The original version of this article appeared on ExplorersWeb.
The 2024 Pacific Crest Trail hiker survey is out, and its data will interest long-distance backpackers.
Halfway Anywhere, a blog run by long-distance athlete Tyler Fox, compiles the annual survey (now in its 11th year). It’s an in-depth look at a host of metrics from age and ethnicity to money spent and technology used on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
This year, 764 thru-hikers completed the survey. That’s only about 9.5% of the 8,000 long-distance permits issued on average each year by the Pacific Crest Trail Association. So, while the survey is far from comprehensive, it’s nevertheless a decent sample size.
Let’s take a look.

The Cost of Adventure
On average, thru-hikers paid $1,708 for gear in 2024. That’s up from the early years of the survey by almost $500. Hikers spent an average of $10,149 on the trip last year, including the initial cost of gear.
The survey didn’t begin asking hikers about total trip cost until 2019. In that year, hikers spent an average of $6,561, or $38.68 a day, compared to $71 a day in 2024. So the cost has risen 55% in just 5 years. Inflation (particularly with food) is certainly a factor here, as well as an increasing interest in ultralight backpacking, which tends to use gear made of high-end, expensive materials.
You might think that a higher percentage of first-time thru-hikers could be driving up these numbers. Novice thru-hikers need to spend more on gear and might also be more likely to splurge on hostels and transportation. But as it turns out, it’s just the opposite.

Some Unsurprising Findings
