thru hiker resupply box
Do you have a family member or friend thru-hiking this year? Sending a care package is an excellent way to let them 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 a traveler, whether that expedition involves backpacking, bikepacking, paddling, sailing, firefighting, RVing, or military leave.
Before putting together your care package, find out if they need anything. 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:
Undoubtedly, thru-hikers will appreciate almost any packaged food, but some food items won’t survive shipping. For instance, avoid shipping any perishable foods or items, such as chocolate bars, that can melt in the heat.
Send only foods with lightweight packaging (no cans or jars) that are 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/seeds. 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 commercial backpacking meals. Dried mixed vegetables can be rehydrated quickly by adding to ramen soups, instant potatoes, and mac n cheese. 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.
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.
Although thru-hikers are following their 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, and 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 back to you by including a stamped postcard.
Savvy hikers and other long-distance travelers know where to access resupply packages and goods. Most hikers will resupply in a town close to the trail each week. Sending a General Delivery shipment to the town Post offices is a safe bet. Before sending the care box, check their schedule and delivery location. The timing of the care box is essential 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 pick-up date..
What service you use to mail the package depends on where you send 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 and Priority Mail packages within the USA. USPS handles most shipments originating from residents and small businesses. UPS stands for United Parcel Service, a private and publicly traded corporation. It is one of the largest package delivery companies in the world, primarily used for sending shipments between businesses.
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 4/24.” (if ordering the gift from an online retailer, add this 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.
Don’t want to purchase items from multiple stores, pack them up in a box, and deal with the Post Office? Outdoor Herbivore carries food and some essential hiker items such as toiletries. Choose the things you want to send, the shipping location, the estimated pick-up date, and we’ll handle the logistics to ensure your care box gets shipped correctly and on schedule (please give adequate time). See Outdoor Herbivore Resupply for more information.
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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