Mail-Drop from Canada

[Northern Brewer]

Hi, I'm starting my first thru-hike in August 08 going SOBO. I'm planning on resuplying mainly from maildrops (I dehydrate and cook all sorts of great trail menus!) and completing with buy-as-you-go stuff.

Since I'm from Canada, I was wondering if any of you had any experience with shipping mail drops across borders. I'm worrying about getting my packages stopped at the border because of a restricted items or some policy...Any tips?

Thanks, see you on the trail!

Northern Brewer

[fiddlehead]

I can tell you that i have a business that ships TO Canada and haven't had any problems EXCEPT: sometimes it takes 4 days to get there, and sometimes a month.
I blame Canadian customs for this problem.

I know that won't help you much for going the other way but customs will most likely be your problem IF THERE IS ONE.

Hopefully you will get some answers from folks who have done it.
i really don't see the US Postal service (post office) having any problem with it.

[The Weasel]

Go to the Immigration and Customs website, and also the US Post Office site, and check things out. Your Post Office in Canada almost certainly can give you correct information. Almost certainly, you will have to fill out a customs declaration with a description of the contents, and some items (including unlabled food) might be prohibited. I disagree with Fiddlehead; don't risk spending money on having things rejected and sent back.


TW

[The Weasel]

Here is a US Government web page that explains what you need to know and where to get the rest of the info:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/send_to_us.xml

TW

[fiddlehead]

You may be right Weasel although i have never had anything sent back in 9 years of selling online. But then, i sell clothes.

Food could possibly be a problem for sure. Sorry, i didn't think about that.

Hopefully a Canadian with experience with AT mail drops will chime in.

[Odd Thomas]

Hi, I'm starting my first thru-hike in August 08 going SOBO. I'm planning on resuplying mainly from maildrops (I dehydrate and cook all sorts of great trail menus!) and completing with buy-as-you-go stuff.

Since I'm from Canada, I was wondering if any of you had any experience with shipping mail drops across borders. I'm worrying about getting my packages stopped at the border because of a restricted items or some policy...Any tips?

Thanks, see you on the trail!

Northern Brewer

Don't use the name Marc Emery :p

[The Weasel]

You may be right Weasel although i have never had anything sent back in 9 years of selling online. But then, i sell clothes.

Food could possibly be a problem for sure. Sorry, i didn't think about that.

Hopefully a Canadian with experience with AT mail drops will chime in.

Fiddle --

Thank you for your comment. This is one of those topics, though, where "someone with experience" isn't an ideal source: Too much time and expense goes into mail drops to get them wrong. People should check with postal authorities, Canadian as well as US, and US Customs/Border Patrol, in advance. One "bad" item can get a package seized and destroyed; think about unlabeled foot powder, for instance, in a ziploc. And other things.

Tw

[fiddlehead]

Here's an alternative that i've learned from a few thru hikers:
Go to the states. Go to a fairly big town somewhere near the start of your hike. Hit the supermarket, get some boxes from a dumpster at a small Mom and Pop place or something (supermarkets cut them up right away and recycle them) Then do about 6 or 7 mail drops and ship them out from the nearby PO.
PO's have to hold them for 30 days but many along the trail will hold them a bit longer especially if you put an estimated date of arrival on there and AT thru hiker and all of that stuff.
When you have hit them all, just do it again. It's best to plan it out that the last one ends just before you hit another good sized town. For example Waynesboro, VA instead of Bland, VA.

I've seen hikers do this and did it ourselves in France as well as the CDT.
After you hike a few times, it's hard to keep asking people to ship out your maildrops for you and there's no one as reliable as yourself.

[The Weasel]

Here's an alternative that i've learned from a few thru hikers:
Go to the states. Go to a fairly big town somewhere near the start of your hike. Hit the supermarket, get some boxes from a dumpster at a small Mom and Pop place or something (supermarkets cut them up right away and recycle them) Then do about 6 or 7 mail drops and ship them out from the nearby PO.
PO's have to hold them for 30 days but many along the trail will hold them a bit longer especially if you put an estimated date of arrival on there and AT thru hiker and all of that stuff.
When you have hit them all, just do it again. It's best to plan it out that the last one ends just before you hit another good sized town. For example Waynesboro, VA instead of Bland, VA.

I've seen hikers do this and did it ourselves in France as well as the CDT.
After you hike a few times, it's hard to keep asking people to ship out your maildrops for you and there's no one as reliable as yourself.

GOOD suggestion.

TW

[fiddlehead]

You'd have to carry your dried veggies or whatever through customs on your trip down here and perhaps use some hostels instead of PO's as they will hold them longer. Especially if you call first and get permission.
But it could be done for sure.

Actually, using hostels instead of maildrops would allow you to do them all at once if you pick the right ones. (one's that it's not a hassle to leave them a long time)
If you decided to go that route, i'd ask which ones would be the best choices on this thread or a similar one to get the most up to date answer.