Extra Things to throw in Mail Drops?

[lkaluzi]

Say you have a certain number of mail drops planned and all the food and stuff. What extra stuff do you think would be nice to throw in every once in awhile?
Ex. Sudoku puzzles, newspapers, etc.

[RWheeler]

Bubble wrap

*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*

[bigcranky]

Packs of wipes, travel size toothpaste, a new toothbrush once or twice, travel size Gold Bond (but figure out how to make it odor proof, that smell gets on everything), batteries for your headlamp, a couple of post cards with stamps, Starbucks Via packets if you like coffee, any Rx medications, a paperback book, dental floss, Aqua Mira tablets.

Sure, you can buy most of this in town, but if you are already sending maildrops anyway, these things are cheaper back home than on the trail, and they don't weigh enough to make a difference in the postage.

[leaftye]

Extra clean up stuff so I can get extra clean on the spot. Heavy luxury food that I can eat on the spot.

[fiddlehead]

town clothes, duct tape, lithium batteries, socks, knee brace, nail clippers, double toothpaste cap (drill a hole thru them) to screw two tubes together and fill the smaller one, state hi-way maps, packing tape to put it back together for the next drop, extra guitar strings (hard to find in any town near the trail), ..........

[Spokes]

Great suggestions so far. I also threw in those hard to find "travel size" toiletries, extra 2L platypus with hose and bite valve, extra alchy stove, and Tyvek ground cloth.

[swjohnsey]

Bar of soap. Ever tried to buy one bar of soap?

[kayak karl]

being from philly, tastykakes and soft pretzels. candy that i didn't find, like good-n-plenty and mike-n-ike. a pair of socks.

[WingedMonkey]

Moon Pies...they are damn hard to find after Harpers Ferry.

[springerfever]

maybe a battery charger for your camera

[10-K]

One thing is not to underestimate how much stuff you won't need that you think you will. For ex, I put stuff in boxes "just in case" and when I picked up my drops I found myself carrying items I didn't need.

[RWheeler]

Moon Pies...they are damn hard to find after Harpers Ferry.

That's a bummer, they're amazing. I can find them around where I am, but then again I'm like 40 miles from the trail... so...

[Kerosene]

Bubble wrap

*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*pop*

There's an app for that! http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bubbl...284945681?mt=8

[Blissful]

I also put in my drops a roll of TP, some baby wipes, and for a lady - some everyday liners. If its time to get my meds, I pack that too, incl a baggie of Tylenol and Vit I.

[lkaluzi]

Great suggestions guys! Thanks so much

[lkaluzi]

Just thought of one: protein powder to mix into meals

[Jack Tarlin]

Several ziplocks of varying sizes always seem to come in handy. Also, I used to take TP rolls that were half or 3/4 gone and save 'em up in a box in my closet......by the time my trip departure time came around, I had enough saved for all my drops, meaning I never had to buy any while en route, and better yet, never had to buy or carry an unneeded entire roll. (Individual kleenex packs in your maildrops accomplishes much the same thing). And if there's a toy or hobby shop in your town, get yourself a bunch of the little bitty ziplocks used for coin or stamp collecting........they're very useful for spices, vitamins, medications, batteries, etc.

[aaronthebugbuffet]

One thing is not to underestimate how much stuff you won't need that you think you will. For ex, I put stuff in boxes "just in case" and when I picked up my drops I found myself carrying items I didn't need.

So true. At times I found myself leaving 80% of my drop in a hiker box and I didn't even do but a few.

[SCRUB HIKER]

Q-Tips. Feels great to shove one up your ear after 3 or 4 weeks without experiencing that feeling. I don't care if it's bad for my ears.

Also, a cotton t-shirt, if only to wear around for the few hours or night before you have to send your bounce box onward. Cotton never feels so good as it does when your only other option for months has been the same synthetic t-shirt or base layer.

Homemade cookies, if you've got someone at home to bake them. Mine always had oatmeal in them and I think that contributed to them staying fresh for longer.

[SCRUB HIKER]

News or magazine articles were another thing that I always appreciated. I'd pack them out and read through them over the next few nights on the trail, and trash them or put them in the campfire when I was done. A lot of mine were handpicked from The Browser and printed out by my Oregon liaison.