View Full Version : Maildrops Pro and Con
Jack Tarlin
12-05-2009, 17:18
This is the time of year where folks have all sorts of questions about maildrops; specifically people are wondering about food availability, choices, locations, prices, etc. A very frequent question is whether or not it makes sense to have some or most of one's food pre-purchased and mailed to you as you go along, or whether it's better to but what one needs while actually en route.
This thread is a brief discussion of maildrops, specifically a discussion of the pros and cons of sending one's self food while on a thru-hike.
There are many threads here on Whiteblaze about this subject and also extensive information in the "Articles" section for those seeking more information/discussion.
PRO:
*Some proponents of maildrops feel that buying one's food ahead of time and sending it
to one's self can be cost effective: It has been argued that buying food in bulk can save
money over the long-term, even when one throws in the cost of postage. A further
argument is that hikers who receive food parcels are likely to spend a whole lot less of
their time in supermarkets or shopping, meaning less impulse buying, thus, less expense.
*Some folks like the security of not having to worry about getting food when they arrive at
a certain place. Using maildrops means you don't need to worry about a market being
closed when you get there; it means not having to hitch miles to a market or town unless
you really want to. You won't have to do this because your stuff will be there waiting for
you when you arrive at a specific place.
*There are places on the Trail where one's food-buying options are poor: Either the
choices are inadequate, or the place is not suffciently stocked, or the prices are sky-high.
Having a food drop waiting for you means you don't have to worry about any of this.
*Having a food drop guarantees no surprises: You'll KNOW what you'll be eating because
you yourself chose it in the first place, so you won't be dependent on what is available
at stores, especially small ones.
*Food drops obviously make sense if one is on some sort of specialized diet, i.e. kosher,
no-salt, no gluten, vegan, etc. There are also folks who enjoy dehydrating and freeze-
drying their food, in order to save weight, have a varied diet, etc.
CONS:
*Even when you get great deals and pre-purchase your food ahead of time, you'll still be
spending a great deal of money on postage costs, and in many cases, you'll be spending
money to ship parcels toplaces where good food is not only easily available, but in many
cases, might actually be cheaper than what it would cost in your own home town.
*There is always the possibility that a parcel may be late or lost, tho this is rarely the
fault of the USPS. The fewer things you mail yourself, the less chance of this happening.
*It is very difficult to know your food needs (i.e. ammount) before you're actually out
there, and as a result, most folks tend to over purchase and over-pack their food parcels,
especially the ones early in the trip. This results in several things: Hikers end up carry-
ing lots of extra food weight as they are reluctant to waste money by dumping un-needed
food. This means they frequently arrive in the next town or location still carrying days of
food, only to discover another great big box of food waiting for them. Those that don't
want to carry the extra food either dump it by giving it away or throwing it away, thus
wasting money twice (i.e. the original purchase cost PLUS the postage); or lastly, some
folks may send un-needed food home or ahead somewhere on the Trail, meaning they
end up paying postage twice on the same stuff.
*Pre-purchasing all of your food ahead of time overlooks the fact that one's taste changes
over six months and many folks discover at some point in their hikes that they no longer
like some of the stuff they'd originally picked out, i.e. they never want to eat another
Lipton dinner, Pop-Tart, whatever. But if you've pre-purchased your stuff ahead of time,
you're pretty much stuck with it, even if you've come to despise some of it. Your choice
is to either suck it up and eat food you've come to dislike, or you can get rid of the stuff
you no longer want to eat and replace it with stuff you do, i.e. you've wasted money on
the original purchase and need to spend extra money on the later purchase.
*There's the time factor. If you pre-purchase all of your food ahead of time (like in Feb-
ruary), this means that buy the time you finish your trip in early fall, you'll be eating stuff
that's almost eight months old. Many folks would prefer not to do this, even with "pack-
aged" or prepared foods.
