Is It Possible To Resupply 90% of The AT?

[Lil Drummer Boy]

I have been observing for some time now on journals and forums that many hikers are going to stores of all sizes when in town. I would like to stay away from a diet of Ho-Ho's and Twinkies. I'm not sure I would like to purchase anything out of a supermarket either. Let's hypothetically say that I am allergic to everything but dehydrated foods from home. Better yet, I'm diabetic and have to have a specific diet geared towards that. You get the idea.
There is a secondary reason for this question and that is, budgeting. I would like to have a good 90% paid for, with a few meals out as a treat. But, I would like to know where I stand finacially and rest assured that it is feasible. In other words, I "could"order all my dehydrated food or prepare it and be done with it.
Now I have read some advice as to wether or not you would get tired of the same meal over and over. I fully understand that. I think it was Einstein who had seven sets of clothes so he didn't waste his thoughts on what to wear for the day. Well, whoever it was if I'm wrong lead me to think about it.
I have seen the resupply list (thank you-but I don't remember who posted it) and it is the best thing I have so far.
I will be attempting my thru next year in 2011 due to a physical setback.

[Lil Drummer Boy]

My support team will send as needed with the anticipation that there will be fluxuations in the general schedule or plan. If I went and purchased all the 90% food I wish for and find myself ahead of schedule and or I eat out a few more time,there would be nothing wrong with having dehydrated foods in the house.

[Ox97GaMe]

Many of the towns have stores like Kroger, Bi-Lo, and Food City (large chain stores) that are either right in town, or a reasonable shuttle distance. If you are able to get foods that you can eat at your local grocery, then you should be fine getting it along the trail. You may need to be a bit more selective about the towns you stop in for resupply, but it shouldnt be that difficult to get 80 or 90% of your supplies as you go, instead of shipping it to you in mail drops.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

you only need a few mail drops check out the resupply link here on whiteblaze it is an excellent summary of where you can resupply . Maildrops are a PITA for the most part-you have to time you arrival according to PO operating hours -if you have special dietary needs it may be the price you will have to pay
Hillbilly

[Footslogger]

Been 7 years but I did the entire trail with 3 "food" mail drops. I can only imagine that it is at least that good if not better now. As long as you don't have special dietary needs you can generally walk/hitch into a town or convenient mart about every 4 - 6 days and get what you need to keep on keepin on.

'Slogger

[mtnkngxt]

I'm in a similar boat as you. I don't have Diabetes, but I can't eat alot of junk food, as it makes me sick. I'm planning mail dropping some of my food, but also plan on spending the money to buy better food along the trail. Surviving on Ramer, Lipton Sides, and Snickers is not my idea of fun. I also do not drink beer, which saves me a ton of money in towns.

I'm budgeting 5K dollars for my hike in '11, minus travel which will be provided by my family, and gear which I already have.

It will be way more than I'll ever need, but it allows me to not worry about it and enjoy the hike.

[garlic08]

My wife thru-hiked in '02 and she had her food all laid out and packaged for the first 1/2 of the trip. She hiked the first half with mainly mail drop food, at least 90%. So yes, it can be done. (That's the answer part of this post. The rest is editorial.)

But it was a major pain in the butt for her and her support team (me). The second half the trip she hiked with only two mail drops, and very few since then. I hiked in '08 with zero food drops, based on the lessons she learned and on my hiking style.

[shwn354]

i hear your argument, but have to agree that food drops are a huge hassle, in what, for me anyway, was supposed to be as hassle-free an experience as possible. And i didnt plan on eating out much either, but ended up doing so almost every chance i got. of course i'm not known for having incredible will-power, but the idea of a big greasy burger waiting for me in the next town was a powerful motivator.

[Lil Drummer Boy]

I have seen were people are estimating that a on trail budget of $3,000 is sufficient. Ofcourse the super-hiker( truck drivers call them "Super-Truckers") will say they did it with a three dollar bill, six nickels and found twenty pennies and pulled it off. Anyways, is this the cost of food or lodging or both?

