Food and Mail Drops 2010

Scrub Pad
extra zip locks
Return envelope for photos (memory sticks) and maps
8 AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium Batteries
Drink Mixes: 4 coffee packages; 8 sugars; 9 various drink mixes (for 0.5 L bottle of water)
Roll of TP (cardboard tube removed)
Ritz Fresh Stack(1 roll)
4 Nutter Butter (4 cookie) packages
1/2 cup Stuffing Mix
Snacks: 2 Sunbelt Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars; 2 Cherry NutriGran Bars; 2 Apple NutriGran Bars; 4 "bars" various types; 2 Power Bars; 3 Honey Nut Cheerios Milk n. Cereal Bars; 3 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Milk n. Cereal Bars; 7 Trail Mix (1.5 oz Kroger brand); 4 Little Debbie PB&J oatmeal snacks; 4 peanut butter crackers
Spaghetti Dinner: Tomato Sauce (8oz can dehydrated); Pepperoni (3.5 oz / 2); Spaghetti (1/2 lbs)

Tuna (2.6 oz pouch)
3 oz Can Chicken
Spam (3 oz pouch)
Pink Salmon (2.6 oz pouch)
5 mild Slim Jims (0.28 oz size)
Hormel Pepperoni Stix
Asian Sides Teriyaki Noodles
2 pasta and/or rice sides (various flavors not requiring milk)
1 cup rice
Gravy Mix
Mac & Cheese
4 Ramen Noodles
First Aid Supplies: 5 - 2x2 gauze pads; 2 - blister pads; 30 - Ibuprofen; 1oz Hydrocortozone cream; 4 - neosporin packets; 6 - band aids various sizes; 6 - alcohol rubs; 1 - Gold Bond Powder (Travel size) (every 3rd shipment); 2 wisp tooth brushes
Laundry supplies: 2 Travel Size (1 load) Tide Detergent; $5 in quarters

Shipped [in a very tight] 14x10x6 box

Comments:

From my '96 hike to today, many new products have come out to make backpacking easier. Foil packages of tuna and other meat have come out (I just wish I could have found the smaller size of chicken so I didn't have any cans). The Rice and Sause and Noodles and sause varieties have gotten more plentiful as well (and I look forward to trying them on the trail). I was surprized to find that the "Tide Action Tabs" I used in '96 were no longer available (only tabs to help get out stains), but I found travel size Tide liquid at Target so I will use them.

The only thing that has gotten worse, weight wise, is the need for batteries. To keep the Droid Cell Phone charged, I will need a lot of AA batteries, were my HP200LX would only go though 1 set a week, my Droid will go though 4 sets in a week. Thats what you get for more computing power, back lit screen, GPS and Cell Phone abilities. Will it be worth it....we shall see.

Upon sending my first mail drop for 2010 I reallized how much things have changed. I was given the 3rd degree about the contents: any liquids, any batteries, any flamable items, etc etc. They did ship it, but in 96 and 02 I was never even asked about the contents. The biggest issue seemed to be with the Tide Detergent and the batteries.

The first maildrop (Memphis, TN -> Port Clinton, PA) weighed 10 lbs. 8.8oz and cost $13.29 to ship (arrival within 1 week).

After Hike Reflections:

The mail drops worked pretty well for the most part. The laundry supplies could have been left out (I did laundry at hostels with detergent or there was no laundromat in the towns I had food drops). Could have left out the coffee, since I had cold breakfasts, I almost never made the coffee (I am sure this will change in the higher elevations of the White Mountains during my next hike however). After the hiker hunger kicked in, I really needed more breakfasts and lunches (one breakfast bar just didn't cut it) but I ended up supplementing these at grocery stores. Also I really should have done more smaller mail drops, than 6+ days worth, and also looked more closely at the availability of resupply points (conveinence stores, towns etc) since many times I could have bought food instead of carrying so much. I didn't use the rice this year and wish I had more meat! Lastly, I asked myself a number of times, why not buy and carry cheese and summer sausage (every time I saw a hiker with it, I wanted it)!