Bounce Boxing

[nuknees]

I'm going to be doing a sobo thru soon. In an effort to save weight, I was thinking of bounce boxing many of my 'just in case items' as well as the optional clothing/sleeping gear (higher elevation/cooler temps). I realize I need to send this box via USPS (if I want it forwarded at no cost to next pickup destination) and that I can not open it less it be then considered 'delivered' and now chargi
ble again for postage to forward down the line.
I am aware of the pro's and con's of using USPS verses hostels/hotels as drop points.
What are some of the things that you found out by trial and error related to bounce boxing? Items that I may be overlooking as something that can be 'bouncable' with relative safety and confidence that would otherwise be found in my pack?
Thanks in advance for the insights!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Just an FYI. You can't send gas canisters or alcohol stove fuel any method other than Standard Post (Parcel Select online), which is the old "Parcel Post", and it has to be marked ORM-D, Surface Transportation Only. And Standard Post cannot be forwarded for free. Which could be a PIA if you don't make a P.O. by closing and want to hike on. Best suggestion is don't bounce fuel when this might be an issue and use Priority to get the forwarding if needed.

[swjohnsey]

Can't forward from other than post without paying again. I used a bounce box, medium flat rate.

[nuknees]

Can't forward from other than post without paying again. I used a bounce box, medium flat rate.

How did it work out for you? What items/gear were you bouncing ahead?

[Walkintom]

I consider the money I've spent mail bouncing items to be poorly spent.

When you look at availability of items in the places where you're picking the box up and the cost of mailing it around, it has not actually proven to be economically sound for me.

Then there's the whole hassle of dealing with the counter hours at the PO. What are the counter hours now, between 2:16 and 2:27 on Thursdays when it rained the previous Tuesday but not also on Friday? The PO is no longer a convenient place to visit for me.

[swjohnsey]

How did it work out for you? What items/gear were you bouncing ahead?

Good. Hair clippers, extra food, toe nail clippers, extra batteries, etc. I probably picked up my bounce box about once a month to give myself a haircut.

[elray]

Unless my limited budget required that I pick up prepared food at regular intervals I found the bounce box to be a bit of a hassle. There aren't that many Post Offices convenient to the Trail and I valued my town time too much to be trudging back and forth to pick up and resend, also it was expensive. Just my opinion.

[Monkeywrench]

I used a large flat-rate box for my bounce box. I kept a netbook computer for use during town stops. I bounced warm weather gear (gloves, hat, extra thermal shirt) for use through the Smokies and later for the Whites. When I bought things like oatmeal or snack bars that came in multi packs I'd bounce the ones not needed before the next town stop. I kept nail clippers and Q-Tips and spare laces in my bounce box, as well as maps for upcoming sections.

[nuknees]

Just so I get this get this straight...if I don't need anything out of my bounce box and I want to be able to forward it down the line free of charge, how do I need to ship it?

[Coffee]

Just so I get this get this straight...if I don't need anything out of my bounce box and I want to be able to forward it down the line free of charge, how do I need to ship it?

Use priority mail. If you don't take possession of the box the PO will forward at no additional cost. HOWEVER, in my experience, this forwarding doesn't always get the same "priority" treatment as when you send the box originally. I have found the forwarding to be significantly slower in some cases.

[Grampie]

My advise as as past thru-hiker as to using a bounce box is: Why bother, almost anything a thru-hiker needs is available in trail towns, most things that you will put in the box won't be needed. It can be a hastle to get to a lot of post offices.
The only exception would if you have special medical needs, prescription drugs, it may be necessary if you don't have someone, off trail, who can send you them.
As you thru-hike you will discover that the less you depend on the outside world for support, the more you enjoy yout hike.

[nuknees]

My advise as as past thru-hiker as to using a bounce box is: Why bother, almost anything a thru-hiker needs is available in trail towns, most things that you will put in the box won't be needed. It can be a hastle to get to a lot of post offices.
The only exception would if you have special medical needs, prescription drugs, it may be necessary if you don't have someone, off trail, who can send you them.
As you thru-hike you will discover that the less you depend on the outside world for support, the more you enjoy yout hike.

I plan on sending only things I consider are periodically necessary. Things I don't wish to have to purchase several times along the way. Things like nail clippers - I'd like to trim every few weeks and wouldn't want to purchase or have to pack around the extra ounces. A razor and shave cream - don't mind going scruffy for a few weeks but it gets to me after that. I wouldn't want to have to purchase this stuff several times or lug around the extra ounces, and I've never seen disposables in less than a 12 pk. Who wants to cart 12 of those things around for the next several weeks!?

[BillyGr]

I plan on sending only things I consider are periodically necessary. Things I don't wish to have to purchase several times along the way. Things like nail clippers - I'd like to trim every few weeks and wouldn't want to purchase or have to pack around the extra ounces. A razor and shave cream - don't mind going scruffy for a few weeks but it gets to me after that. I wouldn't want to have to purchase this stuff several times or lug around the extra ounces, and I've never seen disposables in less than a 12 pk. Who wants to cart 12 of those things around for the next several weeks!?

Many (at least regular sized) grocery stores will sell a travel 2pk of some kind of disposables and usually a 2 oz. or so can of cream. As long as you don't care what type (as they may only have 1).