*In many cases, hikers get food ideas from what other people are eating. Buying food en
route gives the hiker the chance to try new things, which he's less likely to do if most of
his stuff has been pre-purchased and boxed up ahead of time. Some of my favorite
Trail foods are stuff that I hadn't originally thought of, but saw other people eating.
*Buying as you go means you buy in more sensible quantities, as after a few weeks on the
Trail you'll have a much better idea of what you like to eat and in what ammounts. This
means less waste, less pack weight, less expense, and less chance of arriving in a town
still carrying two or three days worth of food you didn't really need.
*Buying as you go does indeed mean more time in markets, meaning more impulse buy-
ing of stuff you might not really need; the flip side tho, is that there's always the chance
that you'll impulse buy healthy stuff, too, like fresh fruit and vegetables, etc.
*Sad to say, many hikers don't finish their hikes for one reason or another. It'd be a
shame to spend hundreds of dollars on food and all those hours boxing it up, only to
discover that you don't need it because your trip has prematurely ended. Bad enough
to cancel a dream trip, but even worse to end up with 200 Pop Tarts or 16 jars of Skippy
or whatever, whichI guarantee you will not want to ever look at, much less eat.
*The cost of postage has gone up quite a bit in recent years, and even tho they have
"bulk rate" prices for Priority Mail, i.e. you pay the same price no matter what's in the
box, this can still add up to hundreds of dollars. And also, hikers using drops are
dependent on the Post office being open when they arrive at a certain town. Sooner or
later this means doing great big miles in order to get to a town before a weekend or a
Holiday (like Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day), and almost every hiker can tell a story
about getting to a place too late, meaning one waits around for a day or more til the P.O.
opens up again, or blowing off the maildrop and buying food in tood, meaning you wasted
money twice on the original food purchase AND whatever you cost to mail it.
In any case, there are some pros and cons. I hope folks add their own comments to the
ones above, and I hope this discussion proves useful to the guys heading out next year.
Final note: While it's obvious from the above that I personally favor buying most of one's food while en route, there are indeed a few places where a small food parcel is not a bad idea. And there are some items, such as batteries, zip lock bags, etc. that can and should be purchased ahead of time; these can be sent to the hiker while en route along with other items periodically sent from home, such as mail, maps, gear and clothing, treats, etc.
In other words, there are indeed some things that it makes sense to buy in large ammounts ahead of time. One can buy a brick of double or Triple-A batteries for fifteen bucks or less and have them periodically sent to you with your other mail or you'll end up buying them two at a time for five or six bucks each time at a convenience store or whatever. In short, in some cases, buying in bulk ahead of time can be cost effective, tho I'm not sure this is the case for food.
Keeping score, it looks like Pro's 5 and Con's 10. And these address only food.
As Jack alluded in the Final note, mail drops do have thier use, name to resupply with maps (and guidebook pages), medications, and other special items. And, over the duration of a thru-hike, most people change out their winter gear for warm weather gear, and then get it back again later.
Nice summery. I suggest that you split out the issue of post offices being open as a separate (on its own) bullet point --- IMO it's a big deal to arrive in town just after the P.O. closes on a Friday and won't open again until Monday. Related is that post offices are being closed or hours of operation cut back in smaller towns in order to cut costs.
One issue is that of hiking with other people, very often folks you just met on the trail. Not having boxes waiting for you gives you more flexibility to keep hiking with those folks depending not only on your own, but on the groups overall dynamics.
Another one is the need for a support person at home --- spouse, friend, whoever. This person has a lot of work to do to mail boxes to you, and could end up mailing them too early (how long will a P.O. hold a box before doing something with it?), or too late.
On the "pro" side of mail drops is the fact that folks send other stuff, not just food --- so might as well combine such mail drops with locations on the trail where food resupply is more difficult and/or more limited. By other stuff I mean things like new shoes, new water purification liquid/tablets/whatever, prescription medications, new guidebook pages & maps.