[Blissful]

I did the trail with 30 drops and made out just fine. No hassle, nothing. Only had to stay twice on a Monday to pick up an AM drop at a PO (which was no hardship for us). Drops are good if you're on a special diet or don't want typical hiker meals of ramen or other Knorr / Lipton noodles. There are also though some places with bigger food marts where you can get a better variety. But for space sake in the pack, weight etc, you're still mostly gonna end up with the same ol' thing. Unless its the food coop in Hanover.

[goedde2]

You might want to consider the REI's Backpacking Kit. It's loaded with all dehydrated meals and contains 70 selections. It weighs about 4 1/2 pounds, but when you consider the average re-supply is 2 pounds per day, it's worthy of consideration. If you have 20% off coupon, you can save $10 through 4/18.

[flemdawg1]

You might want to consider the REI's Backpacking Kit. It's loaded with all dehydrated meals and contains 70 selections. It weighs about 4 1/2 pounds, but when you consider the average re-supply is 2 pounds per day, it's worthy of consideration. If you have 20% off coupon, you can save $10 through 4/18.

Or just google "survival food" and you can get sets for 72hr to 1 year of meals.

[fiddlehead]

Let's hypothetically say that I am allergic to everything but dehydrated foods from home. Better yet, I'm diabetic and have to have a specific diet geared towards that.

After reading the above sentences, I don't see where you have a choice.
What's the question again?

Will you get tired of the same food over and over again?
Yes, if you only have a few choices available.

Will you have enough money?
Yes, if you don't drink too much and learn to hike in the rain. (not hit a hotel everytime it rains like some)

Will it be hard? Of course.

[rustedsatellite]

I'm in a similar boat as you. I don't have Diabetes, but I can't eat alot of junk food, as it makes me sick. I'm planning mail dropping some of my food, but also plan on spending the money to buy better food along the trail. Surviving on Ramer, Lipton Sides, and Snickers is not my idea of fun. I also do not drink beer, which saves me a ton of money in towns.

I'm budgeting 5K dollars for my hike in '11, minus travel which will be provided by my family, and gear which I already have.

It will be way more than I'll ever need, but it allows me to not worry about it and enjoy the hike.


I have the same problem as you with the junk food. It makes me feel nasty.
Also, I'm planning a thru-hike in '11, too. see you on the trail!

[Razor]

If you start with the assumptions you made ,you are probably dead by now. Dehydration will not eliminate the allegins you claim to have. Will postage costs waste any savings on purchasing ? If you want to mail your food ,do that.If you want to purchasr as you go, do that. But if you want to analyize the facts to come to a conclusion, then do that with some basic logic that will be constant from start to finish. Go to the supermarket and start reading labels .Take what you are doing at home and see if it is transferable to the trail.Try some practice at home . You are about to start a 6 month adventure .If you are sucessful, preparation is the key. But you must start with a resonable set of facts to work with!As for the experience here you will find people have done it both ways and like their way but the trend and the much largher group buy as they go. They are generally working without diet restrictions

[Jester2000]

Einstein didn't have to eat his clothing for 5-6 months. Hypothetically, you're allergic to everything, but in reality you're not.

Can you mail drop all of your food? Yes. Might it (money-wise) make you feel like you're on top of things? Possibly. And arriving in town knowing that you know what's waiting for you is, I'll admit, something that seems great now. But I've done it, and even without the disaster suffered by a friend of mine who put laundry detergent in all of her mail drops, it got old. And then you know what? Having your food budget mostly spent suddenly seems like maybe not such a good idea.

If you really have restrictive dietary needs, then yes. Otherwise, it seems like a bad idea to me.

[Grinder]

No one has mentioned the cost.

I had never thought much about it, but at $8 to $10 USPS charge per drop was a large percent of the value of the contents of the drop.

Just sayin'

[garbanz]

Im planning for a 2011 thru and after thinking out most gear and home logistic issues for my hike am still perplexed about the thru food scenerio. The only reason Im a candidate for a thru hike at my age is because I eat healthy. AND I WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY DURING THE 5-6 MONTHS IM ON THE TRAIL. My feeling from the WB forums is that there are quite a few other lurkers out there that share this concern. AND If given a mid to large size grocery or a cafe a cut above a fast food restaurant we can make the right nutritional choices w/o the hassle of food drops. Our recurring question for former thru hikers is : are the opportunities there along the trail to eat healthy?

