[at-l] Dehydration question and a few others (maildrops,reservations)

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley7)]

At 09:17 PM 3/7/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi everyone. I just finished dehydrating some cream of chicken soup and it
>seemed to dry OK but there is a film of oil (grease?) on it. Do I have to
>toss it or will some foods dry like this? I noticed this happened when I
>tried to dry ham also.

As POG said..it's the fat.  If you have someone to pack up your drops as
you go, you could get away with it if they are stored in the freezer till
they go in the box but it is a risk.  It's best to dry fat free stuff and add fat
on the trail in the form of squeeze margarine or olive oil.


>Another thing. Is it acceptable to send maildrops to inns or motels listed
>in the guide books even if you aren't sure if you will be able to stay at
>them. For ie: if they don't have any vacancies or room available. 

Generally yes, IF you really intend on staying.  And if they are full,
you may be able to bunk with other hikers.  It's not unusual for four or more
hikers to share the room and the bill.  But normally, they won't complain
if they cannot accommodate you.  They may charge you a fee though I guess,
at least I had someone complain about that last year.  Second hand info.....

>Some say
>they will accept maildrops but I don't want to do anything rude. Along the
>same lines.... do these places along the way require reservations? How do
>you handle this when you're first starting out and don't know yet what your
>mileage per day will be?

Hostels with limited space are usually a first come first served deal, but there is 
almost always room to pitch a tent or an alternative around.  


>Last question...what should I keep in mind when trying to predict when to
>send maildrops and how many days worth of food to put into them when I don't
>know (not a clue!) how many miles per day I'll be doing.

Please don't take this wrong, but you really do need to get a clue. <g>  Are there any 
HILLY trails around that you could at least dayhike to get an idea of your capabilities?
A full day of hiking with a FULL pack will do a lot to help you with your planning.
A weekend would be better.
Otherwise I'd plan on shelter to shelter for a day's hike for awhile and be pleased if I 
did better!


>Thanks so much!
>Daria
>
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