[at-l] USPS delivery time

[kahley@ptd.net (kahley)]

Unless you are shipping cannisters, price priority shipping.
Generally, it's less than a buck more expensive )at least the
last time I checked) and unless the box goes seriously missing,
the transit time is <a week.  With the exception of Hot Springs and
two other spots that I can't think of off hand, boxes get from PA
to either end of the trail in 3 days.  As was earlier mentioned, Priority
boxes can be forwarded at no cost, so if you do miss a drop, it can be
resent further along the trail or returned to sender at no cost.
Another nifty thing about Priority is for .40 you can get it green labeled.
This is a tracking label that not only allows you to check, via computer,
whether the box has arrived, but also facilitates your support person,
in shipping a box you missed, ahead to you.
For example, if you decide to skip a town but your maildrop is there,
you tell your support person, who calls the PO and says, I am the sender
of package 747482938383 addressed to joe blowdown.  I need to have
that packaged forwarded to XXXXXXX.   It works or at least it has for me.
without the label, the hiker must appear at the PO and fill out a card.
I think, although I can't say for sure, that the hiker could also arrange 
forwarding by phone as well.  The tracking number gives the PO people
a high level of confidence that the person on the phone is actually entitled
to make decisions about the package.


At 12:58 PM 4/2/02 -0600, Christopher Willett wrote:

>How long does the USPS take to delivery parcel post packages?
>They will be sent from Chicago to:  Walasi-Yi, Fontana Dam,
>Erwin, and Kincora (might axe this one).  I looked at the
>USPS website, but couldn't find any useful information.
>Is a week ahead of time too little?  Would 2 weeks be better?
>I don't want to burden the various places with holding my packages
>for extended periods of time and so would like to time things well.
>
>Chris
>
>----------------------
>Chris Willett
>cwillett@math.uiuc.edu
>http://www.math.uiuc.edu/~cwillett
>Department of Mathematics
>University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
>
>_______________________________________________
> From the AT-L mailing list         est. 1995
>Need help?  http://www.at-l.org
>Archives: http://www.backcountry.net/arch/at/
>Change your options or unsubscribe:
>http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l