Do you have a family member or friend thru-hiking this year? Sending a care package is a nice way to let him or her know that you are thinking of them. Long miles on the trail can lead to loneliness, and this gesture can help them feel connected while away from home. Here we explain everything you need to know to send a care package to someone on the move, whether that expedition involves backpacking, bikepacking, paddling, sailing, climbing, firefighting, or military leave.
What to put in Care Packages
Before putting together your care package, find out if there is anything they need. Towns near the trail often lack supplies and major stores but often have a post office where they can receive goods sent General Delivery. When sending a package, include a few surprise food items. Food is always a welcome treat for hikers.
Here’s a guideline of items to include in a care box:
1. Non-Perishable Dry Foods
Undoubtedly, thru-hikers will appreciate almost any packaged foods, but some food items should not be mailed. For instance, avoid shipping perishable foods or items, such as chocolate bars, that can melt in the heat.
Send only foods with lightweight packaging (no cans or jars) high in calories. We recommend sending foods with a minimum of 100 calories per ounce (about 15 kJ per gram). Suitable contenders include backpacking meals, jerky, sesame sticks, dried fruit, powdered hummus, dried cheese, Pro Meal Bars, and trail mixes heavy in nuts. Other ideas include individual packets of olive oils, coconut oil, nut butter, mayonnaise, and hot sauce to boost the flavor and calorie content of meals.
High-Calorie Food Exception: Veggies. Although dried vegetables are not high in calories, they contain excellent nutrition and are often lacking in prepared foods. Dried mixed vegetables can be rehydrated quickly by adding to ramen soups, instant potatoes, and mac n cheese. Keep in mind that freeze-dried vegetables rehydrate the fastest and preserve the most nutrients in comparison to dehydration and sun drying.1 The health benefits of vegetables can’t be simplified to calories!
If you have a dehydrator at home, dry them a few home-cooked meals! You can package the dried meals in thicker, pint-size freezer bags or get fancy by packing them in Outdoor Herbivore’s boil-soak cook bags.
If you know there is a particular home-baked cookie they love, send it! We recommend individually wrapping each cookie or baked good in a paper towel or napkin to stay cushioned during transit. The hiker can reuse the paper towels.
Are they a coffee drinker? If so, include individual freeze-dried instant coffee sachets to go with their baked goodies. Reputable brands for instant coffee include Outdoor Herbivore, Mount Hagen, Alpine Start, and Starbucks VIA. Most hikers prefer the packets rather than portioning zip bags from bulk instant coffee cans. The sachets are odorless and taste fresher.
2. Toiletries & Socks
Send essential items only: that is what is needed while on the trail, such as travel-size hand sanitizer and wet wipes. Otherwise, hikers must give it away, throw it out, or bump it.
It is easy to get basic toiletries in trail towns, but specialty items like Wysi wipes and toothpowder are difficult to find in stores. If you are mailing toiletries, include a few Ziploc bags to keep things dry. Other items that can get worn and may need to be replaced include socks, shoes, and clothing. New socks are simple to mail and are always a good bet. Do not send cotton socks. Darn Tough makes excellent performance socks for backpackers.
3. Handwritten Note
Although thru-hikers are following his or her dreams to enjoy nature and pause from the daily grind of civilized life, the day-to-day wilderness life can be physically and mentally taxing. Constant exposure to adverse weather can dampen energy and wane enthusiasm. Hikers can feel disconnected after just a few weeks on the trail.
A letter from home, an inspiring article, a crossword puzzle, or a comic will liven their spirits.
Make it easy for them to write you back by including a stamped postcard.
How to Mail a Hiker Care Package
Hikers and other long-distance travelers already know the locations where they can access resupply packages and goods. Before sending the care box, be sure to check with them on their schedule and delivery location. Clearly, the timing of the care box is important because it needs to arrive before they reach town rather than after they’ve left.
To determine how to mail the package, you must know 1) where to send it and 2) their estimated date of pick up.
What service you use to mail the package depends on where you are sending the parcel. The three most common carriers in the U.S. include the USPS (United States Postal Service), FedEx, and UPS (United Postal Service).
Before shipping a package, you should know the differences between the commonly confused shipping companies: USPS and UPS. Because their acronyms are similar, these shipping companies are widely confused. USPS stands for the United States Postal Service and is a government agency that delivers all First-Class stamped mail within the US as well as Priority Mail packages. USPS is mostly used for sending shipments originating from residences and small businesses. UPS stands for United Parcel Service, Inc and is publicly traded. It is one of the largest package delivery companies in the world. It is mostly used for sending shipments originating from a business.
Most thru-hiker care packages should ship USPS Priority Mail. Priority Mail is the most economical shipping service, and most trail towns are serviced by a local US Post Office where hikers/travelers can receive packages. If you are sending them a care package General Delivery to a post office or post office box (PO Box), you must ship it using the USPS. FedEx, UPS, and DHL will not deliver parcels to US Post offices or PO Boxes.
Getting USPS Flat-Rate Priority Mail Boxes. You can get free Priority Mail shipping boxes by visiting your local post office or by ordering online. Several box sizes are available, depending on how much you want to send. If you are not sure of the box size, pick up a “Variety Pack,” which includes one of each size. You can pay the postage online and print the shipping label from home. Click here for details about how to ship packages using the USPS website. Before sending the package, handwrite a note on the box, instructing it to be “held for hiker” and their estimated pick-up date. The ETA is optional but does help the post office clerk organize incoming parcels.
Packages sent by USPS to U.S. Post Offices must be addressed with the recipient’s name and “General Delivery” as the street address. The post office will hold these packages for up to 30 days. Hikers and travelers can pick up the boxes during regular Post Office business hours. They must show a photo I.D. to receive the package. See the Address format for General Delivery.
Say you want to send your lucky son named Miles Walker a resupply box of Outdoor Herbivore backpacking food to the Post Office in Warner Springs. He’s expected to arrive in town on April 24th. Here’s how you’d address the shipping:
Miles Walker
General Delivery
Warner Springs, CA 92086
Handwrite on the package, “Hold for PCT Hiker. ETA April 24 ” (if ordering the gift from an online retailer, request the note in the order comments).
If sending a package to a business (hostel, motel, outfitter, shop, etc.), always confirm that the merchant is willing to accept and hold boxes. There may be a small fee associated with this service, and some rural businesses can only receive deliveries from specific carriers, such as UPS or FedEx.
Suppose you are located outside the USA and would like to mail a care package to someone hiking in the U.S. In that case, we recommend ordering care package supplies from a US-based backpacking/hiking retailer who likely understands the hiker mail drop process. It is not common knowledge outside of the hiking/travel industry.
Use a Resupply Service
Don’t want to purchase items from multiple stores, pack it up in a box, and deal with the Post Office? There is a simple way to send a resupply box. There are services created for this very need. Outside of Outdoor Herbivore Resupply, another service is Zero Day Resupply (starting in 2024), which carries everyday resupply hiker items (food, toiletries, first aid) from multiple brands all in one place. Choose the things you want to send, the shipping location, and the estimated pick-up date. These trail services will handle the logistics to ensure your care box gets shipped correctly and on schedule (please give adequate time).
Source
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280218691_A_Review_on_the_Effect_of_Drying_on_Antioxidant_Potential_of_Fruits_and_Vegetables
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