Care packages or resupply on the fly?

[The Maxx]

I've read some archived threads about this question, but I'm interested in a fresh perspective. I'm especially interested in what 2014 NOBOs are planning to do. When I started planning my hike I originally thought it would likely be cheaper to buy much of my supplies ahead of time and have my wife ship them to me as needed. Then I started reading about having to hurry to reach post offices, and worrying about how much it costs to ship that much food from Montreal, Quebec to all the different trail towns, and I started thinking it might make for more flexible planning and might even be cheaper to simply re-supply on the trail.

Looking for experienced thru-hiker opinions as well as people who are more conscientious planners than myself. The most important aspect of the equation for me is cost, because I've still gotta pay my bills back at home and I'd like to take another couple of months off after my hike to re-acclimate to the 'real world' so I'd like to be as thrifty as possible. What do you all think?

Thanks,
Maxx

[Moose2001]

Once you pay for shipping costs from Canada, you will loose any saving you had from buying in bulk. Also, you will very quickly get sick of eating the exact same food all the time. Finally, you just have no idea how much food you will need. You will probably underestimate and still have to buy food in town. If you need a food drop somewhere, do it yourself once you're on the trail.

[The Maxx]

Thanks, good to see someone validate what I was thinking. I think I'll give up on the pre-made care package idea and just re-supply whenever I need to.

[The Old Boot]

The other thing to take into consideration is the extremely long list of regulations for shipping food internationally. Technically you are exporting it to the United States and you really don't want to go there. If you want some serious reading try looking up the regulations for even crossing the border with food in your possession (like in an RV), it's mind boggling.

If you have special dietary needs you'd be wise to set up a mail drop system with someone living in the US and order your foods to be delivered there from US suppliers. The food could then be repackaged and mailed from there to your stops along the way.

[Don H]

I had 5 boxes, each with 4 days food packed at home ready to send. I would plan food resupplies about two weeks in advance, if it looked like there would be a place where resupply would be difficult I had a box sent. I think I used 4 of the 5 boxes. Baltimore Jack's resupply article here is a good guide, although somewhat dated it's still fairly accurate. The rest of the time I just bought at stores. There's another tread on difficult resupply point that discusses where some of the places are where you might want to send a food drop are Gatlinburg TN, Caratunk ME, Adkins TN.

Mail drops are a PIA, try to avoid them as much as possible.

[Don H]

I did see some hikers buying food while in town resupplying and shipping it to a town up the trail where a mail drop was more convenient.

[fiddlehead]

Yeah, I would do what Don H suggests.
Do your drop boxes along the trail.
Maybe every 3rd or 4th town is a big one.
Best to do it where you have a: Supermarket, PO close by, Hotel you will be staying at close by.
If you do this about once a month, you will be eating more of what you want and crave rather than something you thought you would like, (but found out different)

Good luck and Have fun.

[GRRRR]

I hiked the southern half of the long trail last year before the hurricane came through. There is nothing worse than busting butt only to arrive at the PO at 12:15 Saturday. Whatever savings I could have had was wasted. Take a 0 or resuply in town anyway.

[Don H]

On the AT there are options other than POs to ship packages to. Motels, hostels, outfitters often accept mail drops and have better hours than the POs. However some do charge a fee. Check your guide book.

[bigcranky]

I did two resupplies on my recent section hike -- one in town, and one with a mail drop sent to a hostel. The mail drop had 7 days of food plus various little items (first aid, TP, a map, that sort of thing.) It weighed 12 pounds and cost $20 to ship from NC to VA by Priority Mail. That's a huge amount of money to pay to ship food, and will quickly overwhelm any savings buying in bulk.

That said, it was a whole lot easier to deal with the mail drop than to go into town and buy everything. Open the box and everything's right there.