So here's the deal, I've never done any hikes longer than a few days, and am planning on going on a trip that could last up to 4 weeks or so. We're planning on going from Idaho to Seattle (or at least North Bend) beginning early June. My problem is, I have no gear whatsoever for this, not much knowledge about the needed gear, and a somewhat limited budget.
So, I'm hoping that someone here could help me out with some gear suggestions that will keep me fairly low on weight and not hit the wallet too hard. I'm trying to keep under $400 or $500 tops. I need boots, small tent (1 or 2 people), and a decent pack. Any suggestions at all would be really helpful!
Thanks!

Renting would be a wash in terms of cost for a trip that long. Borrowing might be an option if you know someone who wears the same size pack.

Check thrift stores and craigslist after getting your measurements for pack size. Get the boots on sale at a local store - do not skimp on boots! A Kelty or REI dome tent would be the budget option - a little heavier than some, but not too pricey. Or look online for the Sierra Designs Lightning tent - can be found for around 150 and the solo version weighs about 3 lbs. Not bad for a less expensive tent.

If you are an REI member check on the garage sale dates in your area - you might just be able to score all you need and then some for under 200! Boots and shoes that are normally 150-200 can be had (slightly used) for 20-30. They have tents and packs too. You need to go in knowing your sizes for all items tho.

While at the thrift store look for wool or synthetic base layers, fleece or down jackets, wool or synthetic socks... for a trip that duration clothes are important too - stay away from cotton! - once wet cotton clothes stay that way unless you can build a roaring fire or throw them in a dryer.

YOu should be able to get a pack at a thrift store very cheaply. I just saw a couple of old Keltys in a store near me for $10. They are perfectly good packs, external frame, not the latest style. But many people have done very long and successful trips with them.

And I have a slightly skewed view of boots. I seem to be able to wear just about anything in my size and hike comfortably. I know this is not true for everyone, but the last two pairs of boots I bought were from Big 5 sports and cost about $20. They've each got over 150 miles on them with no problems.

(And yes, in that same time period my wife has tried four different brands of good boots, and had trouble with all four... As always, your mileage may vary!)

And for a tent--yes, check craig's list and ebay. There's a guy selling Coleman Helios tents on ebay for under $200...and a bunch of Eureka Apex 2T for under $100. These are all decent tents. Are they state of the art, ultralight weight, and the best that money can buy?

Nope

But you don't have that kind of money. They will still work. and get you onto the trail and having fun. Used pack, cheap boots, and a Apex 2T, and you are good to go for under $150.

I just checked these very boards on the Equipment for sale. Somebody there has a decent tent and a couple of different backpacks, all under $80.

I am confused about your trip. Do you mean you are walking along roads across Idaho and Washington? Or are you going to do a 4-week trip in the mountains (Cascades) from Bend to Seattle? Equipment needs would be different for each of these scenarios.

Packs and all kinds of gear for sale used at hammockforums:
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=28

Folks moving into hammocks often sell good tents at reasonable cost.

I, too, wondered about his itinerary. From the statements he made, he clearly plans to hike the route and it goes from Idaho to Seattle, and his time frame begins in early June. This is a rather sketchy route that could mean anything from road walking to trail hiking.

If he intends to hike trails most of the way, he will certainly be hiking the North Cascades much of the way, up near the Canadian border, through the Okanogan and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie national forests. In early June, this would entail quite a bit of snow covering the trails, so he'd be essentially cross-country route-finding a good half of the time. It would be dangerous for anyone but a highly experienced hiker with good cross country skills.

Therefore, I hope he is road-walking most of the way.

Road walking is indeed a different set of gear and logistical issues.... We get folks who intend to do that sort of trip posting.

I presumed trail walking... perhaps OP can clarify?

I agree--we need clarification as to what you are doing!

Are you by chance planning to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail? If so, please note aimless' post above on snow conditions in June. By late June, most portions of the trail in Idaho, eastern Washington and the Pasayten Wilderness will probably be sufficiently melted out, but west of the Cascade Crest it will still be very snowy into July. In early June, most of the route will still be under snow. Snow climbing experience and gear and considerable navigation skills will be needed.

