Stashing Instead of Mailing

[jburgasser]

I'm planning a 130 mile section next spring starting at Fontana and heading north. I am considering hanging a dry bag for resupply in a tree around Davenport for the 2nd half of the hike. Is this kind of thing done? Is it frowned upon? Does it ensure some critters will be well fed for several days? It will hold unoped packets of p'nut butter, crackers (unopened foil-type bag), instant oatmeal packets, gatorade powder, canned sardines, ziplocs of trail mix, coffee, and mountain house type dinners.


I have been told that the roll down type dry bags will keep our animal friends from smelling the food...I dunno though, the and oatmeal and trail mix are not in any foil-type packaging. I guess I could wrap them in foil.

Thanks, Ickybod

[Karma13]

I don't know about the stashing, but as far as the odor goes, you could always put the food in odor-proof Opsaks inside your roll-down dry bag.

[MDSection12]

I can't comment on the ethics of it, or at least I won't, I'll leave that for someone else... But I can say that if your bag is ten foot up, ten foot away from the nearest branch, and water tight then you shouldn't have anything to worry about other than people finding it.

[max patch]

That would be too much hassle for me but if you decide to do it remember Murphy's Law and already have Plan B figured out if you get there and the stash is gone.

[oldbear]

I was considering something like that myself
Home Depot sells brand new empty paint cans
So i got to thinking if I could fill one or possibly two of them up w/ non smelly food and then bury them
As long as I could find my burial site I could retrieve them and maybe save a trip into town

[HikerMom58]

Ha... this is a timely thread. We just "stashed" 2 buckets for the SOBO's the other day. They were washed out dry wall compound buckets. They weren't left out for very long tho. We did 'hide" them with leaves and bark etc... it worked out well for us. But, now we will be driving back out there to retrieve the buckets. It's all good tho. I would say go for the stashing plan but try to arrange a trail maintainer or trail angel to get the bucket out of the woods if you decide to go that route. You might be able to get it back yourself since you are sectioning. Go for it!

[Slo-go'en]

The bucket it a good idea if you or someone else can go back and get it later. A dry bag and some rope you can pack out with you. If you hang the food, do a proper job of putting it between two trees, using the 10 foot up and 10 foot from trunk rule. Use a dark color bag as not attact attention, from critters or people.

The main trick is remembering where you stashed it. Sometimes is hard to find the bag you hung the night before at a campsite! Noteing the location with GPS would be the safest method...

Opps, I just realised your going to do Fontana to Hot Springs? There is really no need to stash food on that trip. It would be nice if you could stash food at New Found gap, but the park service probably has rules against that. For what what it would cost you in time and gas to drive over to Davenport Gap to stash food you can buy enough stuff at the Standing Bear hostel to get you to Hot Springs. It's only a 5 minute walk off the trail and you'll probably want to drop in there anyway. Even it you don't stay the night, having one of thier famous frozen pizzas for lunch is worth the 10 bucks.

[Malto]

I have done this on two occasions. The first was on the Tahoe Rim Trail where I stashed two days worth of food and two gallons of water. The food was in an Ursack, hidden from people. It worked great and the subsequent weight penalty of carrying the Ursack was worth the benefit of not carrying two days worth of food for the first day of the trip.

I also did the something when my son and I hiked the Sierra High Route. I buried two bear canisters four days into our route two weeks before the trip. It also worked well and allowed us to stay legal in the section that required bear canisters and avoided going off route for resupply. BUT..... I woke up many times between when I buried the canisters and when I retrieved them worrying that they were compromised. The nightmare was the squirrels would have days to chewing the canisters providing an opening large enough for a bear to destroy. Thankfully this didn't happen, I was able to locate the canisters and it worked out well.

I had similar plans to do the same stash resupply in the Sierra on my PCT hike. The thought was to snowshoe in weeks before my trip and bury a canister. I had. An injury which prevented the resupply trip but I suspect I would have worried about that resupply as well.

Bottom line, I wouldn't do it in your case. There are enough resupply points that it is not needed in the area you are talking. You will also likely be ready fora small dose of civilization.

