View Full Version : Resupply as you go
I remember some have hiked the CDT resupplying as they go. Anyone have any experience with this? I am not picky and will eat just about anything and want to thru hike the CDT resupplying from the trail. How doable would this be?
I think it's mostly do-able, and completely do-able if you're willing to hitch a bit more than I chose to. I went with 8 resupply boxes on the CDT, but that was in part to get new shoes for some of those, and to split up my "paperwork" weight (maps, guidebook, yogi pages, etc). I found it pretty helpful to send a box to Benchmark ranch in Montana (I hiked SOBO). I opted to send one to Togwotee Lodge in Wyoming, but you could certainly hitch to resupply there or even make do with what the gas station sells at the lodge. South Pass city was a good resupply box point as neither there nor the nearby Atlantic City sell much in the way of food at all. I sent one to Pie Town in NM, as there's not that much in the way of food to buy there as I recall. I liked having a box sent to Ghost Ranch in NM as well.
Bottom line is that for the most part you can resupply as you go; if you do, you still might find that you want to make up a box and send it ahead to a few places like that. For this and other planning issues, I recommend that you get Yogi's guide and look through that carefully.
Spirit Walker
01-14-2013, 23:40
Very doable, especially if you are willing to do some long stretches between resupplies. Alternately, you can mail boxes to the places that break up the long stretches (i.e. Doc Campbells, Benchmark, Big Sandy, Pie Town) from towns on the trail. Just be sure to give at least 10 days between mailing and pickup, as postal service can be very slow sometimes.
As Gadget said, biggest issue is what to do with your maps/guidebooks, medications, etc. For them you'll need some sort of bounce box or you can have a friend that just ships one box a month, with the relevant maps, etc.
IceAxe in 2010 did a resupply as you go. He sent 4 boxes from home that were pretty much just gear and maps. He did mail some food to himself from the trail a few times. His journals on Postholer.com.
Thanks for the info. The more I look at it I think I would use a bounce box as well as send food ahead from well supplied trail towns. Also on certain sections I would just load up and go the distance. Only issue I might have is I prefer a small pack. I have read IceAxe's journal and could not remember the name. I had to put a new OS on my computer and forgot to backup all my bookmarks. doh!
Mountain Mike
01-15-2013, 02:42
Yogi's guide & planning manual has great info on this. Her guide is a compilation of several hikers experiences. Many hikers in her book suggest certain places for where mail drops are needed/suggested. PS Ice axe is a contributor to her guide.
I did hybrid approach: Mainly bought as I went but sometimes bought food in larger towns and mailed it ahead.
If you do not have a support crew at home, this method works well.
Mags, I think that would be best. I live in Canada and timing of packages could be a real issue with cross border shipping.