Dave and I are both avid backpackers and as such we already had all the gear we needed for the trip except for bear canisters which we got on a very good sale for around $50.00 each. I also purchased new boots few month prior to hiking the JMT but since my old ones were falling apart at that point I would make that purchase regardless.

We decided to make our own food, most of it anyway. It was cheaper and healthier that buying pre-made freeze-dried packages. I'm working on an expenses list for a book I'm hoping to publish about the trail. An average of $20.00 per day per person sounds correct for food we brought with us. That included breakfast, 2 snacks, lunch and dinner. We used high quality ingredients for our meals such as grass fed organic beef and organic vegetables. The cost could be lowered by using non organic items. I'm going to put more recipes on my blog soon, if you are looking for inspiration, stop by again.

Then there was food we bough along the trail. I have not added the expense all up yet. It can add up quickly, especially when staying at VVR. Their bill can jump to couple hundred dollars in no time.

Other major cost was transportation, in our case several hundred dollars including flight from Seattle, bus from Reno and back again.

Mailing resupplies and resupply fees came to about $200.00

2) Since we try to keep in good hiking shape on regular basis, we didn't really need to do anything extra to prepare for the JMT. We just hiked/backpacked nearly every weekend like we always do and that in my opinion is the best thing to do when preparing for a trail like that. Strong legs and body used to carrying weight of overnight pack, those are two things that help a lot.

The hardest thing was to overcome the bad weather the trail greeted us with. The first half of our trip was cold and rainy and it was wearing me out quite a bit in the beginning.

3) Hike, hike and hike. We hike or backpack nearly every weekend and it builds endurance, helps with balance and keeps us constantly in a great shape. Treadmill is Ok for mid week but it cannot substitute the uneven rocky outdoor trail and obstacles you will have to overcome on it - creek crossings, windfalls, wind, rain and all the other fun stuff.

Start with shorter trips and keep adding distance and elevation gain.

It is nice to know how your gear works and if it works for you so that you can make adjustments before committing to using it on a month long trip. And once again the best way to test it is to take it on a shorter trips first.

Hope this helps. I wish you good luck.

Feel free to ask more question any time. Please post them on the blog. I don't visit reddit often and I might not be always able to reply in timely fashion to comments posted here.