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 krypto2000
Unknown
Registered: 12/05/06
Posts: 11,579
Last seen: 4 years, 5 months
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 Thinking about hitch hiking 
#10361189 - 05/18/09 08:56 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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I've lost my job, and very recently, with the exception of one, lost all of my friends as well (none on bad terms, though I am sad and lonely quite often as a result), so... I'm very bored, got no cash, and not much to do. I don't particularly want cash, cause besides paying my rent, debt, and bills, there's nothing in particular I can think that I'd do with it, probably buy more expensive alcohol and smoke more pot is all.
So, with that said, one of the things I'm considering doing is hitch hiking to various places and... well, just seeing what I can do there. I figured I could meet people one the way hitching, hopefully improve my social skills (I can talk to people if I'm around em, but introducing myself is a big problem for me, just seems kinda pointless), see various cities/landmarks w/e, and just.. pass the time really.
I'm not sure how feasible this is though. You really don't hear about people hitch hiking in America anymore. I get the impression we've all become too anti social and assume everyone who will pick us up (if you're the hitcher) or that you pickup (if you're the hitchee) wants to kill you and rape your dead body from the way people act these days. I always assume the best of people, and I'm rarely wrong so I'm not really worried about getting into any person harm. My biggest worries are that no one will pick me up or I'll just be stuck somewhere far from home and get sick and fucked in one way or another.
So, I suppose I'd just like to hear any fellow stories, tips, advice, or w/e yunno. Give me encouragement, ideas for places to go (I live in Richmond Va, was thinking maybe D.C. for my first trip, stay over night if need be can't see it taking more than a day to go one way). Oh, and one thing I was specifically wondering, about how long does it take to get places. Any kind of idea would help immensely. I've not once hitched before so I'm fairly nervous about doing it, I just imagine me standing on the road for 3 hours with my thumb in the air getting no where, giving up, and going home feeling defeated.
Edited by krypto2000 (05/18/09 08:56 PM)
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 10,675
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: krypto2000]
#10361462 - 05/18/09 09:48 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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digihitch.com could probably answer alot of your questions..
I've hitched all over BC in the summers, and ALL through the states from Florida to Washington State (riding trains aswell) - Infact i was catching a ride home yesterday and after a flat tire and police harassment ended up hitching two rides home, just yesterday!
I know shroomism has hitched alot... + there's a few others around here that have tramped around. (Do a search for hitch hiking on these forums, there was one recently in the outdoors forum.)
Its kind of sketchy in the states, i regularly ran into State troopers who threatened me with arrest :S - but you can get by...
It can take lots of time to get somewhere, i've rarely waited more than a few hours for a ride and its often less than an hour if i am by myself.
If your young/clean/innocent/presentable looking + organized you will do better than if your a stinky traveller with a dog, banjo, backpack and duffel bag.... ya know?
Avoid the freeways and take secondary highways, they move at a slower speed, and are travelled by people not in a rush who are more likely to pick you up, and there's way less police.
Um... Stay away from the missions, the food is crap and homeless people in the states (or most bigger cities) are FUCKING NUTS.
Be proficient at urban camping - dont sleep on a bench.. or in a park where you'll get sprinklered. Be creative + stay out of sight.
Be careful who you trust..
Getting rides is easy, your sure to meet interesting folks + probably some sketchy ones.
Its all about the journey and not the destination.
Also, pack light!
Forget about your regular comforts like showering or shaving daily... Dont obsesses about getting somewhere, just enjoy the ride.
You plan on looking for work, or dumpster diving, or got money saved, or what?
First hitch hiked at 16, went out all across Canada and the US at 18... been around since.
Goodtimes!
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GO OUTSIDE.
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krypto2000
Unknown
Registered: 12/05/06
Posts: 11,579
Last seen: 4 years, 5 months
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: PDU]
#10361520 - 05/18/09 10:00 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Well I don't plan to go very far, at least not at first, just 1, maybe 2, nights out at the most. I can afford that, I have some money saved up, not much now though it's mostly gone, and unemployment. In the worst of cases though I figured I could always get by on begging alone, food is cheap and I've gotten money that way quite quickly before.
