View Full Version : Buy as you go or pre-plan?
I have now entered the age old debate of whether to pre-plan mail drops or to use the plan as you go method. What do you all think? What have you found to be an effective way of executing food resupply?
Thanks,
Kirby
Jack Tarlin
12-04-2007, 21:23
You can buy as you go for almost the entire Trail. Unless you're on some sort of specialized diet you won't need to send yourself food. There are a handful of places where it makes sense to have some food mailed. These places are discussed in my Re-Supply article in the Articles section of this website.
Lone Wolf
12-04-2007, 21:29
I have now entered the age old debate of whether to pre-plan mail drops or to use the plan as you go method. What do you all think? What have you found to be an effective way of executing food resupply?
Thanks,
Kirby
no brainer. buy as you go. you might not make it past neel gap. pretty dumb to pre- purchase food for the whole trip. plus you WILL get sick of the crap you did send yourself by damascus. i know what i'm talking about.
Just a Hiker
12-04-2007, 21:30
Buying as you go gives you the luxury of a bit more variety and you won't be a slave to the Post Office either.
Just Jim
Kaptain Kangaroo
12-04-2007, 21:30
I agree with Jack, you can buy as you go. I did not have any mail drops at all on my thru. It did mean that the food selection was a little limited in some places (see Jack's resupply article) but it worked really well for me as I am not a fussy eater.
My best piece of advice for planning would be to plan to be flexible. It's often a lot different out on the trail from what you expect & you might change your preferences on lots of things. Try not to tie yourself into any particular method or you might find you have wasted a lot of money and/or time.
Cheers,
Kaptain Kangaroo
DuctTape
12-04-2007, 21:30
Buy food as you go.
Appalachian Tater
12-04-2007, 21:31
You can actually buy as you go the whole trail if you're willing to accept lean pickings a couple of times or plan around them. A lot of people get drops in Harper's Ferry because it is convenient to have them at the ATC office but you can flag down a bus on the main street and it takes you straight to a huge super WalMart, dollar store, laundry, etc. Fontana Dam isn't a bad place to get a drop because the store there is weird, but it's certainly not absolutely necessary. There are a couple of other places like that. I did zero food drops, seasonal gear only.
Jack Tarlin
12-04-2007, 21:36
Advantages to buying as you go:
1. Less waste, as you'll have a better idea of what your needs actually are.
Most people tend to put too much stuff in food maildrops and this stuff
gets given away or thrown out. Or you end up leaving a town with a
heavy pack because you DON'T throw stuff out or give it away. Either
way, you lose.
2. You won't be stuck eating food you've grown sick and tired of; lots of folks
get totally sick of some, if not most of their food.....they never want to
see another Lipton or another Pop Tart or whatever. But they're stuck
with the stuff, unless they want to throw it all out and replace it with
stuff they actually want to eat, and this is expensive.
3. You'll be able to see what other hikers are buying and may wish to
emulate them and try something new. If all your stuff is pre-bought,
you're essentially stuck with it.
4. You'll save on postage. Why spend lots of money mailing yourself food
to places where there are perfectly good food markets?
5. The fewer packages you send yourself, the less chance you'll lose one.
If you rely on tons of maildrops, sooner or later one will go missing.
6. Likewise, you'll have fewer dashes to town in order to get to the Post
Office before it closes.
7. Your food will be fresher. The box you pack in late February might not
get eaten for seven months!
8. If you shop as you go, you can shop with other hikers and have communal
meals, which is fun.
9. Maildrops tend to get boring, as they're all pretty similar. When you
actually go food shopping instead, you have all sorts of options, and are
likely to eat healthier too, with fresh fruit, vegetables, etc.
A hiker over the weekend told me that planning as you go works best. He told me that I should plan as I go, and send mail drops ahead to myself from different places along the trail if the pickings are slim. This seems like an effective method to me. I like the idea of planning as I go, and sending food from one point on the trail to another point on the trail where buying food might not be a great option.
