How do I send my backpack to the post office?

[flagator]

Hey all. I know it may seem like common sense to those who have done it, but I have never mailed something to the post office in order to pick it up myself. I have combed through the forums briefly but am getting a little frustrated. Do ALL usps offices accept packages that were deleivered usps? Im looking at mailing my backpack and supplies to the usps located on main street in Hanover, by the greyhound stop. Where my question is how exactly do I address the Box? For instance on the top line....?
Joe Schmoe
50 S MAIN ST.
HANOVER, NH 03755-2066
or does the box have to be labeled for general delivery, how long will they hold this package. Also I know this has been covered in threads, but with mixed answers. Included in my backpack will be a fuel cannister or 2. I was going to buy a cheap box at walmart, pack it all up and bring it into the post office. Somewhere I read I would have to pack the box in front of the post office employeee, which sounds absolutely absurd. Others say you just mail it like you would anything else. Or I have heard it must be sent ground transportation only. Please someone tell me how I do this so that my backpack is where I need it without any incident.

[Sierra Echo]

You can't ship fuel cannisters or anything else flammible through the mail.
The best answer I can give you (and I have been a postal employee for over 10 years) is to call the PO that
you want to ship your pack too and ask them what their regulations are. I'm not a window clerk so I can't answer your questions, BUT polices seem to change from PO to PO.

[flagator]

Thanks, well I think Ill save myself the trouble. Turns out that if it meets regulations it is okay to send if you do ground transport and label it appropriately. But I've now discovered, there is an outfitter almost directly on the trail right in Hanover... The Mountain Goat. Im sure they will have the cannister I need. Could someone confirm that this is how I would address the box. I just want to make sure my package doesnt get lost in the mail.

[Sierra Echo]

If you don't want your package to get lost in the mail then pay the extra dollar or so and have a
Delivery Confirmation sticker put on it. That way, wherever it goes, it will get scanned.

[Iceaxe]

Sending to yourself at a post office:
To:
Joe Smoe
c/o General Delivery
Hanover, NH 03755

Put the address in the middle on one side of the box ONLY! They are anal about this sometimes.
Put your return address in the upper left hand corner of the same side as the mailing address.
In the lower left corner put "Please Hold for AT hiker ETA: Day/Month"
They (USPS) will hold general delivery packages for two weeks from the time they recieve it but your ETA is also a good idea.

Sending to yourself at an outfitter, hostel, or persons home:
To:
Joe Smoe
c/o The Mountain Goat
123 easy street (I dont know the real address)
Hanover, NH 03755

Also put an ETA somewhere on the box you send to these places. You don't have to be exact. Just be conservative. if you think you will get there by June 10th put June 15th on the box.
If you run late just call them and explain you need more time. I have had no trouble even when calling the Post office to extend my general delivery holding times. Just be polite to the Postal workers and they will be nice to you.
I have never lost a package on a long Distance trail.
In fact UPS even forwarded a package from Wyoming to Montana for me for free with a single phone call.

[Sly]

Besides the PO of course, the only place listed in the Companion that accepts packages in Hanover is Hanover Outdoors. I suggest you call first, (603) 643-1263

c/o Hanover Outdoors
17½ Lebanon St.
Hanover, NH 03755

[flagator]

Thanks Sierra. I realize that, Ill be sure to do so. What I really meant was I dont want it to be lost in transition from one place to another by being addressed wrong. I would not like to fly from FL to NH and have my box in limbo somewhere.

[flagator]

Thank you Iceaxe and Sly for your input. Thanks very much.

[Blissful]

You can't ship fuel cannisters or anything else flammible through the mail.
.

That is a misnomer. You can ship canisters surface mail only. They just can't go via an airplane (and there is a sticker that you put on the pkg to show that. I have mailed many without issues.

[Sierra Echo]

That is a misnomer. You can ship canisters surface mail only. They just can't go via an airplane (and there is a sticker that you put on the pkg to show that. I have mailed many without issues.

My apologies! I didnt realize we had an expert here!
Flagator, according to the safety poster in my PO, it says no flammables!