[Jack Tarlin]

Drummer Boy:

I have thru-hiked while relying almost entirely on food bought ahead of time and have thru-hiked while relying on virtually NO food bought ahead of time.

This has been extensively discussed here at Whiteblaze and a quick search on "Resupplying" or "Maildrops" will give you hours of reading.

In brief:

Unless you're on some sort of restricted diet (i.e. kosher, no salt, etc.) or unless you have the leisure and budget to prepare and dehydrate much of your food ahead of time, most contemporary thru-hikers choose to get most of their food while en route as opposed to pre-buying, packaging, and mailing their stuff ahead of time.

Reasons for this:

1. It's probably cheaper, as once you throw in the cost of mailing (or re-
mailing food to yourself), buying ahead of time doesn't save you any
money. At 10 bucks or more a box, this adds up in a hurry.
2. It leaves you having to deal with Post Offices and their schedules/hours
of operation. Here's the truth: If you rely on getting your food in the
mail, sooner or later, you WILL wither lose a parcel; get it late or not at
all; get it sent to the wrong place; have to have it forwarded or sent
elsewhere; you'll have to have some friend or family member retrieve or
collect a parcel for you (which may not work); or worst of all, you'll
either have to speed up or slow down your hiking pace/schedule based on
where your mail is and what day of the week you'll be passing thru town
to get it. You really don't want your hiking schedule revolving around
your mail.
3. Most folks get sick and tired of their food. So will you. It's July 26th
right now; it's 7:30 at night. I don't have a clue what I wanna eat
tonight.......so why does anyone know on the 15th of February what
they wanna eat out onthe Trail on the 15th of August? If you pre-buy
and box up all your food before your trip starts, I guarantee you'll either
end up hating a lot of it, giving a lot of it away, or more likely, buying
new stuff, thus wasting money twice, i.e. the $ you spent buying the
stuff in the first place, and then the $ you spent mailing it.
4. A lot of folks get food ideas from their friends, i.e. they get ideas based
on what they see other folks eating. If 90% of your food is pre-bought,
then you won't have this spontaneity, i.e. you bought it and shipped it,
so you're essentially stuck with it.

In short: Most folks seem happier buying most of their food on the A.T. while en route and there are countless places to do this. Most folks who pre-buy most of their food either end up regretting having done this, or more likely, they simply end up replacing this stuff with other stuff, food they actually want to eat. Six months is a long time to eat stuff you hate.

[Don H]

I'd recommend reading Jack's articles on resupplying on the trail
http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=resupplypart1
I plan on buying along the way but having maybe 6 boxes with 5 days of food at home ready to ship as needed.

[10-K]

I'd recommend reading Jack's articles on resupplying on the trail
http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=resupplypart1
I plan on buying along the way but having maybe 6 boxes with 5 days of food at home ready to ship as needed.

Agree on the article. I took it with me and used it as a rough guide as to what's up ahead.

That article is a few years old - I suggested that it be made into a wiki so it could be kept up to date but never heard anything else about it.

Still, it's a worth a look.

[George]

the main reasons I do food drops is that off seasons many of the convenient sources of food are closed/shortened hours and when I buy my food in town it is like a kid in the candy store- I end up with to much + to heavy

[Jack Tarlin]

1. The Re-Supply article does indeed need to be updated and probably will
be sometime this upcoming winter.
2. I've always encouraged people to contact me with updates, suggetions,
corrections, omissions, revisions. Every single version of the Article has
encouraged people to do this, so I've always been open to additions and
improvements.
3. I'm not interested in making this a "Wiki" type thing where anyone can
add to it or edit it. Wikipedia articles are notorious for containing incorrect
information listed as fact, and if my name is going to appear on this
article, then I want it as accurate as possible, meaning I'll be happy to
take responsibility for my own lapses and mistakes but I don't feel like
being responsible for anyone else's, nor do I have the time to re-read and
re-edit the thing every few days in order to assure that additions and
"contributions" to the Article are both correct and appropriate.
4. And lastly, if anyone wants to re-do this and create a new Re-Supply
article, they are certainly welcome to do so. I find it curious tho, that
it's been several years and nobody has done this. Either they realize that
it would take a lot of time and effort, or perhaps they realize that the
present article is still mostly accurate. In any case, it's certainly gratify-
to discover that some hikers still feel it's "worth a look". :D

[Jack Tarlin]

Incidentally, when 10-K first suggested the "Wiki" idea in a post dated 30 June of this year, I responded to it within a few hours, saying pretty much what I just said above.