Hey Jack, great article! Very helpful, that was what convinced me to consider planning as I go, seems like a idea that would work for me.
Kirby
I tried purchasing food ahead, getting good bulk deals, packaging, then receiving mail drops when I was on my cross-country trip. I made it through about 1/8 of the mail drops before I was sick of most everything in them. You will also not be very good at estimating how much of everything you will eat. Your body will need, and thus crave, different nutrients at different times, plus the same food day after day gets real boring, especially when you are seeing other people eating and buying what they want, when they want.
My advice:
1) Purchase your food as you go. May be more expensive, but not as expensive as throwing out most of what you sent to yourself, or just not bothering with all the pre-planned food drops and returning home to a stack of trail food waiting for you. Plus, this is by far the easiest method.
Or, if you still want food drops:
2) Do not plan to drop ALL of your food. Just plan to send yourself the difficult to find things some people like (smoked oysters, canned crab, specialty soups or sauces, home dehydrated entrees, etc.) or the things that you KNOW you will not tire of (Snickers, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, M&Ms, tuna, Mac & Cheese, etc.). This way you can still purchase the unusual or new things your crave without feeling guilty about wasting the food you already bought.
My $0.02 worth.
Appalachian Tater
12-04-2007, 21:47
Kirby, Jack's article is excellent. He knows his stuff. I carried the entire article and discarded as I went. The night before you go into town, take inventory of any food you have left, use his guide to figure out how many days resupply you need, and make a shopping list. For what you were planning to pay for drops, you could eat like a king. (At least like a thru-hiking king.) After a couple of resupplies, you become very proficient at choosing what you will want to eat.
Also, always carry some extra food, at least a couple of packs of ramen, in case you are delayed. You might twist your ankle or have bad weather and want to hole up in a shelter for a day, or you might like a spot and want to camp there even though it's early in the day.
Also, your tastes may change. Sweet food may appeal during the winter, things like peanut butter cups, M&Ms, and Little Debbie fudge rounds. Then in the summer you may want salty things, like ramen, chips, and those little packs of orange crackers made into peanut butter sandwiches.
It's all about flexibility and freedom.
SGT Rock
12-04-2007, 21:48
Kirby - a thought to the plan as you go idea that I have picked up on from Mags. In those few places that would be easier to mail drop in based on Jack's article, you can buy in one town along the trail and mail that drop to yourself at the hard to resupply town. That way your buy is done with what you like at the time closer to when you are going to get that drop. Makes sense to me and I don't know why it has never been suggested for an AT thru-hike until recently.
Another thought for these sorts of places is keeping in touch with family back home. I've used BJs articles and talked to people here about what I was planning to do for food drops in a few locations and I think I am down to two food drops for my hike plan - and my wife will get those foods from the grocery store right before she mails them based on what I ask her to get close to time. Your parents could do the same if you find a place on the trail you think you might want to do a mail drop at.
Chaco Taco
12-04-2007, 22:16
Man, good luck you guys.
Man, good luck you guys.
Do you disagree with a statement made before yours? I am curious your take if you do.
Kirby
Jack Tarlin
12-04-2007, 22:45
Actually, Rock's idea is a very good one. For example, if you're planning to send yourself food in Harpers Ferry, don't buy it now. Buy it instead in say, Waynesboro, ten days before you get to Harpers. You'll have a much better idea of what sort of food you like to eat; how much you'll need each day; and it'll even be cheaper to mail.
Likewise you can put together your Northern New England food drops (if any) in Hanover or Gorham; etc. But buying food in advance that you're not gonna be eating for half a year is sorta scary.
Chaco Taco
12-04-2007, 22:46
Well, Im planning on doing buy as you go and may throw some drops in. I like the idea of not having it set in stone what you are going to eat. I get sick of things quickly. I like the idea of not spending money on postage. I ike Rocks idea about getting info out to family. Sometimes I get cravings and cant find them near the trail. I feel like maybe a drop or two could be a good morale booster. It feels good to get things from home. I plan on leaving drops with people that are close to me and letting them seal up the drop in case they want to throw in something special to surprise me. In terms of convinience, I think buy as you go is easier but thats just me.