So what did you used to hitch around for? I have a bunch of time on my hands so I'm kinda looking for ideas of where to go and do. Or just hear a good story 
edit: btw, I'm looking around this site, digihitch.com, and it's pretty interesting, thank for the link. And a question I meant to ask but forgot, could you tell me more about part time work and dumpster diving. I didn't really think of those as options before, but that sounds interesting. Can you get part time work as in, a couple days worth or so? How would you go about this?
Edited by krypto2000 (05/18/09 10:11 PM)
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 arainbow
Hippy
Registered: 02/04/08
Posts: 691
Loc: Palnet Earth
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: PDU]
#10361568 - 05/18/09 10:10 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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the rainbow trail is just getting started this
time of year ya can spend the next 3 or 4 months
hitching from gathering to gathering theres
still a few kind of like communes around the
rainbows could tell ya about
this link may serve you well
http://welcomehome.org
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There is more joy in heaven over one of us perfected,
than over ninety-nine naturally evolved angels.
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fung_us_among_us
Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 6,906
Loc: Central Oregon 
Last seen: 2 months, 5 days
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: arainbow]
#10361585 - 05/18/09 10:15 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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I agree with PDU about checking out digihitch.com, it's got a lot of great information on there.
About eight months ago I hitched down from oregon, through the central valley of california and out here to the desert. It was a good trip, had a buddy from OR with me and we didn't run into any problems. The only bad part was drinking too much.
I've been thinking about going on another hitching trip though, it's a whole lot of fun. Also looking into *actual* hiking.. the Pacific Crest trail in particular.
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krypto2000
Unknown
Registered: 12/05/06
Posts: 11,579
Last seen: 4 years, 5 months
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What is the rainbow trail exactly? I looked around the site a bit, but I'm feeling lazy atm and would appreciate someone else just telling me too  .
What do you mean hitching around from gathering to gathering? As I look on the site I get the impression it's just a single gathering, apparently in NM this year, but it also, from what I can see, does not say when! 
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 10,675
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: krypto2000]
#10362073 - 05/19/09 12:04 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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So your planning on keeping the place you rent?
Hitching will be alot more fun if you give up your commitments/attachments and just hit the road... If you keep your things/bills/place you will always be worried about that, instead of living in the moment, on the road..
I was going to suggest the rainbow trail aswell. Haven't done it myself, but my trip to the states was to go to the national...
There's gatherings all over, once your in the loop you can travel to the regionals in the US, canada and even mexico (as far as i know.)... If your looking to find out about regionals, join a "rainbow light line" (google it) and you should be able to join an email message list which will give you a heads up on gatherings (although keep in mind, the rainbows keep the location secret until closer to the event time...)
You could also do the Jam festival circuit (sneek in, no need for tickets!)
Go to the gathering and travel forum here and look at all there is to do.
I recommend picking a destination close to your locale and making your way West - California and Oregon particularly, if i was you id check out the mountains of Montana, Moab utah, Boulder Colorado, Ashville North Carolina, San Fransisco, Portland...
BUT if your not ready for a cross country multi month adventure... keep your homebase and hitch around to gatherings, at least do that.
Dont just hitch to some city, stay the night and hitch back cause that will be pretty dull.
The rainbow national would be a good place to start.
Festivals: Emerg-n-see, burningman, 10,000 lakes fest, wakarusa, okanagan barter fair, bonnaroo, etc etc etc.
When i did my summer of hitching i left with northface school backpack which i found, and tied a 1 man tent to the outside.
In Toronto i upgraded to a 40L MEC backpacking pack.
Had a 10+ Celsius sleeping bag ($20), hoodie, couple teeshirts, socks, underware, jeans, flannel, bandana, multitool + knife. Shoes 3 sizes too big for me, journal, camera. Picked up a pair of overalls in Florida. $500 bucks.
Ran out of money in Minneapolis, flew a sign saying "Good morning. Im going home to Canada" and people were quite cheritable.
