View Full Version : Bounce boxes ???
Can someone please explain these to me? I've looked online, seemingly everywhere, but it never really explains it to someone who has never heard of them before.
A bounce box is used by some hikers to send items that they might need at town stops but do not want to carry with them while on the trail. For example, I have used bounce boxes in the past to send items such as chargers for electronics, a shaving kit (I'm not into the wild man look), extra batteries, town clothes, extra food, extra sunscreen, extra gear and similar things between towns. If you send your bounce box via Priority Mail to a USPS and it turns out that you do not need the box in that town, you can have the post office forward the box to the next town as long as you do not take possession of the box.
Although having a bounce box was nice in certain situations in the past, I am no longer planning to use one because of the cost and possible hassle factor. Even using priority mail regional rate boxes (cheaper than flat rate for short distances), it costs about $8 to send a box from one town to another. That can add up quickly on a longer hike. Also, you have to deal with the possibility of a post office being closed when you arrive in town making it impossible to receive the box (if you sent it to the PO) or to bounce it ahead, whether or not you are receiving it at a PO.
I think that it will turn out to be cheaper to simply buy things in town that I might normally include in a bounce box, like shaving supplies and just throw them out if I don't want to carry them on the trail. I've learned to live without town clothes and I'm better at planning my stops so as to not need most items in the bounce box.
A bounce box is used by some hikers to send items that they might need at town stops but do not want to carry with them while on the trail. For example, I have used bounce boxes in the past to send items such as chargers for electronics, a shaving kit (I'm not into the wild man look), extra batteries, town clothes, extra food, extra sunscreen, extra gear and similar things between towns. If you send your bounce box via Priority Mail to a USPS and it turns out that you do not need the box in that town, you can have the post office forward the box to the next town as long as you do not take possession of the box.
Although having a bounce box was nice in certain situations in the past, I am no longer planning to use one because of the cost and possible hassle factor. Even using priority mail regional rate boxes (cheaper than flat rate for short distances), it costs about $8 to send a box from one town to another. That can add up quickly on a longer hike. Also, you have to deal with the possibility of a post office being closed when you arrive in town making it impossible to receive the box (if you sent it to the PO) or to bounce it ahead, whether or not you are receiving it at a PO.
I think that it will turn out to be cheaper to simply buy things in town that I might normally include in a bounce box, like shaving supplies and just throw them out if I don't want to carry them on the trail. I've learned to live without town clothes and I'm better at planning my stops so as to not need most items in the bounce box.
Oh! So are you charged by size or weight of the box? Or neither?
Oh! So are you charged by size or weight of the box? Or neither?
If you ship priority mail, you can choose to use either flat rate or regional rate. Flat rate is just that, a flat rate, for sending a small, medium or large box. A medium is about $12 and a large runs $16, with small discounts for printing postage online. Regional rate is very much like flat rate except the rate is higher as the distance increases. I believe there is a 20 pound limit for Regional Rate B boxes which I like to use. Regional Rate B boxes are almost the size of a large priority mail box but about half the cost fora typical bounce of 100 miles or so.
For both flat rate priority mail and regional rate, the USPS provides the box. For flat rate, you can get the box at most post offices. Regional rate boxes are generally not stocked at post offices but can be ordered from usps.com for free.
If you ship priority mail, you can choose to use either flat rate or regional rate. Flat rate is just that, a flat rate, for sending a small, medium or large box. A medium is about $12 and a large runs $16, with small discounts for printing postage online. Regional rate is very much like flat rate except the rate is higher as the distance increases. I believe there is a 20 pound limit for Regional Rate B boxes which I like to use. Regional Rate B boxes are almost the size of a large priority mail box but about half the cost fora typical bounce of 100 miles or so.
Oh wow, ok! Good to know, thank you :)
As a past thru-hiker my advise to you would be don't bother using a bounce box. The only exception would be; You have no one back home to send you winter gear or something else from home. If you have special medical supplies, ie. prescription drugs. Other than that all stuff that hikers need is normaly available in trail towns along the way. A bounce box can become expensive to use and a hassle having to go to the P.O. in some locations.
Cut your ties to the outside world, off trail, and you will enjoy your hike more.