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How often do you re supply

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    • How often do you re supply

      I know most user here are section hikers, but on a long section how much food do you consider reasonable to carry. I saw a recent FB post about one person saying they were going to do a five day streach before re-supply. Another person said, you don't have to nor do you want to!

      I consider five days ideal if not light before having to bother going into town. I go hiking to spend time in the woods, not to hop from town to town. Is it just me? I wouldn't skip something right on the trail, but to get off & have to hitch or shuttle in every 3 days to me seems ludcrous for the miles you could make by lugging a few more pounds. Maybe it's why most ul people on the AT still take 5 months to hike like old fashioned guys like LS & I did carrying heavier packs.

    • How often do you re supply

      LoboSolo wrote:

      1azarus wrote:

      what would you expect from a gram weenie? more than three days and i start to cry. like a baby. like a liberal, new england bred whiner.
      i ain't no gram weenie or a frickin' liberal whiner but i am new england bred but i resupply as often as possible. if there's a road i'm hitchin' in for shit!

      I am local. I am a gram weeine. I am not a liberal. However, I can whine with the best of them. gif.014
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • How often do you re supply

      Usually had enough food for 4 days.
      Only "ran out" once or twice but was never short a meal involuntarily.
      I would always keep one Mountain House in bottom of food bag for "emergency". Sometimes carried that meal for several weeks.
      I know I know!
      HB will make some smartass comment here about never being in the woods but whilst there is some truth in that my experience proves you don't have to carry more - you are never that far from anywhere you can't get food every 2-3 days (except maybe Maine).
      It is a matter of deciding how far you want to hike WITHOUT making a detour to town and then carry that much whether it's 2-3 days or longer.
      As I ate "proper" meals so often I never really needed much on the trail. Mostly ate Slim Jims, M & M's and an occasional Ramen or Mountain House. Often carried some fruit like oranges out of town.
      I actually lost more weight on 5 week hike here in Oz (hiked the way HB would approve of) than I did in 5 months on AT. Of course I did eat a lot of sirloin....... gif.005
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • How often do you re supply

      OzJacko wrote:

      Usually had enough food for 4 days.
      Only "ran out" once or twice but was never short a meal involuntarily.
      I would always keep one Mountain House in bottom of food bag for "emergency". Sometimes carried that meal for several weeks.
      I know I know!
      HB will make some smartass comment here about never being in the woods but whilst there is some truth in that my experience proves you don't have to carry more - you are never that far from anywhere you can't get food every 2-3 days (except maybe Maine).
      It is a matter of deciding how far you want to hike WITHOUT making a detour to town and then carry that much whether it's 2-3 days or longer.
      As I ate "proper" meals so often I never really needed much on the trail. Mostly ate Slim Jims, M & M's and an occasional Ramen or Mountain House. Often carried some fruit like oranges out of town.
      I actually lost more weight on 5 week hike here in Oz (hiked the way HB would approve of) than I did in 5 months on AT. Of course I did eat a lot of sirloin....... gif.005


      Oz, while on my current sections I am only hitting town every 5-8 days, perhaps some day latter in life I can do a thru hike more like you and Chin Music. :cheer:
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • How often do you re supply

      Astro wrote:

      OzJacko wrote:

      Usually had enough food for 4 days.
      Only "ran out" once or twice but was never short a meal involuntarily.
      I would always keep one Mountain House in bottom of food bag for "emergency". Sometimes carried that meal for several weeks.
      I know I know!
      HB will make some smartass comment here about never being in the woods but whilst there is some truth in that my experience proves you don't have to carry more - you are never that far from anywhere you can't get food every 2-3 days (except maybe Maine).
      It is a matter of deciding how far you want to hike WITHOUT making a detour to town and then carry that much whether it's 2-3 days or longer.
      As I ate "proper" meals so often I never really needed much on the trail. Mostly ate Slim Jims, M & M's and an occasional Ramen or Mountain House. Often carried some fruit like oranges out of town.
      I actually lost more weight on 5 week hike here in Oz (hiked the way HB would approve of) than I did in 5 months on AT. Of course I did eat a lot of sirloin....... gif.005


      Oz, while on my current sections I am only hitting town every 5-8 days, perhaps some day latter in life I can do a thru hike more like you and Chin Music. :cheer:

      I don't think Chin and my hikes were that similar.
      As a thru you do knock out more daily miles usually so same miles = less days which is a factor.
      If I only had 5-8 days I would probably avoid town more but I am still loathe to take more than 4 days food at a time as the weight or the poor quality of the food gets to me. Due to the nature of our trail here if I am looking at a longer hike I would/have stache/d food about half or two thirds in. Easy enough to do. Usually canned stew type meals as the weight of the empty can going out worth it for the solid food. Just remember the can opener.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • How often do you re supply

