View Full Version : I'm not really sure what i'm going to do about food...
I know what I would like to take, but how do most of you restock? I've heard about maildrops, but that sounds ineffective, would the towns along the way have things like freeze dried food, and what do you guys buy?
Footslogger
07-03-2008, 11:22
Maildrops make sense in towns where access to good re-supply is difficult. I hiked the entire AT in 2003 with 3 mail drops:
Harpers Ferry, WV
Bear Mountain, NY
Glencliff, NH
All other food was purchased along the trail as I hiked.
Another consideration is special dietary needs or preferences. You can generally re-supply along the way but you may not be able to find certain items.
'Slogger
You can buy food all along the way. Most towns have markets, if not supermarkers these days.
Some towns offer freeze dried meals, but many don't. They tend to be very expensive.
Check out the resupply articles on this site, and more importantly go buy a handbook or companion to get an idea of how to start planning your resupply.
No you don't need maildrops. I would use 2-3 max if I hiked the AT again
You can hit a town about every 3-4 days with just a handfull of exceptions. Go into town, and buy food there. Sometimes the selection sucks, but it will just suck for 3-4 days. Then you get to a new town and have completely different sucky options. I've seen too many people regret having mail drops because of the hassle.
You can hit a town about every 3-4 days with just a handfull of exceptions. Go into town, and buy food there. Sometimes the selection sucks, but it will just suck for 3-4 days. Then you get to a new town and have completely different sucky options. I've seen too many people regret having mail drops because of the hassle.
The problem I see with mail drops is that you pack the food before you know what you don't like. About where on the trail are the towns more than a few days hike from?
Jack Tarlin's articles on resupply will tell you everything that you could possibly need to know. The link is on the home page, or you can start here:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=resupplypart1
Jack Tarlin's articles on resupply will tell you everything that you could possibly need to know. The link is on the home page, or you can start here:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=resupplypart1
Alright, thanks a lot.
Appalachian Tater
07-03-2008, 11:55
I know what I would like to take, but how do most of you restock? I've heard about maildrops, but that sounds ineffective, would the towns along the way have things like freeze dried food, and what do you guys buy?I use Mountain House freeze dried meals primarily as a treat, for when I have to dry camp (no dirty pot) and as an "spare" meal because of the light weight. They are expensive to use daily for a long distance hike.
Bearpaw88
07-03-2008, 12:37
I hiked from GA-mid VA this year. I had a mail drop planned in almost every town, and of coarse I regretted it.:eek:
The reason being that I thought I wouldn't be able to find the items I wanted on trail and that masses of hikers would buy all the good hiking food from the stores before I got to it. This was absolutely not true. I would never have more than 2-3 mail drops on the whole trail next time. The resupply article you have a link to is really great. I never found any inaccuracies and Kirby who I started hiking with based all his resupply around that article alone.
wilconow
07-03-2008, 12:41
This link will help you
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.788763/k.7680/Preparing_for_a_ThruHike.htm
Tenderheart
07-03-2008, 12:49
I just can't understand why the majority of people still do mail drops. Like the advice in this thread, food can be purchased all along the way. You can buy what you have a taste for and as much or as little as you need. I hiked the entire trail in 2000 without a single mail drop. This is much easier and probably cheaper. Also, you know that PO's close at noon on Saturday. They don't reopen until Monday morning. What a bummer!
litefoot 2000
fiddlehead
07-03-2008, 15:46
Don't know about majority or minority using them but i know why i like them:
can put things in there that i don't have to carry like: nail clippers, extra socks, town clothes, battery charger, big tube toothpaste with homeade filler cap,
warmer clothes for the whites, extra tape, food that i dehydrated, dry milk with fat (hard to find), thai curry paste, dried shrimps from oriental grocery stores, buy things like tea and coffee in bulk, powdered coconut milk, dried hamburger (now how can you hike without that?) etc
Trying buying some of that stuff in those small towns along the way.
I don't use them in the big towns and can do big miles or stealth camp & weight if i have to to get there by sat at noon.
You don't have to use Post Offices all the time. Sometimes a hostel or even shelter (eckville) will hold them for you.
Yeah, you can eat grits and mac & cheese and ritz crackers with tuna all the way if you want. I'd rather eat what i like.
Hike smart.
Or hike anyway you want.
The Solemates
07-03-2008, 15:56
Don't know about majority or minority using them but i know why i like them:
can put things in there that i don't have to carry like: nail clippers, extra socks, town clothes, battery charger, big tube toothpaste with homeade filler cap,
warmer clothes for the whites, extra tape, food that i dehydrated, dry milk with fat (hard to find), thai curry paste, dried shrimps from oriental grocery stores, buy things like tea and coffee in bulk, powdered coconut milk, dried hamburger (now how can you hike without that?) etc
Trying buying some of that stuff in those small towns along the way.
I don't use them in the big towns and can do big miles or stealth camp & weight if i have to to get there by sat at noon.
You don't have to use Post Offices all the time. Sometimes a hostel or even shelter (eckville) will hold them for you.
Yeah, you can eat grits and mac & cheese and ritz crackers with tuna all the way if you want. I'd rather eat what i like.
Hike smart.
Or hike anyway you want.
i agree. we did about half maildrops and half resupply along the way, which equated to 17 maildrops for us.
Survivor Dave
07-03-2008, 19:14
I would strongly recommend a maildrop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) as well. Poor re-supply.
The problem I see with mail drops is that you pack the food before you know what you don't like. You could always try it at home or on local backpacks first.
I know what I would like to take, but how do most of you restock? I've heard about maildrops, but that sounds ineffective, would the towns along the way have things like freeze dried food, and what do you guys buy?
See Jack Tarlin's resupply article in the Articles section of this website.
Purchase any of the available AT Guidebooks, or download the free version from ALDHA. These guides give loads of information about towns and resupply opportunities along the way.
In general, there are "useful" towns or short-term resupply points every three, four or five days. The average distance from the trailhead to town is probably around five miles or less. It's common to combine "resupply" trips with a shower, laundry, and a night in a hostel, motel, or public campground on the edge of town. Getting to/from town is part of the adventure (and challenge) of a thru-hike.
Resupply varies along the trail; for example, Maine is fairly remote. By contrast, there are portions of the trail in the mid-Atlantic where you can eat a pub or restaurant lunch/dinner every day and hardly break stride.