View Full Version : Lonesome trips to the post office
I'm getting ready for my solo thru-hike (Feb. 28 looks to be the start date) and I still can't decide whether or not I want to do frequent mail-drops or use a bounce box. My main concern is this: I will be hiking along, everything is going great, I've met tons of people who I'm hiking with, and in the middle of it all, I'll have to leave them and take time off from the trail to re-route my trip to go to some random town because I've sent a mail drop there! I would do mail-drops and use a bounce box, but I'm worried that they may end up becoming more of a burden than a convenience. Are my fears well founded? Or should I just suck it up and learn to insert some structure and organization into my trip?
Kerosene
02-01-2007, 14:02
Bounce box. You'll be leap-frogging your new friends all the way up the trail, and they're going to be getting off periodically to re-supply. At least with a bounce box you can better estimate where you want to stop next once you get in shape.
You can hike the AT with a lot of prep, or with very little. Frankly I think it depends on the type of person and what the degree of uncertainty they're comfortable with. To me, a bounce box gives you the best of both.
[Disclaimer: I'm a long-time section hiker, but I stayed with a thru-hiker once at a Holiday Inn! :D]
Footslogger
02-01-2007, 14:07
I'm getting ready for my solo thru-hike (Feb. 28 looks to be the start date) and I still can't decide whether or not I want to do frequent mail-drops or use a bounce box. My main concern is this: I will be hiking along, everything is going great, I've met tons of people who I'm hiking with, and in the middle of it all, I'll have to leave them and take time off from the trail to re-route my trip to go to some random town because I've sent a mail drop there! I would do mail-drops and use a bounce box, but I'm worried that they may end up becoming more of a burden than a convenience. Are my fears well founded? Or should I just suck it up and learn to insert some structure and organization into my trip?
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Here's one suggestion and what I did in 2003. First and foremost, regardless of whether you have mail drops or a bounce box ...SEND IT PRIORITY MAIL. Next, I carried with me the telephone number for all Post Offices along the trail. If I was coming close to a town where I had a box, but realized I didn't need it and didn't want to make the stop, I called the Post Office and had them push it up the trail to the next or after next Post Office.
Ended up doing that about 3, maybe 4 times and never had any problems with it. As long as the box is not openned and you used Priority Mail service the Post Office will forward the box at no charge.
'Slogger
SalParadise
02-01-2007, 14:28
the friends you make, whether they themselves are doing the post office thing, are likely going to end up in the same towns as you, anyway. The only times you may get held back is if you need your package and you're getting in town Saturday evening.
getting three or four days ahead or behind a group of friends you've been hiking with is very normal and to be expected, no matter what supply system you're using. don't sweat it much. use whatever system will work best for you.
G.H.O.S.T.
02-01-2007, 14:59
I have been using mail drops the whole way so far and its been great... But only because I have a great support team at hope. My parents have been packing my boxes each week, so I have been able to change food, supplies, ect. If they weren't able/willing to do this I think the boxes would be more of a headach than they were worth.
The Solemates
02-01-2007, 15:05
If you are that worried about losing your friends and being alone, you need to reassess your trip/intentions in the first place.
Why do either. You don't need mail drops or a bounce box. First of all if you packaged food for mail drops before you start you probably want to eat half the stuff you will be sending to yourself. Go to any PO along the trail, during hiking season, and see what's in the hiker box. It's all stuff the hiker couldn't take or give away. It's no problem to by food along the way. You can buy as much as you need and most of the time what you want in the trail towns. With a few exceptions, special needs, a bounce box is not necessary. Again anything you need, just by along the way.
The less you are dependant on someone else, ie., the Post Office, the better you will enjoy your hike.
Stuff like winter to summer gear changes may be required and it is nice to get a package from hom, once in a while but other than that try to be as indipendant as possiable when doing a thru.:)
Retriever
02-01-2007, 21:35
Thanks for the advice, Footslogger. Didn't know the PO would do that. Retriever (Tom)
Jack Tarlin
02-01-2007, 22:09
Sal is right.....you gotta remember that your friends will be going into town or going to the Post Office, too. And oftentimes, this'll be going into the same towns as you, and will be spending as much time there as you do, so you won't be falling behind them.
The other thing is that you'll always know who's just ahead of you and who's right behind, and you'll jockey back and forth all the time. You might fall half a day or a day behind some friends, but pretty soon, they'll make a pit stop somewhere and you'll catch right up to them. You can always tell by the register books in a shelter who's ahead of you and how far ahead they are; therefore, if you're willing to do a coupple of big-mileage days, you can catch up with people if you want.
If you're really concerned about making too many stops or getting delayed when you do stop, there are ways to get around this....travel light; it'll enable you to carry extra food if you wish, make bigger mileage each day, and perhaps make fewer town stops. Another way to make up time is to just go into a town, get your mail, do your town stuff and errands,and GET OUT of town and back into the woods. By not staying overnight, you'll be back on the Trail hiking first thing in the morning; in most cases, when you leave a town after overnighting in it, you don't start hiking til late in the morning.
Also, try and send as many parcels as possible to NON Post Office locations such as Trail hostels or Outfitters. These places are open 7 days a week, including holdidays, so you'll never have to worry about arriving at a place and not being able to get your mail. These alternative mailing locations can be found in the Thru-Hikers Companion or Handbook.
Also, if you look in the "Articles" section of this website, you'll find all sorts of info on Re-Supply, the best places to do it, info on sending and receiving mail while hiking, etc. You might find some of this stuff useful.
SalParadise
02-01-2007, 23:06
yes yes, definitely check out the articles section here. Jack has an article up on the availability or lack thereof of resupply in town. That will definitely help you to plan whether you want a package sent there or not (and maybe save you some money, too).
If my own experience makes a difference to you, I hiked with zero packages sent to me and had friends who relied exclusively on them, and at no point did it alter anyone's schedules (I hiked about 1,200 miles with that group, give or take).
I also had made a terrific and close group of friends by New England and we liked to hang out together, but packages aside, we still all had our different hiking styles and paces and were often two or three days apart.
all the best on your hike. Katahdin is awesome.
Also, if you look in the "Articles" section of this website, you'll find all sorts of info on Re-Supply, the best places to do it, info on sending and receiving mail while hiking, etc. You might find some of this stuff useful.
Jack is being modest. His article on resupply and timing is awesome. Don't miss it.