[pct-l] Resupply Prep

[metam01 at earthlink.net (Monty Tam)]

You're thru-hiking?  Next Year?
You've done some research and got a lot together. especially a girlfriend
who will send you stuff.

This summer I started out with the Idea of getting most of my stuff mailed
to me.  I watched others along the way.  Over time I changed a lot.
In the end I was buying almost everything at stores along the way, even in
places with very limited selection.  

My girlfriend was my number one trail angel and supplier.  I still needed
other things shipped.  More than I had planned for.  I did a lot of gear
replacemants and modifications.  It was good to use different gear for
different sections.

Foodwise it costs less to buy, even at high prices, than postage plus food.
I could restock starting with what I had left over, maybe even add
something from a hiker box , then buy only what I needed.  This saved
money, cut down on waste, and most important for me, kept the weight down. 
If I wasn't receiving anything at all in that particular stop,  I didn't
need to get into a post office.  They tend to close on weekends and
holidays.
I took a list of most of the post offices along the way, addresses and
their phone numbers. (just one piece of paper from Craig's trip planner on
the net)  I was able to call my girlfriend or outfitters along the way to
have things I needed shipped (I now have REI's 800 number and our REI
membership number memorized.)  It made things very flexible.  Thru-hiking
was not what I expected, nor did I expect it to change every day.

There's lots of different sources for town-stop info on postoffices,
stores, motels........................
I used the PCT Town guide.  I hear Yogi's guide is excellent including
recommendations for resupply  and other services you might need.  Besides
it's much more up-to-date.
I'll bet you get a lot of replies to this posting but probably not as many
as dogs and bear canisters and dogs and bear canisters and
dogs......................................

Oh, next year, could you post how many miles you hike before you lose your
love of canned fruit.


> [Original Message]
> From: Eric <radpin@gmail.com>
> To: pct-l <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
> Date: 10/13/04 12:08:44 PM
> Subject: [pct-l] Resupply Prep
>
> While I know it's just barely fall, I think these logistics are worth
> working out right around now. I understand the two models of resupply.
> One where everything is mailed ahead, and the other where everything
> is bought along the way. I would imagine most people do a hybrid of
> both, and I'll be in that group.
>
> I like organic and natural food over regular supermarket stuff, (think
> Trader Joes, if any of you know of them), but in a pinch I'll eat what
> I can get my hands on and be happy about it. Also I have no problems
> eating the same stuff all the time. At home I do it, when I travel I
> do it, when I was in the military I did it, and backpacking I've
> always done it. I can seriously eat the exact same thing for a month,
> breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and be quite content.
>
> So I was planning on sending boxes, every 100 miles or so to post
> offices along the route (the closer the better), with the following
> contents:
>
> - qtips
> - canned fruit
> - enough dinner to get to the next place
> - enough lunch to get to the next place
> - enough breakfast to get to the next place
> - white gas
> - new section from book if applicable
>
> Once I have all the places that I'll be mailing to, I'm going to make
> a box for each, leave it open, and put the stuff in it I need to. My
> girlfriend will be charged with mailing them out when they're supposed
> to be mailed (or not mailed, if I don't need them), and changing any
> contents. In keeping with the "100 mile" concept, which I know wont
> work all the time, because there are places spaced out farther than
> that on the trail, I would call or send a letter stating when I needed
> the next packet sent out.
>
> This gives me a decent amount of flexibility I think, and if there's a
> box with $10 of groceries in it and not much else (especially not the
> map section), I don't think I would mind abandoning it at a post
> office somewhere if other plans were better.
>
> Ideas / thoughts / suggestions?
>
> Again, I'm quite serious that I can eat the same things all the time.
> I actualy enjoy it a lot more than food diversity. As long as I can
> get a burger every few weeks, I'm all set.
>
> Eric
>
>
>
> -- 
> http://www.radpin.com
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