Resupplying by mail is a fairly simple process. The package is sent to the desired post office via general delivery. You show your ID to the postmaster and they give you your mail. You’ll want to allow several days for your package to arrive at the Post Office, but be aware that some locations will only hold your package for about two weeks before returning to sender. Another option, if you plan on spending the night at a location that accepts packages, would be to send it directly there. This way you are not tied down to the post office hours or days they are open.
This is the address format for sending USPS packages by general delivery.
Your Name
c/o General Delivery
City, State, Zip Code
“Please hold for hiker/biker/paddler. Estimated arrival date XX/XX/XXXX”
Your best bet is probably Priority Mail, because you can forward them without cost to the next town as long as they have not been opened. With recent postal increases, there isn’t much difference between Priority and regular Parcel Post anyway, and the Priority Mail box and mailing labels are free at any post office.
While on the Mississippi River, we had some of our food and supplies sent via the postal service. Mailing bulk supplies to post offices along the way allowed us to budget our money a little better and get specialty supplies, maps, and other goods that weren’t available in smaller towns. We used the post offices in Red Wing, Hannibal, and Vicksburg and planned to take rest days there to regroup. It also gave our moms an address to send chocolate chip cookies and snacks their starving children. Got to have those chocolate cookies.
During my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I used a total of 21 maildrops. If I had to do it again, I would cut that down considerably. Food and supplies are far easier to get along the AT than I expected, and now I would just send a package of maps every month or so and use a bounce box to send them ahead.
Overall, we averaged about about every four or five days between full resupplies, augmented with several smaller purchases along the way. Stopping in towns had a tendency to eat time, energy, and money, so we tried to not hit every town along the way.
There are a number of options for resupplying on the river. There are numerous towns and marinas all the way to St. Louis. After St. Louis, we started to go farther in between supply stops. The first stretch of the river was quite shallow in many areas, so we carried the lightest load we could. After getting past all the dams (and portages), we carried much more food at a time.
Food is the biggest single thing we had to stock up on. We each burned about four to five thousand calories daily, which meant we plowed through groceries quickly. We ended up with four five gallon buckets with special screw-off lids to keep our food in, and bought some food along the way to adjust for what whatever we we were craving at the time. The cravings were crazy–I felt like I was pregnant, except for that whole not being female part.
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I’ve blogged on this a few times. The only thing I would add is that if you want to mail fuel canisters or alcohol it has to go ground i.e. parcel post, and have special labeling: On the outside of the package:
Surface Mail Only
Consumer commodity ORM-D
Alcohol also requires special packaging inside the box. Ken Powers, of Ken and Marcia – Triple Crown + ADT + more hikers have the authoritative site on this. Ken’s fuel page
Good call on the fuel and canisters. I’ve never had to ship any to areas on the east coast, but more remote places would be an issue.
As an aside, lately I’ve been cooking at least half my meals using a homemade wood stove or just making small cook fires. I still carry some alcohol as a backup, but wood’s my primary fuel now. Once you get in the habit of making quick cooking fires, it really cuts down on the amount of fuel you have to either ship or chase down in towns. 4oz of alcohol can easily last me 7-10 days now.