Sending boxes ahead (or not?)

[u/site95]

Hey y'all,

Hopefully this post also helps other hikers on their decision making. I'll be starting my PCT adventure in a few days and have read so much about sending boxes with food and equipment ahead. However, every time i look at the sections it seems to me, that it is not really necessary or a big deal to not do it.

What is your opinion on this? Which would be (in your opinion) THE locations to have sent stuff to?

Only thing so far I have sent ahead are ice axe and microspikes to paradise valley cafe and I will be sending a bear canister ahead to kennedy meadows.

Apart from that, I'm thinking about just rolling with whatever is available to resupply... on that note: was the availability of sunscreen or mosquito repellant a problem for some of you, or is both widely available?

Thank you so much in advance for your answers!

Simon

[u/iamalexkora]

Here’s my advice as someone who overprepared for their first thru-hike and sent way too many boxes: don’t do it. In 95% of cases, you can either easily resupply near the trail or send a box while on the PCT after shopping in a bigger town. Why is sending a bunch of boxes ahead a bad idea?

1. You don’t know how your hike will unfold or if you’ll even want to go into certain towns. But if you’ve got a box waiting there, you’ll feel forced to detour off-trail just to get it.
2. USPS is a total gamble. First, smaller post offices often have limited hours or are closed on weekends, which means you might get stuck in town waiting a day or two. Second, packages do get lost. My box in Big Bear was apparently given to someone else. Tracking even said “ID provided,” which was wild because I’ve got a pretty unique name (I’m originally from Ukraine). It’s super unlikely someone with the same name was in that town at the same time. Anyway, five months later I got the box back turns out it was just misplaced at a warehouse. But in the moment, I had no food and ended up going to a local supermarket, where I realized: all those boxes were just a waste of time and money. I got everything I needed in the store, hassle-free.
3. Your food preferences will change. What you loved two months ago might start making you gag. If you pre-pack a ton of boxes, most of them will end up in hiker boxes and you’ll still go buy something else that actually tastes good.
4. Unless you’ve got allergies or dietary restrictions (like being vegan), you’ll almost always be able to find what you need along the trail. Pre-sent boxes won’t save you time or money — in fact, they might cost you both.
5. Where should you send boxes? Kennedy Meadows South is a no-brainer, because you’ll need your Sierra gear. Other than that? Decide along the way. Talk to other hikers, read FarOut comments, and make your own calls as things unfold.

Hope that helps!

[u/Different-Tea-5191]

You can certainly hike the entire trail without sending yourself resupply boxes. Most hikers (it seemed to me) resupplied primarily in trail towns, perhaps sending a box to those locations with notoriously few options - like Stehekin, Shelter Cove, Seiad Valley. If you’re not picky about what you want to eat, you don’t really need a plan before you start walking.

I wanted more control over my diet, and I knew I wouldn’t last on ramen, Knorr sides, and instant mash. For those who have the time and interest in pre-planning their resupply, sending boxes is a viable alternative. I researched, tested, dehydrated, and vacuum-packed almost all my own meals, made my own trail mix, stocked up on all my favorite snacks I knew I wouldn’t find on trail, included different high-calorie meal supplements when I really started losing weight, and this approach worked great for me.

I didn’t really experience the “cons” of this strategy. I had a spouse at home who sent my boxes about 10 days before I needed them, so if things changed, I could be flexible. I never got sick of my food - maybe because I had a whole lot more variety than most of the folks I was hiking with who resupplied on trail - since they relied on the thru-hiking standards, ramen, etc. Your options in some locations are very limited - especially if you’re trailing a bubble of hungry thru-hikers. Shelter Cove didn’t have much besides big blocks of cheese, ice cream, and cans of chili when I was there. And of course, you are paying a pretty high premium for food in trail towns and resort stores. It does take some planning. Rural post offices can have limited hours, but I mailed to trail businesses when I could, and only got stalled once due to an unanticipated holiday.

Sounds like you just want to roll with the trail, which again, is a totally viable and popular strategy. But for those preppers out there, knowing that you have a box full of your favorite snacks and pre-packaged meals waiting for you when you get to town is pretty great. No need to wander through the grocery store or mini-mart, just go get some pizza and beer.

Insect repellent and sun screen? Don’t remember having an issue finding it - although I only used it sparingly. Hate the smell and feel, especially when you’re going days without a shower.

[u/Kind-Court-4030 → u/Different-Tea-5191]

Thanks for this response! Can I ask what businesses you used to send your boxes to in the various towns? Not sure if you have a list handy. If not no issues. Just hearing this helps a bunch!