Also possibly related to this is the use or non-use of a bounce box --- i.e., perhaps in some cases it can be guessed that you'll be going to a particular post office anyway, in which case a food resupply there makes more sense.
No doubt more ways of looking at this stuff ...
Some good points have been made thus far although the opening posts have a distinct slant. Nevertheless, I welcome the discussion. I may add more tomorrow.
In short, whether or not mail drops make sense must be determined by each individual and it depends upon individual expectations and requirements. Picky people can't expect to find what they insist upon everywhere and will need to compromise or pick it up at the post office.
An A.T. though hike is about commitment and if you don't have it, stay home or hike sections until you conclude you have it. The kind of food I would send myself I would happily eat at home for 6 months.
Information about post offices including hours can be found in the handbooks. To get current information, click on the link in my signature or pick up your phone and call to be as sure as you can be.
Having goals and appointments to make can help to motivate a hiker and isn't necessarily a bad thing despite what's sometimes posted here.
I mailed most of my food to myself for my 2009 thru-hike and loved it. Ultimately I found using this option was cheaper, gave me better food choices, easier to prepare, and involved less hitching to find a quality food store (which may actually be a downside...). That being said, most of the food I ate, I made. I dehydrated my meals, made mt own trail mixes, "cliff bars", etc.
Obviously this method has its downsides. The level of planning and preparation is way above what is generally needed to thru-hike the AT. It also requires people at home to be willing to help a great deal (thanks mom!). Choice is also something to be concious of. I made quite a variety of meals/snacks and was fortunate in that I got sick of none of my food options (except walnuts, which I still cannot eat), which is more than I can say of many non-mail drop folks that miraculously subsisted of Lipton sides.
Had I not made my food, there is no way I would have mail-dropped my food. It would probably have cost more, still taken up a fair amount of prep time, and options would still be limited.
SmileTrain
GAME '09
Thank you for your post involving recent experience with an A.T. through hike. It seems much remains the same.
If you have gear at home that you may ask to have mailed to you, do yourself a favor and label the gear beforehand. The person at home may have no idea what you mean when you ask for your "thermal base layer" or some similar request.
As usual, Great post Jack!!
I have done sections using mail drops and without. I prefer using none, & I decided based on a previous post by Jack.
Others have touted using Drops, & so I followed their advice. I will say it took a great leap of faith going without, but in over 300 miles of being MDF (Mail Drop Free) I haven't looked back.
I'll likely limit my rare mail drops to: Trail guides, money (travelers checks) & some replacement gear like socks & etc. And then, if I can, not to USPS offices.
whitelightning
12-05-2009, 22:22
I used 18 maildrops that contained food during my thruhike. For the drops between Springer and Damascus, all the food I prepared and dehydrated myself. This worked well for me. Once I made it through VA, I wished I'd prepared more food to put in my latter maildrops just for the variety. I was getting tired of the same old hiker foods found in the stores along the trail. It was cost effective to do this, but it also required a lot of work on my part before I started hiking.
If you do maildrops, a good support person is a must. This point cannot be overstated. The only real problem I had with maildrops was having to wait an extra day in town for it to arrive because it was not sent early enough. This made these maildrops NOT cost effective. In one or two cases I didn't wait and just did without.
If I were to thruhike the AT again, I would still use maildrops for food. I probably would not do as many, or at least send some to different places near the trail. There are several places I would defintely send a food maildrop due to the lack of a grocery store or expensive/limited resupply options. Off the top of my head, I'd send them to NOC, Fontana, Harpers Ferry, Delaware Water Gap, Port Clinton, Glencliff, maybe Gorham, and maybe Monson. It was nice to be able to pick up a maildrop and keep hiking when you wanted to, rather than hitch to town just for a food resupply.
white_russian
12-05-2009, 22:30
maybe Gorham, and maybe Monson.
