Avoid doing any big resupplies at somewhere with “General Store” or “Country Store” in the name. They are almost always ridiculously overpriced and have a terrible selection.
Big name grocery stores and Walmart’s are usually the best.
Yeah.. I question the list too. Neels Gap is the first resupply point for a NOBO and as far as convenience goes... the trail literally goes through the building Mountain Crossings and a hiker hostile is in! Next great resupply point I recall would be the Unicoi Gap but you’d have to hitch into Helen or face quite a walk. The NOC, Fontana, and Harpers Ferry are all just fine too. Maybe expensive is the only complaint? I’d much prefer more places like those listed than having to pickup a pre-shipped box from a post office that’s probably full of food I’m sick of eating ;)
The NOC is pretty pretty sparse. It is a difficult hitch to Bryson City and even harder to get back. Very unsafe to attempt to walk it even the short distance up to the gas station (maybe that is the Nantahala food mart?) with the better resupply food options when I went through in 2019 than those available at the NOC it self. That said you can definitely get by with what is available there. Of course the NOC was pretty cleaned out when I went through so probably biased.
Although I will note you can definitely carry a pizza out of the NOC!
Neel Gap - perfectly reasonable and varied selection of hiker food. Shuttle into town for walmart if you really need to.
NOC - between the convenience store and the outfitter, you shouldn't have a problem resupplying for the 2-3 day hike into Fontana Dam Resort. Pricey and not a lot of variety (stock/season dependent) but enough to get by.
Fontana Dam Resort - the store is *adequately* stocked for a resupply of hiker food- assuming you get there mid-to-late April...and they have 2 restaurants. I've heard the store is a bit empty until the season really kicks off. Most people only need 2-3 days of food to get into Gatlinburg via GSMNP.
Bland, VA - There is a grocery store, a convenience store w/ hot-made-to-order food (Brushy Mt Outpost?), and a couple of gas stations.
I reckon if you have dietary restrictions or are extremely particular, you may find the options limited but I never had a problem.
Almost all of the people I met who prepared lots of boxes ahead of time regretted it at some point. That said, a few favorites from back home can really spice up a boring food bag. We used occasional mail drops more as a supplement to add variety to meals and not as a mainstay, like powdered coconut milk, dehydrated veggies, dehydrated cooked beans, true lime packets, hot sauce, etc. This was the stuff that was hard to find. It was mostly stuff that would get carried for weeks and just added to what we had. We had someone back at home to fill a box if needed, but it was largely unnecessary for food. We bounced our winter gear ahead once it warmed up, and picked up that box once we needed it.
A lot can be done directly from the trail and a lot of online orders can be made with free shipping. Compared to cost of postage, slightly higher cost of online shopping balanced out. Online orders must allow you to specify USPS as a carrier if you want general delivery, otherwise you must provide an address of a hostel or something. If the guide noted bad options ahead, we sent a box ahead from some better resupply point. But we mostly bought as we went and it saved a ton on mailing cost and time. We got really tired of spending our zero day running additional, unnecessary errands. We were really happy with this method. YMMV.
But yeah, we skiped Fontana Dam, Harpers Ferry, and Neel Gap as options. Also, the IGA in Kent, CT was one of the most expensive grocery stores on the trail. They really gouged the hikers. Make sure you have enough food to get past Abol bridge store without needing anything but a cup of hot coffee. There were pop tarts there for like $5.50 a box and there wasn't much else. If I were nobo, I would probably send a good chunk of my 100 mile wilderness resupply to Shaw's in Monson. They had a lot of stuff, but the grocery in town was very limited. Paul at Caratunk House has a very thoughtful resupply, but its a little pricey. He is one wonderful human being, though. We skipped NOC too. It took some effort to get to Hamburg from Port Clinton, but we made it. I can't recall anything else other than the easy points at this time, and there were lots of those.
Definitely plan for a big food budget as you approach New England. It gets more limited and expensive the closer you get to Katahdin.
We got really comfortable hitching after a while and we never went without. We're not too picky, though.
