WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 1 2
Results 21 to 32 of 32
  1. #21
    Registered User foodbag's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-08-2003
    Location
    Bradenton, Florida
    Posts
    241
    Images
    3

    Default

    To me, mail drop = boat anchor. No thanks! That being said, hike your own hike....
    Long-distance aspirations with short-distance feet.... :jump

  2. #22
    Registered User
    Join Date
    07-24-2018
    Location
    Lafayette, Indiana
    Age
    29
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post

    ** I relied on wild edibles like violet greens and chickweed and wild mustard etc to supplement my diet for free.
    ** I was never hesitant to dumpster dive for food when the opportunity presented itself.
    Well fortunately my friend and I excelled at dumpster diving all through college!

    And thanks for the tips everyone - leaning toward local resupply so I don't end up on waiting on anything. Where are the few places you think you do need a mail drop?

  3. #23
    Registered User
    Join Date
    09-11-2002
    Location
    Manchester Ctr, VT
    Posts
    2,367
    Images
    13

    Default

    Remember when you buy in bulk for a 6 month hike.....75% of all thruhikers have to quit for one reason or another. So you will be eating this bulk food at home if you have to get off.
    Order your copy of the Appalachian Trail Passport at www.ATPassport.com

    Green Mountain House Hostel
    Manchester Center, VT

    http://www.greenmountainhouse.net

  4. #24

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff View Post
    Remember when you buy in bulk for a 6 month hike.....75% of all thruhikers have to quit for one reason or another. So you will be eating this bulk food at home if you have to get off.
    And don't forget the high level of BOREDOM you will achieve with these foods---possibly. Meaning---You buy 6 months worth of food YOU THINK you'll eat and enjoy but after a month you can't stand most of it. It happens.

    This is the beauty of buying food as you hike---you can make daily choices based on your palate and not some spreadsheet.

    The weird thing about backpacking food is this---almost everything gets boring. Over the years I've reached high levels of disgust with Larabars, Clif bars (of course), pro bars, loaves of bread, rice cakes, certainly ramen etc---although my craving love of Oatmeal still remains.

    It's always nice to hit a store along the trail because you just never know what jewels they'll have---and it's great returning to the trail with a pack full of neato items like a couple bananas or a couple fresh red apples or oranges---or a couple cans of salted mixed nuts etc.

  5. #25
    Registered User BuckeyeBill's Avatar
    Join Date
    12-18-2012
    Location
    Dark Side of the Moon
    Age
    64
    Posts
    1,445
    Journal Entries
    6

    Default

    I am with Tipi on this. Those ("protein Bars) taste like cardboard after a month or two. Tasted a rice cake one time and spit it out. Had to brush my teeth to get the crap taste out of my mouth. I used trail mix with plenty of nuts, raisins and M&Ms'. I do dehydrate my jerky. The butcher at my local Kroger's slices it nice this for my for no extra charges.
    Blackheart

  6. #26
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-10-2013
    Location
    Indiana
    Age
    61
    Posts
    584

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    It's always nice to hit a store along the trail because you just never know what jewels they'll have---
    Like Moon Pies! I mean, who knew??
    fortis fortuna adjuvat

  7. #27
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-08-2014
    Location
    Mobile, AL
    Age
    66
    Posts
    215

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TwoSpirits View Post
    Like Moon Pies! I mean, who knew??
    I LOVE Moon Pies.

    We have a Moon Pie store here in Mobile. Moon Pies are the favorite thing thrown at our Mardi Gras parades and the city even has a "Moon Pie Drop" on New Year's Eve!

    Having said that, I have never taken any on a hike, but I will be sure to on our next one.

    Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

  8. #28
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-06-2018
    Location
    Columbiana Alabama
    Age
    52
    Posts
    19
    Images
    2

    Default

    great info. folks.

    I am starting my 5 year plan to hike thru. Retirement then a short jaunt North when permissible.

  9. #29

    Default

    I might get a drop at the NOC or Fontana Dam if NOBO to get through the Smokies.
    Aside from that there are plenty of places along the way and I agree with the consensus that resupplying as you go is cheaper.