In Gorham the folks at White Birches will take you to the Super-Walmart and in Monson Shaw's will take you to the supermarket in Greenville if the Monson General Store doesn't have what you need. Both essentially just charge for gas, get a group together and it will only cost you a couple of bucks each.
whitelightning
12-06-2009, 12:34
In Gorham the folks at White Birches will take you to the Super-Walmart and in Monson Shaw's will take you to the supermarket in Greenville if the Monson General Store doesn't have what you need. Both essentially just charge for gas, get a group together and it will only cost you a couple of bucks each.
Sure, but the reason I would consider sending food to these locations is so I wouldn't have to spend the time and money soley for a ride just to go to a supermarket. This is just my personal preference. The other places I mentioned you can hitch or get rides to nearby towns. Sometimes it's just convienient not to have to do this.
This is not an either/or situation. One should only use mail drops big bulk items, not all food needs. My local supermarket today is selling brand name, quick cooking, Quaker Oats, for about 75 cents a pound, a third less than the everyday price. Since I use oats almost daily on the trail, I'll buy a few pounds.
At home I fashion it into homemade versions of instant oat cereal. The savings are enormous. The instant variety regularly sells for $3-$5 a pound.
Also not mentioned is the hassle of repackaging stuff one buys locally. Pounds of surplus packaging has to be discarded and items repackaged. Also store packages rarely contain just the amount of food I'll be needing until the next stop, so I end up carrying extra weight, or skimping on calories. I know, this is less a problem for gregarious types that like to hike with groups willing to share purchases. But part of the fun of backpacking is the feeling of independence, carrying all your needs on your own back.
Weary
.....I'll likely limit my rare mail drops to: Trail guides, money (travelers checks) & some replacement gear like socks & etc. And then, if I can, not to USPS offices.
My Dad, and two brothers made their livings working for the post office. It's part of my heritage. Besides the USPS is the only practical means of carrying the newsletters and fund raising letters that have enabled our local land trust to acquire several million dollars worth of land for trails in this coastal town.
I welcome post offices. Virtually every town has a post office, and I've found that many of them are located in places far more convenient to the trail than giant supermarkets in sometimes distant towns.
Weary
Don't forget the hybrid approach.
Not as popular on the AT, but it works wonderfully well on other trails..esp if you do not have friends who will let you take over their basement for a few months. :sun
Don't see why it can't work on the AT in some cases.
Basically, buy as you go. But in areas where it is more convenient or difficult to resupply ( send a box to the ATC office in Harper's Ferry or to Fontana Dam for example), buy your food in a larger town and ship it ahead on your own.
Works well.
Jack Tarlin
12-06-2009, 17:31
There are, in fact, very few items that need to be "repackaged." In most cases, you get what you need for the next few days and move on. There are a some items (yes, instant oatmeal is one if you can stomach the stuff, and powdered milk is another) that are frequently not available in markets except in large quantities, i..e boxes bigger than you wanna carry with you for three or four days.
A simple remedy is to purchase this stuff with friends and split it up. Also, keep in mind that this stuff is almost always available in other places (hostels, outfitters, etc.) sold by the individual portion, i.e. you buy whatever you need. But yeah, in some cases, it makes sense to have this stuff mailed to you, along with other mail, like maps, etc. Not everything is freely available from supermarkets on the Trail in the quantities that you might actually need, and Weary is correct in pointing this out. But in truth, this doesn't apply to too many items.
I think total mail drops (with small money orders added) are best suited to someone that's on a strict budget and buys in bulk.