[Rasty]

I'm planning a 130 mile section next spring starting at Fontana and heading north. I am considering hanging a dry bag for resupply in a tree around Davenport for the 2nd half of the hike. Is this kind of thing done? Is it frowned upon? Does it ensure some critters will be well fed for several days? It will hold unoped packets of p'nut butter, crackers (unopened foil-type bag), instant oatmeal packets, gatorade powder, canned sardines, ziplocs of trail mix, coffee, and mountain house type dinners.

I have been told that the roll down type dry bags will keep our animal friends from smelling the food...I dunno though, the and oatmeal and trail mix are not in any foil-type packaging. I guess I could wrap them in foil.

Thanks, Ickybod

I would send a mail drop to Standing Bear Hostel for $10 to $12 instead of driving an extra 3 hours assuming your coming from 9 hours south of any A.T. Hiking
Maria Guzman or Curtis Owen
4255 Green Corner Rd.
Hartford, TN 37753

[Sidewinder]

I would send a mail drop to Standing Bear Hostel for $10 to $12 instead of driving an extra 3 hours assuming your coming from 9 hours south of any A.T. Hiking
Maria Guzman or Curtis Owen
4255 Green Corner Rd.
Hartford, TN 37753

I agree, stashing is too much work and you don't know that your stash will be there when you get there.
Mail it to Standing Bear Hostel, address above.

[Donde]

+1 Rasty
Also based on time frame and locale, some a-hole NOBO is gonna find it and take it.

[jburgasser]

as far as the odor goes, you could always put the food in odor-proof Opsaks inside your roll-down dry bag.

I like the Opsaks idea. MDSection12 and Slo-go'en: I think using the Opsack means no odors so I can hitch it up deep into a tree and rest it right in a crook where the branch grows out of the trunk. But, yeah, I know...wishful thinking.
I would put it close to the trunk high up so no one sees it. You know...kids these days. I don't really want to bury it because of the whole disturbing nature thing.
I would just run into town and restock but 2 issues I have with that is 1) I can't eat wheat or anything else with gluten so I can't run into town for a quick resupply and 2) there doesn't seem to be anywhere close enough to not eat up half a day or more. Last year I mailed food to the Nantahala Outdoor Center for the second half of that section but it doesn't look like I'm near any towns around halfway for this trip.

Thanks for the replies!

[jburgasser]

You can buy enough stuff at the Standing Bear hostel to get you to Hot Springs. It's only a 5 minute walk off the trail and you'll probably want to drop in there anyway. Even it you don't stay the night, having one of thier famous frozen pizzas for lunch is worth the 10 bucks.

Therein lies my most serious issue. I can't eat frozen pizza!! I can't eat fresh pizza for that matter because of the dough. I have Celiac disease so I can't eat wheat, or barley, or malt, or rye, or oats unless it states on the package that the oats are certified gluten free. That again is why I can't just make resupply runs into town.

[Slo-go'en]

Therein lies my most serious issue. I can't eat frozen pizza!! I can't eat fresh pizza for that matter because of the dough. I have Celiac disease so I can't eat wheat, or barley, or malt, or rye, or oats unless it states on the package that the oats are certified gluten free. That again is why I can't just make resupply runs into town.

Sorry to hear that, it does posse a problem. A mail drop would be easier and more reliable than a stash. I'm glad I don't have any dietary problems, otherwise I might not bother to leave home...

[MDSection12]

I wouldn't put it along the trunk of the tree, even if it is odor-free. Who knows... Animals like to chew, not necessarily just stuff that smells good. Ten foot up and ten foot out is really the only way to be sure nothing is gonna get to it. With a dark colored bag in a well chosen spot I don't think anyone that isn't looking for it will see it... Especially not if it's only gonna be up there a couple weeks.

[jburgasser]

I would send a mail drop to Standing Bear Hostel for $10 to $12 assuming your coming from 9 hours south of any A.T. Hiking

This is the solution I'm lookin for. Thanks Rasty.

[daddytwosticks]

Flying squirrels can get to hanging food bags...even when using the fancy PCT methods. Ask me how I know.

[Malto]

Flying squirrels can get to hanging food bags...even when using the fancy PCT methods. Ask me how I know.

How do you know?

[MDSection12]

Lost your bag of acorns?

[HikerMom58]

How do you know?

..........inquiring minds..........