[pct-l] Going stoveless and resupply as you go

[Paint Your Wagon]

Hello Meike,

The name’s Paint; Paint Your Wagon.

Nice to meet you. I’ll take a shot at some of your questions. 

First off- I pretty much resupplied from off of the trail. When I sent a package somewhere, 
I almost always didn’t make it there to retrieve the resupply. 
One package sat at South Lake Tahoe, one sat at Ziggy and the Bear’s (Whitewater), 
another at Evil Goat’s (Anza), and another at Papa Smurf’s (Big Bear City). 

The quality and selection (variety) of food will depend on how far off the trail you are willing to go. 
Often, I would need one or two unique non food items, or need to replace a piece of gear, or need to accomplish an important task, 
in addition to obtaining a resupply of food, and that is what would drive me to travel far from the trail.

I hitchhiked 38 miles from the trail into Lake Isabella. It took 2 hitches (rides) in, and 4 hitches out. 
The trail angel that takes care of the water cache nearby gave me my second ride. Her name is Mary, and she was 80 years young in 2012. 
I walked 12 miles down the mountain from Horseshoe Meadow, and caught a hitch into Lone Pine, the last 10 miles. Only 3 cars went by me all day. 
I hitched into Bridgeport, from Sonora Pass, 38 miles. The waiting time was 20 seconds.  

If you are from outside of the United States, and it sounds like you are, 
then speaking about large food chains (companies) by their marquee store names, won’t mean much to you. 

Some of the larger stores that come to mind in southern California are: Winco, Stater Bros., Albertsons, and Vons.

Generic names of stores are: convenience stores/gas stations, mini markets, markets, grocery stores, supermarkets, and supercenters. 
I listed them in order of size, from the smallest, to the largest. 

The store in Wrightwood is identified as a grocery store. It’s big enough to have shopping/grocery carts, 
and the aisles are approx. 50- 75 feet in length. The same kind of products may take up one entire side of the aisle, 
but then again maybe not. Ex: soft drinks and juices share one side of an aisle, and dry goods are stocked on the other side, 
loaded with things like paper plates, Styrofoam cups, plastic utensils, cleaning supplies, soaps, a few pots and pans, etc. 
Liquor may be kept behind the counter, with no more than one or two dozen options to choose from. 
Approx. 6 checkout lanes service the customers. The parking lot may permit the parking of 30-40 cars at any one time. 
It is a stand alone structure, and is found in a small town. Likely found closest to the trail. 

In a supermarket, the aisles may be 75-150 feet in length, and stocked on both sides of the aisle 
with every imaginable liquid soft drink on the market. Another entire aisle maybe devoted to juices. 
The entire back wall of the store might contain every imaginable kind of meat, including a vast selection of seafood, 
with quite possibly a salt water tank containing live lobsters. In addition, in another part of the store, a full deli may be installed, 
including chairs and tables, equivalent to a sit down restaurant. The liquor section might have smaller aisles (5 sides total), 
and the beer, wine, and liquor will be segregated, running the entire length of each aisle.  The checkout lanes may total 18 or more. 
A bank may be operating a branch office at the front of the store, and the store’s administrative offices may be in a second floor above the bank. 
There could be a full blown pharmacy in the store. The parking lot is measured in acres, and can handle literally hundreds of automobiles. 
Other large stores will either be attached to the supermarket, or be nearby. The community is likely to be populated by tens of thousands of people. 
This might be a Vons, Albertsons, Winco, Ralph’s, Food4Less, Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc. Likely located further from the trail than are grocery stores. 

Supercenters are stores like Walmart, Kmart, Target, etc. Combination department store and grocery store. 
They’ll be selling clothes, household goods, sporting goods, tools, paints, electronics, automotive goods, etc., 
and they will have the equivalent of a supermarket, or a grocery store, under their roof. Likely to have a pharmacy. 
Huge parking lots handle the traffic, and are usually found in larger population centers. 
Likely located furthest from the trail, in comparison to all other stores.

Convenience stores/gas stations/mini markets. 

There are dozens of these type stores within striking distance of the trail. I resupplied about as much out of these, as I did the big stores. 
Choices? Not so much. It is what it is. I would get just enough food to get me to the next big store. 
The cold cases would have beer, sports drinks, milk, cheeses, lunch meats, sausages, burritos, ice cream, and sometimes fresh fruit. 
Shelves are stocked with chips, crackers, pretzels, soups, chilis, trail mixes, cereals, instant oatmeal, 
Ramen noodles, beef jerky, sausage sticks, cookies, chewing gum, energy bars, etc. 
At the counter- liquor, lottery tickets, and sometimes fresh fruit. I’m sure I’m leaving a few things out, 
but with some discernment, one CAN get some vittles to eat, that will not end your life if consumed. 

I almost always carried too much food. There are a lot of places to get food while out on the trail, 
plus there are hiker boxes that are like manna from heaven. And, trail magic, and, trail angels. 
I am not advocating privilege or expectations of angels or trail magic. It just happens. 
What’s even more gratifying than angels or magic, is to become an angel and give the magic. 

I carried a lot of water as a rookie, and didn’t regret it one bit. 8 liters was the norm in the desert, 
and 2 liters was the norm up in the big mountains. I did run out of water 6 times in the desert, 
and ran out of food a couple of times. I got weak real fast when I ran out of food. 
Of course, I was metering it out as I began to run out of food, so the calorie deficit was a sliding scale, 
over a number of days. 
It was more of a financial issue than one of food availability. 

I exited the trail at mile 1,018... so someone else will have to enlighten thee on the remaining 1,632 miles, give or take a mile or two.  

Go forth and hike thee buttocks off!

<>Paint<>