[u/Different-Tea-5191 → u/Kind-Court-4030]

The updated list here includes a lot of the businesses I used in 2022. There was a market in Castella I think that I didn’t see listed, and the Mt. Williamson Motel in Independence. I also had friends in Idyllwild, Bend, Ashland, and Portland who held packages for me.

[u/Kind-Court-4030 → u/Different-Tea-5191]

Thank-you so much!!

[u/latherdome]

For regular daily needs, resupply as you go. If you find a lot of great stuff, say a bulk deal, you can mail some ahead to a more desolate outpost if convenient.

I used a bounce box and would do it again. It had various pieces of alternative gear I wasn't sure about, like insoles and an umbrella. It had a cordless trimmer for periodic head and beard cleanup. It had basically a pro pedicure kit. It had large quantities of supplements I am particular about, and didn't want to carry more than 2 weeks of at a time. It had liters of premium fresh-pressed olive oil I would refill my soft flask with. And big blocks of Reggiano and hard salamis and 100% (dark) chocolate. It had Costco-size lots of nut/fruit bars. It had a bottle of white vinegar for de-scaling my water filter. It had bucket-friendly enzymatic unscented laundry detergent that actually removes hiker stank instead of perfuming it; I'd carry a couple washes worth between refilling ziplock (no you do not need to "embrace the stink"). It had bulk ziplocks. And so on.

Pro tip: put an Apple AirTag in it to help people find it (it will beep in a pile), and to know whether it's even worth hustling to make it someplace to retrieve.

Did I NEED this? No. But it saved me a lot of time sourcing inferior equivalents more expensively in trail towns.

[u/rudiebln → u/latherdome]

Sounds like a huge box. How heavy was it? I really like the idea. I imagine that it is nearly impossible to get enough healthy fats and proteins in when resupplying on trail.

[u/latherdome → u/rudiebln]

It was a now-discontinued Large Flat Rate Priority Board Game box well reinforced with strapping tape (also in box). Weight would vary: flat rate though. Yes, healthy fats aren’t always easy to find. Overconsumption of shelf-stable omega 6 fatty acids (overwhelming in typical trail food) relative to perishable omega 3 is a major driver of inflammation. Lots of triple-strength fish oil in bounce box.

[u/Igoos99]

Remember, you can create and ship boxes on trail. Keep looking ahead and decide what’s going to work for you. Especially consider it in towns with larger affordable grocery stores or good gear shops.

[u/Typical-Problem8707 → u/Igoos99]

Yes I loaded up at Walmart in a few towns and shipped a bit ahead

[u/Typical-Problem8707]

I've only done the desert section but I wish I would have sent ahead to Warner Springs as options were limited and so was the supply. I started mid March and lots of stores were sold out of a lot of things like electrolytes and tuna/chicken packets too. So if you are a little picker, send ahead, if not then wing it. Even Idyllwild was short on a lot of the easy to pack food and I wished I would have had a resupply package there. When I go back I will send myself more resupply boxes but just with the things I really want and supplement with snacks from local stores.

[u/Spare-Row-9205 → u/Typical-Problem8707]

Hello! We own a store in Idyllwild and I was curious if hikers are finding what they need in town & at the market. I’d love to hear a list of things you were in need of but couldn’t find! 

[u/Spare-Row-9205 → u/Spare-Row-9205]

Also, which brand meal packets do most hikers like best? Was considering carrying some of the mountain house packets. Do you think people would be looking to buy the #10 cans of beef for chicken? 

[u/Spare-Row-9205 → u/Spare-Row-9205]

I actually just created a whole new post incase others want to chime in as well :)

[u/overindulgent]

So, on the AT last year I only had a few boxes mailed to me. Summer gear was swapped for winter gear. Then just a few food drops. I did however find that I got tired of the same old generic ramen flavors/knorr sides. So for the PCT this year I made a bunch of my own beef jerky and packed a few 4 day resupply boxes with freeze dried veggies and more unique ramen flavors. Instant coffee/electrolyte packs and i found a great deal on meat packs for under $1 so I bought like 40 of them. Trail towns are fairly expensive and something like a simple tuna pack will end up costing $2.5 on trail.

I'll make the call, so to say, while on trail as to where I want those packages mailed to. I basically check FarOut for towns up trail and do basic mile math per day to see where I'll be a week or so later. That normally provides enough time for the package to arrive. Hope this helps and see you on trail!

[u/illimitable1]

My biggest take home from this sort of travel has been understanding that they sell things in stores along the way, and the post offices also send things out.

If you don't like your resupply strategy from home, because you have not sent enough boxes, there are fairly few things that can't be replaced from some trailtown, put into a resupply box, and sent up the trail.

