View Full Version : Bounce Box
JonathanQuigley
02-09-2013, 13:19
If you all could give me some helpful tips, I would truly appreciate it. I am starting a thru-hike in late April, and I am trying to avoid mail drops and shopping in town. I do, however, want to use a bounce box for things such as my laptop, spare batteries, and a various assortment of things I might need and don't want to carry. Now, I have heard a lot of thru-hikers talk about bounce boxes, but have never explained it to me. Does anyone know the best way to utilize it? I am fundraising for Team Fox and I need to have a laptop to keep up with the fundraiser and a blog. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Stink Bug
02-09-2013, 13:39
If you all could give me some helpful tips, I would truly appreciate it. I am starting a thru-hike in late April, and I am trying to avoid mail drops and shopping in town. I do, however, want to use a bounce box for things such as my laptop, spare batteries, and a various assortment of things I might need and don't want to carry. Now, I have heard a lot of thru-hikers talk about bounce boxes, but have never explained it to me. Does anyone know the best way to utilize it? I am fundraising for Team Fox and I need to have a laptop to keep up with the fundraiser and a blog. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Typically a bounce box is a box of supplies (usually items that you don't need all the time - think boxes of contacts, Rx meds, batteries etc) or items that may be hard to find on the sections ahead. When you retrieve your box, take out what you need, you then mail - bounce - it to a destination further ahead on the trail. Rinse and repeat. I wouldn't advise bouncing a laptop as it could get mighty expensive depending on how many times you would need to bounce it, especially if you factor in the cost of insuring the package; unopened packages can be bounced for free.
Have you thought about maybe just using a smart phone to blog and keep up with the fundraising? I use my iPhone to blog and the Blogger app is pretty easy to use and, actually, typing on the smaller screen really isn't that much of a hassle. I also use my phone as MP3 player, camera and Kindle so effectively, it's the Swiss Army knife of electronics!
JonathanQuigley
02-09-2013, 13:51
I appreciate the tips! I won't be using a smartphone, as I won't be able to transfer my GoPro videos and pictures to the phone. I like the idea of using a smartphone, but a laptop is my only viable option due to data storage and requirements of uploading videos to the internet. I suppose I have to come to the realization that I am going to have to carry the laptop, which makes me feel very stupid.
Steve Jennette
02-09-2013, 13:54
Stink, That is a great idea. I refuse to pay a monthly Smart Phone contract, but do use an IPad Touch for music, camera, and Internet in Wifi areas. Steve
Stink Bug
02-09-2013, 14:05
I appreciate the tips! I won't be using a smartphone, as I won't be able to transfer my GoPro videos and pictures to the phone. I like the idea of using a smartphone, but a laptop is my only viable option due to data storage and requirements of uploading videos to the internet. I suppose I have to come to the realization that I am going to have to carry the laptop, which makes me feel very stupid.
Not necessarily, I assume the GoPro has some sort of removable media? If so, that's pretty cheap right now, so you could buy 3 SD cards (or whatever the GoPro uses) and cycle those with a designated 'home base' support person. They can then mail the empty cards back to you, at a fraction of the cost, and you don't have to lug the laptop.
Mountain Mike
02-09-2013, 14:22
I'd have serious reservations about bouncing a laptop...since they don't bounce very well. Look for hotels & hostel with net acess in what ever trail guide you are using 7 call & see if you can use your own media card. Lots of librarys don't. Just cost of insurance & postage alone covers a big chunk of your stay. I'd still say look into a smart phone. gopro does have an app for them http://gopro.com/support/articles/getting-started-with-gopro-app.
thebrewguy
02-09-2013, 17:02
I have similar concerns for my thru next year. So far this is what I know: Loner (LonerAT2012 on youtube) did exactly what you are talking about and bounced a laptop. It may be worth trying to contact him to find out about any issues/cost. I also own a GoPro that I plan on using and have found this much out: I use an iPhone and will probably use it for everything tech-related. Right now Apple makes a 30pin/lightning to SD card reader accessory for iPads. You can plug in the short cable, slide in an SD card and load your GoPro pics (not sure about video) onto the iPad, then upload. With the iPad mini out now, it might be reasonable to carry that instead of a smartphone since it can do everything except actual phone calls. Which you can circumvent by getting one with 4G service and using Skype or a number of other VOiP-type apps. Or carry a cheap prepaid phone, and save $ by just getting a wifi version. Hopefully this SD card reader accessory will work on an iPhone with a software update in the future. I don't know squat about Droid phones, but chances are there is something similar.
Get a Droid phone. At least some of those have microSD slots. Or consider a phablet if you want something bigger. A non-Apple tablet might be work better than a laptop since it can fit into smaller boxes that will cost less to ship. Or since you mentioned a "team", you can use multiple memory cards and mail them to someone that will edit and upload them for you. Then you can hike instead of spending so much time in town uploading videos.
Starchild
02-12-2013, 09:20
... unopened packages can be bounced for free....
Can you explain how this works, if I get to my bounce box location and don't need to access it, are you saying I can send it on to my next location for free?
I would pick up a tablet. A laptop is a lot heavier than you need and you'll more than likely want to dump it shortly after you begin your thru hike. I'm not a fan of typing on my phone, either, but I don't mind typing on my Kindle - I use the WordPress app there and it's great!
Can you explain how this works, if I get to my bounce box location and don't need to access it, are you saying I can send it on to my next location for free?
Yes. IF.
