Mail Drops...A Question

[Tortoise]

Being a geography nut, I knew the AT existed and even thought what a great "vacation" hiking thru would be. But it wasn't until last month, when I met Texas Jack (did you finish?) at the Pine/Ellis hiker B&B in Andover during a rental car holiday in NE, that I became aware of immensity of the journey, the close-knit (and smelly!) hiker community and the details that go into making such a journey. I gave 3 hikers a ride to Grafton Notch when the Guest House shuttle proved too $ for them. Knowing what I know now about thru hikers I'm sorry now that I accepted their $10.

I have a job I love and can't really see leaving it soon...but I'm going to be 44 in 2 days and if I plan to do this it has in the near future. I'm shooting for '05.

My questions: How long will a generel delivery PO drop hold your package? How long for a place like Fontana or a hostel? I know there is no iron-clad answer, but neither is the planning (weather, un-planned days off, etc.)

Second, of all the things that make me want to stay in my warm bed for the rest of my days, ticks freak me out the most. What works best and what tactics do you use to combat these guys?

Thanks for your patience with a curious potential hiker. I love this site and read it, and trailjournals, nightly.

Tortoise

[sdoownek]

mail drops: Depends on the post office. Some of them are tiny little places that don't have room for 100 boxes. If you have an idea of what PO's you're going to mail stuff to, then call them and ask.

Ticks? DEET.

[Lone Wolf]

Post Offices hold for 30 days. Todays hikers want everything for nothing. I remember hitching everywhere and APPRECIATING a ride.

[attroll]

Tortoise

You might want to read this article I just put up on the site. I got it from The Gathering in Hanover NH. This past weekend. Karen Sousa gave the seminar on mail drops and care packages. She did an awesome job. I am glad I attended this one.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/maildrop.php

I am 42 this week and also want to do a thru hike before I am to old. I am shooting for the year 2010. Wish I could get it in sooner. But financially I can not do it right now.

[chris]

I believe that POs are required to hold general delivery packages for a minimum of 2 weeks, but the 30s days that Lone Wolf mentions might be right. In practice the time seems longer, but I wouldn't push things much past a month. Hostels and businesses usually have some fixed time, around 2 weeks or so.

If you are really nervous about ticks, wear long pants tucked into your socks.

On another note: Don't use maildrops unless it is really, really necessary. Buy your food as you go. Of course, if you start with the main pack, or are just behind them, some places might be a bit cleared out when you go through. But, you pass through so many good sized towns that I don't think this would be much of an issue. If I were to rehike the Springer->Damascus section, I would not do a single maildrop. If you do decide to send out maildrops, do them from the trail, rather than from home. This way, you don't have to worry much about timing.

[Skyline]

If your meals are nothing more than Lipton's, Ramen, etc. and your snacks are common to small stores and supermarkets, I'd forget the maildrops and buy in towns but maybe have a bounce box. For what you will spend on shipping costs for 10 to 15 maildrops you can buy more food and you WILL want to.

However, if like me you dehydrate food in advance and have other special items that are hard to find in many towns, maildrops are the way to go.

Where possible, I do NOT send to post offices but rather to trail-friendly businesses in the towns I plan to stop (motels, hostels, campgrounds, etc.). This way, I'm not forced to get to town during post office hours.

ALWAYS call in advance to check on the availability of sending a maildrop to a business, any special procedures/limitations, and try your best to support that business when in that town or at least offer a couple bucks for their troubles in handling your maildrop.

[TJ aka Teej]

POs in Maine will hold at least 30 days after the "ETA" date on the package. Monson has a new PO with a large area set aside for drops and will hold packages as long as they have room. Think hard about your need to use maildrops, there's very little you can't find in trail towns anymore.

Ticks: Long pants, DEET, self inspection.

[chris]

Skyline got it right. If you dehydrate, then do mail drops, buying a little fresh food and cheese along the way. Or, if you have a restrictive diet, like wheat free or macrobiotic (staying veg. on trail is easy), do maildrops. Otherwise, buy as you go.

[Lone Wolf]

Speaking of resupply, today is the grand opening of the big brand new Food City grocery here in Damascus. Soon to follow is a new Family Dollar store. Mega choices now.

[bunbun]

Sheeesh ----- what's this "too old" stuff???? And twice in one thread at that. Earl Shaffer did the trail when he was 79 - and I hiked with two guys who turned 60 on the Trail. Actually met one of them again at the Gathering last weekend. I turned 53 on the AT and 61 on the PCT ---- and I'm planning another thruhike in 2 years - and another one after that - and another one after that.

There are others in their 60's, 70's and even 80's who've done thruhikes . I'll repeat --- what's this "too old" stuff?

Now - mail drops - most PO's will hold mail drops for at least 30 days. Some of them hold boxes until just before the Christmas rush regardless of when they come in. They clean out once a year. But you need to specifically check with anyplace you intend to leave a box for more than a couple weeks.

That being said, I'll agree that maildrops should be kept to a minimum and resupplying from the trail is a good idea. Meaning - buy your food where the supermarkets are and send food drops to where the supermarkets aren't .

