View Full Version : Thru Hike sans mail drops?
medicdude332
09-20-2009, 08:22
I'm hoping the wise folks here can please help me out - how feasible is it to do a thru hike without using any jump boxes or mail drops? I realize that means carrying colder weather equipment the entire time and living 100% off whatever supplies are available along the way.
I'm very comfortable with my equipment (WBBB w/ pad & yeti), so I know I'll be warm enough and light enough to carry it the distance. My concern is the supply side - food, fuel, possible necessary equipment replacement, etc.
Any thoughts/ideas/(gulp)criticisms about this thought?
medicdude332
09-20-2009, 08:28
And to clarify - this would be a NOBO AT thru hike. I realized I didnt specify in the original post :)
I am thru hiking next year and I am not planning on any mail drops at all. I will have a bounce box but no mail drops. I have not thru hiked the AT yet but I have research this extensively. There are towns that you can hitch into every 6 or so days to get supplies at. There may be minimal supplies but they are there. I have some spreadsheets I can send you if you want. There spreadsheets include 12/15/18 miles hiking days and all the resupply points for those mileages.
medicdude332
09-20-2009, 09:23
ATTroll - that would be fantastic and greatly appreciated! I'm 80% sure that I'll be thru hiking next year as well, and I'm trying to get all of the information that I can. I already have the '09 thru hikers companion which lists some information, but I'm a big fan of the saying 'knowledge is power'.
I'm not sure why you wouldn't take advantage of a bounce box?
I'm not a thru, but I have section hiked Georgia and working my way north, so I've been planning a Thru for 4 years now, so to speak.
You don't have to bounce it town to town, you can bounce it 100 miles ahead if you want.
For example:
You start at Springer in March you'll need at least 20 degree gear and be prepared to go to the ground if it gets any colder.
Comes the end of April and you can usually forward your 20 degree gear to the White Mountains if you don't have anyone that can send it back and forth.
Depending on how long it takes you to get to Maine, or the weather that year, you may want it for the 100 mile wilderness if not a little before.
I switched to a 20 degree quilt and planned on carrying it the much of the way with a 10 ounce Arc AT clone for the middle parts.
medicdude332
09-20-2009, 09:28
I havent totally written off a bounce box - i'm just wary about mailing my gear ahead of me with nobody on the receiving end (at least until i hike there.) I know, i have serious trust issues...
ATTroll - that would be fantastic and greatly appreciated! I'm 80% sure that I'll be thru hiking next year as well, and I'm trying to get all of the information that I can. I already have the '09 thru hikers companion which lists some information, but I'm a big fan of the saying 'knowledge is power'.
Send me a PM with your email address you want me to send the spreadsheet to and which mileage spreadsheet you want?
I diligently planned out my mail drops on my thru and they were totally overrated. I did need things like maps, and baggies but that was about it. That can be handled with a bounce box or even just not carry maps at all. If I were to it again.....when I do it again I will use a bounce box. Don't worry about food unless you have special dietary needs. Most towns with a USPO have someplace to resupply. Don't for get to put packaging tape in you bounce box. The PO will try to sell you an entire roll just to seal up you box. Can't blame them though since every thru would ask to "borrow" their tape.
medicdude332
09-20-2009, 10:57
I diligently planned out my mail drops on my thru and they were totally overrated. I did need things like maps, and baggies but that was about it. That can be handled with a bounce box or even just not carry maps at all. If I were to it again.....when I do it again I will use a bounce box. Don't worry about food unless you have special dietary needs. Most towns with a USPO have someplace to resupply. Don't for get to put packaging tape in you bounce box. The PO will try to sell you an entire roll just to seal up you box. Can't blame them though since every thru would ask to "borrow" their tape.
Good thinking on the packaging tape - didnt even think of that!
Looks like I'll need to surrender to reason and use a bounce box! I have no experience in using a bounce box - since i'm sure its been answered before, can somebody please point me in the right direction for 'best practices' for a bounce box?