I'm sorry he "never heard anything" about his idea, but I did in fact consider his suggestion at the time, and addrressed his suggestion.

For a lot of different reasons, making the Re-Supply article a collaborative effort where anyone can add, revise, edit it, etc. is simply not a good idea: I really think the article would inevitably contain mistakes and errors in greater numbers than it already does, and would require constant scanning and fact-checking to insure that what it contained was, in fact, correct.

Again, anyone who wants to produce something similar, or hopefully, better, is more than welcome to do so.

[10-K]

Didn't mean to rub your fur the wrong way Jack.... I did not see your reply to my thread from June but I did a quick search and read it. I missed it somehow - my apologies.

Wikis are actually an incredibly efficient way of keeping information accurate and up to date.

At any rate, I have thanked you (indirectly) many times for producing the article, found it very useful myself, and hope that it continues to evolve over time whatever your vision for it might be.

[max patch]

Wikis are actually an incredibly efficient way of keeping information accurate and up to date.



I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one.

If WB started a resupply wiki every single place to eat and or resupply between Georgia and Maine would be discussed and debated, the wiki if printed would be the size of a phone book, and quite frankly it would not be a useful tool at all.

The Uncle Johnny fans would write glowing reports, then the Uncle Johnny haters would edit the wiki with a barrage of criticism. Then the fans would show up and the process would be repeated.

And the dude who set out to thru but didn't make it past Damascus is still going to update the wiki with his thoughts about Shaws based upon what he read somewhere once upon a time.

Mr Tarlin's article, even with a few years on it, is certainly going to be more useful to someone who needs advice on how and where to resupply than a collaborative wiki maintained by Whiteblazers.

[Jack Tarlin]

Gotta agree with Max here.

I have friends who teach high school and college.

If they catch a student using Wikipedia as a credible source for academic work, they get a stiff lecture on the inherent problems with the site.

If they catch someone using Wikipedia uncredited, they get a failing grade.

To describe the Wikipedia method (i.e. everyone's a writer; everyone's an authority; everyone's an expert; everyone that contributes is accurate and has fact-checked and validated their comments before publication, and therefore, everyone's contribution is equally useful......) as "incredibly effiecient," "accurate", and "up to date" is simply untrue.

No serious academic would ever describe Wikipedia or Wiki-type scholarship or journalism in this fashion; in fact, the word "scholarship" would not appear in the same paragraph as "Wiki."

And the problem with "Wiki" articles is that if you want to keep the article honest and true, some poor S.O.B. has to spend a lot of time reading and re-reading it, checking for additions and subtractions and revisions, and making sure that what's contained in the article is actually true.

Pretty thankless job.

But truly, the Wiki method is essentially a way to insure that everyone, regardless of their background, training, education, or expertise on a subject can speak with gravitas and authority on any subject they wish.

What suffers here is accuracy, authenticity, and ultimately, credibility.

When this method of "scholarship" is deemed "accurate" and "incredibly efficient," well sorry, I have to disagree.

[10-K]

Well, I have to say I disagree with you both. :)

I guess since this is the internet no one is going to change their mind so we may as well move on...

[Jack Tarlin]

People are certainly entitled to disagree, I couldn't agree more.

Then again, I just checked Wikipedia's extensive article on the Appalachian Trail.

It described a majority of the Trail as "wilderness." It mis-stated the length of the Trail in my home state of New Hampshire by several miles. The article gave two entirely different figures for the true elevation of Clingmans Dome.

Then I checked the Wikipedia article on my hometown of Hanover NH. Among other things, the articles gave incorrect figures for such figures as the town's elevation and its population.

