Number of Total Mail Drops?; Anyone buying Mountain House #10 cans/pouches in bulk?

[Tully]

My current estimate is that I will have a total of 15 total mail drops. Everyone on here recommends buying food in town, but I may want the comfort of some quality freeze-dried meals. Still to be decided…

Also, is anyone buying Mountain House in bulk? Here’s the scenario: if I were to buy MH #10 cans (for example, my favorite ‘Lasagna with Meat Sauce’), the total weight of the container is 19.2 oz, yielding a total of 10 servings. This one costs $29.58, yielding a total of $1.54 per ounce.

On the contrary, if I went ahead and purchased individual pouches (2-serving Lasagna with Meat Sauce), which cost $4.64 each and weigh 4.8 oz, this would yield a total of $.97 per ounce. It seems to me that buying bulk in pouches would be 1) less expensive and 2) more convenient.

For the #10 cans, I would still have to repackage everything by individual meals and get a vacuum sealer to ensure that the contents are preserved. With the pouches, you already have everything ready to go. Am I missing something here? Why would the pouches cost less than the cans? Anyone have experience in buying these freeze-dried foods in bulk? Thanks all!

[Lone Wolf]

too many drops. too much pre-bought stuff. your chances of making it to maine are slim. just a fact. why spend all that $$$ and time on drops?

[beerandpizza]

why spend all that $$$ and time on drops?

extra incentive to make it to maine? that would cause me to go on just because i wouldn't want to waste the resources i've already doled out

[Lone Wolf]

extra incentive to make it to maine? that would cause me to go on just because i wouldn't want to waste the resources i've already doled out

that's not the reality. far from it

[CrumbSnatcher]

he's not going to sugarcoat it for you,but he's usually right! i'm not totally against maildrops but too many becomes a pain. i do love those mountain house meat lasagna. i like/prefer to buy along the way. mix it up a little..

[Blissful]

too many drops. too much pre-bought stuff. your chances of making it to maine are slim. just a fact. why spend all that $$$ and time on drops?

Why are too many mail drops equated with whether one makes it to Maine or not? That's the first I've heard it's a proven fact.

[beerandpizza]

that's not the reality. far from it

it may be good for a few more miles

[Lone Wolf]

Why are too many mail drops equated with whether one makes it to Maine or not? That's the first I've heard it's a proven fact.

just cuz you made it doesn't mean everyone will.

[SGT Rock]

I know a guy that pre-bought all his meals for a PCT thru-hike. Nice mountain home stuff. After his hike didn't go as plan he had a couple of hundred mountain home meals he had bought and had to unload.

[Blissful]

Why do you need to bring canned foods or even repackage it? Skip it. If you want suggestions for nutritious dinners, ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) puts out a decent cookbook with good variety to make dinners. And beats the expense of freeze dried meals.

And no problem with wanting good nutritious food on the trail that helps you muscles recover and avoid unecessary weight loss. That's what helps a hike succeed and helps you heal quicker if there's an injury.

[mudcap]

I know a guy that made it in the modern era...mail drops and all.

[Blissful]

I think too if you can have someone on the home front help pack maildrops as you go, that can cut down on loss if for some reason you have to get off. I mean we had food left over from our hike or stuff we didnt eat and got thrown out. But we didn't go with Mountain house either (except in the Smokies) so it was a heck of a lot cheaper if it did get thrown away.

[Blissful]

just cuz you made it doesn't mean everyone will.

I know - you gave us a one in ten chance. I never forgot that post either. Made me wonder if we would really make it. Man it's a long way to Maine....criminee

But wow what a journey. Now my hubby is talking about the PCT - now that would be a miracle....

[Sly]

Wow, not one person has addressed the questions.

I have no idea why pouches would be cheaper than bulk. Are you sure you're reading it right?

[SGT Rock]

Didn't answer that question because I don't know. Just mentioning the possibility it may not be a good idea to buy hundreds of mountain house meals ahead of time.

[Johnny Swank]

Add me as one who doesn't think it's a great idea to buy 100 (or whatever) MH meals ahead of time. If nothing else, I don't know of anyone that doesn't get sick of eating the same stuff all the time. There's a reason that hiker boxes from GA to ME always have ramen, stuffing, and rice.

[SGT Rock]

Don't forget the mystery bags which are the home prepared meals someone spent hours preparing and vacuum sealing just to drop into hiker boxes months later when they get tired of eating all that home cooked "variation"

[CrumbSnatcher]

Add me as one who doesn't think it's a great idea to buy 100 (or whatever) MH meals ahead of time. If nothing else, I don't know of anyone that doesn't get sick of eating the same stuff all the time. There's a reason that hiker boxes from GA to ME always have ramen, stuffing, and rice.

whether its a .99 cent meal or a 10.00 dollar meal ya might get sick of it!!! eating it over and over. snicker bars now thats another story

[SGT Rock]

whether its a .99 cent meal or a 10.00 dollar meal ya might get sick of it!!! eating it over and over. snicker bars now thats another story

Actually I got to the point I couldn't stand them.

[Nest]

I noticed the price of the #10 cans went up over the last year, but not sure why. If the packages are cheaper, then get them. I agree with everyone on not buying a bunch of them and doing so many mail drops. Maybe just do a few of them. Mountain House weigh very little, and are great for longer sections between resupply. Have a drop sent for the smokies, the 100 mile wilderness, and maybe one or two in between. Baltimore Jack's resupply article does a pretty good breakdown of distances between resupply. Check it out, and plan on sending some MH meals to make a longer resupply lighter. When you get to these towns, they may carry MH meals but the options are limited. Chili Mac is my favorite and I could never find it.