Some AZT food questions

[FireFly]

Hi
I'm planning to hike the entire AZT as a through-hike somewhere in March-May next year. I have a few questions regarding food along the trail

1) Is it feasible to trek the AZT with a "buy-as-you-go" approach? I mean without sending resupply boxes and just buying several days food as you pass near villages?

2) Would I be able to buy lightweight dried food like tortellini or ready meals that just needs adding water? Not sure if these things are popular in the USA but in Europe it is common food for students, bachelors and other lazy people

3) If this is not possible (or not preferable), can a store like Wallmart (where you can order food online) send packages with food to postoffices? This may be a stupid question but I don't live in the USA so I have no idea!

4) Are gas cannisters easy or difficult to buy in villages near the trail? I guess in a place like Flagstaff it should be no problem but in smaller places?

Thanks so much!

[chumley]

@FireFly
Not sure if you've explored aztrail.org yet. It has a wealth of information.

Specifically you will want to read about resupply points and gateway communities.

I don't believe Wal-Mart will ship to a post office, but many of the gateway communities have locations that will accept a package on your behalf.

You may ship fuel canisters by mail (read about it here)

If you wish to buy fuel along the trail, the only places that are guaranteed to have them are Flagstaff and the south rim of Grand Canyon.

Sierra Vista, Tucson, Phoenix (Mesa), and Payson will have opportunities to purchase fuel, but these communities are not directly on the trail.

[WanderingWildcat]

To answer your question #2 about food -

We do use freeze-dried meals here on trips. They can be purchased at Outfitter stores, and even Wal-Mart sells them. Two most popular brands are Mountain House and Backpackers Pantry. I also order a brand online called Wise Foods.

Also check out http://www.zerodayresupply.com/
You can order food (meals and snacks), medical/first-aid, and other supplies from them and they'll ship your order where you want it.

[FireFly]

@FireFly
Not sure if you've explored aztrail.org yet. It has a wealth of information.

Specifically you will want to read about resupply points and gateway communities.

Yes I had already explored aztrail.org and also found the links to resupply points and gateway communities. It's just not clear to me how much you can actually buy in shops that are located there. What kinds of food they are selling etc.

I don't believe Wal-Mart will ship to a post office, but many of the gateway communities have locations that will accept a package on your behalf.

Do you think Wal-Mart ships to these locations? My problem is that I don't live in the USA and I have nobody locally to support me (able to send packages etc). But if I can just order the food that I need in online shops like Wal-Mart (which has a huge variety of foods) then the whole resupply thing with boxes waiting for me at locations in gateway community becomes so much easier!

You may ship fuel canisters by mail (read about it here)

If you wish to buy fuel along the trail, the only places that are guaranteed to have them are Flagstaff and the south rim of Grand Canyon.

Sierra Vista, Tucson, Phoenix (Mesa), and Payson will have opportunities to purchase fuel, but these communities are not directly on the trail.

So if I can get an online shop willing to send them in that way then there should be no problem. Thanks so much for your reply!

[FireFly]

To answer your question #2 about food -

We do use freeze-dried meals here on trips. They can be purchased at Outfitter stores, and even Wal-Mart sells them. Two most popular brands are Mountain House and Backpackers Pantry. I also order a brand online called Wise Foods.

Also check out http://www.zerodayresupply.com/
You can order food (meals and snacks), medical/first-aid, and other supplies from them and they'll ship your order where you want it.

Thanks for these links! Good to know about these foods and the option to get them shipped to the locations where I need them!

It looks like these meals from Mountain House etc are specific "trekking food" with "boil in the bag" functionality. I can get similar things in Europe, however, I never buy them but use a range of freeze-dried pasta meals that are aimed at students etc. and pack really compact. Pasta with cheese&Ham, pasta with mushroom/Chicken, etc. Tasty enough and they are selling for the equivalent of $0,70 per 120grams/4.2oz bag (in the UK). (Edit: I see now that zerodayresupply.com has similar kind of meals, from Knorr in this case). In some other countries I've eaten lots of freeze dried tortellini (with cheese and meat inside) that worked really well for me.

For different countries I always have to find out what kind of food can be bought locally that works well for me. This is going to be my first time in the USA so I have yet to find that out

[sandyfortner]

As you go into Patagonia, you will find a small grocery store. If you're flexible, you will be able to find food for resupply. It will be a limited variety, and you may wind up with a jar of peanut butter and tortillas, but you can get food. This will be similar in Kearny and Superior if you hitch to those communities. If you hitch into Vail you will have more of a selection since you may be able to have someone drop you at a larger grocery store or a Walmart. Payson has larger grocery stores and a Walmart also if you hitch into town. Flag you can walk through - whether you take the resupply route or Eldon to San Francisco Peaks - you can easily get to just about anything you need. As far as dehydrated food - yep - handy and light-weight. But, then you carry more water or need more water along the trail. If water looks tight, carrying food that's ready to go works out just as well. A small jar of peanut butter or a stick of summer sausage, tortillas, add some misc trail mix or what ever else you have and, voila!, you are dining in style and don't have to worry about water; besides for drinking, of course!

[FireFly]

As you go into Patagonia, you will find a small grocery store. If you're flexible, you will be able to find food for resupply. It will be a limited variety, and you may wind up with a jar of peanut butter and tortillas, but you can get food. This will be similar in Kearny and Superior if you hitch to those communities.

OK, so the range of available foods is really very limited then. I certainly cannot live on peanut butter and tortillas for the whole length of the trip so my resupply strategy then has to be ordering food online and get it delivered to the appropriate places in gateway communities.

If you hitch into Vail you will have more of a selection since you may be able to have someone drop you at a larger grocery store or a Walmart. Payson has larger grocery stores and a Walmart also if you hitch into town. Flag you can walk through - whether you take the resupply route or Eldon to San Francisco Peaks - you can easily get to just about anything you need.

Good to know, thanks!

As far as dehydrated food - yep - handy and light-weight. But, then you carry more water or need more water along the trail. If water looks tight, carrying food that's ready to go works out just as well. A small jar of peanut butter or a stick of summer sausage, tortillas, add some misc trail mix or what ever else you have and, voila!, you are dining in style and don't have to worry about water; besides for drinking, of course!

Yes that's a good point. If your food is not dehydrated, in theory would have to carry less water and provided that you don't spoil any water there would be no net gain in carrying dehydrated food. On the other hand, I think that in practice dehydrated food will work out lighter on average because there will be more opportunities to resupply water than there are opportunities to resupply food.

[sandyfortner]

Firefly - I've sent you a PM with additional info