Time Limit On Mail Drop

[bondboy]

How Long Can A Mail Drop Sit In A Post Office...? Can I Mail Drop All My Boxes Before I Leave....that Means That Certain Boxes May Sit In A Post Office For 60 -75 Days....will The Post Office Get Rid Of It After A Certain Period Of Time....? I Have Not Set-up A Mail-drop Help Person.

[Jack Tarlin]

It's up to the individual P.O. and individual postmaster. As a rule, tho, many places don't like to hold boxes for more than a month, and in some cases, it's only a few weeks (the reason for this is allegedly that they have limited space). For all of these reasons, it's probably best NOT to send everything all at once unless you have specific permission from the postamasters in question.

Alternative idea: Try to send parcels to hiker hostels or businesses (outfitters, motels, etc.) as opposed to Post Offices; I'm sure these folks would have no problems holding your stuff for an extended period if you checked with them first.

Other idea---try and find someone (friend, family member, co-worker, anyone) to be your "Base Camp" person. It's really pretty simple, all you have to do is give them your boxes (or access to them) and your approximate schedule, and they send 'em off ten days to two weeks ahead of your estimated arrival date. It's not that big a deal, assuming your friend is reliable.

Last thought---there are now very few places on the Trail where food maildrops are necessary. It may well be possible to cut out maildrops altogether, or reduce the number of your drops to a barebones minimum that could be easily handled by a family member or friend.

[TakeABreak]

Bondboy,

Jack I s correct a lot of places will not them more than weeks,even some hostels and outfitters do want to hold them more than 2 - 4 weeks.

You really need to find someone you can trust implicitly to be your support person, Someone who will follow your instructions to the letter and will not make any assumptions what so ever about you really want.

Yes i learned from experience, My first attepmt at thru hike was a disaster, so the next I made sure I could trust the person doing my mail drops. On my first attempt I had a couple of people who were supposed to take care of things for me, and they did not do it exactly as I asked and my mail drops got there to soon and were returned because the time limit expired or they sent them some where else.

Here is what I learned, after finding that one or persons. Prepackage everything, I vacuum sealed everything, guestimate days between food drops, if you are walking right past (1/2 - 1 mile range or shorter) a possible mail drop that is always open (hostel, motel, outfitter or such) use it. You will be glad you did carrying just 3 days food once in a while is a real treat.

I took apart my data book and companion guide and put just enough to get me from one mail drop to another, I did my maps this way. Also, I wrote important information on each map also (using a waterproof pen), such where a hot dog is, or and short term resupply point is (within 1 mile of the trail). I included anything that might be helpful, abit anal retentive but I could quickly glance at the map and know what was what, without reading companion and data book.

Box everything, address the box yourself, on one corner of the boxes, number them in sequence as when they are going be mailed.

I purchased two 1250 minute phone cards, I took one and the second went to the pine grove furnace mail drop. I would call my support person and have her mail two - three boxes at a time. She sent them snail mail, which in postal term meant it took on average ten days for each box to get there. I simply calculated where I was and called her whenever I got near a phone and left a message, for her to mail the next couple of package. I would time it so that the first one woulld arrive about 4 days before I got there. I only miss calulated one and missed one package out of 23.

I also purchased and extra copy of the data book and companion, along with a full size map for my support person. That way if something came up, I could have them buy what I needed and shipped to the available spot. My person siad it was fun to track my phone message as to where I was on the map.

I also guessed how money it would take for my person to do my mailing, and paid her in advance, whenit was all done I owed her $20.

[Peaks]

Take a break's post is right. There is more to doing a mail drop than just sending stuff to a post office.

First, as Jack points out, for several reasons, it's best to minimize mail drops. In most places, there are alternate places to resupply. However, as Jack's resupply list points out, there are a handfull of places where a mail drop is much more convienent, such as Fontana Dam.

There are good reasons for a mail drop, such as to restock prescription medications, restock maps, and restock specialty items (such as camera film)

Next step is to make a base line schedule, and plan your resupply points.

Now, for those places where you do plan to resupply via mail drop, figure out everything that you will need at that location, including number of days of food.

Then, line up boxes and fill them with every thing for each mail drop. Leave the boxes open.

Set a tentative mailing date for each mail drop box, based on your baseline schedule. (two weeks prior to your expected arrival date).

As you go along, call home, or who ever is doing the box mailing for you. Update them on your progress. Thus, if you are ahead of the baseline schedule, the mailing date needs to be moved up. Also, update them on your needs. Ask them to add items, or take out items based on what you now think your needs are going to be.

It costs money to mail boxes. Probably will not save you money overall.

[TakeABreak]

Peaks has a good point, about leaving the boxes open so there person could add and Remove items. I did not have that option that is why, I varied my food items ahead of time and pre-calculated my days in each box. If I over filled the box I would eat the extra food or leave it in hiker box. Believe it or not I think Iate better than any one I was hiking with, because went to great lengths to vary my food items with highest calorie, carb, fat and sugars I could.

A lot of the items I ate I could purchase at the local store.