[BigHodag]

In addition to putting the addresses on the outside just once, it's also good to include a second set of addresses inside the box as sometimes handling machines and various substances (grease, oil) can obscure the outside address. A sheet of paper with a second set of addresses inside is cheap assurance the box will find itself back to you. I too prefer delivery confirmation for peace of mind.

I would also line the box first with a large trash bag and seal my backpack inside to prevent water damage or worse to the contents.

Don't forget to insure the package for replacement value. Might also take a few photos and print up a gear list should something go awry.

Prepare for the worst, but expect the best.

(Personally, I'd ride "the dog" to Hanover and shepherd my pack below so I know its with me at all times and when I arrive, regardless of the earlier Greyhound bashing thread)

[Danl]

Sending to yourself at a post office:
To:
Joe Smoe
c/o General Delivery
Hanover, NH 03755

Put the address in the middle on one side of the box ONLY! They are anal about this sometimes.
Put your return address in the upper left hand corner of the same side as the mailing address.
In the lower left corner put "Please Hold for AT hiker ETA: Day/Month"
They (USPS) will hold general delivery packages for two weeks from the time they recieve it but your ETA is also a good idea.

Sending to yourself at an outfitter, hostel, or persons home:
To:
Joe Smoe
c/o The Mountain Goat
123 easy street (I dont know the real address)
Hanover, NH 03755

Also put an ETA somewhere on the box you send to these places. You don't have to be exact. Just be conservative. if you think you will get there by June 10th put June 15th on the box.
If you run late just call them and explain you need more time. I have had no trouble even when calling the Post office to extend my general delivery holding times. Just be polite to the Postal workers and they will be nice to you.
I have never lost a package on a long Distance trail.
In fact UPS even forwarded a package from Wyoming to Montana for me for free with a single phone call.

General Delivery
Get your mail even if you’re on the road, new to town, or between permanent addresses.
Mail addressed to you at General Delivery will be held at the area’s main Post Office for up to 30 days. All you have to do is pick it up.
General Delivery is a great choice if you don’t have a permanent address.
People can send you mail by using the town name and ZIP Code™, like this…
JOHN DOE
GENERAL DELIVERY
ANYTOWN NY 12345-9999
In medium to large cities with multiple ZIP Codes, you’ll want to make sure senders use the ZIP Code for the area’s main Post Office. The ZIP+4 extension 9999 indicates general delivery.
To find the main Post Office in an area, speak to any Post Office associate or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).

[soupwell]

My apologies! I didnt realize we had an expert here!
Flagator, according to the safety poster in my PO, it says no flammables!

A touch of snarkiness there, eh?

I looked it up in the postal service DMM, but the rules are so dense it is almost impossible to decipher. They do clearly say that flammables and combustibles are allowed in ground mail, but it's not immediately clear how to categorize naptha and/or alcohol. This website has a helpful explanation of the actual effects of the regs. They mention that postal employees are likely to be misinformed, but that printing this off and taking it in (along with a little courtesy) can usually clear things up.

http://www.gottawalk.com/shipping_fuel.htm

[4eyedbuzzard]

Metallic Isobutane canisters (limit of 1 liter or 33.8 oz total in a single package) are allowed to be mailed surface mail only, and must be marked "Surface Mail Only" or "Surface Only" AND "ORM-D".
No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

http://about.usps.com/posters/pos138/welcome.htm
http://pe.usps.com/text/qsg300/Q601.htm
http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c3_017.htm#ep898788 (http://pe.usps.com/text/qsg300/Q601.htm)

[Sly]

If you can't find a box big enough, the Home Depot sells moving boxes. It's sometimes easier to take the contents out and pack loosely.

[carpediemkath]

This may not be what you're looking for, but I've flown all over the world with my backpack as checked luggage and never had a problem. Sometimes I put my pack inside a duffel bag, sometimes I just check the pack itself. In that case I don't put anything in the outside pockets and I put all the zipper pulls inside the zippers to keep them from getting caught on anything (Osprey has those big zipper pull loops--just tuck them inside and zip it closed with your fingernail). It's a lot cheaper than mailing a pack to yourself. I usually just buy the fuel once I get there.