Only time i've ever "begged"
Sell art, collect cans, do temp labour or play music - dont beg. :S - although hitching, people often give you money or buy you meals/give you clothes.
Dumpster dive - go to big grocery store, go in dumpster, come out with food. They throw out all sorts of produce with blemishes, bread products,cakes, donuts, chips, expired yogurt/cheese/milk/soy/tofu/etc - pick out the good stuff.
donut stores are notorious for having good dumpsters.
Part time work - just tramp around for awhile and you'll find something. I've had rides pay me to do random jobs before... and then theres seasonal work..
Come up to the Okanagan Valley BC (Canada) and go cherry picking. Its under the table and you can make $100-$300 a day depending how good you are. Lots of quebecois punks..
Apperently theres sugar beet harvest in the midwest US (although thats already done.) - im sure there's lots of under the table agricultural work all over...
"looking for temporary work." or "will work for room and board."
OR even better, go wwoofing! (willing workers on organic farms) learn to farm, volunteer work for a roof and food and meet cool people...
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GO OUTSIDE.
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blewmeanie
Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: PDU]
#10362238 - 05/19/09 12:42 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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krypto2000
Unknown
Registered: 12/05/06
Posts: 11,579
Last seen: 4 years, 5 months
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: blewmeanie]
#10362274 - 05/19/09 12:55 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Is there any common ways I can use a computer along the way. I actually wasn't planning long trips before, but I'm considering it now.
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blewmeanie
Registered: 10/01/06
Posts: 28,984
Loc:
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: krypto2000]
#10362284 - 05/19/09 12:58 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Laptop
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Shroomism
Space Travellin
Registered: 02/13/00
Posts: 66,015
Loc: 9th Dimension
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: krypto2000]
#10362292 - 05/19/09 01:01 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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As hitchhiking is illegal in most states (definitely in VA) you usually want to try and avoid main roads.
Although cops would probably just tell you to GTFO and you can walk a half mile and keep thumbing it
The vast majority of people who pick up hitchhikers are cool, helpful, friendly and curious..
but you still want to be cautious of freaks and speed junkies and the like. If you get a bad vibe don't do it.
A lot of people who are traveling along are usually happy to have some company, and will just want to hear about your adventures what you are doing etc.
Sometimes you will run across 'trail angels' who may bestow you with miracles in the form of food, drink, money, rides etc.
As a general rule don't fuck with anyone and no one will fuck with you..
pack light and minimal but bring the necessities - a good sleeping bag, lightweight shelter or tarp if you plan on sleeping outside, a change of clothes, socks, headlamp, knife, hat, string/rope, couple bandaids and an open mind
If you cant lug a laptop around you can get internet at libraries and some net cafes and whatnot or sneak into college computer areas etc.
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krypto2000
Unknown
Registered: 12/05/06
Posts: 11,579
Last seen: 4 years, 5 months
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: Shroomism]
#10363654 - 05/19/09 10:06 AM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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I've looked into it and afaik hitchiking is legal everywhere in the U.S. pretty much, except if a sign is posted otherwise, mainly only on highways from what I understood.
Would it be a bad idea to bring some ganj? Not a necessity, but it'd be nice to have.
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PDU
travel kid vs.amerika
Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 10,675
Loc: beautiful BC
Last seen: 8 years, 7 months
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: krypto2000]
#10365426 - 05/19/09 05:20 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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Id consider ganj heatscore - Some friends got sent home several provinces on a bus, because they got stopped for hitch hiking and searched.
I second using libraries internet. FUCK laptops for hitch hiking.
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GO OUTSIDE.
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boletusoftruth
Psychedelic Funk
Registered: 10/03/07
Posts: 1,133
Loc: MASS
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: Thinking about hitch hiking [Re: PDU]
#10365495 - 05/19/09 05:34 PM (14 years, 10 months ago) |
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http://www.couchsurfing.org/
Not a bad site to look into.
Basically people who agree to let you crash in their house for a night if you need someplace to stay 
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