Thru-hike without maildrops

[A-Train]

Its not that most Americans want to eat unhealthy junkfood. Most simply can't afford organic, vegan, fair-trade, shade grown or free trade foods. Hell if I had tons of money I'd eat better too, but on a college budget it just ain't happenin

[rocket04]

Steve does eat good stuff. I was fortunate to benefit from it after Hardcore, he was generous to give me a big bag of gorp. Smokey Mountain Steve gorp is good stuff, I can attest to that! Thanks again Steve!

[A-Train]

Steve does eat good stuff. I was fortunate to benefit from it after Hardcore, he was generous to give me a big bag of gorp. Smokey Mountain Steve gorp is good stuff, I can attest to that! Thanks again Steve!

Yea cause it probably had some secret ingredients sprinkled in

[smokymtnsteve]

Steve does eat good stuff. I was fortunate to benefit from it after Hardcore, he was generous to give me a big bag of gorp. Smokey Mountain Steve gorp is good stuff, I can attest to that! Thanks again Steve!

you are quite welcome rocket,,,and thank you for working HARDCORE!

[Blue Jay]

Its not that most Americans want to eat unhealthy junkfood. Most simply can't afford organic, vegan, fair-trade, shade grown or free trade foods. Hell if I had tons of money I'd eat better too, but on a college budget it just ain't happenin

No, Americans want to eat and in fact love unhealthy junkfood. If we only bought healthy food it would be the same price. If Americans wanted to be healthy they would not be the fattest people on the planet. If Americans wanted to be healthy the entire health care system would be entirely different. Even on a college budget you could eat healthy, what's more important than what goes in your body. You choose to spend it on other things. I love being free to make unhealty decisions. I drive a car, there is nothing more dangerous to my health than that. Our culture is based on fear and death, we love that.

[smokymtnsteve]

Its not that most Americans want to eat unhealthy junkfood. Most simply can't afford organic, vegan, fair-trade, shade grown or free trade foods. Hell if I had tons of money I'd eat better too, but on a college budget it just ain't happenin

actually with adequte planning, being a member of a co-op and bulk buying..good healthy food can be CHEAPER than junk food...one must adjust ones lifestyle and priorities,,,

what are they teaching folks in college now-a-days?

PLEASE STAND FOR THE GOSPEL OF ABBEY!

"A formal education can sometimes be broadening but more often merely flattens."

THANKS BE TO ABBEY!

[A-Train]

I'll stick by my original comments. Obviously a lot of americans love fast food and junk food. But there are also tons of other folks who would eat healthier and better if it was more available and cheaper. There is a McDonalds in every town and its cheap. There aren't that many health food stores.

SMS- What are they teaching in college? Some pretty good stuff actually. I've taken classes related to these topics like a course in Unlearning Consumerism, dealing in depth about organic/fair trade etc. foods. Sorry but not reading any Abbey, thats for sure.

Sure Its a choice, but its not one that is easy to make (eating mindfully). Of Course I could eat all organic, but I decide to spend my money on other things. Like hiking and backpacking trips. Its all about priorites. But hey I'd rather save 9 dollars and skip the raw organic Almond Butter and go for regular skippy so that eventually i'll have some loot to do other things.

[smokymtnsteve]

why the nut butter at all?? ..just buy the nuts in bulk.

[MOWGLI]

SMS- What are they teaching in college? .... Sorry but not reading any Abbey, thats for sure.

I am quite certain that many schools do indeed teach Abbey, but probably not U of VT (is that where you go to school ATrain?). Abbey's "place" is the West, and he would be far more relevant at an educational institution in that part of the world. Any school in the SW with a decent writing program almost certainly includes Abbey in their curriculumn. Although SMS often uses Abbey's quotes to agitate (Abbey would surely approve if he was still alive) he was definitely IMO, one of the best writers in the latter half of the 20th century. He learned from one of the best - Wallace Stegner - who taught at Stamford University where Abbey went to school for a spell.

Geez, it would be great to have Whiteblaze book discussion group. Anyone interested in setting up an interest group? It might be a little awkward on-line, but interesting nonetheless.