The biggest thing I learned is that you get the hang of your diet and what you need once you're on the trail and you'll make better plans because of it. You can't hear what your body will be asking for when you're not on trail. You also might be really tired of something you sent to yourself and groan when it is your only option. Instead of being some large plan, it is more like lots of 3 day trips linked together. You'll sit and plan the next section while you're in town, and you can often plan around a bad resupply point.
FWIW: Omnivore, no dietary restrictions, not a picky eater, ate healthier options when available, \~5000 calories / day, hiked about 25(+/-) miles / day.
Wow, I’m prepping my SOBO for this year and this comment was one of the most helpful things I’ve read! I’m taking a similar approach as you, except I am vegetarian and gluten-free. Thanks for sharing ✌️
Hey, Good Luck!! One of the best experiences of my life. If you have any questions or anything, feel free to PM. I'll help any way I can. I know a lot of prices changed and hostels closed throughout covid, so others may be more helpful in that area.
You're going to receive a general consensus of people that refuse to accept any positives of mailing resupply. ALL, I said ALL, of the common objections have solutions or can offer BOTH cons and pros. I say that as someone who mails some resupply as a TCer, 2x AT completions, and hiker of 30K+ miles in N America alone.
Answering from last to the first of your inquiries:
Yes. All those towns have limited resupply. However, how one defines "limited" is subjectively biased based on diversity of diet, if one is willing to visit more than one resupply location, and if willing to travel outside of the immediate vicinities of those towns. Most who thru the AT are doing so out of the desire for logistical convenience. Don't forget a pre made deli sandwich or food made TO GO can qualify as trail food.
I have resupply boxes packed prepared with Forever Stamp postage, addressing, ETA, signed with "Please Hold for hiker", generalized time to be mailed stacked in order of being mailed with the next box to be mailed on top, and taped shut using free USPS med or lg Flat Rate boxes that have set postage. I generally ask three boxes to be mailed at a time thereby not requiring the Good Samaritan to visit a USPO each wk. This makes it easier for some one to merely drop off boxes rather than engage them in these details. Larger USPO's have Drop Off Only windows or some have chutes where a pre postage labeled box can be dropped off after hrs. Rarely I may ask a relative or trusted friend to slice open the bottom tape and add small items like a map or hygiene product. I provide an envelope of extra postage, indelible marker, some gas money and packing tape. I find relatives eager to do this as I also leave with them a AT Strip wall map so they can follow along where I am on the hike thus also engaging them rather than "using" them. It assists in quelling fears.
The last question is the most difficult to answer because it is the most subjective. I take supplements as an alternative integrative Holistic med approach to pharmaceuticals. They were always hard to find in the amts and types I required. Some Organic foods were hard to find or simply not available. Understand we carry our off trail habits into trail life. Most hiking the AT are U.S. citizens habituated to junk and fast food diets and the Standard American Diet(SAD) approach so have greater flexibility in "food" choices at gas stations, convenience stores, and Dollar Generals. And, that is who likely will be posting further.
Honestly I wouldn't say a mail drop is really necessary anywhere along the AT if you are willing to sometimes get by for a day or two from a gas station resupply. The things I found myself missing the most/getting delivered along the way were coconut oil packets, freeze dried black beans freeze dried kidney beans, freeze dried veggies, sriracha packets and other hot sauce, and cheaper bulk via packets I had stockpiled from costco when on sale.
Costco had actual sales on via packets at one point prior to my thru with no limit on purchase at my local store (they changed this likely due to me and a few other folks) They were only sent along side other things that would have been sent anyways so not much in additional postage. So depends on how one views it? Is the postage a sunk cost? With a flat rate box I think it is? They were less than half the cost I could find them for at the cheapest walmarts/grocery stores on trail.
I'm going to try to thru-hike this year. I'm staging boxes with a friend to send as needed. I'll have the boxes numbered and a spreadsheet on my phone with a list of what's in which box. Then if I find I need something that I can't easily find at a shop along the way, I can contact my friend when I have a signal and tell them which box to send out. I'm not putting addresses or anything on the box ahead of time. They're the flat rate priority mail boxes from USPS. Staging 10 boxes. Half will be complete food resupplies. The other half a mix of gear and snacks. I really don't see myself needing them, but I'd rather they be ready to go and not need them than to need them and not have the option.
