear, HOW MUCH MONEY DO I NEED to hike it?
When you talk about these long hikes, you go through this and that national park, forest etc. Do these places charge you to walk through them on your trail?
There are several parks along the trail where you must 'register' and sign in to a log book while you are passing through. This is somewhat of an informal permit. The log books are all entertaining to read (kind of like a high school yearbook).
The only place along the trail where an actual paid permit is required is Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Costs $20 for use of their shelters and campsites along the duration of that region.
Shenandoah and Baxter parks are free to pass through, but registration is required.
Several other parks and designated nature areas along the way that require no permit, no registration, and no fee.
Green Mountain NP in Vermont and White Mountain NP in NH may require fees to use certain designated campsites, but there are plenty of free shelters and trailside tent areas throughout the region.
Different rules apply to different parks at different times for different reasons. Everything is posted very well for expectations as you pass from one to the next.
It is highly recommended to register your start with the Appalacian Trail Conservancy so that you can choose a start date that will help to minimize overcrowding and environmental stress at the start of your journey.
This is much less of a concern for people who start in Maine going southbound, or West Virginia as a flip flop.
They like to keep a general idea of how many people are out there on the trail. Some parks keep track of hikers passing through in case of emergencies.
TL;DR.. $20 in mandatory park fees for the entire 2192 mile walk in the woods.
Cheapest toll road in America!
Thank you!
Ooook.....this doesnt have anything to do with finances for a trip like that...but....i had to walk from downtown L.A. to Orange County...about 45-50 miles....about 3 or 4 days.....when i got there...even before i got there....my ability to walk was becoming increasingly PAINFULL.,like i was walking on a bed of nails,or shards of glass.
Come to find out,,rhe muscles etc in my foot...seized up,and i couldnt even put any weight in my foot...much less walk.
Its taken about 2 months to get to a point to where i can walk with a relatively
low amount of pain...
My heel,the bottom of my foot from the arch to my heel and the right side of my right foot were affected.
Any ideas, thoughts ?
Your truck is rad.
Thanks Dixie for this video and the costs for a thru hike adventure. I have a friend in Michigan who is considering doing the AT and I don't think he has any idea how much it will cost him so I will be sure and let him know about this video.