Mailing Food: how best to go about it?

[Bazilnorthbound]

So I've purchased a good amount of freeze dried meals for my thru-hike (NoBo 2012). About 150. Now I plan on buying food and other supplies in towns when needed, but I was wondering what is the best way to mail my food to pick-up locations. I've read a bit on mailing, and I hear now that relying on post drops can be quite tricky, but I dont have a choice considering I've already purchased hundreds of dollars in freeze dried meals.
I know that I won't get to pick up locations on exactly the day I plan, but how many re-supplies should I have planned out?

[swjohnsey]

Three, 27, depends. I am sending myself about 10 - 12 mail drops. Mailing to hostels, motels, etc. makes it less likely to hit it when it is closed. I have a mix. I am sending one to Neel's Gap, Hiawassee, Fontana Dam (PO) and Hot Springs(PO). After that, one about every two weeks, or 150 - 200 miles. For POs I try to pick those directly on trail such as Hot Springs, Damascus.

[Tinker]

This will give you an idea of whether that's the course of action you really want to take: Eat nothing but freeze dried for two weeks, then decide. I've never met a thruhiker who got past half way who was still in the mood for freeze dried food. It's expensive, for one, and second, it isn't fresh. Dried foods (not freeze-dried) supplemented with fresh veggies and canned or pouched (new word??) meat seem to replace the space-aged stuff as they head north.

With the exception of the Hundred Mile Wilderness, I can't think of any place between the Delaware Water Gap and Katahdin where resupply is more than four days apart, if you're willing to hitch. Maybe mail yourself a few treats once in a while. Parcel postage is getting more expensive by the day, it seems.

[Senor Jalapeno]

Flat rate boxes. I do agree that freeze dried stuff may get boring, that's why we spaced our freeze dried meals out in our mailings. We also included our other hiker favs such as lipton noodles, spam, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. We're doing about 16 drops along the way. Go flat rate cuz its the cheapest. Make sure u label everything correctly.

[swjohnsey]

Flat rate boxes. I do agree that freeze dried stuff may get boring, that's why we spaced our freeze dried meals out in our mailings. We also included our other hiker favs such as lipton noodles, spam, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. We're doing about 16 drops along the way. Go flat rate cuz its the cheapest. Make sure u label everything correctly.

I agree, I can get 3 -5 days worth in a medium flat rate box.

[Bazilnorthbound]

So what I'm thinking now is I'll just plan a few food pick-ups along the way, and just buy the majority of my food from towns. I'll return most of the meals I have for some extra $$ to buy food along the way instead.
But is purchasing food as you go cheaper or more exspensive than just mailing most of it?

[swjohnsey]

Its about a wash. Most places you resupply the food is expensive and there is a limited selection. Price a jar of peanutbutter at the local convenience store.

[Lone Wolf]

But is purchasing food as you go cheaper or more exspensive than just mailing most of it?yes it is cheaper in the long run and stress free

[swjohnsey]

Yeah, eatin' jerky, peanuts and poptarts for three days is stress free.

[Lone Wolf]

yup. it sure is

[LDog]

There's a break even point on flat rate and regular priority mail at around 10 lbs, If you have a box that weighs 8 lbs or less, it's probably cheaper to go Priority. Of course Parcel Post is much cheaper, but I think you add significant time and worry that the package will be there when you are.

[Slo-go'en]

What ever you do, don't send too many boxes out at once. They need to sent out far enough in advance to ensure they will be there when you are, but don't get too far ahead of yourself. This way if you don't go as far as you thought you would, you don't have a lot of boxes sitting in PO's along the trail taking up valuable space along with all the money wasted sending them there.

I do a lot of buisness with the Gorham, NH post office. In March they start getting hiker boxes for people who don't expect to be there until late summer. Thier experiance is the earlier in the season they get a box, the less the chance someone will show up to claim it. And these boxes get stored in a shed out back of the building which bakes in the sun all summer.

[Blissful]

Use your databook to find out places besides post offices that will take your drops. Then you do not have to go by the age old (and outdated) fear of arriving on a weekend for a drop and how awful the post office is...(which it really isn't for the most part. I mean I've had a few postal employees that did seem to get up on the wrong side of the bed, and others who were just angels)

Here's other advice (http://blissfulhiking.blogspot.com/2012/01/postal-advice-on-mail-drops-for-long.html)for mailing packages and the Post Office, courtesy of 4eyedbuzzard.

[moldy]

Dude, 3 points here. 1. Use a post office when you can. Then if you decide to bounce your box forward to the next town it will be free. Post Office rules let you do just that. 2. Don't tape up the boxes you leave with your mom, then you can make adjustments along the way without much effort. 3. Don't put too much in those early boxes....it will just end up being donated to a hiker box.

[Bazilnorthbound]

Thanks for all the tips and advice :) I think a good mix between mailing food and buying it along the way will work for me. I still have a good amount of planning to do but this has helped alot.
Im still open to any tips/suggestions, my plans are still very flexible as of right now.

[jacquelineanngrant]

yes it is cheaper in the long run and stress free I dissagree. I guess everybody is different, but I find that it is both more expensive and more stressful to totally resupply at stores along the way. I like having the majority of my food bought before I set out. Mail drops are not that complicated. If your going to get yourself from Georgia to Maine then you should be able to get to the various post offices at the corret times.

[Skid.]

Ditto what moldy said about bounce boxes. If you don't open a box when you pick it up, the Post Office will let you send it forward to another town for free. This is valuable early on, if you find you don't really need a box you mailed from home.