How I Afford Thru-Hiking (Plus, Budgeting Strategies and Tips)

In this video, I'll share my top tips and strategies for affording thru-hiking, even on a tight budget. Whether you're planning a long-distance hike on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide trail, or a shorter trail - I think saving for a thru-hike is possible, though not without sacrifice. What that sacrifice looks like is different for everyone, and I’ll go over my specific situation in detail to shed some light on how I afford thru-hikes.
I’ll talk about ways I’ve found to live below my means, how I’ve increased my income in order to save for thru-hikes, and tips that I hope will help you save money and make your thru-hiking dream a reality.
So if you're wondering how to afford thru-hiking, be sure to watch this video for all my best tips and strategies. Don't let money hold you back from experiencing the adventure of a lifetime!
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#thruhiking #budgeting #backpackingtips

[@dianesoini]

This is the smartest and most informative "how to budget for thru-hiking" explanation I've ever seen. Thanks for putting it out there. I did something similar. As a young person I went without a house, a car, debt of any kind or children and saved as much as I could just out of fear of falling into poverty. In my 40s I realized I had enough to hike the PCT. The PCT made me realized that taking long hikes was what I wanted to do with my life so I saved for 13 more years and bought my permanent freedom with early retirement. 13 years was a long time, but I filled it with lots of shorter hikes of 12 days or less. You can make hiking feel like your whole life if you go every other weekend during hiking season, which makes putting in the time and effort to buy your freedom not feel too awful.

[@eliseott]

Wow, thank you so much! And thank you for sharing your perspective and journey. It's so inspiring to hear from someone who has made it happen and also found joy along the way. Happy Trails

[@terryrice5848]

This was a FANTASTIC episode. Very practical, honest, and clearly stated. Nice job all around!

[@eliseott]

thanks so much!! I'm so glad you liked it.

[@bveale10]

You dropped a lot of useful info here! Eliminating debt, increasing your income (through full-time work or side gigs or both), living below your means/focusing on the priority of thru-hiking, and the sub culture of FI! Nice video!

[@eliseott]

Thanks so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

[@jaredlefkowitz]

Lots of great information here. I’m also into FI and it’s allowed me to develop a lifestyle where I live below my means and really appreciate the things that I do decide I want to allocate resources towards. One thing that I do is auto-deposit money monthly in a separate HYSA that I call “Long Term Fun”. It’s a way for me to accumulate funds to use guilt-free for big expenditures. It takes patience and planning to decide how to use it, which is half the fun!

[@eliseott]

Thank you! and yes! when I do buy something for myself, the reward definitely feels greater because I have a better grasp on what it's worth. Love the idea of having a separate HYSA, I've just been using my main one but I may have to implement that.

[@backpackerradio]

Great video, Elise! And thanks for the shoutout :)

[@eliseott]

thank you and of courseeeeeee

[@Knotty_byy_nature]

Thanks! This was so helpful!

[@eliseott]

so glad it was helpful for you, thanks so much!!

[@wanttogo1958]

Others have already stated as much but you have hit on all of the high points as well as some very important but not often highlighted practices that make a significant difference in meeting longterm savings goals. Case in point, don’t trade cars/trucks very often. Cars/trucks are very expensive to purchase and insure. Used vehicles with lower mileage are the smart choice for those trying to keep the total cost of ownership down as the initial depreciation has been subtracted from their new on lot cost and they are somewhat cheaper to insure. Keeping track of all expenses is very wise too. I’ve done that most of my life; that practice serves to keep the conscientious spender on track toward their goals by highlighting areas of living that can just eat up your otherwise disposable income you could choose to save. Eating out very much comes to mind. You touched on that one. Subscriptions that now too often auto renew is another you noted as well. I assume you are in the Grand Canyon now. I hope you enjoy(ed) it. That’s a beautiful and intriguing place. Hopefully, you saw a “moody” day or two as it takes on an entirely different look on those cloudy, rainy, cool days. Take care.

[@eliseott]

thank you so so much! Appreciate your perspective and reinforcement of some of the things I shared in the video. The Grand Canyon was incredible! more than I could have imagined and we did even get a moody day on our hike out, which was awesome!

[@LinkusMaximus]

@Elise Ott Keep up the good work!

[@eliseott]

thank you! I'm trying!!

[@benjamintrivett3675]

Be very cautious of changing jobs often. Red flag to the hiring employer.

[@eliseott]

Obviously it depends how you go about it. I’ve stayed at all my job for at least 2 years and always give them lots of notice (much more than two weeks). In my field, 2 years is very typical for turnover.