Unlike many thru-hikers, I plan to do very limited mail drops. After talking to some veteran thru-hikers and doing some practice hikes, I have decided that the minimal savings from buying bulk foods in advance will be more than offset by the cost of mailing, and the fact that I will most likely throw out most of my mail drop food by the 20th box of plain grits and ramen. After 2-3 months on the trail, who knows what I'll want to eat and carry. An excellent article describing re-supply options with the advantages and disadvantages of each is by Hungry Howie on his web site, Walking is Freedom. Another excellent article describing good re-supply locations is Re-Supply Advice by Jack Tarlin  (Baltimore Jack)

Basically I have three types of mail drops:

1. Full mail drops that include food, toilet paper, stove fuel, paper, etc. I only plan on getting 4 of these at Fontana Dam, Harper's Ferry, Port Clinton, and Glencliff.

2. The second type will consist of just maps, guidebook sections, and some of my homemade beef jerky (which is the best). I have an idea of where I want the drops, but until I get the entire map set, the proposed drops in the list below are where I'm planning to get those.

3. The third type will be  a gear drop. There will be three of these 1. Pearisburg for summer gear, 2. Glincliff for my winter gear that I will mail out in Pearisburg, and 3. Millinocket for some town clothes and a duffle bag for the trip home.

In addition to my scheduled mail drops, I intend to use a bounce box that will have toiletry supplies, duct tape, knife sharpener, etc. I will include this stuff in my first mail drop at Fontana Dam, and turn that box into a bounce box.