to combine or not that is the question?~?

[Whiskey~Tears]

Hello to all!
My friend and i are planning a 2012 thru and i was just wondering if we should combine our maildrops in order to possibly save money? Any feedback would be much appreciated.

[TheChop]

No. If you both thru hike you'll end up spending more when something unforeseen happens and you have to spend money on an unforeseen solution.

[Roland]

Hello to all!
My friend and i are planning a 2012 thru and i was just wondering if we should combine our maildrops in order to possibly save money? Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Statistically speaking:

1. The odds of one of you completing the Trail is roughly 1 in 4 (25%).
2. The odds of both of you completing the Trail are less than that.
3. The odds of you both completing the Trail, together, are even less.

Unless you are married, and this is an all-or-none situation, have your own gear and maildrops.

[leaftye]

Assuming you already know about the potential problems with mail drops and have accepted them, then I say yes....if you can fit both of your things into a single flat rate box.

There are a bunch of things that could be discussed, but I'll start with saying that you must put both of your names on the boxes. If you join up with anyone else, put their names on the box too. This can be really good when you are in a group that's trying to get to the PO before it closes. I had to do this once, and was lucky to have an extremely fast hiker in my group and that I put his name on my box. If I remember correctly, he got there 5 hours before me and just before the place closed.

[Blissful]

Statistically speaking:

1. The odds of one of you completing the Trail is roughly 1 in 4 (25%).
2. The odds of both of you completing the Trail are less than that.
3. The odds of you both completing the Trail, together, are even less.

Unless you are married, and this is an all-or-none situation, have your own gear and maildrops.

I agree with this. I mean you could start out sharing and see what happens. But be prepared to go solo.

[max patch]

Statistically speaking:

1. The odds of one of you completing the Trail is roughly 1 in 4 (25%).
2. The odds of both of you completing the Trail are less than that.
3. The odds of you both completing the Trail, together, are even less.

Unless you are married, and this is an all-or-none situation, have your own gear and maildrops.

The year I thru'd I met 2 young ladies who attempted to thru together. One of them described their relationship as "best friends from kindergarten to Kent. Sad to see them split up their gear and resupply at the outfitter in town. Hope they were able to work things out later.

[10-K]

I think, but am not 100% sure, that how you address your box is pretty important.

John AND Joe Hiker - you both have to be present and present ID

John OR Joe Hiker - either of you can pick it up with ID

[LIhikers]

........

Unless you are married, and this is an all-or-none situation, have your own gear and maildrops.

Even then it's no sure thing.
A couple years back, while out for a section hike, my wife and I meet a woman who was finishing the trail. The previous year her and her husband sold eveerything they had, including their house, to go do a through hike together. They made it as far as PA before they couldn't stand each other's hiking style any more and she went home to live with relatives while her husband finished the trail. The next year, the one we met her, she picked up where she had left off and was on her way to Maine.

[leaftye]

Geez you guys, he's asking about sharing maildrops, not about sharing a quilt and stove.

[Trailweaver]

No, No, and No. If one of you has to stop hiking for some reason or another, what's going to happen to all those boxes you've packed together? Or if one of you hikes ahead of the other? You really don't want your food being left behind - or picked up early - because you two aren't together any more.

[leaftye]

No, No, and No. If one of you has to stop hiking for some reason or another, what's going to happen to all those boxes you've packed together? Or if one of you hikes ahead of the other? You really don't want your food being left behind - or picked up early - because you two aren't together any more.

Unless you're doing it wrong, those are only temporary problems.

[IronGutsTommy]

even if two people both successfully complete their thru hike attempts, chances of hiking at the same pace throughout are iffy. lots of people that "hike together" usually begin and end each day at the same location, but invariably get some distance between them throughout the day depending on pace and terrain ( for instance when hiking with a married couple, theyd pull pretty far ahead on uphill cllimbs but the husbands knees would hurt on the downhills when Id usually outdistance them by the same exceptional distances).
its one thing to plan to meet up at "random trail town" eventually that day, but It could get frustrating for the first person to hope to God that hiker 2 will get to said town before the post office closes for the day. I would mail separately, as most mail costs are determined by weight and therefore combining would not translate to big savings. If you do combine, id do them fewer and further between and definitelly have said packages addressed to either/or so that either party could pick them up so Speedy can get the goods without stressing whether slowpoke will show up before 5pm. who knows, it could be done with flat rate box mailings where the savings would outweigh the problems, and you and your partner may be the rare two people who manage to hike step for step without either hiker altering their pace.

[IronGutsTommy]

also, although its fairly well known mail procedure, mail to Gail F. Sayers, not "YoungBlood" and mark fairly large on the package "Please hold for thru-hiker" as some p.o.'s are rather smallish in size and only hold regular packages for a limited time before returning to sender unless the thru hiker notice is on there

[Roland]

Hello to all!
My friend and i are planning a 2012 thru and i was just wondering if we should combine our maildrops in order to possibly save money? Any feedback would be much appreciated.

What did you decide?

[RGB]

I've always wondered...why maildrops on the AT?