If it's USPS flat rate priority mail and it was never received. Never received basically means it's still at the post office. If you have more than two boxes there, but only intend to pick up one, you'd do well to make your intentions with the second box very clear.
swjohnsey
02-12-2013, 11:07
Can you explain how this works, if I get to my bounce box location and don't need to access it, are you saying I can send it on to my next location for free?
Depends on how you mail it. Parcel Post (cheapest rate) can't be forwarded. If you use the Priority Mail boxes, either flat rate or regular they can be forwarded if you do not take possession. You can do this in person or by phone. If you have it forwarded by phone be prepared to answer a bunch of questions like who the box was mailed to, forwarding address, etc. It is probably a good idea to use you permanent home address because it is easy to remember and if you don't pick up the box in 30 days they will forward it there.
I used a bounce box and it worked out very well. I had all sorts of crap in there that I only needed every couple of weeks or so, hair clippers, nail clippers, leatherman, extra food, souvinears off the trail, etc. I had it forwarded several times.
Depends on how you mail it. Parcel Post (cheapest rate) can't be forwarded. If you use the Priority Mail boxes, either flat rate or regular they can be forwarded if you do not take possession.
Regular priority may incur additional postage, but only be the difference in the cost for extra distance from the originating address, not the entire postal fee, and in some cases might not cost anything extra.
For both teh AT ad PCT, I normally use a USPS Priority Mail Box that I get at the post office (either medium or large size). I may resuse the box a few times before replacing it with a new one I get at the post office. In it, I'll keep a small roll of packaging tape, extra food, town clothes, batteries, electronics battery chargers, extra gear, and a small laptop that I use to copy HD video (uses alot of memory) footage off flash cards since I have no one to mail them home to who can mail them back after they copy the video and photos off). With the laptop, you need to pack it in the center so other stuff is inbetween it and the walls of the box (in case the box takes an impact during shipping).
On the box, you ship it to yourself either at a Post Office via General Delivery or to a hostel or other business alongthe trail (that you have called ahead to verify their policy on holding packages for thru-hikers). Don't use a trail name on the address label. Some places you need to show ID (ie. a drivers license) to get it so your real name much be on it. I also write my last name in large letters on the sides of the box to make it easier to find for the postal employee and write under the address label, "Hold For AT Thru-hiker, ETA July 8" (or whatever date I think I may arrive). The ETA on the box helps they to know how long to hold the box before possibly returning it.
The problem with shipping to the post office is they are closed on the weekend, so you need to plan carefully what towns you send the bounce box to when looking at your shedule. You can ship to business and often get access to it when the PO is closed, but you still have to consider the PO hours when you go to mail it ahead. I normally mail my bounce box 1.5 - 3 weeks ahead depending on my circumstances. I plan out what my average mileage has been and estimate when I'm likely to pass through the next several towns (considering where I may want to zero which is a good time to have the bounce box). If I'm not worried about arriving or leaving on a weekend, that town is a good place to mail my box. And though this should be obvious, don't mail a box to the PO via UPS or FedEx; it won't work. I can't tell you how often I've heard of people trying to do that and it never works. And common sense should tell you that you should ship via the Post Office if mailing to a Post Office.
To address it General Delivery to yourself:
Your Full Legal Name
General Delivery
City, Zipcode (of post office you want to use)
And though this should be obvious, don't mail a box to the PO via UPS or FedEx; it won't work.
Although there's little point in using these, Fedex has a Smartpost option that will deliver to the post office, and UPS is supposed to have something similar. I've had these used for packages being delivered to me at home, and they take as long or longer as USPS parcel post and first class.
I also write my last name in large letters on the sides of the box to make it easier to find for the postal employee...
I do something similar.
Although there's little point in using these, Fedex has a Smartpost option that will deliver to the post office, and UPS is supposed to have something similar. I've had these used for packages being delivered to me at home, and they take as long or longer as USPS parcel post and first class. Using those hybrid delivery methods for sending something to a real address is different. I also have had stuff sent via FedEx that then enters the USPS system before its delivered to your home (and yes it takes longer then just staying with FedEx or the USPS alone). What I'm saying that this won't work for General Delivery. I encountered 2 different people on the trail who had a friend send them a General Delivery care package via FedEx (who told them it would be fine) that they never got and the PO employee told them that they don't accept General Delivery from any carrier outside of the USPS. I also read similar stories here on WhiteBlaze last year by people who attempted it.
Using those hybrid delivery methods for sending something to a real address is different. I also have had stuff sent via FedEx that then enters the USPS system before its delivered to your home (and yes it takes longer then just staying with FedEx or the USPS alone). What I'm saying that this won't work for General Delivery. I encountered 2 different people on the trail who had a friend send them a General Delivery care package via FedEx (who told them it would be fine) that they never got and the PO employee told them that they don't accept General Delivery from any carrier outside of the USPS. I also read similar stories here on WhiteBlaze last year by people who attempted it.
Regular Fedex doesn't automatically transition to Fedex Smartpost afaik. That's an extra or separate option. My Fedex Smartpost packages have said they were Smartpost in the tracking information from the very beginning.
Like I said before, I see little point in using this. Not only does it take as long as longer than USPS all by itself, but it gives two courier companies a chance to screw up instead of one. That risk is pretty significant when dealing with a new service that may not be very popular. And then there's the risk of the person mailing it. I learned that the hard way when I used Amazon to send a package to Mammoth Lakes. If Amazon, a business that sends more packages than probably anyone else can mix things up, and UPS will gladly accept a package it knows it can't deliver, the risk for an individual that sends a few packages a year would be more likely to screw up. Btw, I had to go to Bishop to pick up that package from the UPS mini-hub.
Bottom line: only use USPS.