mail drops necessary?

[SD2AT]

I've been doing a lot of itinerary planning and such and seem to feel that mail drops aren't really necessary...I'm a SOBO starting out June 21st. My plan is to keep, at all times, about 4-5 days worth of food in my pack and just resupply and eat in the towns.

Anyone have any experience with this approach? thoughts?

[Montana Mac]

Mail drops are discussed numerous times on here and you will get numerous opinions. In the end it will come down to what is best for you to HYOH

[Lord Helment]

i'm heading sobo in early july and am using a mix of both...leaning to buying in towns about 2/3 of the time...there is a really good thread on here regarding inexpensive thru hikes that has excellent resupply info...the at guide also has excellent info regarding whicch services are avilable in particular towns...hope you have a great hike

ATC Life Member

[Lone Wolf]

I've been doing a lot of itinerary planning and such and seem to feel that mail drops aren't really necessary...I'm a SOBO starting out June 21st. My plan is to keep, at all times, about 4-5 days worth of food in my pack and just resupply and eat in the towns.

Anyone have any experience with this approach? thoughts?

yup. no food drops are necessary. i never did one

[ShelterLeopard]

I'd search "maildrops" on this site. You'll get more info than you know what to do with! (Somehow maildrops often because a heated topic...)

[LDog]

I've been doing a lot of itinerary planning and such and seem to feel that mail drops aren't really necessary...I'm a SOBO starting out June 21st. My plan is to keep, at all times, about 4-5 days worth of food in my pack and just resupply and eat in the towns.

Anyone have any experience with this approach? thoughts?

I'm leaning this way. Tho there appears to be a few places where good, long-term resupply points are a goodly distance away, and a food drop might just be the ticket.

Look at the aforementioned AT Re-Supply articles under the Thru Hiking Info tab above. I've been reading those articles and marking up my guidebook with highlighter and pencil. I'm about halfway through, and so far, I've only identified one place at which I plan to mail a food drop.

[10-K]

Between Bear Mt., NY and Baxter State Park I sent 4 maildrops and every time I picked one up I noted how I could have went to a store just as easily for food.

What I did find very helpful though, and would have not been able to do otherwise, was mailing maps and sections of the guidebook ahead to myself.

I also included a stamped return priority envelope in each package so I could mail the maps I was finished with back home.

[ShelterLeopard]

What I did for my thru (which became an enormous section) was do maildrops for the first 5 weeks, then just shop in the grocery stores. I figured I would have no idea what I'd crave after 5 weeks of hiking, and I was right. The maildrops were helpful and great when I had them, but I was glad when they were finished so I could buy exactly what I wanted and needed. I also ate less than I thought for the first month and a half.

By month three, I was buying a LOT of fresher foods, including fresh bagels, cheese, tons of dried fruit, some fresh fruit and veg, and fresh eggs. It turned out that I'd rather take the weight than do without. So my eating habits changed a lot, and I was able to change what I carried because I had no more maildrops.

[ShelterLeopard]

One more thing- I don't know how fast you plan to do the hundred mile wilderness, but unless you get a drop driven to you in the middle, you'll have to carry a lot of food to get you through. Don't get discouraged by the weight. I'd do really light weight food for that stretch (you may be far less hungry than you realize for the first week or two as well) and then stuff yourself in Monson. Shaw's. YES!

[LDog]

I'd also think drops would be handy for those kinda staples that I'd expect to be hard to find in stores - small packets of condiments bought in bulk, dehydrated veggies, TVP, etc.

[Blissful]

After another hike of the AT I have decided a LOVE my mail drops, esp if you have a reliable homefront person. Absolute no brainer for me.

[gregpphoto]

#1 Stuff you cant get in small towns. #2 way cheaper if you buy in bulk and use post office flat rate boxes.