Resupply of bulk items

[TwoRoads]

I'm pretty comfortable with resupply options for most things, but I'd like to ask how different people have handled resupply of items that usually come in bulk? I'm thinking I'm thinking items like plastic bags, insect repellant (I've usually just taken what I've needed on my section hikes), and toilet paper. I'm thinking giving and taking from hiker boxes can possibly address these items sometimes, but what else?

[LDog]

I'm pretty comfortable with resupply options for most things, but I'd like to ask how different people have handled resupply of items that usually come in bulk?

I use a bounce box primarily for dehydrated veggies and beans. But I also stock it with some of the things you’re talking about. I put a goodly number of pint sized freezer baggies for repackaging food. Some gallon baggies for trash. A few tent pegs....

I hit town, pick up my box. After resupplying at a grocery store, I’ll repackage everything going in my food bag. Anything I bought that’s excess to my immediate needs goes in the bounce box to be mailed forward.

This takes a bit of planning, and most choose not to deal with it. P.O. closings on weekends have to be factored in. One quickly figures out pace, and how long it’s going to take to get to the next town, and can decide whether to send the box there, or to skip it on up the trail ..

Good luck with your hike

[KDogg]

Go in on baggies with a few hiking friends. Don't bounce them forward. Good grief. They are cheap. Put the ones you don't use in a hiker box. BTW, we found that the store brands were better and lasted longer than Ziploc brand.

[moldy]

This is not much of a problem on the trail. Hiker boxes solve most of it and your trail family provides the rest.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

This is not much of a problem on the trail. Hiker boxes solve most of it and your trail family provides the rest.
And the grasshopper who fails to prepare ends up out in the cold.

[Slo-go'en]

You can usually find small packages of ziplocks, like a 20 or 25 count pack. If I need to buy new ziplocks, I'll replace all of the ones in my bag and that uses up most of the 20. I may or may not hang onto any extras.

Insect repellent comes in individual sized containers. No need to carry the family sized can. I treat my pants, socks and pack with Permethrin to repel ticks, but otherwise don't use repellent. If the bugs are that bad, wear a long sleeve shirt and a head net.

For TP, I replenish a little at a time when I come across a bulk supply, like at a McDonalds or similar public rest room or motel room. Don't need much, just roll up 10-15 feet or so. Just don't take the whole roll. Yes, I'm a TP thief, sue me.

Coleman sells packages of 3 small rolls of campers TP. It could be worth carrying one roll out of that package to use as an emergency back up.

[trailmercury]

Yes, I'm a TP thief, sue me.


As our Ross from friends would say "its factored into the price of the room!!!"

[Bronk]

If it comes in a package of 10 and you only need 5, you simply dispose of the 5 you don't need. Don't over think it. Sometimes you will find what you need in a hiker box. Don't subscribe to the idea that a hiker box is some kind of soup kitchen or homeless shelter or charity that should only be utilized by poor hikers. Its a medium of exchange and a way to avoid waste...its saying "hey everybody, if nobody wants this I'm going to throw it away." The person who bought a package of 10 ziploc bags and put 5 of them in a hiker box simply didn't need all of them and didn't want to throw away what they didn't need. A lot of stuff put into hiker boxes ends up being thrown away anyway, so if you can use it, go ahead and take it.

[evyck da fleet]

I buy what I need and offer the excess to others at the hostel. Usually other hikers are carrying something small they don’t need and offer something in return. An extra dollar on TP or baggies isn’t going to kill me and might help someone else.

[TwoRoads]

Thanks for all the really helpful replies. Also, my wife, (the practical one), introduced me to the travel/sample section of a lot of stores. Who knew? Anyway, I'm a lot more comfortable with different ways to manage these things. I wasn't sure how helpful the hikers' boxes would be, but it sounds like it's very helpful. I loved the reference to "it's a medium of exchange." I also have decided to use a bounce box, but only initially, as I have some extra supplies from previous section hikes that I can put to use. After that, I plan on relying on bounce boxes and mail drops very minimally. I had to laugh at the thought of toilet paper embezzling (especially since it's endorsed by Ross), but might just succumb to the temptation myself in a pinch. I'm 12 days away from starting my thru-hike, and planning on departure from Front Royal. Thanks again, as always, for all the experienced hiker wisdom.