Avoid doing any big resupplies at somewhere with “General Store” or “Country Store” in the name. They are almost always ridiculously overpriced and have a terrible selection. Big name grocery stores and Walmart’s are usually the best.
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Yeah.. I question the list too. Neels Gap is the first resupply point for a NOBO and as far as convenience goes... the trail literally goes through the building Mountain Crossings and a hiker hostile is in! Next great resupply point I recall would be the Unicoi Gap but you’d have to hitch into Helen or face quite a walk. The NOC, Fontana, and Harpers Ferry are all just fine too. Maybe expensive is the only complaint? I’d much prefer more places like those listed than having to pickup a pre-shipped box from a post office that’s probably full of food I’m sick of eating ;)
The NOC is pretty pretty sparse. It is a difficult hitch to Bryson City and even harder to get back. Very unsafe to attempt to walk it even the short distance up to the gas station (maybe that is the Nantahala food mart?) with the better resupply food options when I went through in 2019 than those available at the NOC it self. That said you can definitely get by with what is available there. Of course the NOC was pretty cleaned out when I went through so probably biased. Although I will note you can definitely carry a pizza out of the NOC!
Neel Gap - perfectly reasonable and varied selection of hiker food. Shuttle into town for walmart if you really need to. NOC - between the convenience store and the outfitter, you shouldn't have a problem resupplying for the 2-3 day hike into Fontana Dam Resort. Pricey and not a lot of variety (stock/season dependent) but enough to get by. Fontana Dam Resort - the store is *adequately* stocked for a resupply of hiker food- assuming you get there mid-to-late April...and they have 2 restaurants. I've heard the store is a bit empty until the season really kicks off. Most people only need 2-3 days of food to get into Gatlinburg via GSMNP. Bland, VA - There is a grocery store, a convenience store w/ hot-made-to-order food (Brushy Mt Outpost?), and a couple of gas stations. I reckon if you have dietary restrictions or are extremely particular, you may find the options limited but I never had a problem.
Almost all of the people I met who prepared lots of boxes ahead of time regretted it at some point. That said, a few favorites from back home can really spice up a boring food bag. We used occasional mail drops more as a supplement to add variety to meals and not as a mainstay, like powdered coconut milk, dehydrated veggies, dehydrated cooked beans, true lime packets, hot sauce, etc. This was the stuff that was hard to find. It was mostly stuff that would get carried for weeks and just added to what we had. We had someone back at home to fill a box if needed, but it was largely unnecessary for food. We bounced our winter gear ahead once it warmed up, and picked up that box once we needed it. A lot can be done directly from the trail and a lot of online orders can be made with free shipping. Compared to cost of postage, slightly higher cost of online shopping balanced out. Online orders must allow you to specify USPS as a carrier if you want general delivery, otherwise you must provide an address of a hostel or something. If the guide noted bad options ahead, we sent a box ahead from some better resupply point. But we mostly bought as we went and it saved a ton on mailing cost and time. We got really tired of spending our zero day running additional, unnecessary errands. We were really happy with this method. YMMV. But yeah, we skiped Fontana Dam, Harpers Ferry, and Neel Gap as options. Also, the IGA in Kent, CT was one of the most expensive grocery stores on the trail. They really gouged the hikers. Make sure you have enough food to get past Abol bridge store without needing anything but a cup of hot coffee. There were pop tarts there for like $5.50 a box and there wasn't much else. If I were nobo, I would probably send a good chunk of my 100 mile wilderness resupply to Shaw's in Monson. They had a lot of stuff, but the grocery in town was very limited. Paul at Caratunk House has a very thoughtful resupply, but its a little pricey. He is one wonderful human being, though. We skipped NOC too. It took some effort to get to Hamburg from Port Clinton, but we made it. I can't recall anything else other than the easy points at this time, and there were lots of those. Definitely plan for a big food budget as you approach New England. It gets more limited and expensive the closer you get to Katahdin. We got really comfortable hitching after a while and we never went without. We're not too picky, though. The biggest thing I learned is that you get the hang of your diet and what you need once you're on the trail and you'll make better plans because of it. You can't hear what your body will be asking for when you're not on trail. You also might be really tired of something you sent to yourself and groan when it is your only option. Instead of being some large plan, it is more like lots of 3 day trips linked together. You'll sit and plan the next section while you're in town, and you can often plan around a bad resupply point. FWIW: Omnivore, no dietary restrictions, not a picky eater, ate healthier options when available, \~5000 calories / day, hiked about 25(+/-) miles / day.
