Bounce box, yes or no

[peter2003]

I am am considering a few recommended mail drops like Fontona Dam, however, when to comes to a bounce box it would seem to be more trouble than it is worth, ie being locked into a post office schedule and wondering if the box made it to the right post office on time. Too much organization for me and sort of gets in the way of the go with the flow plan. I would think a mail drop for maps and meds, ect once a month or so would do it.

I was wondering what others think of the boxes, are they worth or another unnecessary problem to deal with on the hike. What per cent of thru hikes use bounce boxes?

[gravityman]

depends on what you have for support from home. I would suggest a bounce box, but you can always change that on trail. We mailed it ahead a number of towns, so we were getting it ever couple weeks (equivalent to your once a month boxes from home). That way you know it was mailed, and that it will be there for you. And you know what is in it.

You will work it out on trail. It's really easy to change to a bounce box, or to stop using one. In fact you will probably end up with more things than you want at some point, and you will just mail it ahead. The bounce box doesn't have to be at every town you go to.

gravity Man

[Footslogger]

No idea on percentages of hikers who do/don't use them ...but I am using one this year. Went the heavy duty mail drop route in 2001 and learned my lesson. Farther away the hiker gets from Springer or home the greater the likelihood of a package not getting to it's destination in time, not to mention the added cost of Priority Mail on those heavy boxes. Had a number of boxes lost in 2001 and several arrived late and had to be "bounced" up the trail. I'm buying as I go this year and only have 3 actual "food" mail drops. The rest of my drops are just for maps/handbook pages and seasonal gear/clothing swaps. The bounce box will have my extra AquaMira, socks, vitamins and other bulk supplies that I bought up front.

[manzana]

There are folks who depend on discards from the bounce boxes. A guy at Cosby Knob last year had walked the whole way eating discards. If we all stop having bounce boxes, what will these folks do? 8-)

manzana

[Redbeard]

I used one toward the end of my section hike last year, I'll definetaly use one this year, but more spareingly, it is expensive to mail.

[Jumpstart]

Well, if you're looking fo a yes or no, then I'd say "yes".

We used one, and it became invaluable. You aren't "locked into" the post office because you can call and have anything you want forwarded anywhere you expect to be; the post offices on the trail are used to dealing with thru-hikers and they are pretty accomodating. Just a phone call away, and if you do even a teeny, tiny bit of planning, you will almost never need to forward it, becuase you won't bounce your box to places you won't need it. We used ours to re-supply our ibuprofen, aspririn, batteries, medications, etc...as well as to send food to places we knew didn't have convenient shopping (like Harper's Ferry).

We also used it as an "in case" box, for instance, instead of sending hat & gloves home, we bounced them in case we decided we needed them after all, etc... If i did the trail again, I would decide NOT to use maildrops at all, but I wouldn;t give up my bounce back. It's your portable "base-camp".

[Jumpstart]

Well, if you're looking fo a yes or no, then I'd say "yes".

We used one, and it became invaluable. You aren't "locked into" the post office because you can call and have anything you want forwarded anywhere you expect to be; the post offices on the trail are used to dealing with thru-hikers and they are pretty accomodating. Just a phone call away, and if you do even a teeny, tiny bit of planning, you will almost never need to forward it, becuase you won't bounce your box to places you won't need it. We used ours to re-supply our ibuprofen, aspririn, batteries, medications, etc...as well as to send food to places we knew didn't have convenient shopping (like Harper's Ferry).

We also used it as an "in case" box, for instance, instead of sending hat & gloves home, we bounced them in case we decided we needed them after all, etc... If i did the trail again, I would decide NOT to use maildrops at all, but I wouldn't give up my bounce box. It's your portable "base-camp".

[Peaks]

I didn't use a bounce box. But then again, I also had excellent home support.

Before starting, I filled a series of boxes and left them open on a table in the basement. I also had a baseline schedule of when I would be where. My wife would close up the box and mail them out when the time came. As I hiked along, I updated her with my progress, and we adjusted the schedule accordingly. It worked well for me.

[LBJ]

Would somebody post cost to bounce their box each time.
Thanks,

[gravityman]

I think it was something like $3-$5 ground. We didn't go priority, but I don't think it was much of a price difference. Priority is nice because you can bounce it again without paying more if you don't open it.

It's the cost of the bottle asprin you have in there!

Gravity Man

[Peaks]

Priority Mail is now $3.85 for up to 1 lb in a flat rate envelope. Per www.usps.com, the rate for 5 pounds is $5.85, 10 pounds is $8.40

[Lugnut]

Peaks, you have way too much free time on your hands!

[jimmy b]

I didn't have maildrops, I just mailed things home. Weight became the reality it is after several days on the trail. I determined my next trail town when I was hiking, not before the hike. As my pace developed, I determined how much food to carry based on the distance between towns.

[Clark Fork]

The post office has a new flat rate box option: $7.70 flat rate/anywhere/any weight. Box is 11" X 8.5" X 5.5" You can order in quantities.

http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/po...sp?OID=4849213


Regards,

Clark Fork in Western Montana

[Jaybird]

forget the BOUNCE BOX....hike into the trail town... enjoy the day there...eat a "real" meal, grab more supplies & get back to the trail!

enjoy yer hike!



see ya'll out there: (w/"the Model T crew) APr 28-May 5 Hot Springs-Erwin
May 6 & 7 Carvers Gap-Erwin
May 8-20 Damascus-Pearisburg,VA

[Pooja Blue]

I had one for my thruhike last year. Loved it. Wouldn't thruhike without one.

[hikerjohnd]

Would somebody post cost to bounce their box each time.
Thanks,

USPS now has the flat rate priority boxes - all you can fit in for $7.90 or something like that. I used one to ship some books to a friend who needed them fast - i think the box was 10lbs - so a definite savings if you have heavy items to bounce.

[Spirit Walker]

On the AT I didn't bother with a drift box. On my first hike I used maildrops, so had everything there, and on the second hike I found it was easy to get anything I needed from the grocery stores, hiker boxes, etc. Using maildrops, a lot of extra stuff ends up in hiker boxes in hostels. I needed more food and Motrin, but fewer batteries, candles, clothes, etc. Out west, where we spent less time in town and the stores are more limited, we used a drift box, and were glad we did. In towns where supplies were plentiful, we would buy extra and put them in the drift box. Friends sent us large sized packages of goodies that we were able to divide up instead of throwing away. We could buy big bottles of Motrin and allergy pills and send them ahead. The box held our maps and guidebook sections. Spare socks and replacement clothes went into the drift box until we needed them. For our next hike, I'm sure we'll do it again.

[Grampie]

I didn't use a bounce box during my thru and still don't see the need for one, with a few exceptions.
Most hikers I met, who used a bounce box, were just forwarding a bunch of junk that they didn't need and could be brought, along the way, if you did need any of it. People bounced things like dispodable razors, film, batteries, extra sox etc. I felt if I needed an item, I didn't carry, I'd buy it when needed.
Do a little pre planning. Find a place to send your winter stuff to, up north, when you are finished with it. You can than pick it up when you arrive or probably, more likely, get it sent to you if you leave the trail.
My feeling, during my thru, was; the less dependant I was on others, for support, the better off I would be.
I also did not use many food drops. Only two and that was because I had so much food stuff folks gave me before I started my hike.
If you feel that you need to use a bounce box, go right ahead. It your hike, so hike your own.