Backpacking budgets

[Morgarion]

Hey everyone. I've been planning a backpacking trip for some time now, but the one thing that keeps tripping me up is the budget. I've never backpacked before, let alone left the country. Depending on airfare prices and where we decide to fly in and out of, I might have anywhere between $1750 to $2250 saved up for the trip. I also might not have a job to come back to, so I'd rather not dip into the general savings except for possibly covering rent and my student loan payment while I'm abroad ($500).

So, let's say I've got $2000 and a month. Can I do the Republic of Georgia, Armenia, the NKR, Turkey and Greece? I know it's a longshot, but does anyone have any experience with traveling to this region?

[Togath]

Any reason not to just visit a place within the states?
While I have to admit I can't remember where Minneapolis is, there is a very large variety of places here, and it could help cut down your costs.

[Grinner]

That's a tough call. Assuming you already have the rest of your equipment, $2000 will go a long, long way. That said, food prices are much higher in Europe, and I have no idea what hostels in the area run. It helps to plan your route first. Figure out where you'll be going and how far you can make it in a day. (~10 miles is a fairly easy hike, assuming you aren't going uphill the entire time.)

Also, you've never backpacked before? Have you at least done day trips?

[Morgarion]

I expect I'll be taking buses and ferries and trains to get from here and there, but probably a lot of walking inside the cities I go to. Although, we were planning to walk the Janapar (http://www.janapar.org/wiki/Main_Page). I walk everywhere, I run, I'm in good shape. I expect some of the more mountainous legs will be strenuous but nothing I can't handle.

[Ravens_cry]

A Eurail pass (http://www.eurail.com/)sounds like it would be a good thing for you.

[Morgarion]

I think I've got it all figured out. I found the right dates for some affordable tickets, which means more money to rely on when I get over there, which means (hopefully) more money in the bank when I come home. Best case scenario is that my employer is totally cool with me being gone for a six to eight weeks, so coming home isn't as big a blow.

I'm this close to purchasing the tickets. I just need confirmation from someone else about some dates and then I take the plunge.

Wow. I've been talking about this for years. I can't believe I'm almost there.

[Grinner]

I think I've got it all figured out. I found the right dates for some affordable tickets, which means more money to rely on when I get over there, which means (hopefully) more money in the bank when I come home. Best case scenario is that my employer is totally cool with me being gone for a six to eight weeks, so coming home isn't as big a blow.

Remember that your employer will be trying to run a business while you're away, and being down a man is going to put stress on the entire operation. To that end, he's going to need a replacement, and he'll hire one as soon as he realizes you've ditched him.

You might as well hand in your two week resignation now and stay on good terms with him. You might even be able to get rehired at some point in the future.

Anyway, mind your budget while you're there. Figure out how much you'll be able to spend each week and stick to that religiously. The last thing you want to do is get stranded in a faraway place, unable to get back to the airport or even speak the local language.

[Morgarion]

It's a little bit of a long shot, but my hours already got cut back earlier this year so it's not like my presence is integral to the company's success. It would probably take a little longer than I'd be gone to get someone suitably trained in, anyways.

I figure work, bills, student loans, rent, etc. are all perfectly good excuses to not travel, to stay home, go to work and enjoy my routines. But they're not going away. The reasons I shouldn't go are constantly increasing, and if I keep putting it off, eventually there really will be too many.

[Tylorious]

Backpacking isn't generally expensive, especially if you have a tent. My friend walked the entire appalacian trail for around 250 dollars. that is almost the length of the United States.

[Dallas-Dakota]

It'd really depend on how much touristic stuff you want to do.

In general, eastern europe isn't that expensive, so I'd say you're good with 2K.
Turkey you could also fit in, but only if you manage to avoid the touristic towns of which there are a lot.(But the less touristic the towns get, the smaller the chances are of people speaking decent english...so..yeah)

However due to the current situation of Greece I'd really do some good research before going there and ask yourself if you want to go there at this time. Just mentioning it, we're not going into why and details because politics is a no-go on this board.

[Astral Avenger]

I think I've got it all figured out. I found the right dates for some affordable tickets, which means more money to rely on when I get over there, which means (hopefully) more money in the bank when I come home. Best case scenario is that my employer is totally cool with me being gone for a six to eight weeks, so coming home isn't as big a blow.

I'm this close to purchasing the tickets. I just need confirmation from someone else about some dates and then I take the plunge.

Wow. I've been talking about this for years. I can't believe I'm almost there.

Good luck, if you are a student/faculty/(I think)alumni of the UofM-TC then the center for outdoor adventure (COA (http://www.recwell.umn.edu/outdoor/)) in the rec center could be your friend here. The people who work there are quite knowledgeable about the outdoor aspect of backpacking, not sure how much help they can give regarding travel in Europe.

[Morgarion]

Backpacking isn't generally expensive, especially if you have a tent. My friend walked the entire appalacian trail for around 250 dollars. that is almost the length of the United States.

I wish there was a better, more accurate word. Maybe 'hostelling'?. When I say backpacking, I mean this kind of backpacking, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpacking_(travel)) not this kind of backpacking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpacking_(wilderness)).

[Manga Shoggoth]

In my day it was called Hostelling, and people would be travelling between Youth Hostels.

Make sure that you have some method of fallback in case you lose everything. If some {deleted} attacks you and nicks everything, or you and your backpack are parted your dream trip will quickly become a nightmare.

(Oh yes, and part on good terms with your employer - it may pay dividends in the future).

[Ionathus]

Backpacking isn't generally expensive, especially if you have a tent. My friend walked the entire appalacian trail for around 250 dollars. that is almost the length of the United States.