And Jack's article is awesome when it comes to this.
The Old Fhart
12-04-2007, 23:01
Other than item you can't find along the trail, I say buy locally. Higher priced sometimes in smaller stores but without the postage, it is probably about the same.
One big reason to buy local that I didn't see mentioned is that buying locally helps support the people along the trail who are helping us.
Going contrary here (what else is new). Kirby, since you're young, I'm sure your parents are going to worry. Mail drops are fine, especially if you sent them to hostels and such that are open 24/7. Assuming they won't mind, doing maildrops gives your parents a chance to get involved. If you're inclined make it a family thing...
Places I'd send drops to if/when I hike again:
Fontana Dam (supposing I decided not to visit the Hoch's again)
Harpers Ferry, WV (Sent to ATC office)
Port Clinton PA (Though this can be avoided with some extra time spent hitching)
I'd consider sending a box to Bear Mtn if I didn't live in the area.
The method Rock mentions that Mags and I have discussed here before is effective. It's wildly popular on the PCT, not sure why it hasn't really caught on in the AT community. Saves a lot of time and money, though can create some headache if you try to assemble multiple drops in a trail town
Buy as you go for food.
Mail drop maps and gear to yourself. This also gives parents a chance to sneak goodies into your maildrop, which is nice.
I did the create your own mail drop en route for Bear Mountain. I bought it in the town 3 miles from Delaware Water Gap. (Name slips my mind at the moment). I wound up with too much food because of delis and an unplanned party along the way!
Also, if you buy along the way, you can economize by raiding hiker boxes before you hit grocery stores. You'll get plenty of Liptons and rice along the way!
I'm only doing one food drop, Harpers Ferry, and only because I'm already mailing maps there.
Blissful
12-05-2007, 00:41
A combination is good. Cheese, bread, snacky stuff for lunches etc you can buy.
We did mail drops and it worked great for us. Ate better, esp at night. Better nutrition with pre-prepared dinners from the ATC cookbook, homemade granola, bars, etc rather than the picking of potatoes and stuffing and ramen that everyone was eating (ugh. And THAT gets tiring mighty fast. I still won't eat the junk.). When we relied on buying food up north like in ME -we suffered (I dropped boatloads of weight). And getting your family and relatives involved in sending surprises is a great thing too. You can schedule different family members to send at different times the food you need. They would probably love being a part.
And worrying about getting your drop at the PO on weekends is really a non issue. There are hostels, motels, outfitters, etc. that accept mail drops.
Jack Tarlin
12-05-2007, 00:53
And there are lots of places where hikers get mail where there aren't any hostels or outfitters around, or the hostel is way out of the way (like Maine for example), forcing the hiker to use a Post Office. Just about every hiker can tell a horror story about having to dash for their mail, or worse, getting to a P.O. too late. I wouldn't call this a non-issue at all. If it's something that's happened to every single hiker that relied on maildrops, then it's definitely an issue, and something to think about. The fewer the maildrops, the fewer the problems.
warraghiyagey
12-05-2007, 02:54
Buy as you go, for sure. With that said, having done Maine to Mass in 06 I mailed my food drops in Maine in 07 because I knew there were slim and costly pickins in the Maine stops. And if you send your food in Maine send it to the hostels not the Post Office.
Shaws - Monson
Stratton Hotel - Stratton
Pine Ellis (if they're open in 08) - Andover
After these towns the larger less expensive stores are easier to get to starting in Gorham.
Lone Wolf
12-05-2007, 06:22
And worrying about getting your drop at the PO on weekends is really a non issue. There are hostels, motels, outfitters, etc. that accept mail drops.
that's all well and good if you stay at the hostels, motels or buy stuff at the outfitters. sending stuff and not patronizing the business ain't right
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-05-2007, 06:39
Going contrary here (what else is new). Kirby, since you're young, I'm sure your parents are going to worry. Mail drops are fine, especially if you sent them to hostels and such that are open 24/7. Assuming they won't mind, doing maildrops gives your parents a chance to get involved. If you're inclined make it a family thing...