  10. #30
    Registered User
    Join Date
    04-21-2015
    Location
    San Antonio TX
    Posts
    526

    Default

    Having read many trail journals and
    Having stuffed several trial boxes
    With the caveat that I need a want a small box frequently (med resupply)

    I think mail drops are cheaper. Honestly even without needing meds I think they are cheaper. I can stuff a box with a week's worth of food for $20 or less. Add $20 to mail and I'm still eating for $40 a week. Every trail journals I've read mentions spending that much on food that's only for 2 to 4 days.

    Also I like someone's ideal of resupply at a grocery and bouncing half ahead.

    I'm planning on getting a box of 7 days worth of food every 10 days and supplementing on trail for cravings and fresh produce.

  11. #31

    Default

    The solution isn't always linear where more of one thing is always better. You don't have to commit to 100% shopping local, or 100% shipping.

    I shipped only the items that I knew I'd use and that were expensive or difficult to find in small portions. I initially picked out hostels that I knew I want to stay at, instead of Post Offices with restrictive hours. I chose places that were fairly spread out, and I pre-addressed some boxes. When I got within a three weeks of the place, I sent off a text asking for my "mailer" to drop the box in the mail.

    Mixed results.

    - 90% of the expensive jerky I'd dehydrated at home never made it into the boxes. I apparently can't be trusted with delicious jerky.
    - I mailed a whole lot of dehydrated veggies, flavorful spice mixes and nutritious add ins to add to the dehydrated meals I was buying in stores. These made me happy.
    - With each box, I added just a few dehydrated dinners. These were pretty great.
    - With each box I added some "loaded oatmeal" breakfasts. Oatmeal with Nido Milk powder, dried fruit, chia seeds, some sort of flavoring like cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger or chocolate powder. I didn't even want to look at the chocolate ones.
    - My allergy medicine arrived just in time, and at worst I carried a few extra pills.
    - My responsible mailing person... wasn't.
    - With my poor memory, I'd largely forgotten what was in each box. Which made each one a bit of a surprise present.
    - As a first time distance hiker, I wasn't particularly accurate in estimating how much of certain things I'd actually use on the trail. I'd generally ship too much. Which made for happy trail companions when I handed out excess Dr. Bronner's soap and other goodies.
    - I only lasted two months out of the five before injury drove me off the trail
    - I lost the last box mailed, the one with replacement poles. I called the hotel it was shipped to, they found the box and assured me they'd return it to sender. Nope.
    - I had three boxes at home, that eventually were used up. Not particularly a great thing, since it was high calorie food when I no longer needed those calories.

    Overall, knowing now how little I knew then, I'd have shipped even less for my first distance hike if my goal was to save money.

  12. #32
    Registered User Grampie's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-25-2002
    Location
    Meriden, CT
    Posts
    1,411
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    2

    Default

    I have had a sucessfull thru-hike. The first advise that i would like to give is don't plan too far ahead. Most thru-hike attempts end in failure. 50% will leave the trail before the 1/2 way point. Now, with this info. Out of the way i would definately not buy in bulk for the whole hike. I did meet a few hikers who did this and before long they were damn tirad of eating the same stuff day after day. If you decide to do this anyway you will soon discover what a pain it is to have to go into town to pick the package up when the po is open.
    I never thought that i would finish the whole trail. I made a loose plan, days, milage etc. To satisfy the folkes back home. I found that any schedule was hard to follow. Started with a weeks worth of food. When that started to run low i would plan, useing the data book, when i would stop and resupply. I did my whole hike that way. A couple of times i did get into a pinch as far as running out. I soon learned to keep a couple of energy bars on hand for a back up.
    Your food requirements and wants will change along the way. It's nice to be able to buy different stuff when you feel like it.
    To have a sucessfull thru hike you need three things: 1. Enough time, 6 months. 2. Enough money, at least $5,000. 3. A lot of good luck.

    Happy trails to you. Don't let my info scare you.
    Grampie-N->2001

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 1 2
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •