Thru-hike without maildrops

[trikos]

I am planning to do a thru-hike. I live in Europe (Denmark), so maildrops becomes a bit more complicated to make and have sent. Therefore I prefer not to have any maildrops.

Have any of you experience with a thru-hike without maildrops? What are the problems with not having maildrops? I know there is a couple of places were resupply can be a problem, but besides that.

I plan to start my thru-hike in the beginning of March 2005.

[MOWGLI]

I am planning to do a thru-hike. I live in Europe (Denmark), so maildrops becomes a bit more complicated to make and have sent. Therefore I prefer not to have any maildrops.

Have any of you experience with a thru-hike without maildrops? What are the problems with not having maildrops? I know there is a couple of places were resupply can be a problem, but besides that.

I plan to start my thru-hike in the beginning of March 2005.

Maildrops are ABSOLUTELY not necessary along the AT. Convenient - YES. Necessary - NO.

I used them early on, and found them to be somewhat of a hassle. The one thing that was helpful, was receiving some lighter gear in mid-May around Pearisburg, VA as the weather warmed, and receiving back my winter gear in July near Glencliff, NH. If you can find a way to deal with that issue (winter gear - summer gear), you'll be in fine shape.

Have a great hike.

Little Bear
GA-ME 2000

[Grimace]

We used almost entirely mail drops during my hike but found we went the grocery store to supplement them at every stop. Why not just go to the grocery store which tend to have more convenient hours anyway? We didn't have a special diet that required special food.

There are several places along hte AT in which a resupply is somewhat important that have poor food options. In that case, you can buy food a week or so ahead a time at a full service store and mail it to yourself up the trail.

Also, some thru-hikers choose to use a bounce box. A box of town clothes, extra gear, extra food, toilletries etc that you mail to yourself from stop to stop. You could always put your Winter gear in a box and just forward it to yourself as you move along the trail.

Lastly, if you click on the Information tab on the top of this page you'll see two articles on resupply advice. The article form Baltimare JAck is quite helpful.

[gravityman]

I am planning to do a thru-hike. I live in Europe (Denmark), so maildrops becomes a bit more complicated to make and have sent. Therefore I prefer not to have any maildrops.

Have any of you experience with a thru-hike without maildrops? What are the problems with not having maildrops? I know there is a couple of places were resupply can be a problem, but besides that.

I plan to start my thru-hike in the beginning of March 2005.

You don't need mail drops, but you might want to send a few packages from a town on trail to the next stop that might not have good resupply. Here's a great resource to pick towns that have plenty to resupply from, and then send on to the next town that might not have much : http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/articlesresupply.php

Gravity

[trikos]

Thanks for the replies. I will read the article

[Lone Wolf]

I did 5 thru-hikes with no mail drops for food. Did a few for maps and gear.

[chris]

One can certainly hike from Springer to Vermont without maildrops, however life might be a little easier in a few places with them. But, absolutely do not send them from Europe. Wait until you are on the trail to send out mail drops. When you get to a town with a reasonable store, send yourself a drop from that town. For example, you might send yourself a drop from Waynesboro, VA to Harpers Ferry, WV. HF does, though, have enough stuff to buy, but the selection is a triffle limited.

[Peaks]

While many have done thru-hikes without mail drops, there sure are convienent in a few places.

As a bare minimum, Fontana Dam, Port Clinton, and Glencliff. And even there you have a choice of mail drop or going further off trail to reach a town with resupplies.

If you do choice to mail drop at these places, make up a box at least a week in advance and mail it to you there. For example, if you want a mail drop in Glencliff, you should put it together in Manchester Center.

[gmu]

i just finished a thru-hike with zero maildrops for food. i did, however, need two drops for gear change in may and august.

[Flash Hand]

I will plan on using bounce box until cold weather coming up in Connecticut for my northbound thru hike. So that I can get cold weather clothes out and stop using the bounce box. I have to use bounce box after realizing I don't have someone to trust during thru hike. There were some case people didn't keep up to date for my thru hike this year, which had put such a burden on me. I trust post office more than my friends now.

Flash Hand

[trikos]

Just to get it right...

So how does a bounce box work?

You have a box with the gear (stuff) you don't need up the trail and you send this box something like 2-3 weeks (?) ahead. Then you go to the post office and take what you need and perhaps put new stuff in the box and send it 2-3 week up the trail again.

Is this how the bounce box works? Is 2-3 weeks the interval people are using?

[Peaks]

Just to get it right...

So how does a bounce box work?