A combination is good. Cheese, bread, snacky stuff for lunches etc you can buy.
We did mail drops and it worked great for us. Ate better, esp at night. Better nutrition with pre-prepared dinners from the ATC cookbook, homemade granola, bars, etc rather than the picking of potatoes and stuffing and ramen that everyone was eating (ugh. And THAT gets tiring mighty fast. I still won't eat the junk.). When we relied on buying food up north like in ME -we suffered (I dropped boatloads of weight). And getting your family and relatives involved in sending surprises is a great thing too. You can schedule different family members to send at different times the food you need. They would probably love being a part.
And worrying about getting your drop at the PO on weekends is really a non issue. There are hostels, motels, outfitters, etc. that accept mail drops.I don't feel there is a single right answer to this question for every hiker any more than I believe there is a single sleeping bag or backpack that's right for everyone. The answer has to fit your hiking style, your social circumstances and your food preferences.
My observations having read many of Kirby's entries here and on Trail Journals - his family will need to be as involved as possible for their peace of mind and he is a thin young man who at age 16 is still growing (he needs quality nutrition - not tons of junk - and plenty of calories). That said, I would recommend extensive use of mail drops in his situation.
Kirby, you could use a variation of the mail-drop system Rock recommends by calling your Dad with a list of what needs to be in the next mail drop.
Check postage rates. Flat rate boxes are $10+.
$10+. But then they need new buildings...
Appalachian Tater
12-05-2007, 08:32
Buy as you go, for sure. With that said, having done Maine to Mass in 06 I mailed my food drops in Maine in 07 because I knew there were slim and costly pickins in the Maine stops. And if you send your food in Maine send it to the hostels not the Post Office.
Shaws - Monson
Stratton Hotel - Stratton
Pine Ellis (if they're open in 08) - Andover
After these towns the larger less expensive stores are easier to get to starting in Gorham.
Gorham has several full-service grocery stores. Rangely has a nice grocery store. One town over from Monson is a fine grocery store and there are plenty of people driving over there from Shaw's. I didn't even ask for a ride, it was offered. These towns are approximately 100 miles or a week apart and there are a couple of places to supplement inbetween. You don't NEED drops in Maine unless you are on a special diet.
With the cost of postage, I find it hard to imagine that anyone is saving much money with maildrops. Certainly any saving is not worth the trouble if you're eating Lipton's, ramen, and other readily-available hiker food.
Lone Wolf
12-05-2007, 08:34
You don't NEED drops in Maine unless you are on a special diet.
With the cost of postage, I find it hard to imagine that anyone is saving much money with maildrops. Certainly any saving is not worth the trouble if you're eating Lipton's, ramen, and other readily-available hiker food.
i agree
I vote for buy as you go. This way you don't have to get to a PO by Noon or what ever the closing hour is on Saturday. Gives you more freedom. You can also visit or skip a town as the spirit moves you.
David
that's all well and good if you stay at the hostels, motels or buy stuff at the outfitters. sending stuff and not patronizing the business ain't right
That's a great point. Always offer the bizness a couple bucks as a token of your appreciation if you don't use their services. Face it, dealing with our hiker boxes can be a nuisance, and many people don't ask any money for their trouble organizing/storing/shipping, etc.
Would food choice and cooking style affect the answer? If he was doing a lot of Freezer bag cooking (don't know if that is an issue but one that came to mind) would that make mail drops more preferable?
Check postage rates. Flat rate boxes are $10+.
$10+. But then they need new buildings...
