Daily cost to backpack?
Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:54 pm
Sitting at my local watering hole, shooting the breeze, we started discussing the cost of backpacking…per day.
Forget about food as you have to eat anyway –
Gas – yes expensive but not a variable here…as not driving while backpacking.
My friend postulated that the actual cost should be computed by taking the cost of a gear item in today’s prices divided by the number of days you have previously used the item.
Thus if a sleeping bag cost you $400 and you have 200 nights using it…this equals $2/day.
Take your top 15 -20 backpacking items carried on your typical summer week-long Sierra adventure,(those on your back only), and compute a per day total.
Mine –
WM Badger - $500 / 500 days = _____________________________ $1/day
Gregory 60 - $350/ 400 days =______________________________ $1
Bearikade Weekender - $275 / 1000 days = ______________________$.28
Prolite plus $100/300 nights =_________________________________$.33
MSR Windpro $100 / 300 nights =_____________________________$.33
WM Flite vest $175/ 200 =__________________________________$1.00
Titanium frypan - $170/400 nights_____________________________$.50
Fishing rod - $100/300 nights =_______________________________$.33
Reel $75/ 2000 nights_______________________________________$.10
Tarptent Rainbow $250/ 300 nights____________________________$.80
Z-ray lures (lose 2 a day?)___________________________________ $5
Lowe GTX boots - $225 / 200 nights____________________________$1
Tilley hat $80/200 nights =___________________________________$.40
TNF Shell $200 / 200 nights =_________________________________$1
H2O filter $100/2500 nights =_________________________________$.03
BD trekking poles $125/ 200 nights_____________________________$.60
Tifosi polarized sunglasses $80/200_____________________________$.40
TNF ¼ zip fleece $80 / 200 days =______________________________$.40
Ensolite pad $15/2000 nights___________________________________$0
Blow-up pillow $35/200 nights =_______________________________$.17
Thus my next backpacking day with this gear will cost me ~ $15, not counting food or beverages to backpack.
Buying new gear kills the average… (Use 1 day for brand new gear.)
IE, Add in my new packraft (which have not received yet) - $250/ 1 night = $250…
Or now $265 per that first fishing day.
After 100 raft days this summer though…back to ~ $17.00/ day.
Anybody want to show their daily backpacking cost?
(BTW, Do not tell the wife!)
Forget about food as you have to eat anyway –
Gas – yes expensive but not a variable here…as not driving while backpacking.
My friend postulated that the actual cost should be computed by taking the cost of a gear item in today’s prices divided by the number of days you have previously used the item.
Thus if a sleeping bag cost you $400 and you have 200 nights using it…this equals $2/day.
Take your top 15 -20 backpacking items carried on your typical summer week-long Sierra adventure,(those on your back only), and compute a per day total.
Mine –
WM Badger - $500 / 500 days = _____________________________ $1/day
Gregory 60 - $350/ 400 days =______________________________ $1
Bearikade Weekender - $275 / 1000 days = ______________________$.28
Prolite plus $100/300 nights =_________________________________$.33
MSR Windpro $100 / 300 nights =_____________________________$.33
WM Flite vest $175/ 200 =__________________________________$1.00
Titanium frypan - $170/400 nights_____________________________$.50
Fishing rod - $100/300 nights =_______________________________$.33
Reel $75/ 2000 nights_______________________________________$.10
Tarptent Rainbow $250/ 300 nights____________________________$.80
Z-ray lures (lose 2 a day?)___________________________________ $5
Lowe GTX boots - $225 / 200 nights____________________________$1
Tilley hat $80/200 nights =___________________________________$.40
TNF Shell $200 / 200 nights =_________________________________$1
H2O filter $100/2500 nights =_________________________________$.03
BD trekking poles $125/ 200 nights_____________________________$.60
Tifosi polarized sunglasses $80/200_____________________________$.40
TNF ¼ zip fleece $80 / 200 days =______________________________$.40
Ensolite pad $15/2000 nights___________________________________$0
Blow-up pillow $35/200 nights =_______________________________$.17
Thus my next backpacking day with this gear will cost me ~ $15, not counting food or beverages to backpack.
Buying new gear kills the average… (Use 1 day for brand new gear.)
IE, Add in my new packraft (which have not received yet) - $250/ 1 night = $250…
Or now $265 per that first fishing day.
After 100 raft days this summer though…back to ~ $17.00/ day.
Anybody want to show their daily backpacking cost?
(BTW, Do not tell the wife!)