FYI, Carl Hiaasen is a writer who I currently enjooy. I just finished Skinny Dip. Anyone else read Hiaasen?

[smokymtnsteve]

PLEASE STAND FOR THE GOSPEL OF ABBEY!

"In the world of words, one of my best-loved tribes is the diatribe."

THANKS BE TO ABBEY!

[smokymtnsteve]

I just got finished reading joshua slocum..around the world alone...story of the spray.

[A-Train]

I took an environmental writing course last spring, with a focus on sense of place. We read a lot of short pieces by Stenger, Kathleen Norris, Terry Tempest Willams, Barry Lopez and tons of other fantastic writers. No Abbey or Muir thought, I guess its a downfall of going to school in the East. Best thing we read was Book of Yaak by Rick Bass. If anyone is interested in forest conservation and land advocacy I would certainly pick this one up, I couldn't put it down

[MOWGLI]

I took an environmental writing course last spring, with a focus on sense of place. We read a lot of short pieces by Stenger, Kathleen Norris, Terry Tempest Willams, Barry Lopez and tons of other fantastic writers. No Abbey or Muir thought, I guess its a downfall of going to school in the East. Best thing we read was Book of Yaak by Rick Bass. If anyone is interested in forest conservation and land advocacy I would certainly pick this one up, I couldn't put it down

I just finished reading Liquid Land by Ted Levin (UGA Press). In fact, I reviewed the book for the upcoming edition of American Hiker, American Hiking Society's magazine. It's a great book. Before I was halfway through with the book, I was planning a trip to the Glades. Interestingly enough, as destructive as the hurricanes in Florida have been, hurricanes are generally restorative for the Glades. I say generally, because they can disperse seeds of invasive plants - a major problem in the Glades.

The next non-fiction book on my list is Looking For Longleaf by Lawrence Earley (UNC Press). http://uncpress.unc.edu/chapters/earley_looking.html The book was released this past Tuesday. It's the story of the demise of the Longleaf Pine ecosystem. These forests once covered more than 90 million acres from Virginia to Texas. Now, the largest remaining Old Growth Longleaf Pine forest (3000 acres approx) is found at Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, FL. That happpens to be where Ivan just hit.

[Bjorkin]

Will USPS allow denatured alcohol to be shipped in a bounce box? It would be nice to refill without needing to get rid of excess alcohol.

[Jack Tarlin]

No, they won't, and you can get fined big-time if you get caught doing so.

Your postmaster wil happily give you literature that details what can be mailed and what cannot; what can be shipped by ground mail but not by air, etc.

I'm sure that you can find this info at the main USPS website as well.

But as a general rule, NOTHING flammable can go in the mail.

[Kozmic Zian]

Yea.....On The Trail, I take a water bottle, a piece of mosquito netting (to cover the top and not let seeds out) with a rubber band to hold it on. Then I take bean sprouts and rinse them several times a day in spring water, never letting the water stand in the bottle. You'll have fresh veggie sprouts with all your meals as a daily supplement and ummmmm.....so good with sandwiches, soups and cheeses. Still hard to eat veggie style without PO drops, though. Try to 'bounce' a box up the line with your veggie needs. Get a dehydrator and dry out lots o' things before you leave, then bounce them up as you go. Weight is a particular problem for veggies as most fruits and veggies carry water and weight, if you don't dehydrate. Good eating (stay away from the junk food and candy, will make you sick). KZ@

[Freeze]

In my opinion hiking without maildrop is best. You're not bound to a schedule.
you make it up as you go. Check out "Resupply Advice" by Baltimore Jack in the information tab on this forum. BJ thru-hiked the trail 7 years in a row. You can't go wrong with his advice. By the way, when is that book coming out BJ?

[Freeze]

Another 2 cents from me. In my opinion, bounce boxes are a waist of money and time. If you are bouncing it ahead, it means you don't really need it.

[Lone Wolf]

I agree with Freeze04.

[kentucky]

well I have only had 2 mail drops in my petty hiking quest kentucky