Personally, I use the method Mags mentioned.
peakbagger
12-06-2009, 18:50
With regards to Gorham and getting a ride to the grocery store, I dont think its a major time waster. White Birches is on the only road into Gorham from the town of Shelburne and if you look like a hiker, its an easy hitch, or the owner of White Birches has a couple of scheduled shuttles each day. (he does get a bit grumpy if you want your own personal shuttle because you were too lazy to read the schedule). Once you are in Gorham, there is a flat rate shuttle that runs from Berlin to Gorham along Rt 16. This will give you the option of Save A Lot, Super Walmart, and Berlin IGA along with a theatre in Berlin and most of the basic services. The shuttle is also accessible from The Hiker Paradise (and possibly The Barn. Hiker Paradise also has bicycles for riding to the stores. Its about a 20 minute walk from Hiker Paradise to Walmart and about 15 minutes to Save a Lot.
max patch
12-06-2009, 18:57
Even if you use maildrops you still have to go the grocery store to get stuff. So unless you have dietary restrictions -- whats the point?
I agree that maildrops in limited situations help with the "granularity" issue --- i.e., you can only buy too little or too much of something, such as powdered milk (and non-fat vs. whole milk) or olive oil, and indeed some things purchased locally might be a lot more expensive than bought in bulk at home. But as Jack said, I don't think this has to be a big deal. If other hikers I'm with don't want what I can't use, that's what hiker boxes are for.
I don't mean to come across as attacking mail drops --- I've used a good few myself (in fact, too many, so now maybe I'm swinging the pendulum too far the other way, who knows ...). But another factor here is how thru-hikers are perceived by the local community. I think it at least can't hurt for us to be spending money in the local economy that we're walking through, vs. mailing most of our consumables in from elsewhere --- especially in the smaller trail towns.
I agree that maildrops in limited situations help with the "granularity" issue --- i.e., you can only buy too little or too much of something, such as powdered milk (and non-fat vs. whole milk) or olive oil, and indeed some things purchased locally might be a lot more expensive than bought in bulk at home. But as Jack said, I don't think this has to be a big deal. If other hikers I'm with don't want what I can't use, that's what hiker boxes are for.
I don't mean to come across as attacking mail drops --- I've used a good few myself (in fact, too many, so now maybe I'm swinging the pendulum too far the other way, who knows ...). But another factor here is how thru-hikers are perceived by the local community. I think it at least can't hurt for us to be spending money in the local economy that we're walking through, vs. mailing most of our consumables in from elsewhere --- especially in the smaller trail towns.
I don't disagree. For some mail drops are just a matter of not realizing that alternatives are available, or simply for convenience. But judging from poverty driven posts I read on WhiteBlaze, I still think there may be few poverty-stricken folks who don't realize that for the truly dedicated AT hiker, it's mail drops and the knowledge about how to cook such bulk foods wisely, that could make a thru hike possible.
Weary
Even if you use maildrops you still have to go the grocery store to get stuff. So unless you have dietary restrictions -- whats the point?
The point would be to save money if you're buying in bulk.
I think it at least can't hurt for us to be spending money in the local economy that we're walking through, vs. mailing most of our consumables in from elsewhere --- especially in the smaller trail towns.
If the choice was between supporting the economy in each trail town and falling short, or being able to finish the trail (doing mail drops), I'd take the latter.
Blissful
12-06-2009, 21:15
We used a combination of drops and buying and made out just fine. Only time we didn't is when 2 boxes were lost in ME because they were shipped surface.
Slo-go'en
12-06-2009, 21:26
The one time I did mail drops, I definately sent too much stuff and half of it I didn't want at the time anyway.
If you do do drops, make sure what you send doesn't fill your food bag more than 1/2 to 3/4 full, as you will have at least that much stuff in there already. There are a couple of places where drops can be usefull, like Hot Springs, where the market there isn't all that great for hiker food. NOC and Fontana Village are some others. Not that you can't get food there, but it is expensive and limited in selection. Mostly, I'd send dinner stuff, especially if you like to eat a lot of freeze dried food. Snacks and breakfist food is easy enough to get. No sense sending yourself power bars and candy.
The next time I do an extended hike - like this coming spring - I think I will do a bounce box just for pipe tobacco. I can't live with out it (okay, so I'll likely die because of it) and finding it has become a chore in it's self.
