View Full Version : Anybody used 0 resuply mail drops?
Josh Calhoun
07-04-2012, 17:51
i was wondering if anybody did no ressupply mail drops and how it worked for them? i understand the trading out winter for summer gear and vis-versa. i am talking about food.
I've never used maildrops. Maddog:)
Lone Wolf
07-04-2012, 18:09
i was wondering if anybody did no ressupply mail drops and how it worked for them? i understand the trading out winter for summer gear and vis-versa. i am talking about food.
16,000 AT miles and never did a drop for food. not necessary
rusty bumper
07-04-2012, 18:59
On my 2,093 mile AT hike last year, I had only 1 mail drop....7 days of freeze dried dinners that I picked up at the Monson post office prior to entering the 100 Mile Wilderness. I couldn't see carrying the weight of 7 days worth of tuna, peanut butter, cheese and tortillas in my pack for those 100 miles. I bought all my other food along the way, and there were just a few times when I really had to scrounge for something decent for the upcoming segment of my hike. I will say however that when I saw hikers eating food that they had picked up in mail drops, it seemed to me they were eating healthier food than me, but if I were to it again, I'd still go with only one drop in Monson.
Cookerhiker
07-04-2012, 21:41
More on this thread (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?85466-any-mail-drops-necessary-%28nobo%29).
When i Thru-Hiked in 06 i didn't use any mail drops at all, but this year i had about 5 and i decided i don't like the mail drop system, buying your food as you progress north or South it gives you more freedom to come and go from the trail as you decide to, i preffered to stay in the woods as long as possible,When you buy your food you don't have to go in a town just because you got a mail drop their, and lets say you got a drop in a certain town and you hike your butt off to get there just to find the PO closed then you have to wait until the next day. or you get their late saturday evening then you got to wait until monday to get it. Mail drops for me is a big hassle, but you might find that its better to have drops each person is different. RED-DOG
garlic08
08-02-2012, 12:16
None for me on the AT either. It's kind of ridiculous, how often you can buy food along that trail. You might have to hike a day or two with just hot dog buns and a jar of peanut butter, but that just adds to the fun in my opinion.
Same as Garlic. None for me during my '08 thru hike. I just can't be bothered with the hassle with the easy resupply along the trail. A few times I had crap supply from C stores until I could find something better, but hey, that's part of the fun.
Different Socks
08-03-2012, 00:11
For all of you that don't do mail drops, let's see you do that on the PCt or the CDT or the Colorado Trail.
Lots of folks use No mail drops on the AT, but as Different Socks point out, not possible out west
Okay, but were not talking about the west coast.
Different Socks
08-03-2012, 16:56
Okay, but were not talking about the west coast.
Just trying to pint out that one wishes to do the AT with no mail drops, then it is a HYOH. But they will be hit with ahrad dose of trail reality when they attempt the other western trails and their pack is heavier.
Lone Wolf
08-03-2012, 17:04
Just trying to pint out that one wishes to do the AT with no mail drops, then it is a HYOH. But they will be hit with ahrad dose of trail reality when they attempt the other western trails and their pack is heavier.
this is an AT forum specifically. nobody cares about the other trails
Different Socks
08-03-2012, 17:24
this is an AT forum specifically. nobody cares about the other trails
So I guess nobody should respond to the "East Coast Trail" post?
Lone Wolf
08-03-2012, 17:27
So I guess nobody should respond to the "East Coast Trail" post?
this is an AT mail drop forum. why the comprehension problem?
bamboo bob
08-03-2012, 18:59
I used no maildrops on the PCT until Washington. and then only Stahekin was absolutely required.
silverscuba22
08-03-2012, 19:17
Lone wolf, dont try and use logic with him, its way too far over his head. An bamboo bob, you must be misremembering according to different socks becuase its impossible.... remember "Never argue with an idiot, because they will only bring you down to their level and beat you by experience."- John Guerro
Majortrauma
08-03-2012, 19:26
What a great perspective. Love it!
None for me on the AT either. It's kind of ridiculous, how often you can buy food along that trail. You might have to hike a day or two with just hot dog buns and a jar of peanut butter, but that just adds to the fun in my opinion.
Different Socks
08-03-2012, 19:27
Okay,seriously. How do you walk all the way from Kennedy Mdws to Red's Mdws with out getting off the trail for food, not to mention the fact that getting to that food would be quite some distance to a store?
Different Socks
08-03-2012, 19:29
And do me a favor, stop being so condescending!! We are both right about how to do it!! HYOH!!
Majortrauma
08-03-2012, 19:31
Gotta go with LW on this. The original post did not specifically state drops on the AT but it was certainly implied so why deviate from the original question?
this is an AT forum specifically. nobody cares about the other trails
This type of "debate" is why WB is becoming more and more challenging to read on a daily basis.
Lone Wolf
08-03-2012, 20:20
Okay,seriously. How do you walk all the way from Kennedy Mdws to Red's Mdws with out getting off the trail for food, not to mention the fact that getting to that food would be quite some distance to a store?
never heard of kennedy mdws or red mdws. is this a re-route? in the shennies? i know big mdws
You don't need to do any mail drops. You can resupply along the trail every3-5 days.
Mail drops on the AT have become mostly unnecessary over the last 20 years with the rise of the convenience store. Before gas stations sold mac and cheese and peanut butter and you had to get to a real grocery store that closed at 8pm mail drops were very important.
Like most, I don't use mail drops now for basic food re-supply. They are however nice for specialty items and things that you might want that you can't easily get (i.e. contact lenses, specialty foods, replacement socks). Mail drops are also good for thru-hikers transitioning from winter gear to summer gear of vice versa.
Mail drops for food not practible as a foreigner coming to USA so I will be getting all food as I/we go.
Will have a bounce box about 4-5 times for gear exchange etc.
Weight loss is part of hiking...:D