Resupply Boxes Overview

On any long trail, you will have to resupply at the towns you stop at along the way. It is helpful to come up with a rough resupply plan/travel plan, but what I’ve found is that reality ends up being vastly different than what you plan. What do they say? If you want to hear God laugh, make a plan. Regardless of whether you want to hear laughter, it’s helpful to create a plan for your trip and download it to your phone so you know where/when to send resupply boxes and how to send them (USPS/UPS/FedEx) or whether to purchase food in town.

Travel guides are also useful to gauge whether or not you are on track, since the timing of most long trails is limited due to incoming cold weather.

Should I Send Resupply Boxes?

The short answer is: it’s up to you.

Most everybody does a mix of sending boxes and buying in town. A few people don’t send any boxes - this usually ends up being more costly, but can be fun.

Sending boxes can be a good way to save money and ensure you get all the food you want. If you opt to resupply at local stores, you’ll find that you are limited by their inventory and that some places jack up the prices ($4 for a tuna packet is ridiculous).

But for some resupply points, you almost have to send boxes to ensure you get the right gear (Bear Can for the Sierras on the PCT). Other times, there isn’t a store or an easily accessible or cost-efficient option to resupply.

For the PCT, I premade 7 resupply boxes. Being my first thru-hike, I made several costly mistakes:

• I used the wrong boxes

• Put too much food in them (shipping is based on weight)

• I made them at my home in Florida (shipping price changes with distance)

• Packed the wrong things. My tastes and needs changed while I was on trail

For my next hike, I plan on doing it more efficiently. After all, that’s the nature of hiking - as you go, you search for ways to become more efficient and learn how to carry and get by with less and to plan smarter. Here’s what I recommend doing if you are going to send boxes.

Dos and Don’ts

Dos

• If sending boxes from the beginning, send from a point close to the start of your trail. For the PCT, send them from a post office in San Diego

• Only plan for the next 2 weeks. Anything more than that is too much; plans change. This is especially true in the beginning, your pace will be different than what you expect, especially if it’s your first long trail.

• Only send out a maximum of 30 days in advance. Sometimes you will have to plan further ahead, but most post offices will only hold boxes for 30 days (some only hold for 2 weeks, so check before you send).

• Put your name + “PCT Hiker”, ETA (for collecting the box), and your phone number on the box.

• Use the prepaid USPS / UPS boxes. You can get these boxes right from the post office. If you use giant boxes from Wal-Mart or Home Depot, they will charge you an arm and a leg for shipping. You’ll also likely overpack or have leftover space that can cause the box to break when in transit

• Only pack as much food as you need to get to the next resupply point. There’s nothing worse than walking into town with extra food on your back. Only packing what you need will allow you to hike faster and easier with less weight on your back

• Include hard-to-get items (medicine/vitamins/protein powder/supplements) in your boxes

  • You want to keep your body healthy. On the PCT, my saving grace was collagen protein powder. I put it in my coffee almost every morning, and in the beginning, when I had shin splints, it really helped my body adapt

Don’ts

• DON’T try to carry more food to bypass a town (unless that town is hard to get to). Your body will thank you.

• DON’T SEND FROM HOME (unless home is close to the trail). This will reduce shipping costs and headaches for timing out your boxes.

• DON’T Overplan. You want to enjoy your time on the trail, not spend every minute planning your resupply or at the post office. When you're in town, check your guide for the next 2 weeks. If you need a resupply box, then send one or two.

  • There are exceptions to this: for the PCT, resupplies in Washington are harder than usual, so I sent boxes for each resupply point before I crossed into the state.

  • If you overplan and send too many boxes, you might miss other opportunities

To summarize, send boxes where absolutely needed (especially if specific gear is needed), enjoy yourself, and don’t overplan.

Look at the size of that box… smh