Cannibal
09-20-2009, 11:38
I used the post office to send and receive gear, but beyond that I used it very little. The only places I used a bounce box were areas that I heard were not good resupply spots, but they were fine. If I had to pick one place to bounce to, it would be the NOC. The road to the store is hazardous, narrow, and mean. By mean, I mean locals throw stuff at hikers when walking down the road. They threw stuff at me anyway; buttheads!
Beast 71
09-20-2009, 11:57
OK, for us nonhikers, what's a bounce box? :confused:
I used the post office to send and receive gear, but beyond that I used it very little. The only places I used a bounce box were areas that I heard were not good resupply spots, but they were fine. If I had to pick one place to bounce to, it would be the NOC. The road to the store is hazardous, narrow, and mean. By mean, I mean locals throw stuff at hikers when walking down the road. They threw stuff at me anyway; buttheads!
Why did you send a bounce box to NOC when they have a long term resupply?
Ongs-Hat
09-20-2009, 14:09
When the stars align and I finally get my chance to do a NOBO hike, I will be using a bounce box and a few unplanned mail drops just for switching out gear.
medicdude332 have you been to http://www.whiteblaze.net (http://www.whiteblaze.net/)? They have a lot of useful information. Just ignore some of the big heads and you'll be alright.
The road to the store is hazardous, narrow, and mean. By mean, I mean locals throw stuff at hikers when walking down the road. They threw stuff at me anyway; buttheads!
That was me, sorry.:(
If you don't plan on carrying maps I wouldn't even do a bounce box. Just send yourself your summer gear to pearisburg,va where you will send your winter stuff to either the hostel in glencliff or to lincoln, nh. That's where you send your summer stuff back home. If you send it priority the post office is really good about not losing stuff.
There are a couple of places where resupply is a little weak. You will hear about them in advance. If you want to you can buy extra food in a town a week before and mail it to that place. That way you can kinda buy according to your appetite and tastes at the time.
For me a bounce box was a pain in the butt. The less I had to worry about days of the week and what time it was the happier I was.
Beast 71
09-20-2009, 15:09
What's a bounce bag?
Ongs-Hat
09-20-2009, 15:14
What's a bounce bag?
AT thru hikers use a Bounce box (a mail-drop type box containing seldom used necessities that is 'bounced' ahead to a town where you think you might need the contents) sometime including maps, medicine, batteries, guides....etc. Hikers address the package to a post office or hostel in the next town they plan to spend time in.
Cannibal
09-20-2009, 15:19
OK, for us nonhikers, what's a bounce box? :confused:
What's a bounce bag?
When you know a town ahead is going to be slim pickins, you buy extra food for that town and the resupply and mail it in a priority mail flat rate box. When you get to the town with slim resupply, you go to the PO, get your 'bounce box' and take out what you need. Then, you mail the box and remaining contents up ahead to the next town stop. Lots of people deal with their phone chargers this way; just keep bouncing it up the trail.
Why did you send a bounce box to NOC when they have a long term resupply?
Because the resupply store (not at NOC) is about a mile and change down a two lane road with no shoulder. There is a little store there at NOC, but the selection is bare bones and it depends how many hikers got there before you as to if there will be anything left. Not a good place to count on resupply IMO. Not a hiker friendly area; not even close.
What's a bounce bag?
See Google (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=%22bounce+box%22) for more, but here are two definitions:
bounce box n. a container of supplies sent ahead to a series of stops by a cross-country hiker.
Mail Drop (aka Bounce Box) A "mail drop" is a box you have prepared with extra food and supplies that you mail to yourself at a given town's post office.
HTH
Edit - Oops... shoulda checked one more time before hitting 'send' :)
Because the resupply store (not at NOC) is about a mile and change down a two lane road with no shoulder. There is a little store there at NOC, but the selection is bare bones and it depends how many hikers got there before you as to if there will be anything left. Not a good place to count on resupply IMO. Not a hiker friendly area; not even close.
Yep. The "general store" at the NOC itself just had a couple packs of crackers and donuts when I got there this year. Then the outfitter has overpriced mountain house and oatmeal. The road to the real store isn't even worth trying to go to. Everyone there drives like a maniac, and being touristy the chances of a hitch are slim. I carried an extra days worth of food and resupplied at Robbinsville instead.
