Re: [at-l] HYOH and maildrops

["Mara Factor" <m_factor@hotmail.com>]

FWIW, I do not know one single thruhiker that would use more maildrops if 
they ever hiked again and most said they would use none.  Except for the 
occasional bounce box, maybe.

The only exceptions as Phil pointed out are usually people on some sort of 
special diet.

I think most of us were just plain surprised at how accessible reasonable 
food choices were.  Supermarkets in Hiawassee carried the same things I get 
in Boston.  Why should I mail stuff to GA?

Then again, our individual definitions of reasonable food choices also 
changes along the way.  What seems reasonable now may just be fodder for the 
hiker boxes by the time you receive it.

These were the two reasons why I wouldn't use maildrops again.  I never 
really had too much difficulty with PO hours.  I would probably just arrange 
to have a couple of drops for summer clothes and then to get my cold weather 
gear back again.

Mara
Stitches, GAME99


>From: Phil Heffington <phil.heffington@oc.edu>
>To: "'AT- L Mailing List'" <at-l@backcountry.net>
>Subject: [at-l] HYOH and maildrops
>Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 10:38:04 -0500
>
>There are definitely some pros and cons to using maildrops on your hike.  
>My
>experience in using them (which I have done only once in 800 miles) and my
>observation of others who seemed to depend on them, is that the major "con"
>of this resupply method is that it puts you are the mercy of the government
>in planning your daily hiking schedule.  This is true because you must be 
>at
>the Post Office when they are open.  That means during specific hours of 
>the
>day, days of the week, and days of the year.  You will have to schedule
>around the Post Office being closed in the evening, on weekends, and on
>national holidays such as Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, as
>well as others I am probably missing.
>
>The four most common topics of discussion on the trail are, (1) Pack 
>Weight,
>(2) Mileage covered, (3) Equipment, and (4) FOOD!!!.  For those using mail
>drops there is a fifth topic, that being when the Post Office is open for
>the next drop.  I have seen this become the major consideration for a 
>number
>of hikers, and it turned the HYOH philosophy into a HTPOH (Hike The Post
>Office's Hike) for them.
>
>There are a number of good reasons to use maildrops, but the above should 
>be
>considered as one factor for not doing so.  It is not that difficult to 
>hike
>the AT without them, unless you are planning for some special personal
>requirements for diet, health needs, etc.
>* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at 
http://profiles.msn.com.

* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================