View Full Version : How do you use a "bounce-box"?
Ratatosk
02-23-2004, 07:22
Hello all. I follow this forum to gather knowledge for a planned AT hike in spring 2005. As I'll fly in from Europe, I suppose I'll have to do it without mail-drops.
I've read about using a "bounce-box", not sure I get it correctly. Is it a box that you forward yourself up/down the trail from trail town to trail town with needed re-supplies and gear? Can this be used effectively as a replacement for mail-drops?
To those who have used them, how many "bounces" did you use, to what type of locations, and how expensive is it?
/Ratatosk
You have the basic idea right, but the application not quite so. You won't want to use a bounce box as a primary resupply for the trail as this would get really, really expensive. The weight of the food would be shocking. The bounce box holds things that you go through or might need from time to time. For example: Maps, data books pages, Companion pages, film (exposed and unexposed), Ibuprofen, vitamins, odd batteries (lithium watch cells for some LED lights), tobacco and papers, spare stakes, bits of gear you might need later (heavy insulation, light insulation, mosquito netting, etc), things you might need in town every month or so (nail clippers), etc. You can also put bits of extra food in your bounce box. For example, I really like Nutella now, so would put a few jars of nutella in my box so that I could have it when I wanted, rather than when I could find it.
On the PCT I used a 5 gallon paint bucket with a snap on lid (about $3 in a US hardware store) for my bounce box and liked it a lot: Very durable, large capacity, and you can sit on it. I tended to forward it to myself every 10-12 days or so, as after 10 days I needed more maps/guidebook/databook pages, had several rolls of exposed film, needed tobacco, etc. Specifically, I had 8 bounce box drops over 105 days of hiking 2650 miles. Each time I sent the bounce box out it cost me between $4-7. You'll have a choice of sending it Priority Mail (expensive, fast) or Parcel Post (cheap, slow). I always used Parcel Post.
tlbj6142
02-23-2004, 10:44
As Chris mentioned, most (?) folks use bounce boxes to handle gear they need every couple of weeks. But given your situation (too expensive to mail supplies from home) you can probably use your bounce box for the 3-4 "difficult" re-supply spots as well.
For example (not the "Best" example, but you'll get the idea):
mail bounce box with food for the smokies to Fontana
start hike
buy food in towns until you reach fontana
pickup bounce box, forward 10-14 days up the trail without food.
hike through smokies
resupply outside of smokies for the next week, or so
pickup bounce box, forward up trail 10-12 days
repeat
In some cases you would include food in our bounce box (for those locations that don't have easy access to a store) other times the box would just have re-supplies (maps, TP, hand sanitizer, Aqua Mira, extra socks, etc.).
If/when I do a thru that is exactly what I plan to do. Work out the details for first 4-6 weeks on the trail before you leave home. Put a copy of Jack's resupply doc (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/articlesresupply.php) in your bounce box and just work out the rest on the trail. Might want to take a look at Weathercarrot's doc (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/wcadvice.php)as well.
There is no sense worrying about each and every re-supply before you leave home unless you have special food requirements.
Chef2000
02-23-2004, 19:02
Coming from Europe, there might be items available to you there, that arent here. Buy all that and ship it here to someone, who then can redistribute it to you while your hiking. Contact me, Im in Boston MA area, I would love to help.
azchipka
02-23-2004, 23:19
I use a bounce box for restocking of supplies that i will not be using in a set amount along the trail.
Examples of items in my bounce box are the following:
Throw away camera's
Batteries
town cloths
town shoes
first aid kit restocking items
charger for my handheld radio
light sticks
personal grooming items
work related items that may need to be restocked
extra cooking items (herbs, spices, oil's)
second pair of hiking boots
extra paper back book for when i finish my first one
Putting these items in mail drops would really be a waste of weight since i never know when im going to need batteries or first aid kit supplies.
Not to pick on azchipka, but:
I didn't use disposable cameras. I used a film camera, and had extra film included in my mail drops.
I didn't need extra batteries. I'm still using the original battery in my LED headlamp 3 years later.
No town clothes. Just washed my hiking shorts and T-shirt.
No town shoes. Just wore Tevas.
No extra first aid kit supplies. If I needed to restock, I bought it in a local drug store.
No radio, and therefore no charger.
No light sticks
no personal grooming items
No extra cooking items (herbs, spices, oil's)
I bought replacement hiking boots when needed.
I'd probably buy a paper back book when i finish my first one
Ratatosk
02-24-2004, 09:38
Thanks to all of you, very useful information! :clap
Ratatosk...when are you starting your hike? I am also in the UK and we are planning to start the beginning of March 2005.
I am glad you posted this thread, as I was wondering the same thing.:)
I was wondering about this, too. A lot of argument has been made here to minimize mail drops, thus avoiding the hassle of having to make it to the Post Office when they're open. But if you're chasing down a bounce box every 10 days, isn't that the same hassle?
gravityman
02-24-2004, 14:14
The thing about the bounce box is you can easily pick a town that you know you won't arrive at on the weekend. Usually we sent out bounce box anywhere from 1 week to 1 month ahead of us. All depended on what we had in it, and what we thought that we would be needing. Once you are on trail you can pretty easily decide these things. Mail drops are pretty much prearranged, so it's less flexible.