The two Flat Rate boxes are $8.95. That inlcudes anywhere in the US and also to APO/FPO address's. They went up this year from $8.10. They raise it about every 2 years cost wise.
warraghiyagey
12-05-2007, 16:19
Gorham has several full-service grocery stores. Rangely has a nice grocery store. One town over from Monson is a fine grocery store and there are plenty of people driving over there from Shaw's. I didn't even ask for a ride, it was offered. These towns are approximately 100 miles or a week apart and there are a couple of places to supplement inbetween. You don't NEED drops in Maine unless you are on a special diet.
With the cost of postage, I find it hard to imagine that anyone is saving much money with maildrops. Certainly any saving is not worth the trouble if you're eating Lipton's, ramen, and other readily-available hiker food.
i agree
Didn't say I needed to. I opted to. But I patronized the local businesses alsos.
My dad will be involved, but he has expressed to me, with all the love in his heart, that he worries that there could be that one time when putting the box in the mail slips his mind, which is a perfectly valid point. I was glad he told me this before I hunkered down with him being fully involved. He has expressed 100% willingness to meet me on trail and send things along as he wants, but he has expressed a desire not to be involved with the mail drops, which I respect. he says he will visit me in Harper's Ferry though.
It seems to me the plan as you go method would work best. I could create mail drops as I go for where they are needed, and buy food when in towns when I don't need mail drops.
Kirby
SGT Rock
12-05-2007, 19:29
Excellent thought process for your re-supply strategy. I suggest you highlight the places in your guide (I assume you are using the Thru-Hikers Hanbook or something like it) where you need to send a drop from and where you need to send it to based on what you see in Jack's resupply article. That way it is present in your mind while you are there where you need to buy at and where you are sending it to.
Thanks everyone. Over the coming months leading up to my hike I will use Jack's article to plan out my where I need mail drops, and where they should be sent from.
hey Jack,
will you be updating that early next year for any major changes, or do you think the current edition is good to print out and carry?
Post number 800!:)
Kirby
Jack Tarlin
12-05-2007, 19:43
I don't know yet. Right now, there don't seem to be a whole lot of changes, tho several people have quite rightly mentioned that I omitted a few places in Pensylvania and the mid-Atlantic. I haven't hiked this section in its entirety since 2003 so I was bound to miss a few places.
Updating the whole article takes a lot of time and might not be really necessary, Kirby. I think about 99% of it is still pretty accurate.
Will get back to you on the remainder! :D
P.S. If anyone who hiked this year wants to point out any additions, omissions, errors, or whatever in the Article, please do so! This info will be included in the next revision.
Thanks for the information Jack.
Kirby
Blissful
12-05-2007, 19:58
sending stuff and not patronizing the business ain't right
Are you kidding? So now we are responsible as hikers to make sure the grocery stores are in business by not sending ourselves mail drops? You mean if I don't do the real hiker thing and take two hours out of my day to hitch rides to the store to spend three dollars on a box on mac and cheese they are going to suffer and I am not a tried and true AT hiker who cares? Sorry, but I felt my health in eating the right balance of food and finishing this hike I spent thirty years dreaming were more important than dumping money for overpriced ramen and lipton noodles into a grocery store's pocket. And I don't need to give anyone an account of how I spent my money in trail towns. Suffice it to say, me and PB spent plenty, thanks, without shopping for dinner noodles at grocery stores.
I gave Kirby my side of the story and what we did- which was a COMBINATION of buying and spending as an alternative to the shop only crowd. And my plans did work...until the PO lost our boxes in ME. The stores I'm sure were glad to get my money then, but my health wasn't.
hopefulhiker
12-05-2007, 19:59
I used a lot of mail drops in 05. My wife and I dehydrated a bunch of really good gourmet style backpacker food, fresh fruit, beef jerky and fruit roll ups and vacuum packed it. It saved weight and was a lot better than some of the store bought food, like Ramon noodles all the time.
But I also bought fresh cheese and bagels for the first couple days..
Picking up mail drops can be a hassle though, like getting to the post office on a weekend and having to wait..
The two Flat Rate boxes are $8.95. That inlcudes anywhere in the US and also to APO/FPO address's. They went up this year from $8.10. They raise it about every 2 years cost wise.