You have a box with the gear (stuff) you don't need up the trail and you send this box something like 2-3 weeks (?) ahead. Then you go to the post office and take what you need and perhaps put new stuff in the box and send it 2-3 week up the trail again.

Is this how the bounce box works? Is 2-3 weeks the interval people are using?

That's the idea. It's a way to refill perscription medicine, camera film, maps, sections of the ALDHA Companion, etc.

But, you probably don't need to go 2 to 3 weeks ahead. Shipping from one zone to the next can be done in a week or less.

Probably the biggest problem is getting to the Post Office in a timely manner. That can be a pain the rear sometimes. So, pick your bounce places carefully.

[Flash Hand]

That's the idea. It's a way to refill perscription medicine, camera film, maps, sections of the ALDHA Companion, etc.

But, you probably don't need to go 2 to 3 weeks ahead. Shipping from one zone to the next can be done in a week or less.

Probably the biggest problem is getting to the Post Office in a timely manner. That can be a pain the rear sometimes. So, pick your bounce places carefully.

I am sure the post office will hold your box for 30 days.. so it wouldn't be that hard to figure which to mail your bounce box ahead of you. Only thing you need to figure out which post office will be sitting by stone throw from a trail instead of hitchiking.

I would probably try 250 miles interval for bounce box.... it is depend on my hiking partner if she don't need anything for the next 250 miles. You have to figure out how many miles each week, probably 75 miles a week, then you will expect to get to bounce box by within 3 weeks.

Flash Hand

[neo]

i sure wished i had done a mail drop in port clinton pa last year on a section hike
i couldnt even buy a roll of toilet paper,the outfitter carrys more stuff during thru hike season though,late october is far past thru hike season.

[trikos]

Thanks for the advices.

I think I will make a plan for my maildrops and post it in the forum and get peoples' feedback. I haven't started the detailed planning yet, so it might take a while before I do it.

-Trikos

[MOWGLI]

i sure wished i had done a mail drop in port clinton pa last year on a section hike
i couldnt even buy a roll of toilet paper,the outfitter carrys more stuff during thru hike season though,late october is far past thru hike season.

I got a ride to a supermarket a few miles down the road. I believe Scott with the Allentown Hiking Club gave me the ride. Anyway, there is a supermarket inthe area. It's just notin the town of Port Clinton.

Don't miss the massive pile of French Fries at the hotel, and don't miss the candy store (if it's still open).

[rocket04]

I got a ride to a supermarket a few miles down the road. I believe Scott with the Allentown Hiking Club gave me the ride. Anyway, there is a supermarket inthe area. It's just notin the town of Port Clinton.

Don't miss the massive pile of French Fries at the hotel, and don't miss the candy store (if it's still open).

The candy store was open when I went through this year. And I got a ride to the supermarket from a old guy called Fred, he lives on the same street where the pavilion is located and he was always walking around, gave rides to lots of people.

To answer the original question, I just completed a thru-hike with no maildrops of any sort and no bounce box. But they can be convenient like other people said, it's just not necessary to do tons of them, unless you want to eat very specific stuff that's hard to find.

[trikos]

There is one thing that might complicate things a bit. I am a vegetarian and it is unlikely that it will change during my thru-hike. Any oppinions on a no-maildrops and vegetarian combo?

[Peaks]

There is one thing that might complicate things a bit. I am a vegetarian and it is unlikely that it will change during my thru-hike. Any oppinions on a no-maildrops and vegetarian combo?

That depends on how strict a vegetarian you are. If you are happy with typical hiker food such as Liptons and Mac and Cheese, then there shouldn't be a problem buying that fare as you go along. Otherwise, you will probably find that small groceries don't have what you are looking for. So, your options are to either spend more time off the trail hitching into and out of larger towns, or doing mail drops.

[smokymtnsteve]

There is one thing that might complicate things a bit. I am a vegetarian and it is unlikely that it will change during my thru-hike. Any oppinions on a no-maildrops and vegetarian combo?

then you might want to consider doing some mail drops once you get here to the US, It is very difflucult to nearly impossible to find decent food anywhere near the trail, even food in our Major chain grocery stores is not very good,
I am a Vegan except for fish, and a very limited amount of dairy, the food that i eat is not found anywhere along the southern third of the trail, with the possible exception of Hot Springs,NC and the selection there is limited and expensive.

Possible sources of good food could include Sevanada's (organic food co-op) in Atlanta, GA, before you start at springer, and a co-op Asheville NC. Most Americans eat junk as it is all there is that is available to them easily and at reasonable prices.

that is why the standard amercian diet has the earned the acronym of SAD.