Bounce Box Question

[V8]

Okay, I understand about sending bounce boxes to hostels or motels in order to get around having to hitch hike into town to the Post Office to retrieve them, and also to avoid having to be restricted by PO hours.

But then how do you send the box on without having to go to the PO? I'm not wild about depending on hitchhiking. How have others dealt with this?
Thanks.

[Appalachian Tater]

Since this question is non-female related, I'll "invade" the pink zone and answer.

There are drop boxes and bounce boxes.

Drop boxes are when you mail resupply to yourself, mostly food. In theory, you hike out with the contents of a drop box, so you wouldn't have to go to a post office.

A bounce box is mostly stuff like maps, battery chargers, waterproofing fluid, town clothes, electric razor, etc. and some special supplies, that is, things that may not be available or that you need only when in town. You might also send ahead your stove or other gear that you don't need or want on the next section but will need later. You get the box, use the contents, and send the rest ahead to use again. You could send it to a hostel so that when you arrive at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, you can use the box Sat. night, Sun. night, and then go to the post office Monday and send it ahead.

You can see why a bounce box might be a lot of trouble and expense and why many people stop using them even if they start out with one.

With all first class and priority mail, if you send it to the post office and do not open the package, you can forward it with no additional charge.

Also, you will have to hitch-hike at some point. I had never done it and still don't like it. Women have an easier time getting rides, just don't hitch-hike alone with a male driver.

[Blissful]

There are a few hostels that will mail it for you if you leave the appropriate funds. The Hike Inn at Fontana mailed a package for us and forwarded a package. So did the guy at Standing Bear Farm when my package got mailed to his place instead of Hot Springs. He called the PO for me and had it forwarded. Also the great people at The Cabin in Maine. You'll have to check with those that run the hostel. Several POs though, esp in the trail towns (Franklin- Ron will drive you there, Hot Springs, Damascus, Harpers Ferry, Duncannon, Port Clinton, Hanover, Glencliff, Monson for example) are within walking distance. Also several hostels run shuttles to town so you can go to the PO without having to hitch.

[V8]

Thanks. The concept of "bounce box" is good, sounds real handy, but the reality is a little more complicated - guess I'll go scour the companion some more...

[frieden]

After seeing what postage will be, I've cut my mail drops in half. I'm supposed to eat and use only all natural and organic products, so I was going to do mail drops the entire way. My doctor doesn't even want me drinking out of a plastic bottle! (sure, because there are so many offered in glass these days) At larger towns, I'll just go to the grocery store, and do my best. Hopefully, my friend is willing to send them at certain times to different stops along my route.

The bounce box I will use. Yes, it will cost me a bit. I'm putting Ed's Dremmel in there, for his nails. I was going to have to put my (larger) shampoo/conditioner bottles, etc in there (Yep, heavier than all get, but it is better than carrying that stuff up the trail, and I seriously doubt I will find all natural products in PoDunk, SC - maybe at an outfitter), but I just cut my hair, and donated it to Locks of Love, so I use a LOT less in the hair products department now. Enough so that I probably will only need small bottles in a couple mail drops.

If you have support at home, you can just mail your winter gear home, and then have them send it to you again, when you need it. If you don't, then you have to send it to yourself up the trail in a bounce box.

Everyone's needs are different, so your best bet is to listen to advice, do your research, and then figure out what is right for you. If you do not have home support, you will have to rely on a bounce box and no mail drops. Or, you may have so much home support that we all get free cookies, everytime you get a mail drop!

Oh, I forgot to mention, you can get free boxes from the USPS. Just go to usps.com, and order them. They are for postal use only, and using them for something else is a federal offense, but it would also force the postal service to stop giving free boxes to hikers, so please don't abuse it - thanks.

[Jack Tarlin]

There's lots of really good info re. sending and receiving mail in POG's full-length article in the "Articles" section of this website.

Also, there are really not that many places where it's necessary to send food, unless you're on some sort of special diet.

The fewer your maildrops, the fewer the hassles, i.e. the fewer times you'll be dashing to get to a P.O. before it closes; the fewer chances of mail getting lost; the fewer times you'll have to hitch to a P.O., etc.

Bounce Boxes are helpful to some folks, but in many cases they just end up as large junk receptacles full of stuff that should be ditched or sent home. Be sure to be sort of ruthless in this regard or your postage costs will be huge.

[BumpJumper]

What is a bounce box?

[rafe]

What is a bounce box?

It's a maildrop that you send to yourself. The idea is to have the USPS "carry" the stuff in the box so that you don't have to.

[Blissful]

What is a bounce box?

A box that you bounce (or mail) to yourself up the trail. Usually used for town stops and zero days along the trail - i.e. we had our phone charger in it, some town clothes, extra prescription meds, etc. You open it, use it, then mail it out again. Or if you don't use it and it was sent priority it can be forwarded at no charge. We got ours down to priority flat rate envelope by New England then carried the phone charger in ME and didn't use a bounce box. But I really liked it early on, from a woman's perspective.