View Full Version : Bounce Box Instructions?
fullcount
01-24-2012, 18:09
Okay,
I have searched and seen a couple of small blurbs about bounce boxes, but I really cannot tell how they work.
Can you bounce a box if it has been opened? Can you open it at the counter and still bounce it forward. How big of a box? Can I use a 5 gallon pail and bounce that? What are some good things other than batteries and hair cutting stuff to put in a bounce box?
I really need someone who used bounce boxes extensively to elaborate. I may not have a support team to send me stuff, so I am looking how I might do some of this on the cheap with a bounce box.
I am all ears. Thanks in advance.
Captain Blue
01-24-2012, 18:25
Don't confuse bouncing a box with forwarding a box. Yes, you can open a box at the counter, add/remove contents, and mail it farther down the trail. You pay new postage though. You can't legally forward it if you have opened it. If you sent the box via US Priority Mail and you have not opened it you can forward it to a new destination without additional postage (usually). I don't believe you can forward UPS or Fed Ex packages once they have been delivered.
Here's a tip- if you want to bounce your box forward, announce to the postal clerk that you "do not want to take possession of the box but bounce it forward to a new address". Make it clear. I learned this the hard way after one rude clerk charged me new postage saying once she laid it on the counter I "took possession" of it. I called BS but didn't win that fight.
Most postal clerks are polite and work with thru hikers. Just set expectations early on.......
4eyedbuzzard
01-24-2012, 19:08
Okay. Just a few tips regarding the mail itself, not what stuff you may wish to bounce all the way to ME.
1) Don't use spackle pails or such. They are heavy and will add to the postage cost unnecessarily. Boxes get handled better and a box will survive an impact that will crack a spackle pail.
2) Do not use parcel post EVER. It is not forwardable (you must pay more postage) and only marginally less than Priority Mail to start with and can take much longer. Use Priority Mail with delivery confirmation and keep your tracking number in case it's ever needed.
3) It is often cheaper NOT to use Flat Rate boxes if you are only moving a bounce box a hundred or two hundred miles up the trail as postage prices go by zones. Usually a 10 lb box will cost somewhere between a medium and large flat rate price. If you are mailing fuel canisters, you must adhere to quantity restrictions (for hiker puposes = 3 small 110 gram canisters) and put "ORM-D" (other restricted material-domestic) AND "Surface Mail Only" on the box. Same goes on the ORM-D on any other restricted materials. Ask the clerk or postmaster nicely. There's a big chart and also info in the DMM(domestic mail manual).
4) Do not take possession of the box at the PO counter unless you are going to open it. Just tell them you have a General Delivery Priority box there AND that you would like it forwarded to another PO.
5) Take a list of PO phone numbers you will use so that, if for example you arrive on a Sat afternoon and the PO is closed, you can call the office Monday and have it forwarded.
6) Use as small a box as is practical. If you stick to priority boxes, they are free, so if it starts getting torn up, just get a new one. Note that you can not use "flat rate boxes" unless you pay the flat rate postage, so pay attention
Blissful
01-24-2012, 21:26
Here's a tip- if you want to bounce your box forward, announce to the postal clerk that you "do not want to take possession of the box but bounce it forward to a new address". Make it clear. I learned this the hard way after one rude clerk charged me new postage saying once she laid it on the counter I "took possession" of it. I called BS but didn't win that fight.
Oh man, that stinks. :(
Was it Kent? :) The man there was SO rude to me, everyone was staring in disbelief at him and the fellow postal work looked embarrassed. It wasn't a bounce box situation, I only wanted to ship some stuff home.
Blissful
01-24-2012, 21:31
2) Do not use parcel post EVER. It is not forwardable
Yeah and it can sit on a loading dock in some city for weeks. And then workers run off with it (I lost two boxes to Maine that way in '07)
Great advice.
fullcount
01-24-2012, 22:26
Thanks gang...much appreciated. I take out of the string of advise, I want to use Priority Boxes (not flat rate) as these can be bounced forward if I announce it before they put it on the counter.
Now as far as stuff, I am thinking batteries, toothpaste refills, maybe medicines, maps for the upcoming areas, any cold / warm weather change outs. Any other good ideas for the supply box that gets forwarded as you go? I figured on food and fuel as needed purchased locally (not shipped).
ALLEGHENY
01-24-2012, 22:40
You will need a marker (sharpie) or ink pen, packing tape , laundry detergent and other things that are sold only in larger size.
Oh man, that stinks. :(
Was it Kent? :) The man there was SO rude to me, everyone was staring in disbelief at him and the fellow postal work looked embarrassed. It wasn't a bounce box situation, I only wanted to ship some stuff home.
Can't remember exactly bu it was in New England for sure.
Don't get me started on Kent!
