[pct-l] Hiker Boxes

[mclaughlin tim]

I hear comments about hiker boxes along the trail.  How common are hiker boxes? Are they semi-permanent (ie: every year this store or that post office has a hiker box).Do they contain mostly discarded food or other items?  I'm planning on hiking southbound, so from reading Austin's "Planning Your Hike" website, I would assume they would be mostly empty until I encounter "The Herd". Feel free to discard that Dutch Chocolate Cake in the hiker box :)