There is absolutely no way your friend did this, unless you're not including the food he/she ate during the trip, in which case there is almost no way they did this.

[TheThan]

There is absolutely no way your friend did this, unless you're not including the food he/she ate during the trip, in which case there is almost no way they did this.

Actually it shouldn’t be too hard to do that, especially if you already have the gear (pack, bag, camping gear etc). Then you could easily spend that cash on non-perishable food, particularly if you don’t rely on premade reheatable food (freeze dried backpacking food for instance). In fact, if you have a vacuum sealer, you can make your own backpacking rations (or emergency rations) that will keep for a very long time and be a mite better than military surplus rations or the boil in a bag stuff you get at the sporting goods store.

I’ve never walked the Appalachian Trail myself (I live on the other side of the content) but conceptually, it’s doable on so small a budget, with the right tools, skills and knowledge.

If your a seasoned outdoors-person or backpacker, chances are you have the tools, skills and knowledge to do it.

[Morgarion]

I spent a month pretty much doing nothing but reading blogs and forums about the AT earlier this year. It sounds like the food is what drives up the cost, but I hear people can do pretty well picking up the free food from the boxes along the way and luck into lots of trail magic.

[Eurus]

Actually it shouldn’t be too hard to do that, especially if you already have the gear (pack, bag, camping gear etc). Then you could easily spend that cash on non-perishable food, particularly if you don’t rely on premade reheatable food (freeze dried backpacking food for instance). In fact, if you have a vacuum sealer, you can make your own backpacking rations (or emergency rations) that will keep for a very long time and be a mite better than military surplus rations or the boil in a bag stuff you get at the sporting goods store.

I’ve never walked the Appalachian Trail myself (I live on the other side of the content) but conceptually, it’s doable on so small a budget, with the right tools, skills and knowledge.

If your a seasoned outdoors-person or backpacker, chances are you have the tools, skills and knowledge to do it.

Yeah, if you already have all the gear it probably wouldn't be too bad. If you don't, well, that's a pretty significant investment. Hopefully amortized over a lot of trips, not just one.

[Ionathus]

I spent a month pretty much doing nothing but reading blogs and forums about the AT earlier this year. It sounds like the food is what drives up the cost, but I hear people can do pretty well picking up the free food from the boxes along the way and luck into lots of trail magic.

I have heard great things about it, but I wouldn't really want to depend on trail magic for the bulk of your nourishment. First off, if it's not there then you're probably going to start hurting, and also it sort of feels to me like feeding yourself for a week off of some poor sap's graduation sheet cake at their open house.

Trail magic: good in small doses for treats and happy surprises. Just like sheet cake.

And yeah, I do think food is definitely the biggest cost. Sorry if my previous post seemed a bit authoritarian or condescending. I was just remarking that it's hard enough to get nutritious, sustaining meals on the cheap when I live right next to a cheap bulk grocery store: I can't imagine trying to do it with exclusively calorie-dense, unperishable, light preparation meals that you'd have to carry with you. I know it's possible, but it just doesn't strike me as cheap. This is the part where I would bite the bullet: if your stomach isn't having any fun, the journey is going to be awful.

But if there are some trail foods techniques that I'm unaware of, I would definitely love to hear about them from people.

[Morgarion]

It's cool. It doesn't sound like any of us have actually been, so we're all just talking hypothetically.

On an unrelated note, though more pertinent to the original topic, I have purchased my tickets and now I'm really really doing it.

I got a nice deal on the tickets, so I've already got more money than I expected I would at this point. I am so pleased that I noticed the multi-city option for looking up flights, instead of making two one-way reservations. It knocked five or six hundred dollars off the total price.

[Astral Avenger]

Nice, so where are you going to end up going on this trip?

[TheThan]

Something else you should do before you leave is pick up a money belt and store all your most precious cargo in it. I’m talking about most of your money, ID, passports (if you’re not going to be constantly using them), that sort of stuff.

It helps against pickpockets and other forms of thieves. I’m not saying Europeans are thieves, but there are dangers in doing what you’re doing, and tourists tend to be large targets, so no point in making yourself an easy one. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to get stranded in a foreign country with no money or ID.

[Ionathus]

Something else you should do before you leave is pick up a money belt and store all your most precious cargo in it. I’m talking about most of your money, ID, passports (if you’re not going to be constantly using them), that sort of stuff.

It helps against pickpockets and other forms of thieves. I’m not saying Europeans are thieves, but there are dangers in doing what you’re doing, and tourists tend to be large targets, so no point in making yourself an easy one. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to get stranded in a foreign country with no money or ID.

Seconded. Having a money belt while I'm backpacking around European cities gives a huge sense of relief and (relative) security. Make sure it's the belt kind that just clips on under your shirt: the sort of "wallet" that hangs 'round your neck is clunky, uncomfortable, and would get you singled out faster than if you were wearing socks with sandals and a camera around your neck.

This could, of course, just be because the one I was once given was an absolute unwieldy behemoth. But yes, belt is definitely the way to go.

[Morgarion]

Could you post a link to illustrate what kind of money belt you're referring to? I know there's the kind that's worn under the pants at the waist and the pouch that can hang from the neck, but I'm not sure I've seen one that goes under the shirt.

[Ionathus]

I'm talking about this type:

http://img2.tradeee.com/photo/50844089/Waist_Money_Belt___Bt_Double.jpg

I've never worn mine at this level, though. Mine is two pockets (one zipper, one velcro), and I just adjust the strap so that it sits snugly right around my abs. Maybe that's not the right way to wear it (I can sometimes get a killer sweat mark there), but it works for me and it keeps my money/passport/phone from getting bent or worse under the influence of my actual pants belt.