I used a bounce box and loved it. I used the $13.00 flat rate box. In the box I had packing tape, a sharpie and index cards so I could easily pack up and address the box. I also kept shampoo, town clothes, refill ibuprofen, refill q-tips, refill band aids, lotion, etc. I kept treats and greeting cards to send my husband so I could always send him a card every time I got the box. Sometimes I put extra food in the box when I had too much food but it was something I really liked that I could use further up the trail. I put maps and pages from my thru hiker guide in the box so I only had to carry the minimum. My camera battery charger was also in the box, plus extra pole tips, photos from home, letters I'd received that I didn't want to have to carry, etc. Every once in a while I'd ship a bunch of stuff I no longer needed back home, to make room in the box for new stuff.
I rarely mailed my box to post offices. The hours were too difficult. I mailed the box to places I was staying or to outfitters in the towns I went through. I liked having a flat rate box because several times I mailed it from a hotel or even the garden center in NY by printing a label from the proprietor's computer. People were very willing to help and I was very appreciative! I didn't need a scale and I could pay for the label online and print it. Being able to take care of my bounce box without going to the PO was a big help as I was a female hiker hiking alone and this kept me from having to hitch or walk all over creation to post offices.
Good luck with deciding about your bounce box!
4eyedbuzzard
01-25-2012, 21:27
Good stuff Zipper. Just curious though, how much did you spend on postage moving the box along the trail. The cost of bouncing many supplies vs buying local is always being debated here, and some hard data would be interesting.
You will need a marker (sharpie) or ink pen, packing tape , laundry detergent and other things that are sold only in larger size.
Some hostels sell little single serving baggies of laundry detergent (NOC comes to mind)
Good stuff Zipper. Just curious though, how much did you spend on postage moving the box along the trail. The cost of bouncing many supplies vs buying local is always being debated here, and some hard data would be interesting.
Hi Buzzard,
I spend about $175 on postage that didn't include sending food. Just bouncing and sending back gear and stuff. I was really not paying attention to $$ - I had saved a ton and was going to do whatever I wanted on the trail.
As for food, I tried not to carry more than about 10 lbs of food at a time, and at the start of my hike I packed food and sent it to myself so I could have more variety in smaller quantities than I could get at the store. But really, it was a luxury. Part way through my hike, my mom got into it and put together my food boxes. It was a lovely luxury to receive a package with everything already in perfectly-sized ziplocs, etc, and exactly what I wanted, plus treats an a sweet note!
Realistically, I think it's probably more inexpensive to purchase food along the trail, and if you're a strapping young 20-something, you'll have no trouble carrying a giant container of pb, or frosting or nutella or whatever's floating your boat at the time. I liked my method for me, but I don't think it's necessary.
handlebar
01-25-2012, 22:58
Oh man, that stinks. :(
Was it Kent? :) The man there was SO rude to me, everyone was staring in disbelief at him and the fellow postal work looked embarrassed. It wasn't a bounce box situation, I only wanted to ship some stuff home.
I hope your reported this rude clerk to his supervisor (the Postmaster/Postmistress at the location or the regional USPS manager).
4eyedbuzzard
01-25-2012, 22:58
Thanks Zipper!
handlebar
01-25-2012, 23:11
Thanks gang...much appreciated. I take out of the string of advise, I want to use Priority Boxes (not flat rate) as these can be bounced forward if I announce it before they put it on the counter.
Now as far as stuff, I am thinking batteries, toothpaste refills, maybe medicines, maps for the upcoming areas, any cold / warm weather change outs. Any other good ideas for the supply box that gets forwarded as you go? I figured on food and fuel as needed purchased locally (not shipped).
You can forward both "regular" Priority Mail boxes and Flat Rate Priority Mail Boxes. In either case, you can get a free box at the post office (one is labelled only "Priority Mail" while the other is labelled "Flat Rate Priority Mail". You can also use your own box or other contain for "regular" Priority Mail. What will be cheaper depends on the weight of the box and the distance it is being sent. I agree with another poster that many times a Priority Mail box can be mailed at lower cost than a Flat Rate Priority Mail Box. On the PCT and CDT, I often bought food in towns with large markets and sent it ahead. In those cases, I found the flat rate boxes to usually be more economical.
On thing I was able to do a couple of times when I knew I would be getting into a town with a priority mail package addressed to myself c/o general delivery at the PO, was, after checking with a hostel, motel, or business, call and have the PO forward the package so I wouldn't have to delay leaving town when the PO would be closed over a weekend or long weekend with holiday.
I used a 5 gallon orange Home Depot bucket with the lid secured by zip ties through holes I drilled through it and the bucket top as my "bounce bucket" on both the PCT and CDT. It contained spare socks, spare batteries, spare prescriptions, spare "whatever", maps/guidebook pages for upcoming sections, clothes and equipment I wouldn't need for the next section, etc.