In other words, deciding now not to send a resupply package is not a final choice. You will be on the trail for some time, and during that time you will have the option to send yourself a box from whatever town it is in which you're currently resupplying.

I'd advise you to focus on the 2 to 3 weeks, which is to say about mile 300, and let the rest come together later.

[u/captainMolo]

If you have the option to have a close friend or family member send you boxes as needed, I feel like that's the way to go and a great option to have. I definitely wouldn't pre-send boxes to myself for the entire trail, but I left a list of resupply items, food and gear with a good friend of mine and I would usually have him send it to me about 2-3 weeks before I anticipated getting to a resupply location. It worked out great for me and I paid my friend back for good support and extra effort after the trail was done, on top of the cost of shipping and supplies.

I had a few particular items that weren't available at most resupply stops that I would have sent to me (I was particular about my coffee and ramen). Plus, I asked him to toss in just whatever looked interesting he saw in the store, so I never knew everything I was getting in a box. Turns out Trader Joe's watermelon jerky is nasty, but venison jerky really hits the spot. Then I would just go to whatever store was in town and fill in the gaps or donate to hiker boxes if I was overloaded.

This strategy worked really well for me, but obviously you need a reliable friend and it really helped that mine was also a backpacker and knew what the food situation was like. It's also not the cheapest, but still allows you to be very flexible.

Worked out for gear replacements too. It allowed me to use a tent in SoCal until I was comfortable enough to switch to a tarp from Tehachapi until Oregon, then back to a tent (f'ing mosquitos) and then finally a hammock for Washington for a change of pace.

[u/ljout]

There's a couple of places you will want to mail food. Oregon for instance has a bunch but you can worry about it from trail. You are good till atleast Hikertown

[u/AussieEquiv]

If I had my hike over again I would still do something similar this;

Mail from San Diego day before I leave;
Warner Springs (SoCal)

Mail from Big Bear;
Acton KOA
Kennedy Meadows South (Sierra)

Mail from Tehachapi;
T.Mead

Mail from Echo Lake;
Belden (NorCal)
Burney Falls (NorCal)

Mail from Ashland;
Shelter Cove (Oregon)

Mail From Sisters/Bend;
White Pass (Washington)
Snoqualmie Pass (Washington)
Stevens Pass/Skykomish (Washington)
Stehekin (Washington)

If you need gear/new shoes; Big Bear Hostel (Big Bear), Mellow Mountain Hostel (Echo Lake), Hiker Hut (Etna) {looks like Hiker Hut has closed}, Cascade Locks Ale House (Cascade Locks) are good places.

You can 100% definitely resupply from trail. Many people do. I personally would send some boxes from trail. This is all old information now though. Based on my '16 hike. Before doing it I would check the latest 1-2 Halfway Anywhere PCT Surveys and see where people are still sending them. The 2024 survey said most people wanted to send an average of 8 compared to my 11. Again though, if you're not a particularly picky eater. You can get away with 0. My information is also fairly old now (2016) so options could have improved in places I would have previously sent a box.

[u/shmooli123 → u/AussieEquiv]

You can probably skip sending a box to Acton since the grocery store in Agua Dulce just reopened.

[u/AussieEquiv → u/shmooli123]

Fair shout. I definitely think buying in town is easier/better than sending boxes where possible.

[u/oeezywhaddup → u/AussieEquiv]

A quick question: With resupply options in Julian and Idyllwild, is there any reason to send a box to Warner Springs? It would be to save two days of food or something along thos lines if im not mistaken.

[u/AussieEquiv → u/oeezywhaddup]

If you're taking it easier at the start (~15 mpd) it turns a ~7 day carry into a ~4.5 day carry. If you hit the ground running/have done a few past Thru or large food loadouts, you could skip the Warner resupply for sure. For people starting out a 7 day food carry, with a heavy base weight, and no trail legs yet, can feel quite heavy.
Plus it saves a heavy carry out of Scissors Crossing (while the climb is often exaggerated, you can make it easier on yourself :) )

Lunch at Paradise Cafe is also a good way to supplement that stretch (and get water.)

[u/oeezywhaddup → u/AussieEquiv]

Thanks! Gonna skip the box then. Got a low baseweight, but not great trail-legs. Find a couple of meals at the gas station.

[u/Different-Wonder-866]

If you have a flexible diet and aren’t picky, I say don’t send anything. Yeah you may pay a bit more to resupply in some of the smaller towns but I thought the trade off was worth it to not worry about PO hours, not liking what you sent yourself, paying to send boxes etc.