[pct-l] Resupply points

[Brian Lewis]

In terms of driving the route and dropping boxes off ahead of time, issues
I would see would include:

(1) The total cost of driving is (much) more than the cost of gas, unless
you drive someone else's car and they insure you and you don't have the
need/desire to compensate those aspects
(2) This isn't a one-day journey, so unless you can couch surf along the
way, that's some extra expense to offset postage.  As are meals eaten
unless you just eat your own food as you drive along.
(3) Your time is perhaps worth something, unless of course this is a trip
that you want to make.  Could be, of course, nice to meet some trail angels
ahead of time, see the connecting to/from trail routes in a few places
maybe, etc
(4) For the mid-to-latter part of your trip you would be asking folks to
hold your box for quite a long time; that might not be acceptable in all
cases?  If so might you want to compensate them for that even?? (more $$
offset if so)
(5) If you fail to finish the trip, you either lose box contents or
presumeably have to pay to have them mailed back; this is much less of an
issue if you have someone mailing them along the way, or you prep your own
boxes on the fly in major trail towns
(6) Mailing along the way means that you can ask your logistics person to
adjust previously prepared boxes --- adding, deleting, substituting.  I've
definitely done that with more than one resupply box on thru-hikes.

To be clear, I'm not saying it's a "bad" or "wrong" idea (!).  Just that
it's helpful to factor in the total costs and potential downsides before
doing it this way.


Brian Lewis / Gadget