That $160 Pacific Crest Trail resupply box I shipped to Kennedy Meadows was a total waste

I spent like 3 hours packing this box full of my favorite snacks and dehydrated meals, drove it to the post office, paid $28 for shipping. Got to Kennedy Meadows after 200 miles of hiking and the box was there but I realized I hated everything I packed. The peanut butter powder was gritty, the instant mashed potatoes tasted like cardboard, and I had way too many Clif bars. Meanwhile the general store there had fresh stuff and I ended up buying $40 of food I actually wanted. I should have just planned to buy along the way or sent way less. Has anyone else overhyped their resupply box and regretted packing so much?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantc801d ago

Read something similar on a backpacking forum a while back where a guy sent himself a custom blend of trail mix and it went rancid in the heat before he even got there. Made me realize how easy it is to overthink these boxes and just trust the local stores more. Seems like the best approach is keep it simple with just a few staple items and buy the fresh stuff on site.

lilyt231d ago

...but like, did you actually eat any of the stuff you packed before you shipped it? I feel like half the problem is we buy all this stuff based on what we think we'll want, not what we actually like. I swear I've done the same thing with those fancy backpacking meals where you try them at home and they're okay but then on trail they're just gross. Were any of those things stuff you had even tried eating after a long day of hiking before you mailed the box?

abbyhall1d ago

Start paying more attention to what you actually eat on trail vs what you fantasize about eating while packing at home. Its like when people meal prep for the week and end up eating takeout anyway because they dont actually want 5 straight days of quinoa salad. We romanticize the idea of being this organized perfect hiker but the reality is your tastes change after 15 miles of climbing and cold soaked mashed potatoes sound gross. Same thing happens with buying workout gear or kitchen gadgets where we get hyped planning but the execution just doesnt match. Next time just send yourself a couple emergency dinners and some snacks youve actually been craving on trail.