2-3 maildrops for maps

[ErickP]

I'm thru hiking in '08, and I'm planning to only do 2-3 maildrops for my maps. I thought I may as well throw in some food as well, so I was wondering: Are there any places roughly 1/3 of the way, and 2/3 of the way that are hard to resupply at, but have a post office?

[Lone Wolf]

Catawba, Va. is about 1/3 of the way. Most go in to eat at the Homeplace Restaurant. Not much of a grocery there.

[burger]

If you're going to carry all the maps for each 1/3 of the trail with you, just be forewarned that the weight will be substantial. I'd guess at least a few ounces for each map, and some of the maps (like the ones for the PATC-maintained section) are big and HEAVY (and one-sided, too, grrrrr). For the half of the trail I've done, I did all my food by mail drop, so I never had to carry more than one or two maps at a time. If it wasn't possible to swap out maps every week or two, I'd have just left them at home.

[Jack Tarlin]

Burger is right. There are around thirty-odd trail maps, and one third of them is gonna weigh a helluva lot. Plus, one third of the maps will take you damned near to Waynesboro, Virginia. Why do you wanna be carrying maps of southwestern Virginia when you're in Georgia? Or carrying maps of Connecticut when you're still in Maryland?

Three maildrops for maps is kind of a crazy idea. Find a friend or family member willing to reliably send you what you need when you need it. You can pre-box and prestamp the parcels so all your friend has to do is mail them to you on time. It's not hard, and it's not that expensive. But leaving Springer Mountian with a pound and a half of maps, including some you won't actually be needing for two months is kind of a crazy thing to do.

Erick, if you look at the "Articles" section of this website, you'll see information on maildrops and re-supply that might help you, and may give you some ideas on the best places to send yourself mail.

[Blissful]

All I can say, another 16 yr old looking to thru hike...Fantastic!!!! Go for it!!

But get as much info as you can by reading the threads and articles. Many people here with great wisdom.

[_terrapin_]

FWIW and by-the-way... since the map sets are kind of expensive... I usually send the "used" maps home when I pick up a new set at the PO. Just a thought. I'd prefer not to do mail drops at all, but maps kinda made them necessary (about once every 10 days/150 miles or so.)

[ErickP]

yeah, I know its kind off weird to carry 1/3 of the maps, but I really want to avoid maildrops as much as possible, and I don't mind the weight. Thanks for the info L.W.

[Lone Wolf]

yeah, I know its kind off weird to carry 1/3 of the maps, but I really want to avoid maildrops as much as possible, and I don't mind the weight. Thanks for the info L.W.

you're welcome

[A-Train]

Here's another idea: Use a bounce bucket, that way you don't need to do much maildrop preparation or bother friends and family with helping you out. Start with the GA map and mail your bucket with all the maps to Hiawassee, then continue sending the bucket up the trail to the next place it seems logical to need new maps. I'd carry 2-3 maps at a time as to not having to deal with the bucket pick up every week. Just re-tape the lid each time you re-mail. And, if you don't open the bucket, or don't make it to a particular town, or decide to skip you can forward it for free.

If you do decide to do this, make sure you send it to a place that will send out mail. Of course PO's mail stuff, as do most outfitters, but a place like a hostel will probably not be able to send outgoing packages.

[Lone Wolf]

he wants to carry the maps

[map man]

LW mentioned Catawba VA as about 1/3rd of the way. Kent CT is about 2/3rds of the way. Has the reputation of being a pricey place for lodging and some other stuff (it has a full-service grocery -- maybe others here know if it is as expensive as a lot of the other shops in Kent), but the PO is within a mile of the trail. A couple other CT towns with POs within a mile of the trail but without full-blown grocery stores, according to the AT Companion, are Cornwall Bridge and Falls Village.

[Pedaling Fool]

I had 4 maildrops for maps:
Damascus, Va.
Harpers Ferry, W. Va.
Delaware Water Gap, Pa.
Noth Adams, Ma.

[ErickP]

ok, I read through my companion and came up with this:
Damascus or Catawba in VA
Harpers Ferry
Kent or Salisbury, CT
It should be roughly a pound of maps at a time and I will mail the used ones home whenever its handy

[Lone Wolf]

looks good.

[Uncle Silly]

...And, if you don't open the bucket, or don't make it to a particular town, or decide to skip you can forward it for free.

If you do decide to do this, make sure you send it to a place that will send out mail. Of course PO's mail stuff, as do most outfitters, but a place like a hostel will probably not be able to send outgoing packages.

Note that the PO won't forward for free if the package is delivered to anything other than the PO. Send the bounce bucket (wouldn't a box be lighter, thus cheaper?) to yourself at "General Delivery" at the PO, then you can call from anywhere to have it forwarded.

I believe the free forwarding may also be limited to Priority Mail packages; is this correct?

[A-Train]

Uncle Silly:

You are correct. The mail has to be sent priority, but often times that cost is the same as parcel post. Also, of course the package has to be sent to a PO to be forwarded for free. But if you knew you were sending it to a town like Hot Springs where you would definately use the contents, you COULD send it to Bluff Mountain Outfitters who could mail something for you on a saturday or sunday.

The reasoning behind the bucket is this (copied this from Chris, who use to often post on WB): The Bucket will last the entire trip, where a box is gonna get tattered and ripped after a couple mailings. Also you don't need to worry about things getting destroyed or knocked around enroute. It makes ur package really easy to find instead of blending in with 30 other hiker boxes (this doesn;t work on the PCT anymore) and you've got a seat to sit on when in town doing chores!

[SGT Rock]

As I recall, the average weight of the maps (they very quite a bit) is about 1.6 ounces, and I think there are about 34 maps. So that means you are carrying about 8.5 maps per 1/4 trail - or about 14 ounces of maps. So you are going to be carrying close to a pound of maps at any given time. Just something to be thinking about.

[Uncle Silly]

As I recall, the average weight of the maps (they very quite a bit) is about 1.6 ounces, and I think there are about 34 maps. So that means you are carrying about 8.5 maps per 1/4 trail - or about 14 ounces of maps. So you are going to be carrying close to a pound of maps at any given time. Just something to be thinking about.

Even so, that weight will drop regularly over the course of that 1/4 trail, as he'll be discarding (or more likely, mailing home) the maps he's done with as he finishes them.

It's not a bad way to do it, if your goal is to keep maildrops to a minimum. You and I would suck it up and use more maildrops. (And he might also.)

BTW, I think 1 lb per 1/4 of the trail is a very optomistic estimate. I haven't done the weighing myself yet, but I'd expect closer to 2 lbs for each 1/4, maybe 3 (worst-case guesstimate).

[SGT Rock]

Even so, that weight will drop regularly over the course of that 1/4 trail, as he'll be discarding (or more likely, mailing home) the maps he's done with as he finishes them.

It's not a bad way to do it, if your goal is to keep maildrops to a minimum. You and I would suck it up and use more maildrops. (And he might also.)

BTW, I think 1 lb per 1/4 of the trail is a very optomistic estimate. I haven't done the weighing myself yet, but I'd expect closer to 2 lbs for each 1/4, maybe 3 (worst-case guesstimate).

I did do the weighing - I just don't have the exact numbers in front of me. But like I said, something like 34 maps, and I know the average weight is 1.6 ounces. So that means the total weight of all maps is 3.4 pounds.

[warraghiyagey]

I did do the weighing - I just don't have the exact numbers in front of me. But like I said, something like 34 maps, and I know the average weight is 1.6 ounces. So that means the total weight of all maps is 3.4 pounds.

Yeah, I definitely can't see starting out with over a pound of maps.