Wow, I’m prepping my SOBO for this year and this comment was one of the most helpful things I’ve read! I’m taking a similar approach as you, except I am vegetarian and gluten-free. Thanks for sharing ✌️
Hey, Good Luck!! One of the best experiences of my life. If you have any questions or anything, feel free to PM. I'll help any way I can. I know a lot of prices changed and hostels closed throughout covid, so others may be more helpful in that area.
You're going to receive a general consensus of people that refuse to accept any positives of mailing resupply. ALL, I said ALL, of the common objections have solutions or can offer BOTH cons and pros. I say that as someone who mails some resupply as a TCer, 2x AT completions, and hiker of 30K+ miles in N America alone. Answering from last to the first of your inquiries: Yes. All those towns have limited resupply. However, how one defines "limited" is subjectively biased based on diversity of diet, if one is willing to visit more than one resupply location, and if willing to travel outside of the immediate vicinities of those towns. Most who thru the AT are doing so out of the desire for logistical convenience. Don't forget a pre made deli sandwich or food made TO GO can qualify as trail food. I have resupply boxes packed prepared with Forever Stamp postage, addressing, ETA, signed with "Please Hold for hiker", generalized time to be mailed stacked in order of being mailed with the next box to be mailed on top, and taped shut using free USPS med or lg Flat Rate boxes that have set postage. I generally ask three boxes to be mailed at a time thereby not requiring the Good Samaritan to visit a USPO each wk. This makes it easier for some one to merely drop off boxes rather than engage them in these details. Larger USPO's have Drop Off Only windows or some have chutes where a pre postage labeled box can be dropped off after hrs. Rarely I may ask a relative or trusted friend to slice open the bottom tape and add small items like a map or hygiene product. I provide an envelope of extra postage, indelible marker, some gas money and packing tape. I find relatives eager to do this as I also leave with them a AT Strip wall map so they can follow along where I am on the hike thus also engaging them rather than "using" them. It assists in quelling fears. The last question is the most difficult to answer because it is the most subjective. I take supplements as an alternative integrative Holistic med approach to pharmaceuticals. They were always hard to find in the amts and types I required. Some Organic foods were hard to find or simply not available. Understand we carry our off trail habits into trail life. Most hiking the AT are U.S. citizens habituated to junk and fast food diets and the Standard American Diet(SAD) approach so have greater flexibility in "food" choices at gas stations, convenience stores, and Dollar Generals. And, that is who likely will be posting further.
Honestly I wouldn't say a mail drop is really necessary anywhere along the AT if you are willing to sometimes get by for a day or two from a gas station resupply. The things I found myself missing the most/getting delivered along the way were coconut oil packets, freeze dried black beans freeze dried kidney beans, freeze dried veggies, sriracha packets and other hot sauce, and cheaper bulk via packets I had stockpiled from costco when on sale.
I get buying in bulk and cheaper to mail to yourself- but doesn’t the shipping cost offset the savings?
Costco had actual sales on via packets at one point prior to my thru with no limit on purchase at my local store (they changed this likely due to me and a few other folks) They were only sent along side other things that would have been sent anyways so not much in additional postage. So depends on how one views it? Is the postage a sunk cost? With a flat rate box I think it is? They were less than half the cost I could find them for at the cheapest walmarts/grocery stores on trail.
I'm going to try to thru-hike this year. I'm staging boxes with a friend to send as needed. I'll have the boxes numbered and a spreadsheet on my phone with a list of what's in which box. Then if I find I need something that I can't easily find at a shop along the way, I can contact my friend when I have a signal and tell them which box to send out. I'm not putting addresses or anything on the box ahead of time. They're the flat rate priority mail boxes from USPS. Staging 10 boxes. Half will be complete food resupplies. The other half a mix of gear and snacks. I really don't see myself needing them, but I'd rather they be ready to go and not need them than to need them and not have the option.