Gravity Man
Having to track down a bounce box every 10-14 days is a little bit of a pain, but the benefits outweigh this. If you are not using mail drops, you'll want to get some supplies every now and then that are not usually available in towns, or would be a pain to track down. For example, maps and databook/Companion pages. Or good tobacco. Or slide film. You could even put a flask of Jack in your bounce box to Fontana and be the hero at the Hilton. Maybe even clippers to shave your head every month. If you are using maildrops as the primary means of resupplying, then a bounce box become less useful, but still an asset, I think.
It will be hard to predict when you will get to a certain town for your bounce box. I tried doing this once or twice, but covered more ground than I thought I would an ended up in a race, which I hate. The standard scenario had me counting days and thinking, "There is no way I'll get to (place X) before Monday night." As I progressed on the leg, it became increasing clear that I would make it on Sunday afternoon. So, the race was on for Saturday by noon. Granted, this only happened on two occasions, but I only had 7 bounce box drops.
The timing is more a matter of convenience. If you arrive on a Saturday after the PO closes, you have the just truly awful task of staying in or near town and spending some time getting fat, taking showers, getting fat, washing clothes, and getting a little more fat. Beer and TV are nice, too. While this is something I really like doing, when I'm out hiking I'd rather be hiking. That is, if I don't feel like taking 36 or 48 hours off, I'd rather be able to get my stuff and go. Days off are nice when you want them, but a pain when you don't. So, I, and others, sometimes engage in a race with the PO so that we can do what we prefer at the time.
gravityman
02-24-2004, 16:16
So, I, and others, sometimes engage in a race with the PO so that we can do what we prefer at the time.
This is a personality trait. Some people will, others won't. We NEVER had a problem with this, in that we always managed to send our bounce box somewhere we knew we would get to in the middle of the week. It's not that tough to predict your mileage once you get in a groove. We knew what we were averaging, and it was consistant. It's hard to get a day ahead over two weeks. Any time you pick up hiking general quickly gets scrubbed away eating in town. And even if you lose a few days, or pick up a few days, you will still make it when the PO is open as long as you avoid weekends... You will be resupplying every 5 days or less. Usually out of the next three town stops, one of them will have the grocery store next to the PO and you will be arriving on a wendesday or thursday. At least that's how it worked for us.
Of course your mileage may vary. HA!
snuffleupagus
02-24-2004, 17:13
If you don't open your bounce box, can you send it ahead of you without paying postage again? Or do you need to pay postage again to send it to another P.O. down the trail?
I was wondering about this, too. A lot of argument has been made here to minimize mail drops, thus avoiding the hassle of having to make it to the Post Office when they're open. But if you're chasing down a bounce box every 10 days, isn't that the same hassle?
Yes, if not yes yes, because you usually need to get back to te post office to mail it also.
I don't understand why timing is so important. You don't have to show up at the P.O. on exactly the day the mail drop does. The P.O. will hold mail for you for at least two weeks, so don't you just have to reach it within a two-week period? Even if now and then you happen to arrive in town on a Saturday evening, can't you just camp nearby, take a zero day on Sunday and take care of town chores, then pick up your drop Monday morning and be on your way? You'd have to be hiking on a really tight schedule AND have incredibly bad luck for every mail drop to take enough zero days for that to become a problem, but I don't see how it's a problem otherwise. Maybe I'm missing something?
You are right. Post offices will hold mail for several weeks. Sometimes planning to be there when the post office opens Monday is a really smart idea. It allows those of us who push to do some low mileage days, or maybe a nero, and even a zero. However, life is what it is on the trail, you hear about those who push on to be there before the post office closes at noon on Saturday.
Hike your own hike, and try not to worry about what others are doing.
gravityman
02-24-2004, 18:51
If you don't open your bounce box, can you send it ahead of you without paying postage again? Or do you need to pay postage again to send it to another P.O. down the trail?
Yes, you can forward it for free as long as it is sent priority. You can even call the post office to have them forward it.
Gravity Man
If you don't open your bounce box, can you send it ahead of you without paying postage again? Or do you need to pay postage again to send it to another P.O. down the trail?
Provided that you ship it priority, and not parcel post.
You can also call the PO and ask them to forward the unopened box to another post office. Good advice for people who drop off the trail.
Ratatosk
02-25-2004, 09:04
Ratatosk...when are you starting your hike? I am also in the UK and we are planning to start the beginning of March 2005.
Hi there. Not carved in stone yet, but probably mid-late April so I won't have to bring so much warm gear which have to be thrown away/shipped back to UK when no longer needed.
I had a bounce box follow me across PA and NJ, it finally caught up in NY. Parcel post may have worked for others, but I'd rather pay the extra for Priority and have it be there when I am (I try to keep it light to hold down the cost).
Hi there. Not carved in stone yet, but probably mid-late April so I won't have to bring so much warm gear which have to be thrown away/shipped back to UK when no longer needed.
No worries, you will probably catch up to me anyway. My husband is always a few miles ahead of me when we hike so on the AT he will probably be a month ahead of me in no time.
(thus the need for separate tents! ;) )