[pct-l] maildrop vs buy as you go

[Brick Robbins <brick@fastpack.com>]

reposted from another list.

Thought you might find it interesting

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Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2000 15:12:57 PST
From: "Jack Tarlin" <baltjack@hotmail.com>
Subject: Maildrops vs. Supermarkets

There's been a good deal of discussion lately on this question, and while
it's true that many Trail towns have markets of sufficient size, I still
feel that for most folks, some maildrops are still a good idea.  Here's why:

     1) It is not necessarily true that eliminating the postage costs
        involved with a maildrop will inevitably save you money, for
        a couple of reasons:  First off, if you shop judiciously and
        wisely at home, you can save a ton of money, especially if you
        have access to a Wholesale Club, Wal-Mart, or other place where
        food can be purchased cheaply in large quantities.  To provide
        just one example, before my last trip, I bought about 80-odd
        Lipton dinners, on sale, and used "doubling" coupons.  I ended
        up paying about forty cents each for them.  If these were
        purchased en route, at an approx. cost of 1.25 each (and
        believe me, in some places, they cost a lot more than that!) this
        represents a savings of almost seventy dollars, JUST BY PRE-
        BUYING ONE item; when you consider that I did the same thing
        with film, double-A batteries, powdered milk, jerky, etc., the
        saving on just half a dozen specific items more than equaled
        the total cost of mailing my drops.

     2. Pre-buying much of your food at home, and using maildrops will
        give you much greater variety in your meals---some of the
        markets on the Trail just don't carry everything you'll find at
        home.  Using maildrops also gives you chance to send and use
        dehydrated foods from home, which'll not only provide more
        variety in your diet, but will save you a ton of weight.

     3. Relying solely (or mostly) on supermarkets for re-supply, for
        most folks, inevitably means you'll spend more money than you'd
        planned, and will impulse-buy expensive and heavy items.  For
        example, if you've got a maildrop waiting for you in town,
        your visit to the local market will be to "supplement" your
        drop:  You'll pick up a few odds and ends, maybe some fresh
        fruit and veggies, some snacks, bread, cheese, a few treats.
        If you're buying EVERYTHING in that market, you'll inevitably
        buy more than you'd planned, and you'll definitely spend more.
        Supermarkets are like casinos---the longer you're in em, the
        more you're gonna walk out with, and the more cash you'll
        have left inside.

     4. One can also compromise with their mail drops---unless you get
        a tremendous deal back home buying in bulk quantities, there
        are plenty of food items not worth mailing to towns with large
        markets:  Pasta, rice, powdered drink mixes, almost all canned
        items---tuna, deviled ham, etc.---are not worth mailing, at
        least not to towns with big markets.  These items essentially
        cost about the same everywhere.  By cutting some of these
        items from your maildrops and purchasing them upon arrival in
        a Trail town with a decent market, you can cut your postage
        costs in half.

     5. This is all I can think of now, but even these few points
        should bolster the argument that while it's certainly possible
        to purchase most, if not all of your food and supplies while en
        route and avoid maildrops altogether, for most people, they're
        a good idea, especially for younger hikers who may be on a
        tighter budget.  Towns EAT money, and after the obligatory
        restaurant stop, it is the supermarket in the Trail town which
        which will take the greatest toll on your wallet.  The best way
        to keep this in check, as well as to have a fuller and more
        varied diet, is to send yourrself at least some of your
        supplies thru the mail.

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