If you are planning a road walk, conditions will be different and your needs will be different than for a regular backpacking trip. For one thing, you'll be resupplying more frequently. You will also find places where you can't get permission to camp, so you'll need some $ for inexpensive motels.

This site has links to a number of low-cost gear lists and ideas that you might find useful. There are also useful articles on the home page of this forum.

Well, I'm not 100% sure on the route as of yet. From what I know, the plan is to hike the John Wayne Pioneer trail starting on the Idaho side. I'm not sure if we're gonna be starting from somewhere else and meet up with the trail, or just start directly on it. Nor am I sure about how we're getting to Seattle from there, or even if we will for that matter. I'm assuming we'll end up doing a slight bit of road walking, but from what I can gather about the trail there's not much road walking involved.
If someone has any advice on the trial, or a suggestion about a better route that would cross the state, I'd be glad to hear about it! Mostly, our goal is to go East to West across the state, camping along the way, so it doesn't really matter which trail we go.
Thanks for all the advice so far guys (and/or gals)!

OK. That's good information to start with. A quick Google of the John Wayne Pioneer trail shows that it's a converted railway right-of-way with the rails removed. Much of it is designed to be used as a bike path.

It crosses the Cascades near Snoqualmie Pass along the route of I-90. An early June date seems pretty workable in terms of snow and general weather conditions. Do have good water carrying capacity for the hotter stretches in eastern WA. I'd bring a couple of 2 liter water containers and only fill one of them on cooler days or well-watered legs of the trail. Platypus water 'bottles' are easy to store when empty, since they fold up flat, but 2 liter soda bottles are essentially free and very easy to replace.

You'll want to get an idea ahead of time about possible overnight stopping places, accessibility of food supplies and places with water, so you can identify any long stretches where these necessities are problematic. On a trail designed for bicycles, there may be some 30 miles stretches where there are few amenities, because that would present no problem to a biker.

Rails-to-trails have the benefit of having very easy gradients, so even the uphill pulls are not especially harsh. If you keep your pack light enough and are in good enough shape, you ought to be able to make good mileage when you need to.

For any lengthy hike like this you must take very good care of your feet! You won't need heavy leather boots. Ordinary trail running shoes, well ventilated (no goretex liners), should be plenty of shoe for this hike.

Sorry, I didn't even think of the John Wayne Trail, mostly because the last time I hiked a portion of it (20 years ago) the only complete part was over the Cascades. The group I was leading hiked a portion near Vantage, starting just west of the Columbia River and hiking about 5 miles west until we got to a section that was closed. The hike was in early May and the wildflowers were beautiful. By early June, the flowers will be long gone, though.

One warning, based on my experience living in Tri-Cities for 9 years and in other parts of eastern WA and OR for 8 years before that: It could get really hot out there in the eastern WA desert in June! On hot days, you may want to hole up during the heat of the day (if you can find shade) and hike early and late. Forget the boots; you want well-ventilated running-type shoes! You also want a broad-brimmed sun hat (my favorite is the Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat, which is well ventilated but has a drape in the back so it doesn't hit the pack). High winds out there are also common, so be prepared for dust storms hitting you head on, especially in the dryland wheat country.

In those 17 years I never saw any sign of a rattlesnake, but they do exist out there. It's a common sense to look first where you're putting your hands and feet or before sitting down.

I assume you've been googling for all available info on the trail. The section from the Columbia River west is now all Iron Horse State Park, which you can find on the WA State Parks website. Have you asked on nwhikers.net about current trail info east of the Columbia?

Otherwise, I really can't add anything to what aimless wrote. I hope you'll come back and give us a trip report!

You should do some online research about the John Wayne trail; last I heard, the 2.3 mile railroad tunnel at Snoqualmie Pass was closed due I think to rock fall/slide (pity, that was fun ...). I'm not sure that's still true, but do check.

My wife and I have ridden bikes from our house in the Puget Sound area up and over Snoqualmie Pass on that trail --- staying on trail as much as possible but certainly using some roads and bike trails. There are some navigation challenges to do a sort of "road minimal" approach, so again, look online and get appropriate maps to make that as painless as possible.

Even though you're hiking, you might look online at bike routes, and in particular bike routes that stay off major roads, as these might be nice options for stretches of your trip.

Best of luck!