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beckyjean
05-14-2008, 08:42
how long will a post office hold the mail drop for? 2 weeks? i just want to know how early i may send out the packages, just to make sure they arrive on time.
thanks!

Flush2wice
05-14-2008, 08:56
Try not to let them sit there for more than 2 weeks. Some small rural PO's don't have a lot of space. Also the longer they sit there the more they have to dig around for it.

4eyedbuzzard
05-14-2008, 09:33
Although most parcel post packages arrive in 6 to 10 days, allow up to 3 weeks for parcel post deliveries especially if there is a holiday weekend involved. Mark on the box - "Hold for AT thru-hiker". 30 days is technically the maximum hold time for mail.

Up north here the PO's generally hold them for a lot longer than that though according to Mrs. Buzzard who until recently worked at the Norwich, VT PO, but the thru-hiker ranks are more thinned out by the VT/NH border so there are less storage issues. Generally at Norwich they hold those received during spring and summer until the end of the thru-hiker season and then return them to sender(postage due unless it's 1st class or Priority). My wife came home one day in March and told me they were all talking about how they got their first thru-hiker box of the year, much earlier than they usually get them. FWIW, the PO's that get a lot of thru-hiker boxes are usually very good about holding these for quite some time. If you are going to be later than expected though, just call or drop a post card to the postmaster of that office to keep them informed, usually they'll appreciate the notification and be happy to hold them for you.

Marta
05-14-2008, 13:18
It's not actually as organized as you might think. As posted above...not sending stuff too far ahead of time is a courtesy to the small POs, which don't have much storage space. Definitely put your ETA on the outside of the box. POs end up with lots of boxes sent to hikers who have dropped off the trail, or who passed by without knowing there was a box there for them to pick up, or who got there before the box arrived and hiked on, or....

The various Post Mistresses I talked to during my hike were really trying to help hikers, and would never consider getting rid of a box if there was any chance the hiker might still be coming along. It really helps them for the outside of the box to say "AT hiker," and whether you're NOBO or SOBO, and your ETA. Beware of shipping certain kinds of foods--I saw a couple of boxes that had obviously hatched stuff inside. Nasty.

Blissful
05-18-2008, 22:06
We had ours sit in Cheshire, MA for over a month (we did call to let them know we were delayed due to injury). If you are going to be over a few weeks from your stated date on the box, good idea to call ahead and let them know you are still coming. Though I have heard POs say they will keep for quite a long time. Esp if it says hold for AT hiker (and POs in hiker towns expect this).