Mailing stuff to yourself via USPS post offices (1 Viewer)

[Jay H]

Anybody have experience in mailing packages to yourself via the post office?

Been told to send it to :

Jay H
General Delivery
Anytown, ME, Anyzip

Hold for delivery xx/xx


Jay

 

[Jeff Hoak]

Why?

 

[dave_brogli]

I tihnk he got in grandpas tobacco stash b4 he wrote that......
lol

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Maybe he's on travel and can't carry that much stuff home.

 

[Jay H]

Bike tourists and thruhikers do this all the time. I'm biking to Maine and don't want to carry (all) my hiking gear to climb Katahdin in Baxter State Park. So I was going to mail my daypack and hiking boots and some odds and ends that I don't want to carry the 700 odd miles to Baxter from where I live. Appalachian Trail and other thruhikers do this often, mail themselves packages at certain strategic stops on the AT. No way is a person carrying enough food for 2000+ miles on the trail and eating out and/or getting food locally can be expensive and/or time consuming. I'm just doing the same thing!

Turns out I may be delaying my Maine trip, and if so, might not have to mail myself my hiking gear anyway...

Jay

 

[TonyD]

did you check with the po that you want to mail that stuff too?

many po's won't accept mail being held for general delivary.

 

[Jeff Hoak]

OK... I understand now... I read it as going to the local mailbox and sending something to my house. HUH???

In the context of traveling (especially by bike or foot)it makes perfect sense.

Having said that... I asked a friend who is the postmistress (sp?) of the local PO and she said that "general delivery" and "hold for" are STRONGLY discouraged. She told me that she'd have to check and see if such things were even permitted by the 40,000+ pages of postal regulations. On the other hand she believes that there are a LOT of "small town" POs that still will do it.

Seems like kind of a gamble though...

 

[Glenn Overholt]

I am sure that the post office will hold your mail if you are going away on vacation. They don't want anyone else to steal your junk mail.

Glenn

 

[McPaul]

General Delivery
Anytown, ME, Anyzip


who the heck lives here, and where is Anytown ME? don't your zips need to be 5 numbers rather than 6 letters?

ignorant canadian question...

 

[David Preston]

I tihnk he got in grandpas tobacco stash b4 he wrote that......
lol
I am still laughing at this one. I see what he is talking about now though.

 

[Jay H]

OK, I'll perhaps give the fine ole folks in Millinocket a ring, they are typical small town anyway, they only have 1 post office (although I live in a one PO town too). I know a bunch of the towns near the AT do it, and Katahdin is the northern terminus of the AT so it might not be that unheard of.

Sorry for the vague subject, looking at it now, it does seem odd

Jay

 

[Chris_Morris]

I know our PO will do this. We are right on the App. Trail, and have several hikers do just this. See them alot at the PO unpacking boxes/loading up backpacks.


Chris

 

[Jay Heyl]

If you're going to be staying at a hotel in the area, you could probably have it sent to yourself there. Hotels do this kind of thing all the time. I'd be sure to alert them beforehand, particularly if the package is likely to show up more than a day or two before your scheduled arrival.

 

[Malcolm R]

Hmmm....
...Jay H
...Jay Heyl

Not talking to yourself, are you Jay?

 

[Jay H]

Hey Malcolm, I've already mentioned to Jay Heyl that he can join the HTF "Jay H" club here, 2 members strong (so far, I haven't checked the member list, there may be more lurkers out there...) But I beat him here by a month!

As far as a Hotel, I would be staying at Roaring Brook campsite in Baxter so I could send it to the park but I don't think that would be the park ranger's job to collect mail so Millinocket is on the way so it's just as easy to stop by the post office there and pick it up. Then I'll only have about 25 miles to strap it to my rack or wear it on my back.

Jay