Resupply boxes

I've been avoiding putting food into my resupply boxes for a couple reasons. For one, I don't want to see the reality of how much my food will weigh each time I resupply, (spoiler alert: it weighs a lot) and I also don't want to be reminded of how gross my food is.

I have 18 resupply boxes being sent to 17 places; mostly post offices, some trail angels, some Chevron stations, and at least one Kracker Barrel.These make up a bit less than half of my food for my hike. I'm sending boxes to the more remote areas, mostly in Oregon and Washington, while I resupply at a store in more populated stops. I look forward to the store resupply as opposed to the mail resupply, because I can buy fresh food. The boxes of food I put together are just sad.

Lots of potatoes by Idohoan, which I actually enjoy. They are only about 400 calories per pack though, and I expect to burn at least 5,000 calories a day. (I'm a dead man..) I also bought Knorr Rice sides, mac and cheese, Ramen, (which is useless for nutritional value) dehydrated beans(black, refried) granola, tuna, and a metric fuck-ton of various bars from Costco. I also bought a bunch of trail mix amd instant oatmeal for breakfast.

I did not enjoy filling these boxes, because the process required thought, and I was hungover, which  made me anxious. "Let's see, 7 days food...1..2...where was I? I'll just fill the box..this doesn't look like enough food..but it weighs 17 pounds!!! WHY??!!"

I eventually decided to fill each box until I couldn't even fit one more thing in. Better to be with than without I suppose. Any extra food can go into a hiker box. The most pathetic thing about all this is that I when I practiced making my food with my stove, it all tasted pretty unappealing. Whatever, I know that when backpacking all day, most food will taste acceptable, especially if it's hot. I'm planning on bringing salt, pepper and hot sauce to help mask the disappointment. 

My cooking method is to use ziplock quart freezer bags to rehydrate my food. I boil water with my Jetboil Sol stove and pour that in the bag with my food, seal the bag, and wait ten minutes or so for mediocrity. Did I mention that I fully intend to milk my town stops for food that actually tastes good? I wish I was more thoughtful about food a month ago, but alas, my food budget is spent. The mail ressuplly budget, that is...Not my town food budget.

The good news for me is that I unintentionally (poor planning) left lunches out of my mail resupply, so I can buy better food, that doesn't require a stove or precious water to make, along the way. 6 months of food planning is difficult for me. I sure hope it works out, or else I'll have to go all Hannibal Lecter on somebody.

**UPDATE 3-25

I gave food prep using the freezer bag method another try today and made black beans, Knorr roce and pasta sides, instant oatmeal, ramen, and organic mac and cheese, and.. It worked out pretty darn good!!! I used less water, since no water evaporates in the ziplock bag, and I waited a bit more time and all the food I made was better than tolerable, it was even pretty swell! This is good because I had dreams last night about hating my food on the trail, but now I can go back to merely having nightmares about the weight of my food bag instead.**

Resupply stops along the PCT. Some are on trail while others can can be reached by hiking and then hitch-hiking.