Are Mail Drops Necessary?

[Lone Wolf]

I would appreciate it if you made no more sarcastic comments. Instead, tell me what was naive about my statement.

you've done no long distance backpacking and clif bars are over-priced yuppie bars at 300 calories

[LDog]

The Crunchy Peanut butter weighs 2.4 ozs and provides 240 calories. 100 calories per oz puts em slightly above raisins, and equal to Fig Newtons. Compared to Fig Newtons, they do have 3x the fat (tho some is saturated), double the sodium, 7% DV of potassium where Fig Newtons have none, more dietary fiber as a percent of total carbs, almost twice the sugar, and considerably more protein.

Fig Newton ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), FIGS PRESERVED WITH SULFUR DIOXIDE, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY (FROM MILK), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.

Clif Bar Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Barley Malt Extract], Organic Soy Flour, Organic Roasted Soybeans), Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Toasted Oats (Organic Oats, Organic Dried Cane Syrup), Organic Cane Syrup, Organic Peanut Butter (Organic Peanuts, Salt), Peanut Flour, Dry Roasted Peanuts, ClifCrunch® (Apple Fiber, Organic Oat Fiber, Inulin [Chicory Extract], Organic Milled Flaxseed, Psyllium), Organic Date Paste, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt.

I always thought Fig Newtons were a healthy snack. Might as well be eating donuts!

[RETCW4]

Hike your own hike!!!


Tumbleweed

[Skidsteer]

The Crunchy Peanut butter weighs 2.4 ozs and provides 240 calories. 100 calories per oz puts em slightly above raisins, and equal to Fig Newtons. Compared to Fig Newtons, they do have 3x the fat (tho some is saturated), double the sodium, 7% DV of potassium where Fig Newtons have none, more dietary fiber as a percent of total carbs, almost twice the sugar, and considerably more protein.

Fig Newton ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), FIGS PRESERVED WITH SULFUR DIOXIDE, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY (FROM MILK), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.

Clif Bar Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Barley Malt Extract], Organic Soy Flour, Organic Roasted Soybeans), Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Toasted Oats (Organic Oats, Organic Dried Cane Syrup), Organic Cane Syrup, Organic Peanut Butter (Organic Peanuts, Salt), Peanut Flour, Dry Roasted Peanuts, ClifCrunch® (Apple Fiber, Organic Oat Fiber, Inulin [Chicory Extract], Organic Milled Flaxseed, Psyllium), Organic Date Paste, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt.

I always thought Fig Newtons were a healthy snack. Might as well be eating donuts!

Just eat a Flintstones chewable with your snickers bar.

Nutritious trail food, dirtbag style.

[max patch]

You can have the overpriced Cliff bars.

I'l stick with a PBJ on a slice of wheat bread.

[Spokes]

Sure you can get by without but there's a few locations on the AT where having one sure makes your life a little easier. I would definitely send a drop to:

Fontana Dam- The store there is just way too unpredictable. When I went through they were out of most basic stuff like tuna and peanut butter. Don't give the Post Mistress any flack. It was the only PO I actually got yelled at. Seems she has a problem reading shipping addresses written in plain English.
Harpers Ferry- Unless you want to walk forever or take bus with a weird schedule.
Carratunk- Not a whole lot around there. The Post Mistress there is a real gem! Loved talking to her.
Monson- Send it to Shaw's and be done with it. There is a small grocery store in town however.

Consider using a bounce box for all those hard to find items like travel size toothpaste, med's, vitamins, extra homemade alchy stove, bite valve replacement, small Gold Bond powder, etc....

Good luck.

[Tim51]

You don't need any mail drops.

True this.

[carpediemkath]

I agree, the need for meds and better food are the two reasons I'd use a mail drop (and I've used them a lot). Check the companion to see if there are any long-term resupply stores in the areas you plan to stop. If there are only short-term resupply, you might want to send a drop. Short-term resupply, in my experience, was usually chips, candy bars, poptarts, ramen, and lipton noodle dinners. If you do decide you need to send a mail drop, there are plenty of things you can add that will enhance your comfort. For instance whenever I send a mail drop, I usually include another foot or so of duct tape, rolled like a pencil, to be wrapped around my hiking poles. Also quarters and a packet of laundry soap for the laundry; extra TP; a few more feet of dental floss; another small tube of tooth paste; and half a bar of Lava soap (seems like all my hotel stops either provided no soap or very little, so the Lava soap is perfect for scrubbing days worth of trail dirt away). Also a few stamps to send postcards home, and a few extra ziplock freezer bags. These items don't add a lot of weight to a mail drop but they add a lot of convenience.
And you can send your mail drops to outfitters, hotels and hostels along the way. To date I've never sent one to a post office--the hours are too unreliable and it would suck to arrive in town at 5pm on a Friday and have to wait till Mon morning to get your box.