My error. I bought insurance.
Programbo
12-05-2007, 20:04
Unless you have specific dietary needs or you are planning some sort of speed hike there is no need to have food packages mailed ahead or buried along the way...There are a zillion places to buy stuff along the trail or slightly off of it and most of them are use to seeing hikers come thru and thus carry all the most popular items people need
Jack Tarlin
12-05-2007, 20:06
Geez, Blissful, calm down.
I'm pretty sure (and he can correct me if I'm wrong) that Wolf was saying one shouldn't send mail to places where one isn't staying (like a motel or hostel) and if one does, it'd be a courtesy to offer the proprietor a few dollars for receiving and safeguarding your mail. That's all.
Nobody's forcing you to shop anywhere or to patronize a particular business.
On the other hand, when small communities see hikers patronizing local businesses and spending money there, it helps to make them more hiker friendly. Most small businesses appreciate the extra money and are glad to have us as customers.
And your comment about hitching 2 or 3 hours to a market is way off base. People hitch to Post Offices, too, and some of them are WAY out of the way (Troutville VA anyone? Manchester Center VT?)
Ya gottta hitch whether or not you're going to a market OR a market or a hostel, unless they happen to be right on the Trail.......and very seldom does this take 2 hours.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-05-2007, 20:25
Enough people will buy food allow the way to keep the towns happy to see us coming for that not to be a consideration. Doing mail drops is a pain and most people will not bother.
The decision on what a particular hiker does should be made according to that hiker's needs and the availability of appropriate food to meet those needs. Kirby is young enough to be adding muscle mass, having bone growth and is pretty thin from his pics on his trail journal. If he can get adequate protein, calcium, vitamins and calories from trailside options, then those are good options. If not, mail drops should be considered.
My diet and weight are a serious concern for me come my thru hike. I need to remember that when I get into town I need to drink milk, and orange juice. Eat some fruit, and try to have 1-2 salads to remain stable. As it is right now, I can eat endless amounts of food it seems. I am quite confident I will be able to find these things in towns, health and weight are top concerns when it comes to food. I will be watching my weight closely next year as I move north.
Kirby
Lone Wolf
12-05-2007, 20:57
Are you kidding? So now we are responsible as hikers to make sure the grocery stores are in business by not sending ourselves mail drops? You mean if I don't do the real hiker thing and take two hours out of my day to hitch rides to the store to spend three dollars on a box on mac and cheese they are going to suffer and I am not a tried and true AT hiker who cares? Sorry, but I felt my health in eating the right balance of food and finishing this hike I spent thirty years dreaming were more important than dumping money for overpriced ramen and lipton noodles into a grocery store's pocket. And I don't need to give anyone an account of how I spent my money in trail towns. Suffice it to say, me and PB spent plenty, thanks, without shopping for dinner noodles at grocery stores.
I gave Kirby my side of the story and what we did- which was a COMBINATION of buying and spending as an alternative to the shop only crowd. And my plans did work...until the PO lost our boxes in ME. The stores I'm sure were glad to get my money then, but my health wasn't.
uhhh, you missed the whole point. if you send yourself a box to a business, motel, hostel, outfitter, you should stay at that motel, hostel and purchase a little something from the outfitter or offer some $$ for what they do to make your 30 year dream come true. crissakes! :rolleyes:
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-05-2007, 21:11
My diet and weight are a serious concern for me come my thru hike. I need to remember that when I get into town I need to drink milk, and orange juice. Eat some fruit, and try to have 1-2 salads to remain stable. As it is right now, I can eat endless amounts of food it seems. I am quite confident I will be able to find these things in towns, health and weight are top concerns when it comes to food. I will be watching my weight closely next year as I move north.Kirby, there is a powdered milk product called Nido. It is whole milk - not the yukky skimmed powdered milk. Sometimes it is in the Hispanic part of the store and sometimes it is in the baking supplies part. Adding some of that to your ramen, lipton, mac 'n cheese, etc. will give you some additional protein and calcium. You can also use it to make instant pudding - healthy and yummy is a good combo :D.
