View Full Version : Essential Re-supply points
marty1983
01-18-2012, 17:46
Hello Everyone,
I am 33 days away from launch date and was hoping to get a little info on some essential resupply points along the trail. I have read all the articles regarding resupply points and have looked at other threads as well about this subject. Most of the info is 3-4 years old now and I'm sure not much has changed. But I did want to ask everyone if they had to pick the most essential places along the trail to have some food or other miscellaneous supplies sent to them, where would it be? I am not planning on using that many mail drops (maybe 10-15) and I have done most of my own research up to this point but I'm just wondering which ones I can cut out and which ones I should keep. That is why I am trying to determine the most
important/essential resupply points. :-?
Thanks for your help!
-Marty
best wishes to you. The only place i can recall having trouble with resupply was Fontana. Everything else was pretty simple. bear in mind that your definition of a " good reupply" will change after about 10 weeks - any gas station or dollar general or some other place that has pasta, ramen, snickers and hot dogs/chips will became a bastion of gentile hospitality and culinary delights. You can walk for 3 days on marshmallows, instant oatmeal, a pint of Canadian Club and 2 packages ofcrumbled up cheezits believe it or not and enjoy yourself.
best wishes to you. The only place i can recall having trouble with resupply was Fontana. Everything else was pretty simple. bear in mind that your definition of a " good reupply" will change after about 10 weeks - any gas station or dollar general or some other place that has pasta, ramen, snickers and hot dogs/chips will became a bastion of gentile hospitality and culinary delights. You can walk for 3 days on marshmallows, instant oatmeal, a pint of Canadian Club and 2 packages ofcrumbled up cheezits believe it or not and enjoy yourself.
well put: Here is a list of 15 or 16 stops sort of off the top of my head that are easy and common for mail-drops and packages - everyone on WB could come up with a dozen or two completely different good ones - - like 4shot said, you'll re-supply a lot more successfully by shopping wherever and whenever you need to vs sending yourself big boxes of things you could buy most anywhere -- it's often easier to get packages at hostels vs having to make post office hours - most hostels hold packages for you so you can re-pack on your bunk vs on a sidewalk -- anyway, here are a few towns that would be fun stops:
(NOC) Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City, NC
Hot Springs,NC
Erwin,TN
Damascus,VA
Pearsburg,VA
Troutville,VA
Front Royal, VA
Harpers Ferry, WV
Duncannon, Pa. / Doyle
Port Clinton, PA
Deleware Water Gap, PA
Kent, CT
N. Adams, MA
Rutland, VT
Glencliff, NH
Gorham, NH
Monson, ME
bamboo bob
01-18-2012, 21:51
I never had a problem and i never used mail drops because i felt endlessly waiting for the PO to open was too onerous. BUT i did have a few meals of slim jims and candy bars. So it depends on if you insist on eating balanced meals all the time. A few weird meals kept me on the trail piling up miles when I otherwise would be waiting on the PO.
garlic08
01-19-2012, 00:50
I'm with Bamboo Bob. If you can carry food for 100 miles and aren't too picky about your food, you don't need mail drops. My worst resupply was at a C-store just south of Harpers Ferry, where all I could find was PB and hot dog buns. Still better than going to a PO and it was kind of fun winging it.
Organize a few drops at the beginning of the trail and see how they go for you. Then try shopping in a few towns and see how that goes. After that, do what works best for you.
marty1983
01-19-2012, 02:24
Thanks guys, I guess I was just more worried about areas where availability is limited or price are way too high.
Mountain Mike
01-19-2012, 03:41
Sounds yummie, PB Hot dog buns & slim jims for 100 miles. Not for me! Many places you can do decent resupply in towns. Other places try to find Hostel or other place than will hold a box for you & not have PO hrs. Last resort use the PO.
daddytwosticks
01-19-2012, 08:06
Being flexible and learning how to cope with whatever is thrown at you is, what I consider, part of thru-hiking. This goes for food resupply. Go with the flow. I've never heard of a hiker starving to death on a thru-hike. It's not like a walk in the wilderness. Just my observations from a section hiker. Move on now please...:)
coheterojo
01-19-2012, 10:33
Both my thru-hikes I did a combination of mail drops and store visits. There are certain things that I like to have in my food bag that one can't find everywhere on the trail. Items such as the coveted Nido whole milk powder, Starbucks Via, etc. I also sent medicine, relevant guidebook sections and maps in my maildrops. There were certain places where had had all my resupply in the maildrop. I did this at: Neels Gap, Fontana Dam, Harpers Ferry, and finally in Monson, ME.