Jack Tarlin
12-06-2009, 21:36
Gotta disagree with one thing......I think the food selection at the Outfitter at Hot Springs is GREAT for hikers and is perfectly adequate to get you to Erwin, especially if you supplement it with stuff from the Dollar Store, etc.
stranger
12-07-2009, 21:32
I agree with Mags post - you can still send maildrops by buying as you go, there is no reason why you need someone at home to send food to you, simply look ahead and if you are concerned about the next town, or a town 150 miles up the trail, buy extra in one town and mail to the next.
Mail food from Hiawassee to Fontana Dam
Mail food from Duncannon to Port Clinton, etc...
LaurieAnn
12-09-2009, 14:13
I don't have much to say that hasn't already been covered. I will say, however, that I am a big fan of mail drops and we've done this on a few trips along the Bruce Trail. I'd rather make and dehydrate my own foods because then I know what's in it and how my body will react to it. I also find it, even with postage costs, to be more economical in the long run and it ensures that I don't tire of certain items. The problem with where we've hiked in the past is the rural location. There is a post office in most of the little hamlets but not often a place to buy food beyond what you'd find in a poorly stocked convenience store.
jersey joe
12-09-2009, 15:27
Nice summery. I suggest that you split out the issue of post offices being open as a separate (on its own) bullet point --- IMO it's a big deal to arrive in town just after the P.O. closes on a Friday and won't open again until Monday. Related is that post offices are being closed or hours of operation cut back in smaller towns in order to cut costs.
I had this same exact thought when reading jacks post(btw, nice post jack). My biggest con by far for maildrops is not getting to the post office before it closed. There were a few times where I had to race into town to get a maildrop so I didn't have to hang out in town for a couple days.
Knowing when a business one expects to patronize is open isn't a requirement unique to long distance hiking. It's why some will send their resupply packages to other businesses open 7 days a week.
Some hikers aren't particularly good at the planning part and keeping appointments. They're the hikers most apt to be heard complaining about post offices and their hours.
Jester2000
12-09-2009, 18:43
Knowing when a business one expects to patronize is open isn't a requirement unique to long distance hiking. It's why some will send their resupply packages to other businesses open 7 days a week.
Some hikers aren't particularly good at the planning part and keeping appointments. They're the hikers most apt to be heard complaining about post offices and their hours.
I haven't noticed anyone complaining about PO or their hours on this thread. Just the fact that the sometimes limited hours are something to be aware of and a possible negative as far as doing maildrops.
Perhaps some hikers' plans always end up being what actually happens, but that's almost never been the case for me.
I did maildrops for my AT hike, but as I went along changed from shipping General Delivery to C/O packages sent to businesses when I realized that doing so gave me more freedom with my town stops. If I hiked the AT again, I would do almost no maildrops.
On the PCT I did maildrops to myself from the trail to places I knew had limited resupply, with two mailed from home (one early in the trail, the other (mainly gear) to Kennedy Meadows).
I think the fewer maildrops you can get away with, the better. There may be towns you end up deciding you don't need to go into, there will almost always be resupply available in the towns you do go to (and if there isn't, that info will be online), spending money in towns is good for hikers' reputations generally, and your tastes (and appetite) will change during the hike.
Jack Tarlin
12-09-2009, 19:13
Emerald's post also overlooks the fact that in many cases, there are no alternative places (hostels, motels, Outfitters, etc.) to send one's mail; in short, one HAS to rely on the Post Office on some occasions even if one would rather not.
Also, Emerald, it isn't a question of actually knowing when a Post Office is open; this information is hardly a secret and is contained in every Trail guidebook. So your kinda smug comment about hikers being mis-informed is off-base. They aren't ill-informed. It's simply that in some cases, it's a matter of timing, i.e. in some cases, it is difficult or even impossible fior hikers to arrive in a town in order to get their mail. (This happens a lot on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends for example).