"Fact checking" (i.e verifying the veracity) of the information supplied in these two authoritative Wikipedia articles took me around three minutes.

In short, neither Wikipedia or its imitators should be taken as an authoritative source on much of anything. Their sources are suspect, as is their scholarship. Anyone, regardless of credentials or expertise can edit their material, and fact-checking before publication, all too often is essentially non-existent.

People are welcome to write and contribute to Wikiesque articles here at Whiteblaze, but prudent writers and concerned readers would do well to steer clear of them. A work of scholarship does not in any way become more venerable or trustworthy merely because of the number of its authors or the number of times it is amended or re-edited. On the contrary, this is precisely the sort of thing that makes the accuracy of a work suspect.

[10-K]

Jack, I understand that you don't want your article in Wiki format so that's the end of it. I don't have a problem with that at all.

I do like Wikis though, even if you don't. :)

[Jester2000]

What I Know Is . . .

I'd rather read an outdated article by Jack than a constantly updated wiki by people I don't know and can't verify the cv of.

[Dogwood]

Most thru-hikers don't NEED to mail resupply boxes on the AT, even with most of the common special diets(veg, gluten free, Vegan low sugar, etc).

There is a secondary reason for this question and that is, budgeting. I would like to have a good 90% paid for, with a few meals out as a treat. But, I would like to know where I stand finacially and rest assured that it is feasible. In other words, I "could"order all my dehydrated food or prepare it and be done with it.
Now I have read some advice as to wether or not you would get tired of the same meal over and over. LilDrummerBoy

When I do mail resupply boxes on other trails this is a nice consolation in my mind also. Most of the monetary costs associated with trailfood are pre-accounted for!

Some make a BIG deal about eating the same foods over and over. There is a VERY SIMPLE solution to that dilema - don't mail the same stuff out to eat over and over! Mix it up!

[10-K]

What I Know Is . . .

I'd rather read an outdated article by Jack than a constantly updated wiki by people I don't know and can't verify the cv of.

I think we're beating a dead horse here.... but anyway ....

You'd be crazy to use anybody's information without cross referencing it with a guidebook. Jack's resupply article is great and I made full use of it but I still felt the need to check it against what was in the guidebook.

[Jester2000]

Some make a BIG deal about eating the same foods over and over. There is a VERY SIMPLE solution to that dilema - don't mail the same stuff out to eat over and over! Mix it up!

That works well IF you've hiked long distances before and know what you like to eat while on trail. Many, including the kind of people who ask these questions on whiteblaze, don't have that kind of experience. When you don't have that experience, blowing 90% of your food budget beforehand can be a bad idea.



You'd be crazy to use anybody's information without cross referencing it with a guidebook. Jack's resupply article is great and I made full use of it but I still felt the need to check it against what was in the guidebook.

I agree with you 100% here. I'm sure Jack does too!

[10-K]

I agree with you 100% here. I'm sure Jack does too!

Whew! I knew we'd find some common ground if we kept at it. :)

It's all good... I just floated an idea - I wasn't trying to change the world or anything.

[max patch]

There is a secondary reason for this question and that is, budgeting. I would like to have a good 90% paid for, with a few meals out as a treat. But, I would like to know where I stand finacially and rest assured that it is feasible. In other words, I "could"order all my dehydrated food or prepare it and be done with it.


Another thing to think about re prepaying...everyone thinks that they will complete a thru when they start, but the completion percentage is 25% or so plus or minus. Pretty sad to have paid for 6 months of food and decide to end your trip at Neels Gap or wherever. True story; when I hit Rainbow Springs on my thru (mile marker 100 or so) a young lady had just decided her thru was over and she was asking everyone if they wanted to buy some of her food. She had bought 6 months of mountain house breakfasts and suppers...

And as Jester mentioned, if you don't have LDH experience you really don't know what you will want to eat. I had 10 years of weekend experience before my thru, and what I ended up eating on my thru was totally different that what I had eaten during those 10 years.

[Don H]

I've heard there are several places where re-supply is not so easy and a mail drop makes sense. Any suggestion on where a mail drop is a good idea?