One of the true, great pleasures of the Trail is walking through a well stocked grocery store, looking with glee at all the edible things everywhere, chugging a 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk before you get to the register, sitting outside repacking on the sidewalk..... but I digress.
It's true that you really don't need to use mail drops at all these days but I enjoyed my combination approach just fine. Whatever works for you. Ultimately the less you are worried about logistics the more you will enjoy your hike.:)
Both my thru-hikes I did a combination of mail drops and store visits. There are certain things that I like to have in my food bag that one can't find everywhere on the trail. Items such as the coveted Nido whole milk powder, Starbucks Via, etc. I also sent medicine, relevant guidebook sections and maps in my maildrops.
This what I'm planning to do this year. In addition to the above, I got several jugs of dehydrated veggies from Harmony House that I've broken down into zip locks. Did the same with a few herbs and spices, quinoa and bulgar wheat.
There were certain places where had had all my resupply in the maildrop. I did this at: Neels Gap, Fontana Dam, Harpers Ferry, and finally in Monson, ME.
I'm looking at thru-hiking the GSMNP, and so I'm planning a full, six-day resupply at Fontana Dam, a few days worth at Harper's Ferry and another 8-day's worth at Monson.
One of the true, great pleasures of the Trail is walking through a well stocked grocery store, looking with glee at all the edible things everywhere, chugging a 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk before you get to the register, sitting outside repacking on the sidewalk.....
I agree with your sentiment, and this is what I'll do for all the basics.
jacquelineanngrant
01-19-2012, 13:12
If you are at all particular about what you want to eat keep your maildrops. Resupply is very expensive at Fontana Dam and anywhere north of PA.
stonedflea
01-19-2012, 15:10
like papa d said, you'll find as many different answers here as members.
i think most people can agree, though, that adefinite place to mail drop would be fontana. i only bought 4 days' worth of food and it was $35, and trust me... it wasn't because i bought a lot. i just refused to pay the ridiculous prices. i walked out of the smokies with one packet of instant coffee and an empty nutella jar, and i would have gone hungry the night prior to my exit had it not been for some gracious section hikers that offered me 3 of their nature valley granola bars.
maybe it was because it was the first resupply point on the trail, and i had little to no clue what i was doing at this point, but i think a mail drop at neels gap would be decent. they had a good variety of things, but they were so expensive (50c ramen?).
check expiration dates everywhere you go. i got a free bag of expired bagels at neels gap. they were heavy, but they were free. :)
maine will be pretty remote. there won't be walmarts. it's great to support the mom & pop stores, but sometimes they can charge an arm and a leg, too. andover is very lacking.
those are the only ones i can think of off the top of my head. :) resupply in the shenandoahs will be very expensive, so either plan well ahead before you set foot in them, or have yourself a maildrop waiting halfway through the shennies that you can bump ahead if you wind up not needing it.
Blissful
01-19-2012, 15:40
You need Fontana if you don't plan to stay at the Hike Inn and get shuttled to Robbinsville. Otherwise there is a grocery store there.
I'd sent one to Neel Gap, NOC outfitter - the store there is questionable. Definitely do NOC it if you are going SOBO.
The Barn Restaurant in Atkins, VA. Harper's Ferry ATC, the PO at Deleware Water Gap, Glencliff, NH, I used AMC center at Pinkham Notch, NH and Crawford General Store also so I didn't carry a bunch in the Whites (you can eat stuff also at the AMC huts)
I think the store at Salisbury, CT is pretty pricey, I dropped there.
If Caratunk, ME remains open, the PO there (lady is great)
The curse of "Waiting at the PO" for the maildrop or the outright "fear and dread" of getting there on a Saturday is a total misnomer with most hostels, outfitters, evem town businesses regularly accepting drops. It's an old argument that get older every time its used....
I have done over 4,500 AT miles, did 55 mail drops and only had an issue when I did not send Priority Mail in Maine in '07. And I arrived on a Sunday to towns twice and did the horrible hardship of enjoying town and getting the boxes Monday AM. There was one time with a PO-necesssary drop I would have arrived at Boiling Springs PO too late on a Sat (I just told my hubby not to send it). But if that is going to happen and the box was sent, call and have them forward your box to where you need it next and just buy.
