[pct-l] Bounce Box

[Bob Bankhead]

Use a USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box. If it fits in the box, it ships, no
matter the weight. The boxes are free and available at every post office.
Pick up your box when you get to town, open, take/add what you want, put
everything back into a new flat rate box, and mail it ahead. If you decide
you don't need anything from it at this time, it can be forwarded
indefinitely for free, as long as you don't "receive" it. 

Three caveats for both bounce and resupply boxes:

ONE - to ship a bounce box to a location with no out-going service is to be
stuck with it (this can be a problem with UPS and FedEx at some remote
resorts).

TWO - even Priority Mail can take a week or more to reach some remote post
office destinations, so ship your box from point A to point C, not to point
B. I always allow 2 weeks to assure a box arrives well before I do. UPS and
FedEx are more reliable time-wise. Note that PO's don't have to hold a
package for longer than 2 weeks, although most will. Always put your
expected arrival date on the outside of the box. "Hold for hiker. Expect
arrival Aug 23".

THREE - If travelling in a group, address your boxes to all members of the
group so that any one of them can pick up all the boxes if needed.
Occasionally, it may be necessary to send one person on ahead in order to
reach a PO before it closes for the weekend.


That said, I've never found bounce boxes necessary. Most resupply points
along the trail are a week or less apart, and a regular resupply box works
fine. If I do need a replacement something, I can usually buy it locally,
although I may have to wait until the next resupply stop in or near a town
vs. a back country resort. I try to anticipate when I'll need specific items
like prescription refills, cash, etc. and just tuck them into the
appropriate resupply box. If I anticipated incorrectly, I just have to do
without for a while or carry the extra items along with me.


Wandering Bob