So this isn't really a "planning" issue. If you use maildrops a lot, there WILL be a time when you'll have to alter your plans (i.e. slow down, speed up, hitch ahead, blow off a maildrop altogether and have it forwarded, etc.) and this altering of your plans/schedule usually has nothing to do with how well informed a hiker is, or how good their planning is.
Emerald's post also overlooks the fact that in many cases, there are no alternative places (hostels, motels, Outfitters, etc.) to send one's mail; in short, one HAS to rely on the Post Office on some occasions even if one would rather not.
Also, Emerald, it isn't a question of actually knowing when a Post Office is open; this information is hardly a secret and is contained in every Trail guidebook. So your kinda smug comment about hikers being mis-informed is off-base. They aren't ill-informed. It's simply that in some cases, it's a matter of timing, i.e. in some cases, it is difficult or even impossible fior hikers to arrive in a town in order to get their mail. (This happens a lot on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends for example).
So this isn't really a "planning" issue. If you use maildrops a lot, there WILL be a time when you'll have to alter your plans (i.e. slow down, speed up, hitch ahead, blow off a maildrop altogether and have it forwarded, etc.) and this altering of your plans/schedule usually has nothing to do with how well informed a hiker is, or how good their planning is.
Confession time. Again no less. When I chose to walk home to maine 18 years ago, the concept of zero days, hadn't registered on my brain. My previous weekend, long holiday hikes, vacation hikes, family hikes, and occasional two week hikes, hadn't involved such complicated considerations.
But I quickly discovered the value of zero days. I couldn't bring myself to plan for such. However, I found myself welcoming an occasional day and a half rest when I'd just missed a Saturday noon post office closing.
It didn't happen often. But when it did, I considered the wait until Monday morning, just one of many AT pleasant surprises. I know that more anal hikers won't understand this post. But sobeit. I understand that from time to time, a lot of folks don't understand my suggestions. Strange as that may seem.
Weary
Jack Tarlin
12-09-2009, 19:40
Nothing "anal" about planning your down time or days off, Weary.
But when it comes to taking a day or two off, staying in town, spending money, falling behind one's friends, etc., well in most cases, people would rather make these choices for themselves rather have their time off dictated by circumstances or bad luck. And there are any number of places where hikers wouldn't want to spend that much time off, expectedly or not: Some towns don't have enough to keep one occupied for two days (care to spend two days in Bland, anyone?), and some are so expensive that lots of hikers couldn't afford to spend un-planned time off in them (Say Salisbury or Kent or Manchester Center). I agree with you that unexpected time off can sometimes be a great thing, but when it comes to spending time and money off the Trail, and where I was going to do it, I'd rather be the one making that choice.
Nothing "anal" about planning your down time or days off, Weary.
But when it comes to taking a day or two off, staying in town, spending money, falling behind one's friends, etc., well in most cases, people would rather make these choices for themselves rather have their time off dictated by circumstances or bad luck. And there are any number of places where hikers wouldn't want to spend that much time off, expectedly or not: Some towns don't have enough to keep one occupied for two days (care to spend two days in Bland, anyone?), and some are so expensive that lots of hikers couldn't afford to spend un-planned time off in them (Say Salisbury or Kent or Manchester Center). I agree with you that unexpected time off can sometimes be a great thing, but when it comes to spending time and money off the Trail, and where I was going to do it, I'd rather be the one making that choice.
Well, Jack, you have an advantage over us there. Most of us have only one chance at the trail. We don't know good down time towns, from the ordinary down time towns. We just trust to luck. And appreciate it when we are lucky. Well, I do anyway. Others will have to speak for themselves. I do like pleasant surprises, however.
Weary
Okie Dokie
12-09-2009, 23:14
I'm with weary...going with things as they occured and savoring the surprises were a very important part of the AT for me...looking forward to what's in my next drop -be it food or mail from friends and family - the best experiences I had on the trail were when I encountered people who weren't hostel owners, retailers, or trail angels...I loved meeting people who lived along the trail and weren't working (consciously, or sub-consciously) from some script they'd decided was the way to deal with AT hikers...
