Mail Drops Explained

What is a mail drop?

A mail drop is a specific post office where Shian and Brett will definitely be stopping at. We will generally have an idea within a couple days of our arrival time for the next mail drop. Post offices will hold a package for a thru-hiker for up to a month, so you can usually send a package to the next two mail drops listed on the Progress Tracker. The Tracker will always be up to date up to the last mail drop we passed.

For instance, if we had just hit Katahdin, our next mail drop would be Monson, ME - there will be a "mail-by" date in the mail-drop section highlighted grey (in this case it would be the Monson mail drop, #2). Any mail going there should be sent by that date. Otherwise, send the package to the next mail drop, which in this case would be #3, Stratton, ME. There will be an "estimated arrival" date listed, which we make no promises to making. Odds are very good we'll get there within a month, though, and therefore get your package. Please do not send packages more than two mail drops ahead.

The biggest question we get is what to send, and how to send it. Borrowing heavily from Karen Sousa's article on Whiteblaze.net, entitled "Packing and sending the perfect maildrop", here are some do's and dont's for care packages:

DO:

• Plan ahead and do research on your particular hiker's likes and dislikes. Check the online journal posts and see what we're craving, what treats or knick-knacks we admired (and secretly wanted to steal) as we stared into another hiker's care package.
• Send stamped postcards - you never know - you might even get one back!
• Make color copies of photos of friends and family or events. That way, the hiker doesn't need to carry extra weight but can share the pictures until he is ready to discard them or use them as fire starter. Include poems, jokes, emails they may find humorous.
• Look for small care package items. Good presents are socks (you need to know what size and brand, they're posted on our gear lists [Brett's gear | Shian's gear] ), sample-size sanitatary items like hand cream, floss, condiments in mcdonald style packaging (the more exotic the flavor, like duck sauce, the better), maybe an airplane-size plastic bottle or two of liquor for Shian (check with the USPS before sending alcohol)... and ESPECIALLY homemade goodies/treats are always welcome!
• Send everything in small portions. Make sure that whatever you send will keep and won't go TOO bad in the week or two it'll take for us to get it.
• Include freezer type Ziplocs in which to store anything you send. And an extra one or two never hurt either.
• Look for food items with strong flavor - a handful of jelly beans, dried fruits, individual sized sauces.
• Label any food items that might be unidentifiable.
• If all else fails and you can't come up with any ideas, send cash with instructions to spend it on ice cream, beer, a good meal, a night in a motel or leave it up to the hikers - whatever you would buy that person if you were there personally. This is especially easy on the hiker's back.

DON'T:

• Don't send a whole batch of cookies with the idea that there will be plenty to share. Many hikers get mail drops at the exact same places and they will often ALL have "extra to share". Send half a batch, wrap the rest of the batch well, throw it in the freezer and send it at a later date when your efforts can be appreciated a second time.
• Don't feel that more is better. Remember how carefully you watch what you pack when you hike and apply that care two-fold to a long distance hiker. Instead of sending a magazine, send the interesting article. Instead of the whole bag of candy, try a snack size Ziploc full.
• Don't send a package every week for the first two months then nothing at all. If you are planning on just sending one package at some point, try to pick a random mail drop. That way the hikers aren't carrying 10 different care packages early on when everyone remembers that they're out there, then are woefully under-cared for during the last half when they need that extra encouragement!
• Don't forget that if you send a three-pound package, they have to carry that three pounds in their pack up the mountain that is always strategically placed on the way out of town.
• Just remember that whatever and whenever you send, it will be appreciated greatly by the hikers, who will be starving (for many reasons) for word from the outside world.

Packaging and Post Office Tips:

• Please use Priority Mail for any packages - letters and postcards can be mailed via regular mail, just give the letter a full 7 days to reach the PO. You may need to send this two maildrops down the line to accomplish this. Priority Mail for packages is important so that we can forward packages to another post office without any hassle.
• Be sure to print the address and return address in large and very clear letters, preferably on Priority Mail labels (which can be obtained for no charge at any PO). You can also obtain free Priority Mail boxes at the USPS; just have an idea of what you will be sending as there are many different sizes for boxes. Do not forget the return address and please use the exact address shown on the Progress Tracker.
• If you are worried about the package arriving, Priority Mail packages have an option to add "Delivery Confirmation" for a small additional cost - they will offer it to you when you send your package if you are interested.

Much of this page is paraphrased from Karen Sousa's article "Packing and sending the perfect maildrop" located at Whiteblaze.net.