[pct-l] Bounce Box

[Wally Neal]

Great post, VirGo!  Can the "Regional" box be "bounced" without cost if you
don't "receive" it . just forward ahead?
 
From: Miguel Aguilar [mailto:pctvirgo at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 5:40 PM
To: Stephen Clark
Cc: Wally Neal; pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bounce Box
 
My suggestion would be to use a USPS Priority Mail REGIONAL Rate box.
 
The one I used throughout my hike of the PCT was specifically the Priority
Mail Regional Rate Box-B1(12x10x5).
It costed $7.70 to send out which included delivery confirmation/tracking.
Obviously it's cheaper without confirmation/tracking.
 
Size-wise it is equivalent to the USPS Priority Mail MEDIUM FLAT Rate box
which costs $12.35 to send out, not including 
delivery confirmation/tracking. 
 
However, the receiving PO has to be within the jurisdiction of what the USPS
deems as regional. I have no idea what the regional limts are, but I bounced
my box several times from Idywyld to Snoqualmie Pass.
 
How to obtain the REGIONAL rate box:
 
The post office DOES NOT have these boxes available at post offices. You
need to order them online and have them sent to your office/house. Ordering
them is free and more info can be found here:
https://www.usps.com/business/priority-mail-regional-rate.htm
 
OR ! I did see many of these boxes used by other hikers and discarded after
their use in resupply towns, at POs, and trail angel households. So, best
keep your eye out while at a motel with other hikers resupplying, at a PO on
your resupply, or at a trail angel household. (There were several discarded
at Kennedy Meadows:South)
 
I learned of this REGIONAL box while in the PO at Idylwyld when Hollywood
saw I was using a Large Flat Rate Box as my bounce box and no longer needed
his REGIONAL box. BOOM! Trail magic in the PO!
 
However, SENDER BEWARE! These REGIONAL boxes look just like regular flat
rate boxes. On occasion, the postmaster would ring it up as the $12.35
medium flat rate box and I would have to kindly remind them that it's a
REGIONAL flate rate box. After showing them the side of the box that says
REGIONAL Rate Box B, followed by some digging in their computer, sure enough
they would find it and say, "that's smart!" Yes, Hollywood is a smart man.
 
Good luck! and HYOH!
 
-VirGo