I agree with 4shot. Fontana is the only place that I used a food drop and IMO the only TRULY necessary one. (Although its still possible to hitch from the Fontana area into town although it could be tough). I would personally try to send enough food to get you through the Smokys in one go rather than hitching out to Gaitlinsburg, which is just a hell hole if you ask me haha. Although some thru-hikers liked it!
garlic08
01-19-2012, 19:42
I solved the Fontana issue by hitching the few miles straight to Robbinsville from Stecoah Gap. It's an easy hitch to a great grocery store with a breakfast place right across the street. It was easy to resupply for the Smokies there. The extra 15 miles to carry it was worth the ease of not getting off the trail at Fontana. It really helps in that strategy to be able to routinely carry 100 miles worth. That way you can skip the places that are hard to get to or are really expensive, like Fontana, or Kent, CT, or some of the small ME towns.
One of the real fun things about the AT is you can wing the resupply as you go. Or you can plan 40 mail drops. Some like to plan, some like to wing it. You can do either on the AT, or a little of both. Some even do a hybrid approach, stopping in towns with a large grocery and a PO and mailing a month's worth of stuff to yourself. Then you can adjust your drops to your changing tastes.
like papa d said, you'll find as many different answers here as members.
i think most people can agree, though, that adefinite place to mail drop would be fontana. i only bought 4 days' worth of food and it was $35, and trust me... it wasn't because i bought a lot. i just refused to pay the ridiculous prices. i walked out of the smokies with one packet of instant coffee and an empty nutella jar, and i would have gone hungry the night prior to my exit had it not been for some gracious section hikers that offered me 3 of their nature valley granola bars.
maybe it was because it was the first resupply point on the trail, and i had little to no clue what i was doing at this point, but i think a mail drop at neels gap would be decent. they had a good variety of things, but they were so expensive (50c ramen?).
check expiration dates everywhere you go. i got a free bag of expired bagels at neels gap. they were heavy, but they were free. :)
maine will be pretty remote. there won't be walmarts. it's great to support the mom & pop stores, but sometimes they can charge an arm and a leg, too. andover is very lacking.
those are the only ones i can think of off the top of my head. :) resupply in the shenandoahs will be very expensive, so either plan well ahead before you set foot in them, or have yourself a maildrop waiting halfway through the shennies that you can bump ahead if you wind up not needing it.
umm - I don't think you necessarily "need" Fontana if you are willing to carry a bit heavy up Sassafras Mountain out of the NOC - a hump for sure but you should be able to make Cable Gap in a good hard day and be well into the GSMNP in 2 days - so this would be, what? an extra day and a half added to your GSMNP food - 4 extra pasta sides, and a bag of snacks should do it.
quilteresq
01-19-2012, 21:22
LOL! Just wait until you all get old! I have "metabolic syndrome" which means that I have to have SOME protein - preferably with each meal. MY BG is well controlled with exercise, and I won't even bother bringing a glucose meter on the trail. But I also won't be dumb enough with my particular issues to count on snickers and slim jims. I will pack dehydrated eggs and other proteins because I need them to balance carbs. Some slim jims will certainly be purchased, I'm sure. And yes, it will be interesting to see how I hike now that I eat this way. Life is a learning experience, and I'm still in school on that one.
Oh - and I JUST finally tried Ramen tonight - ick! I'll be avoiding that if I can.
LOL! Just wait until you all get old! I have "metabolic syndrome" which means that I have to have SOME protein - preferably with each meal. MY BG is well controlled with exercise, and I won't even bother bringing a glucose meter on the trail. But I also won't be dumb enough with my particular issues to count on snickers and slim jims. I will pack dehydrated eggs and other proteins because I need them to balance carbs. Some slim jims will certainly be purchased, I'm sure. And yes, it will be interesting to see how I hike now that I eat this way. Life is a learning experience, and I'm still in school on that one.
Oh - and I JUST finally tried Ramen tonight - ick! I'll be avoiding that if I can.
mix your Ramen with peanut butter, soy sauce, hot sauce and some powdered milk -Thai Noodles Trail Style - then you'll love it!!
I solved the Fontana issue by hitching the few miles straight to Robbinsville from Stecoah Gap. It's an easy hitch to a great grocery store with a breakfast place right across the street. It was easy to resupply for the Smokies there.