Because the resupply store (not at NOC) is about a mile and change down a two lane road with no shoulder. There is a little store there at NOC, but the selection is bare bones and it depends how many hikers got there before you as to if there will be anything left. Not a good place to count on resupply IMO. Not a hiker friendly area; not even close.
Thanks Cannibal. I will add that to my list of places to send a bounce box to. Maybe even a maildrop to this one. It is still only 30 miles into the trip so really will not need a lot. I was planning on send one mail drop to the Blueberry Patch Hostel.
The only reason for mail drops for me is to get new maps as I move on and to send warm/cold weather gear. Food is pretty easy to resupply. If you are not using maps, and if you don't need to change out gear, it's pretty easy to do with no drops.
Thanks Cannibal. I will add that to my list of places to send a bounce box to. Maybe even a maildrop to this one. It is still only 30 miles into the trip so really will not need a lot. I was planning on send one mail drop to the Blueberry Patch Hostel.
You really don't need one there, since Hiawassee has good resupply.
You really don't need one there, since Hiawassee has good resupply.
Yeah. The hostel does shuttles to town for dinner and resupply. Even if they can't for some reason that is one of the easiest hitches on the whole trail. It's like a hiker bus stop at that trail head.:D
You really don't need one there, since Hiawassee has good resupply.
I was not planning on doing a 11 mile hitch into Hiawassee. When the Blueberry Patch in only two miles.
Take-a-knee
09-20-2009, 18:28
I was not planning on doing a 11 mile hitch into Hiawassee. When the Blueberry Patch in only two miles.
You should stay at the Hiawassee Inn. They will shuttle you for eight bucks each way, and you can resupply at a large Ingles supermarket and eat a killer buffet/salad bar at the local steakhouse.
You should stay at the Hiawassee Inn. They will shuttle you for eight bucks each way, and you can resupply at a large Ingles supermarket and eat a killer buffet/salad bar at the local steakhouse.
Thanks, I wrote that in my notes too.
Here's the best advice I can give. If you feel a bounce box would be good, do it. You can always stop using it like I did on my first thru.
Have a plan if it makes you feel better, helps the time pass, or makes you feel like you are working towards your thru hike when you can't hike yet. That said, always be open to changes, and complete deviations or even a burning of your plans.
This hike is about total freedom for the duration of the hike. No matter what you do on your hike, just make sure you can finish without any regrets. If that means you stop having fun in Virginia and decide to quit, then so be it. Just make sure it is what you really want. Just remember, no regrets.
medicdude332
09-21-2009, 08:25
You folks definitely gave me some good info - VERY much appreciated!
bear bag hanger
09-21-2009, 08:36
I did my '04 thru hike without mail drops. Being single, I don't have anyone reliable enough to send things to me when I need them. All my hikes are without mail drops and I haven't really had a problem. Sometimes I need to get creative about what I'm going to eat, but I've never run out of food.
As far as to having to carry winter gear, I've found I start out with a lot of cold weather gear, send it back to someone around the end of May beginning of June and then never need it again - you get use to the cold by the time it returns around September. I started my thru hike Feb 28th and ended Sept 11. This year I started hiking late March and never carried cold weather gear - but wished I did when I got to the Whites.
medicdude332
09-21-2009, 08:46
I did my '04 thru hike without mail drops. Being single, I don't have anyone reliable enough to send things to me when I need them. All my hikes are without mail drops and I haven't really had a problem. Sometimes I need to get creative about what I'm going to eat, but I've never run out of food.
As far as to having to carry winter gear, I've found I start out with a lot of cold weather gear, send it back to someone around the end of May beginning of June and then never need it again - you get use to the cold by the time it returns around September. I started my thru hike Feb 28th and ended Sept 11. This year I started hiking late March and never carried cold weather gear - but wished I did when I got to the Whites.
That's exactly my dilemma - so it can be done, you're living proof! :)