Thru-hiking FAQ’s.

Ask three people what their re-supply strategy is and you’ll get three different answers!

Whether you mail food boxes ahead or re-supply along the way, travelling from overseas makes everything a bit more complicated.

To avoid significant costs mailing boxes overseas or mailing once you land in the USA, I am team ‘re-supply on trail’ as you can always send a box ahead once you hit the trail or you can send a ‘bounce box’.

However, if you have specific dietary requirements you may have no choice to send boxes ahead as re-supplying in smaller, remote towns may be difficult (you can do this when you get to the USA).

Re-supply considerations:

• Re-supply on trail - in smaller towns where groceries aren’t available, you might struggle to buy enough food. On the flip side, you aren’t stuck with the same food that you bought months ago!

• Mail food boxes ahead’- you may have to wait for the Post Office to open to collect your package, but on the flip-side, you can enjoy your zero/nero days without having to re-supply in the local supermarket!

Hiking from the North Terminus to the South Terminus or vice versa is a big decision ahead of booking international flights and domestic flights.

You could flip a coin (!), however there are a few factors that may influence which direction you hike:

• Hiking season - research the best time to hike the trail and then visit the official trail association’s website. They will advise the most popular direction that people take - normally because of weather conditions or elevation.

• Time of year you want to hike - a few trails can be hiked in different seasons (e.g. the Arizona Trail has two hiking season) and as above, the months you are available to hike are likely to have a SOBO/NOBO preference due to weather conditions.

Do I need a permit to hike?

The short version is that some trails require a permit, whilst others don’t.

To find out if you need a permit, visit the official trail organisation’s website for more information.

In some cases, there may only be limited opportunities to secure a permit - e.g. Pacific Crest Trail, you can apply on two separate occasions (typically November and January).

How much does it cost to complete a long distance trail?

People hike and travel differently, vastly impacting the budget needed to complete a thru-hike.

Check out the Thru-hike budget calculator and get a rough idea of how much money you will need for your time on the trail.

The following highlights a few budget considerations - including additional costs for overseas travellers.