You will also need more iron than most hikers. Eating red meat when in towns would help with that and with your B vitamins.
I've raise a few young men - I know your calorie needs are thru the roof right now. Snickers are good. Many hard cheeses travel well and don't have to be kept in the fridge - and make a tasty addition to lots of things. They are high in calories and nutritious.
I noticed most people I hiked with ,not all but most,would ditch there prepackaged items in the hiker boxes because they didnt want on the trail,what they though they would want on the trail.I and some others would shop in towns,get the supplies we needed, and send some stuff ahead to another post drop. Although,it is nice to have a home package every now and than.
mixinmaster
12-05-2007, 21:24
I did a combination also. Listen to LW and JT. Maildrops are a hassle I found. I couldn't see how the PO hours would really come into play. I mean, surely I could plan my entrance into town to coincide with their hours, I thought. Wrong !! Always rushing to beat the closing time it seemed. Always having too much or crap I thought I wanted. With the increased PO rates, I don't think you save much either. If you are dropping gear to yourself, fine, throw in a little chow, otherwise don't bother. If I make another attempt someday, I'll shop exclusively from places on the trail. The only hassle as big or bigger than the maildrops was the push to get to the library to post to an online journal. Will not do that again either.
Appalachian Tater
12-05-2007, 22:02
You will also need more iron than most hikers. Eating red meat when in towns would help with that and with your B vitamins.
Why would he need more iron than most hikers? Basically, menstruating women particularly need increased iron. Using a cast iron frying pan is an easy way to get it, unless you're hiking.
Kirby, you don't look like you have a lot of excess weight to lose. I lost 15 pounds in four weeks--0.5 pounds a day. You do need to make an effort to increase your calorie intake and should consider adding olive oil to everything from the very beginning. It is relatively healthy as far as oil goes. If you don't like the flavor, use light olive oil--the light refers only to flavor, not calories. That would give you 9 calories a gram.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-05-2007, 22:06
He will need the extra iron because of his age - his bones are still growing and he is putting on muscle mass. His need for B vitamins will also be higher.
astrogirl
12-05-2007, 22:21
I'm only doing one food drop, Harpers Ferry, and only because I'm already mailing maps there.
Are you carrying 1000 miles worth of maps from Springer? I hope I misunderstood that because that weight would really add up!
slowandlow
12-05-2007, 22:32
My diet and weight are a serious concern for me come my thru hike. I need to remember that when I get into town I need to drink milk, and orange juice. Eat some fruit, and try to have 1-2 salads to remain stable.
Kirby
I am pretty sure that after a few weeks on the trail you will eat everthing in sight when you get to town and won't need any reminders to do so.:)
Appalachian Tater
12-05-2007, 22:35
Okay, I did a little research. Children and adolescents do need extra iron because of increasing muscle mass. My store-brand multivitamin with minerals has 18mg of iron which is sufficient even for a menstruating female, because the body is pretty good about storing excess iron and recycling it from red blood cells. (Increasing bone mass would imply a need for extra calcium instead.)
In the U.S., about 10% of adolescent females are iron deficient but less than 2% of adolescent males are iron deficient. The big factor is menstruation.
Most all thru-hikers should consider taking a multivitamin with minerals. Menstruating females should make sure they are getting sufficient iron and they should make sure their levels are being checked when they get health care.
dessertrat
12-05-2007, 22:48
Okay, I did a little research. Children and adolescents do need extra iron because of increasing muscle mass. My store-brand multivitamin with minerals has 18mg of iron which is sufficient even for a menstruating female, because the body is pretty good about storing excess iron and recycling it from red blood cells. (Increasing bone mass would imply a need for extra calcium instead.)
In the U.S., about 10% of adolescent females are iron deficient but less than 2% of adolescent males are iron deficient. The big factor is menstruation.