BUT - some of us also like to use a drift (bounce) box. Don't cheap out on postage if you use one or the box might not be there when you really need what's in it. Overrunning your maildrops is really annoying - and not very bright. And to quote POG -
"Remember that Priority packages can be forwarded if they are unopened. This is important is sending "bounce box-type" supplies. " Meaning - if you get to town and you don't want or need anything from your drift box (and if you don't open it) - you can forward it to your next town stop - or the next one - or to home.

Pay attention to POG's advice - she's got a better handle on this subject than anyone else I've ever run into.

What I won't comment much on is the idea that you have to wait until (whenever) to do a thruhike. I'll just say that I've quit two jobs to do thruhikes - and never regretted it.

Have a good day.

[bunbun]

Sheeesh ----- what's this "too old" stuff???? And twice in one thread at that. Earl Shaffer did the trail when he was 79 - and I hiked with two guys who turned 60 on the Trail. Actually met one of them again at the Gathering last weekend. I turned 53 on the AT and 61 on the PCT ---- and I'm planning another thruhike in 2 years - and another one after that - and another one after that.

There are others in their 60's, 70's and even 80's who've done thruhikes . I'll repeat --- what's this "too old" stuff?

Now - mail drops - most PO's will hold mail drops for at least 30 days. Some of them hold boxes until just before the Christmas rush regardless of when they come in. They clean out once a year. But you need to specifically check with anyplace you intend to leave a box for more than a couple weeks.

That being said, I'll agree that maildrops should be kept to a minimum and resupplying from the trail is a good idea. Meaning - buy your food where the supermarkets are and send food drops to where the supermarkets aren't .

BUT - some of us also like to use a drift (bounce) box. Don't cheap out on postage if you use one or the box might not be there when you really need what's in it. Overrunning your maildrops is really annoying - and not very bright. And to quote POG -
"Remember that Priority packages can be forwarded if they are unopened. This is important is sending "bounce box-type" supplies. " Meaning - if you get to town and you don't want or need anything from your drift box (and if you don't open it) - you can forward it to your next town stop - or the next one - or to home.

Pay attention to POG's advice - she's got a better handle on this subject than anyone else I've ever run into.

What I won't comment much on is the idea that you have to wait until (whenever) to do a thruhike. I'll just say that I've quit two jobs to do thruhikes - and never regretted it.

Have a good day.

[pdhoffman]

I too was worried about Lyme disease and the ticks that carry it on my four month, 1300+ mile AT hike this year. I wore long pants, tucked pants into socks and shirt into pants until well up into New England. I also sprayed the pants and socks with permethrin after every laundring. I extracted one tick on the side of my knee on the third day. I found many ticks caught in the socks and seemingly dead. There was one shelter in Pennsylvania, the Leroy Smith shelter, just before Delaware Water Gap that seemed to be infested with ticks. Had several on the cooking gear. I checked everything over very carefully when I got to a motel room at DWG. In questioning people about their experience it seemed to range all over. Some said they didn't have any problems to some saying they were picking them off frequently.

Pete Hoffman
"Old Corpus"

[POPS]

I have been going back and forth with this question on what to do when I attempt the A/T next March. I think you guys have talked me into not doing maildrops but where and how do you plan for resupply.

[bunbun]

You might start with the article on this forum by Baltimore Jack. It's good. And I think he said he was gonna update it sometime soon.

[karensioux]

I am new to this site and haven't spoken much but thought about speaking up about the too old stuff. I have always wanted and planned on a thruhike and life was always there getting in the way..........job, home whatever. I am 42......last april I was dx'd with breast cancer........surgery, chemo now........the hell with this waiting stuff........life is too short.........If you want to do it....do it........it is doable.........with that said I hope to see some of you next year on the trail..........I leave april 1st.........the same day I was diagnosed..........

UNIBOOB

[chris]

Jack has a pretty good list of places to resupply in the articles section of the site. I disagree with his assessment of buying in Fontana, but I've only been there twice, and neither time was during the main crush of hikers (mid May and early September). If you want another list, pick up or down load the Companion from the aldha web site (www.aldha.org). They have a reasonable amount of town info.

[MOWGLI]

Karen, I'm 42 too. I like your attitude. Best of luck on your hike.

Little Bear
GA-ME 2000

[Tortoise]

Thanks for all the reponses. I got more info than I asked for...all of it great. I will think twice about using maildrops. If I needed meds or special food I could see the point, but the whole idea of the freedom of "being out there" seems to be compromised somewhat in the process and there is enough planning to do as it is. Thanks again. (L. Wolf, I like the way you think)
Happy Trails. Tortoise

[Blue Jay]

Karensioux, sorry you got the wakeup call the way you did. My father died at 34 after busting his ass his entire life. My brothers and I will never let the money world rule our lives. Life is truly waaay too short. Have an absolutely wonderful time. You are about to enter one of the best support groups of all time.

[squirrel bait]

Karensioux, I'm 48 and will be (with help from above and this forum) on the trail next year around then, go for it, wiegh it, pack it, hoist it and go. What a great attitude, good luck on your hike.
As for maildrops, after reading all this and BJ's adivce mine are going to be very limited. Good luck tortise.