Supplies selling out on trail?

[vaporjourney]

I've often wondered how well stores can keep their shelves stocked when the thru hiker rush goes thru GA and NC in march/april. Does it sometimes make food selection tricky, and you can't really find what you want? If this is the case, then it would definitely add credence to the idea that I may need to do some mail drops. Although they are somewhat limiting, at least I know I would have my food, or at least the items I worry about finding.

[SalParadise]

The stores that are there know the hikers are coming through, so it's not like shopping for batteries before a hurricane. However the problem with some towns, like the NOC or Fontana Dam, is that grocery stores either don't exist or are an extra hitch to get to.

I didn't hike with maildrops and got by fine, but in some places they would have been nice instead of stocking up with whatever a gas station had handy.

Go to the articles section, and Jack has put together an awesome article on the quality of resupply in towns along the way.

[Lone Wolf]

stores selling out is not a problem at all.

[galaleemc]

Being from a big city, yes there are things you won't find here, or the selection or quality isn't up to my taste buds. Every store is different, but the big one here in Hiawassee - Ingles actually increases a few hiker staples - ramen noodles for instance - you should see how BIG that display is and they will have every flavor known to man during the northern migration! During holidays and about twice a month, the store just gets picked over - produce wise. The health food store is small but usually have what I am looking for - barring a brand name.

If you have something really specific that you must have and it is not highly perishable, ship it! I am not a thru hiker, so that is my 2cents worth from living up here.

[Swass]

I was wondering about the same thing, but with fuel or alcohol (for the stove). Is that ever a problem?

[Johnny Swank]

Finding fuel for your stove won't be an issue. Many hostels see both coleman fuel and denatured alcohol by the ounce, and most gas stations will have the yellow bottles of HEET (methyl alcohol).

[SteveJ]

I also use HEET, the yellow bottle. Won't regular isopropyl alcohol do in a pinch, tho? I haven't used it, but have been told that it'll be smoky (because of the water content), and smoke up your pot, but still work. I was at a shelter on the AT in MD and some older fella ;^) had a trangia that he was using regular 'rubbing' alcohol as fuel.

Not recommending, but just asking for validation, if you just can't find HEET, that rubbing alcohol will work?

[Appalachian Tater]

Even 90% rubbing alcohol smokes and leaves black soot on your pot. It's a big mess (yes I tried it once).

Sometimes grocery stores, drugstores, Wal-Mart or Dollar General have HEET or an equivalent. If you read the label, and see that it contains petroleum distillates or products, it's the wrong stuff.

Lots of places like hostels and outfitters sell alcohol by the ounce, it's not as much problem as you might imagine.

[Pokey2006]

The only time I had a problem was in Damascus. A couple had looted the store, buying ALL of the Liptons, except for the chicken flavor, which I hate. The store clerk said the couple looked like they were stocking up for a month on the trail! But the jerks didn't leave anything behind for anyone else, and the store wasn't getting another shipment for a few days. I'm still mad about it!

But it ended up working out all right, because I took an extra zero day and rented a bike, and rode up to the grocery store right outside of town.

You won't go hungry in any of these trail towns, though once in a while you'll have trouble finding the flavor of noodles you like the most...

[Pokey2006]

Oh, and never any problems finding denatured alcohol. It's plentiful on the trail. Don't even worry about it.

[SalParadise]

Even 90% rubbing alcohol smokes and leaves black soot on your pot. It's a big mess (yes I tried it once).

i've read that black soot on the bottom of an aluminum pot actually makes heating the pot afterward a little more efficient. wish i could remember the source, though...

but all these store owners on the Trail know you're coming, it's the same push every year. hikers are a big income source for a lot of the small towns and they can't wait for you to buy up all their Liptons and tortillas.

although I agree, Chicken flavour ain't the best.

[freefall]

But the jerks didn't leave anything behind for anyone else, and the store wasn't getting another shipment for a few days. I'm still mad about it!

But it ended up working out all right, because I took an extra zero day and rented a bike, and rode up to the grocery store right outside of town.

You won't go hungry in any of these trail towns, though once in a while you'll have trouble finding the flavor of noodles you like the most...

You can avoid being mad by being flexible in what you carry. If they're out of Lipton, go w/ Ramen or minute rice w/ some stuff added, etc...the next resupply opportunity is not that far away most of the time.

The BIG grocery store in Damascus is not too far out, maybe 15-20 minutes each way. We walked there resupplied and hiked out that same day. During Trail Days, we walked there for a different kind of resupply but ended up catching a ride back.

Like Pokey2006 said, you won't go hungry, you just might not get your favorite _________(insert food here) all the time.

[freefall]

i've read that black soot on the bottom of an aluminum pot actually makes heating the pot afterward a little more efficient. wish i could remember the source, though...

Well, black absorbs heat better than silver/light colors so it only makes sense that it would help to a certain extent.
I use rubbing alcohol in the summer to slow down evaporation/increase burn time. It does turn the pot black and it's messy for a while but once you switch back to denatured, it bakes the soot to the pot. If I scrubbed real hard for a long time, I could probably get it off but why?

[Sly]

Just be sure to get bread, bagel stuff first.