Most all thru-hikers should consider taking a multivitamin with minerals. Menstruating females should make sure they are getting sufficient iron and they should make sure their levels are being checked when they get health care.
Yeah, but if you're out on the trail, the mosquitos, ticks, or the scratches on your shins might take that much blood out of you every month, right?
There was a shelter right near a road in NY or NJ,I think NY,The well water was full of iron,and probably enough for a life time,anemics beware.
hopefulhiker
12-06-2007, 00:02
I used NIDO on my Thru, it is found in the Latin section of food stores. It is baby milk. I made a homemade oatmeal mixture with it along with fresh dehydrated fruit, nuts, and flaxseed... My wife changed the mix up so I never got tired of it. I usually ate a hot breakfast everyday on the trail.
You can also take Calcium supplements, take w/ Vit D. Calcitral (sp?) is an all in one calcium supplement, they're lightweight. :)
Johnny Thunder
12-06-2007, 10:40
There was a shelter right near a road in NY or NJ,I think NY,The well water was full of iron,and probably enough for a life time,anemics beware.
I'm anemic (royal tea)
(where was that shelter?)
WalkinHome
12-06-2007, 15:59
Maps have been mentioned a few times on this thread. So if you have no mail drops, what is your strategy for not having to carry the whole bundle from the start? Inquireing minds want to know LOL.
warraghiyagey
12-06-2007, 16:18
I'm anemic (royal tea)
(where was that shelter?)
Does that mean you're also 'a liar and a thief'?:p
Johnny Thunder
12-06-2007, 16:20
Does that mean you're also 'a liar and a thief'?:p
Nope. Just means I have really bad posture.
warraghiyagey
12-06-2007, 16:22
Nope. Just means I have really bad posture.
Ever find yourself so tired you can't sleep?
Johnny Thunder
12-06-2007, 16:23
Excited, sometimes.
warraghiyagey
12-06-2007, 16:26
Excited, sometimes.
Oops. Of course I'm now dragging out the unplugged CD. It's in my head.
Maps have been mentioned a few times on this thread. So if you have no mail drops, what is your strategy for not having to carry the whole bundle from the start? Inquireing minds want to know LOL.
Mr. Ronan:
Nice to hear from you again, I hope everything is well in your neck of the woods.
As far as maps go, I will include maps in some of the drops I do, but I might carry a few to start and mail them home as they are needed, but that is a good question. I will need to figure out how to get my maps without having to waste a mail drop on maps, any ideas anyone on how to do this efficiently?
Kirby
Jack Tarlin
12-06-2007, 18:39
Kirby:
There will be all sorts of places where your Dad will be sending you stuff, such as treats, personal mail, etc. It won't be any trouble for him to send along two or three maps at a time when he does so. They don't weigh much.
Another alternative that has been suggested:
Put all your maps in a "bump box" that you mail to yourself every few weeks.
Send the box to towns/hostels where you are likely to be staying or laying over. Remove the maps you need for the next stretch of trail, and then "bump" the box along to the next big town. The postage won't be that great if you keep the size of the bump box reasonable, and you won't have to worry about anyone else forgetting to send you something important, because the responsibility for sending the right maps to the right place at the right time will be YOURS.
In other words, it'll get done.
uhhh, you missed the whole point. if you send yourself a box to a business, motel, hostel, outfitter, you should stay at that motel, hostel and purchase a little something from the outfitter or offer some $$ for what they do to make your 30 year dream come true. crissakes! :rolleyes:
It is a good point. Always leave a little money in your wake.
Flush2wice
12-07-2007, 09:38
Geez, Blissful, calm down.
I'm pretty sure (and he can correct me if I'm wrong) that Wolf was saying one shouldn't send mail to places where one isn't staying (like a motel or hostel) and if one does, it'd be a courtesy to offer the proprietor a few dollars for receiving and safeguarding your mail. That's all.
Sort of like buying a pack of gum when you stop to take a leak at the Quikie Mart.
I'm anemic (royal tea)
(where was that shelter?)
RPH cabin?