[Jack Tarlin]

That is precisely the sort of thing that is addressed in the article discussed above.

[Jack Tarlin]

Don:

To save you some time.....

1. I think the re-supply at the Nantahala Outdoor Center is lousy; I think it's
probably a good idea to send a 2-3 day drop here.
2. Re-Supply at Fontana Dam is better than it used to be, but it's still not
great. I'd send a box here, the size depending on whether or not you're
going all the way thru the Smokies or stopping at Gatlinburg.
3. A drop to the ATC office in Harpers Ferry is probably a good idea as
nearby shopping options there are limited.
4. Most hikers go into Hamburg, but I still think a small drop to Port Clinton
PA is a good idea.
5. Check on P.O. hours first, but a drop to Bear Mt, NY might be wise.
6. The markets in Maine are small and with the exception of Rangeley,
limited. I'd probably send small drops to Andover, Caratunk, and Monson.

[Don H]

Jack, thanks. I'll copy and save it for next years thru.

[10-K]

One thing you'll find is that these are just recommendations. No where is it absolutely essential to send a maildrop. Where one person thinks a maildrop is essential another person will disagree.

For instance, I was expecting Maine to be a lot harder to resupply than it was but found it was just as easy to resupply there as anywhere else.

You can even get enough resupply in the 100 mile wilderness (at Whitehouse Landing) to get you to Abol Bridge (or Monson if you're going south).

Knowing what I know now having hiked the entire trail I wouldn't bother with mailing any food.

[Lone Wolf]

One thing you'll find is that these are just recommendations. No where is it absolutely essential to send a maildrop. Where one person thinks a maildrop is essential another person will disagree.

For instance, I was expecting Maine to be a lot harder to resupply than it was but found it was just as easy to resupply there as anywhere else.

You can even get enough resupply in the 100 mile wilderness (at Whitehouse Landing) to get you to Abol Bridge (or Monson if you're going south).

Knowing what I know now having hiked the entire trail I wouldn't bother with mailing any food.

i agree. it is possible to resupply 100% of the AT. i've never done a food mail drop. but if one is worried, get one of the 3 or 4 guidebooks that are available.

[Jack Tarlin]

I would also agree that it's possible to buy all of your food en route.

That being said, there are certainly places where to do this, you'll either have to hitch/walk a good ways, or pay for a ride/town shuttle to the store; there will also be places where the food selection available to you is poor, not that extensive, and very expensive.

For all these reasons, I still think there are a few places where many people would want a food parcel waiting.

And incidentally, keep in mind that "food drops" don't have to be purchased months in advance. In many cases, you can prepare them while en route: For example, if you want to have a small drop waiting for you in Harpers Ferry (rather than walk a mile and re-supply at the 7-11), you can put a small drop together in Waynesboro, which has a great supermarket. By doing this, you'll be buying (and later eating) food you actually like; you'll have a much better idea of your food needs/requirements than you would if you pre-bought your food in February so there will be less waste and you won't be packing unneeded extra stuff; your food will be fresher as it won't have been sitting at home in a box since wintertime. Oh, and being your own maildrop person is probably more reliable than having a friend send your stuff. Stuff tends to get to you at the right place and on time when it's YOU that's the guy mailing it and not your roomate.

In any case, different things work for different folks, but in some places, I still like to have a foodbox waiting. Arriving in a place like Fontana Dam only to realize that they're entirely out of half a dozen things you were counting on buying is a real drag; so is getting to the NOC and realizing they're pretty much limited to candybars and overpriced Mountain House dinners. For me, I'd rather spend a few bucks on postage ahead of time and be assured that there's stuff waiting for there for me that I actually want to eat.

But like so many other things, folks will discover what works best for them.

[Blissful]

SOBO in Maine - Caratunk is still a good option for a mail drop, IMO. Postmistress is a great gal. But if you can get Northern resorts to take you (and it depends on their mood), there is a pricey convenience store 5 miles down the road from them. We stayed at the Sterling inn and got Wallace to take us, but his business is up for sale.
In Andover, the Cabin is holding our drop.
I am also doing a few small drops at AMC centers in NH, just so I carry little food in the tough terrain