My mail drops?

[kayak karl]

I set up 7 mail drops for maps on SOBO. leaving about 6/27 on trail. plan to resuppy on trail. i figured if im sending a box, what else could i put in it? a snickers bar, mini bottle of Absolute, vitamin pills, pair of socks. (also using it for camera memory cards) Any other ideas:-?. hate to waste the postage.:):)

[Mango]

The main thing is stuff you might not easily find in towns, esp your consumables such as meds, water purification tabs, band aids, moleskin, Purell wipes, freeze-dried meats, veggies, fruits to add to Lipton sides, ramen, oatmeal, etc. Bags of pre-made-up gorp are also good - with your own favorite ingredients. Have a great trip.

[Blissful]

Earplug replacement as they tend to get grody and anything else to resupply your first aid kit so you don't have to buy extra on the trail (maybe hand sanitizer too)Ziploc bagsI'd skip the Snickers bar and only put in food that you might not be able to get in town resupply (like dried / dehydrated foods from your fav store)Fuel canister if you are going that route and there is no outfitter

[mnof1000v]

You may want to consider flat rate shipping, especially if you only plan on a half dozen packages. With USPS flat rate boxes, you can cram as much stuff as you want into them, and still only pay one rate. And because they're priority mail, it's easier to ensure they'll arrive on time (typically only a couple days anywhere). With priority mail you can also elect to forward the package further ahead if you don't think you'll need it, (provided you don't open it) at no additional cost.

[Peaks]

I included maps and pages from the companion in my mail drops.

[boarstone]

..enough said...

[bigcranky]

No Snickers - they'll melt.

Maps, Companion pages, journal pages, memory cards, first aid supplies, toilet paper, ziploc bags, new socks, post cards and stamps, that sort of thing.

[kayak karl]

No Snickers - they'll melt.


rats: ok then, mary janes, bit-o-honey and pixy stixs. and some red hots to spice things up:)

[Marta]

I set up 7 mail drops for maps on SOBO. leaving about 6/27 on trail. plan to resuppy on trail. i figured if im sending a box, what else could i put in it? a snickers bar, mini bottle of Absolute, vitamin pills, pair of socks. (also using it for camera memory cards) Any other ideas:-?. hate to waste the postage.:):)

Are you having to seal these up ahead of time? Or do you have someone at resupply headquarters who can put things in and take them out at your request?

I second the idea of using flat-rate boxes. You can save a bunch of money that way.

As the cold weather comes on, you'll probably want to switch out some of your stuff--warmer clothes, more light sources, etc. If you've already got that stuff at home, you can get it by mail instead of buying along the way.

[A-Train]

You could also consider a bounce box or bucket. Send it to some place like Stratton and then bounce it a couple town stops ahead, then you can get the stuff you need and move on. If you don't stop at that town or don't need anything, you can bounce it for free.

Just an idea. Don't get too carried away with maildrops. Yes, you will need to send maps (unless you don't use them), but things like vitamins and pills can either be carried for long stretches, or bought along the way.

[Rockhound]

I guess its all the rage, but if you have no special dietary needs or medication I don't see the point of maildrops. maybe in a couple of spots where resupply can be tough. (ie. Fontana dam) but aside from that its an unnecessary expense that can cost you time as well. having to zero waiting on a drop, possibly having to pay for an additional nights lodging, having to rush into town before the post office closes, the money spent on shipping, the hassle of bouncing boxes. Plus it's hard to get lost in the timelessness of the trail when all you're thinking about is reaching Hot Springs by 10:00 am Saturday.

[Rockhound]

1 horror story this year. A hiker waited at Fontana 2 days for his package to arrive. He got tired of waiting and had it bounced to Gatlinburg. He waited an extra day there to no avail. He was informed that his package did arrive at Fontana and had been bounced but rather than hang around another day, he had it bounced to Standing Bear Farm. 3 days later, and still with no package, additional money (aside from lodging) was spent on a shuttle to Hot Springs to catch up with friends. I'm not sure how this ended. I think his package did eventually reach him but I think this example illustrates the logistical and financial nightmare maildrops can become.

[Blissful]

Well if that's the only horror story from the trail... that's not too bad. I mean we lost two drops in ME, but that goes with the territory. I also had a box that went where it wasn't supposed to go, so I just had it forwarded to Damascus. The problem is when hikers don't allow enough time for their boxes to reach their destination (two weeks is safe). No horror, just logistics. But with us in ME, it was sent in plenty of time, it's just some hungry people on a loading dock made off with it. I found it more of a nightmare in ME trying to figure out what to buy from little convenience stores so my son and I had good enough nutrition to hike the miles.

[Peaks]

I guess its all the rage, but if you have no special dietary needs or medication I don't see the point of maildrops. maybe in a couple of spots where resupply can be tough. (ie. Fontana dam) but aside from that its an unnecessary expense that can cost you time as well. having to zero waiting on a drop, possibly having to pay for an additional nights lodging, having to rush into town before the post office closes, the money spent on shipping, the hassle of bouncing boxes. Plus it's hard to get lost in the timelessness of the trail when all you're thinking about is reaching Hot Springs by 10:00 am Saturday.

Quite true. If you read Jack's resupply articles, then there are a few places where resupply can be tought. It all depends on how far off the trail you are willing to go for resupply.

But, the other need for mail drops is to resupply with maps and such. Why carry maps for say, 500 miles up the trail, when there might be a good place to mail them to later on.

Like many things, there are always tradeoffs.

[kayak karl]

packing and labeling today. im leaving unsealed till sent out. all 6 drops are zero off trail going with flat rate priority box.

i added:

ear plugs
zip locks
hand sanitizer
envelope/postcards
notepad and pen
BOX OF GOOD AND PLENTY :D

thanks again:)

[Blissful]

Good and Plenty - I never thoght of that for the summer. Maybe that and gummy bears. :)
Have a great hike and be sure to report in.

[Christopher Robin]

Good luck & God speed see you in a few weeks

[Red Hat]

The only thing I have set to mail to myself is maps. I put them in plain old yellow envelopes. That is cheaper than mailing boxes and I'll just purchase my supplies along the way.

[Wise Old Owl]

Red Hat maps are not perticularly heavy and if the drop isn't there-you are going to have to wing it. Drops are really for resupply, but hike your own hike, I think you are leaving something out here.