      OzJacko wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      OzJacko wrote:

      Usually had enough food for 4 days.
      Only "ran out" once or twice but was never short a meal involuntarily.
      I would always keep one Mountain House in bottom of food bag for "emergency". Sometimes carried that meal for several weeks.
      I know I know!
      HB will make some smartass comment here about never being in the woods but whilst there is some truth in that my experience proves you don't have to carry more - you are never that far from anywhere you can't get food every 2-3 days (except maybe Maine).
      It is a matter of deciding how far you want to hike WITHOUT making a detour to town and then carry that much whether it's 2-3 days or longer.
      As I ate "proper" meals so often I never really needed much on the trail. Mostly ate Slim Jims, M & M's and an occasional Ramen or Mountain House. Often carried some fruit like oranges out of town.
      I actually lost more weight on 5 week hike here in Oz (hiked the way HB would approve of) than I did in 5 months on AT. Of course I did eat a lot of sirloin....... gif.005


      Oz, while on my current sections I am only hitting town every 5-8 days, perhaps some day latter in life I can do a thru hike more like you and Chin Music. :cheer:

      I don't think Chin and my hikes were that similar.
      As a thru you do knock out more daily miles usually so same miles = less days which is a factor.
      If I only had 5-8 days I would probably avoid town more but I am still loathe to take more than 4 days food at a time as the weight or the poor quality of the food gets to me. Due to the nature of our trail here if I am looking at a longer hike I would/have stache/d food about half or two thirds in. Easy enough to do. Usually canned stew type meals as the weight of the empty can going out worth it for the solid food. Just remember the can opener.


      I am doing 4-6 week sections (the 5-8 days is for resupply). Yours and Chins were similar to me in that you both took advantage of available towns (hostels, B&Bs, motels, hotels, food, etc..). True with the aqua and areo blazing you probably took it to a higher level. Still I like the idea of eating steak regularly which sure beats Mountain House and other trail food (except maybe when you pay the bill).
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • How often do you re supply

      OzJacko wrote:

      Usually had enough food for 4 days.
      Only "ran out" once or twice but was never short a meal involuntarily.
      I would always keep one Mountain House in bottom of food bag for "emergency". Sometimes carried that meal for several weeks.
      I know I know!
      HB will make some smartass comment here about never being in the woods but whilst there is some truth in that my experience proves you don't have to carry more - you are never that far from anywhere you can't get food every 2-3 days (except maybe Maine).
      It is a matter of deciding how far you want to hike WITHOUT making a detour to town and then carry that much whether it's 2-3 days or longer.
      As I ate "proper" meals so often I never really needed much on the trail. Mostly ate Slim Jims, M & M's and an occasional Ramen or Mountain House. Often carried some fruit like oranges out of town.
      I actually lost more weight on 5 week hike here in Oz (hiked the way HB would approve of) than I did in 5 months on AT. Of course I did eat a lot of sirloin....... gif.005
      oz, ive never had any issues with how you hiked, regardless of the ribbing i gave you.i really felt you saw some of the best our country had to offer,both its people and its beauty.and i'm kinda proud of that.,im so glad to have been a part of your hike,and just as glad you were a part of mine. its all good.
      its all good

    • How often do you re supply

      hikerboy wrote:

      OzJacko wrote:

      Usually had enough food for 4 days.
      Only "ran out" once or twice but was never short a meal involuntarily.
      I would always keep one Mountain House in bottom of food bag for "emergency". Sometimes carried that meal for several weeks.
      I know I know!
      HB will make some smartass comment here about never being in the woods but whilst there is some truth in that my experience proves you don't have to carry more - you are never that far from anywhere you can't get food every 2-3 days (except maybe Maine).
      It is a matter of deciding how far you want to hike WITHOUT making a detour to town and then carry that much whether it's 2-3 days or longer.
      As I ate "proper" meals so often I never really needed much on the trail. Mostly ate Slim Jims, M & M's and an occasional Ramen or Mountain House. Often carried some fruit like oranges out of town.
      I actually lost more weight on 5 week hike here in Oz (hiked the way HB would approve of) than I did in 5 months on AT. Of course I did eat a lot of sirloin....... gif.005
      oz, ive never had any issues with how you hiked, regardless of the ribbing i gave you.i really felt you saw some of the best our country had to offer,both its people and its beauty.and i'm kinda proud of that.,im so glad to have been a part of your hike,and just as glad you were a part of mine. its all good.

      No probs HB.
      I now have a kind of notoriety that I can live. gif.015
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.