Whether exploring the great outdoors or taking a road trip across the country, traveling can be an exhilarating experience. However, one challenge many travelers face is managing mail while on the go. The United States Postal Service’s General Delivery—offers a convenient option for nomadic adventurers without a permanent address. If you’ve been reading trail guides or hiker forums, you’ve likely seen the term “General Delivery” and wondered how this mail service worked. An equivalent service outside the USA is known as Poste restante. Here’s a detailed look at how USPS General Delivery Post Office mail works and how you can […]
Thru Hiking
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Food planning can be confusing for the first-time thru-hiker or section hiker. You have yet to determine your pace and don’t know how many days you can go between food resupplies. Here are some tips based on a decade of supplying meals to the thru-hiking community. How much food should I pack for my Appalachian Trail hike? Customers often ask us how much food they should order for an Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike and where most hikers receive mail drops. Most hikers have resupply boxes mailed to towns with limited food services. Most of the AT is within 50 miles […]
Each year we are asked by hikers planning a CT thru-hike if we can mail their food resupply. We sure can! The Colorado Trail (CT) is a 485-mile (781 km) trail that spans southwest of Denver to Durango in Colorado, United States. Considered by hikers to be breathtaking and challenging, much of the trail stays above the tree line, offering expansive views and vibrant displays of wildflowers. Snow will be present at higher elevations, which can make travel difficult. The Colorado Trail Foundation (CTF), which maintains the Colorado Trail, recommends hiking the CT between July and September to avoid the mud and […]
No Pain, No Maine? Long-distance hiking or thru-hiking is challenging both mentally and physically. Whether hiking the Appalachian Trail or another long-distance trail, the continuous step-by-step motion from dusk to dawn, repeated day after day, requires considerable effort and determination. This routine can feel monotonous, and it may involve pain and discomfort. Thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail (AT) understand that the 2,168-mile journey from Georgia to Maine will not be free of aches and pains. This is reflected in the common exchange among AT backpackers: “No Pain, No Maine.” However, this doesn’t mean that a thru-hike is a painful or […]
The John Muir Trail (JMT) is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, spanning 211 miles from Yosemite Valley to Mt Whitney plus 11 more miles to Whitney Portal. Most of the JMT is shared with the longer Pacific Crest Trail. Except for a few miles, the JMT stays above 8,000 feet (2,400 m) in elevation. Due to the high elevation, JMT hikers will have to time their hike to minimize snow depth. This often gives hikers a short window of travel in the late summer months, commencing in July or August and ending by November. The typical […]