Advise given as someone who had thru-hiked. Reconsider using a bounce box. They don't serve any purpose. Anything you will need,ie. toothpast, batteries and other expendable hiker needs are easily purchased in trail towns. These folks know hiker needs and have what you will need.
Don't tie your schedule to a post offices open hours. You will regret it. A bounce box will do this.
You may want to have someone back home that can send you something that you will need like replacement gear you may already have. If you get to New England you may need additional cold weather stuff also. I'm sure you can make the arrangement to have that sent to you.
Enjoy your hike. Leave as many responsabilities of off trail life home. The trail will give you plenty of new responsabilities to deal with. Happy trails, enjoy your adventure.
swjohnsey
01-26-2012, 12:17
Lotsa stuff you won't easily find along the trail. I used a bounce box that I actually went in about once a month. I had hair clippers, big ole file I used to trim my toenails, tweezers, Thermarest patch kit, lithium batteries, stuff I didn't want to carry for awhile. It only cost a few bucks to mail it an nothin' if you just forward it.
Trail towns don't always have everything you need.
atraildreamer
01-27-2012, 17:31
See how the USPS "bounces"a box: :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY6dN5pY4y4
Emily Harper
02-21-2012, 15:53
Bounce boxes aren't necessarily. I did like being able to call the Post office to forward parcels. Although I ended up loosing the box.
My daughter used bounce boxes extensively on her thru, I thought of it as letting the mailman be your sherpa.
I've read a lot about how USPS Priority Mail boxes can be redirected if one does not take possession but I have not found out how to actually do this. I had a box delivered to Boiling Springs at the end of my recent section but I got to town after the PO was closed and decided to take a shuttle that evening knowing that I could have the box sent home. But I can't seem to find out how to process this request online. Before I go through the bureaucratic process of contacting the USPS, I thought I'd see if someone here can quickly direct me to the right link for this process? Thanks!
I've read a lot about how USPS Priority Mail boxes can be redirected if one does not take possession but I have not found out how to actually do this. I had a box delivered to Boiling Springs at the end of my recent section but I got to town after the PO was closed and decided to take a shuttle that evening knowing that I could have the box sent home. But I can't seem to find out how to process this request online. Before I go through the bureaucratic process of contacting the USPS, I thought I'd see if someone here can quickly direct me to the right link for this process? Thanks!
Never mind ... Apparently this is as easy as calling the PO and asking them to redirect the package, just took a few minutes. I don't think it can be done online however.
Just wanted to follow up on this thread and point out a potential issue with "free" forwarding of bounce boxes sent via priority mail.
As widely noted, it is possible to forward packages sent via priority mail if you don't take possession of it first. But it is important to note that the post office might NOT forward the package as fast as if it was a new piece of priority mail. Due to passing by a post office when it was closed on my recent section hike, I had the PO forward the box back to my home address by calling the PO in question and making the request. They did so, but the box has been in the mail for nine days now. According to the tracking information, it has truly become a "bounce" box ... there is some confusion regarding its intended address. It has now "bounced" three times between my local area "sorting facility" and the original location's sorting facility presumably because the PO is confused regarding seeing more than one address on the box.
I would be reluctant to forward a bounce box on a thru hike using this "free" method. Would rather pay postage again to ensure reliable delivery. But I would be interested in knowing whether others have experienced this type of service. Maybe my experience is some type of anomaly.
ShelterLeopard
06-06-2014, 07:32
I never used a real bounce box- one time I mailed gear ahead of me by two weeks (a lot of gear, including my tent) just to do a minimal two weeks, but aside from that, I never bounced anything ahead of myself. I found that things like tape and markers were always available in hostels, and usually other hikers'd split a box of Tide or bigger things with me. A bounce box just wasn't practical for me. (I did do maildrops for food for the first month, but after that I bought everything along the trail- it was the perfect combination for me, because during the first month I was still adjusting, and the mailboxes were really convenient, and after about 6 weeks had passed, I was craving new things and stronger, so I could carry more fresh food, and really glad that I wasn't getting any more prepacked maildrops from myself, so I could choose what I wanted.)
squeezebox
06-06-2014, 12:23
What kind of stuff is in your bounce box ?
Seems to me that even though small containers of stuff are more expensive per unit wt.
the cost of bouncing is even more.
Buy a regular size bottle of shampoo and leave it at the hostel.
and hope that someone did the same for you at your next hostel.
A 1/2 oz container of spices costs 90% of a 2 oz container,
buy the 2oz container and leave the rest in the hiker box.
But yes what stuff do you bounce?
Regional Rate B priority mail boxes are larger than medium flat rate and smaller than large flat rate and the cost is less than $7 for shipping short distances of a few hundred miles or less. It is probably economical to buy some things in larger quantities and send them ahead. The main downside is dealing with PO hours if you can't send a box to a hostel. I'll be experimenting with bounce box on the Colorado trail this summer and depending on how it works out will decide whether to use a box on the pct.