I like this idea a lot. Robinsonville is MIA from my 2010 companion, but I've taken notes. Thanks.
[QUOTE=ChillyWilly;1241507]I like this idea a lot. Robinsonville is MIA from my 2010 companion, but I've taken notes. Thanks.[/QUO
II would think that it's easier to hitch from Stecoah Gap to Robbinsville vs the road at Fontana - I still say to just say carry a bunch of groceries from NOC and roll-on but Garlic usually is pretty spot-on - I'm not even sure where the road that crosses south of Fontana goes (west).
garlic08
01-20-2012, 00:31
I like this idea a lot. Robinsonville is MIA from my 2010 companion, but I've taken notes. Thanks.
I'm not sure why Robbinsville is not a "trail town". Someone providing trail magic at Stecoah Gap told me about it and I tried it out and it worked great. This is what's fun about "winging it".
For someone wanting to minimize places to mail stuff to, think not only about food but about "other stuff". For me that was about replacing shoes every 500 - 600 miles, getting my blood pressure medication, and swapping from cold weather to warm weather gear in VA and possibly doing some swaps back in NH. I had 5 resupply boxes to do that stuff, and found this to work great; I would use exactly the same resupply locations if hiking the trail again. My resupply points for my (NOBO) trip were:
- Fontana Dam, NC
- Pearisburg VA
- Harpers Ferry, WV
- Kent, CT
- Glencliff, NH
For someone wanting to minimize places to mail stuff to, think not only about food but about "other stuff". For me that was about replacing shoes every 500 - 600 miles, getting my blood pressure medication, and swapping from cold weather to warm weather gear in VA and possibly doing some swaps back in NH. I had 5 resupply boxes to do that stuff, and found this to work great; I would use exactly the same resupply locations if hiking the trail again. My resupply points for my (NOBO) trip were:
- Fontana Dam, NC
- Pearisburg VA
- Harpers Ferry, WV
- Kent, CT
- Glencliff, NH
Thanks BrianeLe, this was exactly what I was waiting for. The essential places, since I am not planning on using regular mail drops.
I'm not sure why Robbinsville is not a "trail town". Someone providing trail magic at Stecoah Gap told me about it and I tried it out and it worked great. This is what's fun about "winging it".
I agree - there is a good grocery, post office, gas station, pizza hut - no further from the trail than others -- my guess is that it is so close to the NOC where everything is "right there" and set up for you, most folks just skip it. I hike a lot in Joyce Kilmer / Slickrock Wilderness and hit Robbinsville as my jump off town.
Pollen, I should have noted that of the five mail drops I had, Kent CT wasn't at all about food resupply --- it was somewhat arbitrarily chosen to space out between other drops as a place to I get a new pair of shoes, at a place close to the trail I was likely to go to anyway.
Pearisburg seemed the right place to swap for a lighter sleeping bag and mail some things home, Harpers Ferry was at about the right place for a resupply and one can definitely use a food drop there. Glencliff is a good place just before the Whites to perhaps switch back to warmer gear. I got there in July so didn't do much of that, but still a good place to get a box as the post office is essentially just across the street from the hostel.
Pollen, I should have noted that of the five mail drops I had, Kent CT wasn't at all about food resupply --- it was somewhat arbitrarily chosen to space out between other drops as a place to I get a new pair of shoes, at a place close to the trail I was likely to go to anyway.
Pearisburg seemed the right place to swap for a lighter sleeping bag and mail some things home, Harpers Ferry was at about the right place for a resupply and one can definitely use a food drop there. Glencliff is a good place just before the Whites to perhaps switch back to warmer gear. I got there in July so didn't do much of that, but still a good place to get a box as the post office is essentially just across the street from the hostel.
Don't expect to find ANYTHING cheap in Kent - it's a great little town but it's a full fare place
Don't expect to find ANYTHING cheap in Kent - it's a great little town but it's a full fare place
That could be said for most of New England.
That could be said for most of New England.
mmm - possibly but you can get normal priced stuff in various towns in New England - Manchester Center, VT, comes to mind - Kent is a GREAT town - I mean I love that town but it's a wealthy place with things geared toward wealthy folks specifically -- no big deal to get a short term re-supply there (and a drink at the Fife and Drum) but a full grocery run there might set you back a few pence