"...looking forward to what's in my next drop -be it food or mail from friends and family..."
Okay, I do have to say that I really enjoyed when my wife would toss some home baked chocolate chip cookies into a resupply box on the PCT last year. OTOH, I had the experience in Tuolumne Meadows of picking up a package with cookies inside and then moments later having someone in the parking lot ask if I was a thru-hiker and then offering me chocolate chip cookies!
But I'm with Jester now, fewer maildrops are better. I had lots of maildrops on the PCT, over 30; I plan on 5 drops (with a new pair of shoes in most of those) on the AT this coming year.
"Jester", eh --- I'm guessing you're the Jester who, along with the Germinator, showed me how to relace my shoes runner style early on the PCT in 2008? If so, thanks, as I think that did help eliminate heel blisters until of course my feet toughened into hooves ...
Fatman Running
12-10-2009, 13:20
The psychological value of having maildrops is important, as well. In both of my thru-hikes I used a dozen or so pre-arranged mail drops. I always looked forward to receiving mail and well wishes even more so then the additional food supplies I had sent (products I knew I wouldn't be able to purchase locally). On my '82 hike I remember pulling into town expecting/hoping to have mail and none to be found. What a disappointment! Next town I had a pile of mail and a couple packages, but this still didn't make up for the let down i experianced. Everyone who has done a long hike knows the feeling of being homesick and even a few quick lines of encouragement goes a long ways in keeping you moving forward. Always cheaper to buy local and your tastes will change along the way. Don't have too many mail drops, as mentioned, as you will find that you either have to ramp up your mileage days when you see you are getting close to a weekend and the PO being closed or have to slow down and take a chance on running low on food or spending extra time in town which gets expensive.
Jester2000
12-10-2009, 21:22
"Jester", eh --- I'm guessing you're the Jester who, along with the Germinator, showed me how to relace my shoes runner style early on the PCT in 2008? If so, thanks, as I think that did help eliminate heel blisters until of course my feet toughened into hooves ...
Yep, that was me! Glad it helped some.
And don't get me wrong, everyone. I'm all for as many care packages from home as possible, and if you've ever had my mom's baked goods you know why. I received numerous packages from home, which I and everyone hiking around me enjoyed thoroughly. I also got quite few packages from my friends in Billville, particularly in Stehekin, where the Postmistress said, "oh, you're Shane O'Donnell" when I arrived there (had about 10 boxes waiting for me).
So I did mention that using maildrops kind of locks you into going into towns that you might, for whatever reason, decide you would rather not go to (your friends are going to Tehachipi, your package is in Mojave). But if there are towns you know you're definitely going to pass through (Damascus, Duncannon, and Hanover are the obvious ones, but there are more on the AT), then make sure your friends and family know your schedule, the zip codes, and how to address packages. There's something uplifting about mail from home.
Yep, that was me! Glad it helped some.
And don't get me wrong, everyone. I'm all for as many care packages from home as possible, and if you've ever had my mom's baked goods you know why. I received numerous packages from home, which I and everyone hiking around me enjoyed thoroughly. I also got quite few packages from my friends in Billville, particularly in Stehekin, where the Postmistress said, "oh, you're Shane O'Donnell" when I arrived there (had about 10 boxes waiting for me).
So I did mention that using maildrops kind of locks you into going into towns that you might, for whatever reason, decide you would rather not go to (your friends are going to Tehachipi, your package is in Mojave). But if there are towns you know you're definitely going to pass through (Damascus, Duncannon, and Hanover are the obvious ones, but there are more on the AT), then make sure your friends and family know your schedule, the zip codes, and how to address packages. There's something uplifting about mail from home.
Anyone who hasn't read Jester's posts. probably doesn't realize how wise he is.