Firstly, I want to point out that in some states, hitching is frowned upon more than others. Washington State is a bad one, as well as a few other states. There is an interesting article that discusses this a little more here: Hitchiking Laws in the US.  Despite this, I have hitched in almost every state in the United States not counting Alaska and have never been outright ticketed or prohibited from hitching, with two exceptions:  Once was when a friend and I were hitching across Tennessee and some over-enthusiastic local insisted that we take a detour to see the Great Smoky Mountains. I kept telling him that we would rather stick to the Interstate, but I let him persuade us into dropping us off in the middle of Smokey Mountains National Park. Bad Mistake.  A park ranger immediately stopped us and said that hitching in the park was illegal and we could not do it. We were over 50 miles from any park entrance. I asked him if he could give us a lift outside of the park. He said no. I asked him how we were supposed to get out of the park and he said that was not his problem. I then asked him if we could stand by a driveway to a rest area and hold a sign up saying we were trying to get a ride out and he begrudgingly let us do that. Forunatly we were able to get a lift from a young guy who needed someone to talk to on his road trip, or else we would have been stuck walking the 50 miles out of the park.

This happened once more in the Grand Canyon National Park on a hitching trip. A park ranger angrily told us we could not hitch, and said we would have to walk the 28 miles to the park entrance. As soon as he drove off we hurridly hitched a ride and got out of there.  This has not happened to me in other National Parks. Yosemite is a regular hitch hiking stop, as climbers and hikers thumb rides to trail heads. Park rangers and employees will sometimes stop and give you a lift. Why some parks dont allow this and some do is a huge mystery. But you have been warned.

My preference for hitching is the Interstate System. The roads are broad and there is always plenty of traffic. It is easy to get rides going long distances. The interstate system can be a really great way to hitch; however, sometimes Highway Patrol will stop you and tell you can only stand on on-ramps. I tend to ignore them and go beyond the on ramp and up onto the interstate itself. There is usually a bridge that is convenient to stand under that has lots of space for passing cars to stop. It provides shelter in case of rain or brutal sun, and if you get stuck there for the night you can just climb under the alcove  and crash out for the night if its not already occupied by homeless people.

Once I find one of these lovely spots under a bridge, I hang out until I get a ride. At most I usually wait about 2 hours before someone stops.  If it is getting late and the sun is going down, I will usually just climb up into the alcove, crash out for the night, and start again early in the morning after a light snack  of whatever I have in my pack. Eventually someone will stop and pick you up. There is no reason to burn your energy up by walking down the road. You will only succeed in getting blisters, exhausting yourself, or winding up in some lonely country with no shelter around for miles. Find a good spot, and stick to it until your ride comes.

While I am hitching, I try to make it really obvious what I am doing by holding my thumb up nice and high…really getting it out there for people to see. Some hitchers make a sign that has their destination written on it, but I have never been partial to this method and just use the good old fashioned thumb. Whatever you decide to do, just make it clear what you want and don’t expect drivers to be able to read your mind.

Something you will discover quickly enough is that if you are a single male, getting a ride will be much much easier if you have a girl with you. For this reason some guys suggest not hitching unless you can persuade a girl to travel with you. I would like to point out that while it is true that girls can get rides easier,  there are some girls who have a difficult time with the rigors of hitchiking. This must be carefully weighed when considering asking someone to travel with you. Dragging a girl along who is not tough enough to handle sleeping outside in strange places, dealing with weird drivers,  or going without a shower can make an otherwise uneventful trip a living nightmare; however, some girls are really great travelers. Choose your travel partners carefully. A solo trip can be easier than having a companion whose personality collapses under stress, guy or girl.

I am against taking dogs on hitchiking trips or hiking trips or road trips. Although there are lots of people who travel with their pets, many of these people do not seem to be aware of how difficult it is on the animal. One reason for this is that dogs do not shed heat as easy as humans. We have a much more efficiant cooling system, so it is easy to not be aware that a dog is seriously overheating while we might feel only slightly hot. This overheating can cause brain-damage to an animal, but dogs are so faithful that they will continue to follow their owner even when they are killing themselves. Also, consider how difficult things will be while trying to do such simple tasks as using a public restroom or trying to take a bus. If you have a dog with you while traveling, your are greatly limiting yourself, and quite possibly making your animal miserable in the process.

In the last and final part of this article I will go over a few more tips on staying warm and dry and comfortable, and also suggest a few nice places to hitchike through.

-endle

In part one tried to use scary photos of Jeffery Dahmer to disuade you from trying such a dangerous venture; however, here you are at part two, so clearly you  are seriously considering hitting the road. Maybe you have been reading too much Kerouc. Whatever the case, In this section I will discuss what gear is good to carry when heading out.

A friend -having a friend along on a journey can not only provide a little more safety, but can also be a great morale booster. I have found myself on more than one occasion alone in some barren wilderness highway with hardly any traffic passing and felt frighteningly alone. A friend brightens the road. Bring one!

Sleeping Bag -If you only carry one item with you on a hitchhiking trip, that item should be a warm sleeping bag. From my own experiences, and talking with others who have hitchhiked, I would say that this is the undisputed golden item to bring, despite what Douglas Adams may tell you with his ridiculous talk of only carrying a towel.  A single night of trying to stay warm using a towel will be all that it takes to convince you that a sleeping bag should be a top priority. This very well may be your most expensive item

I will not digress on a discussion of the merits of synthetic fill over goose-down, or mummy versus rectangular sleeping bags. There are plenty of websites that cover that topic quite thoroughly.  Suffice it to say that the lighter and smaller the bag, the better, but only if that bag is sufficiently warm enough for a chilly night. I have found that sleeping bags rated around 20 degrees seem to have a good balance of weight versus warmth.  Even in the summer I have found that the nights can turn chilly very quickly, especially in places such as deserts, mountains, and beaches. A decent sleeping bag can be had for around $100( or less if you watch out for sales), which might be a steep price for some, but worth their weight in gold.

Of course, you will be bringing more than one item, so lets talk about what those other items may be,  bearing in mind that it is important to keep your load as small and light-weight as possible. If your pack is bulky and heavy, it can be difficult to load into someone’s car when they stop to pick you up. Also, having a large bulky pack can not only be a heavy burden to carry around, but it can make you very conspicuous when you find yourself having to walk though towns and cities (which will most likely happen,and it will behoove you to not attract certain types of people, i.e. the law and spangers)

Back Pack -My personal preference  for a pack is a black book-pack with all of the labels carefully taken off. This might be accompanied by a fanny pack, where I am able to keep a few items on my person at all times, This has been enough to carry the few items I need and is non-descript enough to not attract undue attention in civilization.LL Bean makes a very stout book bag that has plenty of space, and mesh side pockets for water bottles that I like very much, but of course everyone will have their own preference. If I am going very far I also include a small duffle bag for a few extra items such as a change of clothes.

Army Poncho At most any Army-Surplus store you can find these nifty ponchos. I have been able to use these as a quick makeshift shelter to stay dry in a rain storm, and also as a way to keep my pack and myself dry while walking. These ponchos fold down very light and very small. If you cannot afford one then a piece of plastic can be had at a hardware store for a dollar or two and serve the same purpose.

A water bottle will, quite naturally, be another important item. I have found that one quart of water is sufficient between spots to fill up. If you do not have a water bottle, then a plastic bottle can be retrieved from any gas station trash can and cleaned out thoroughly in the same gas station bathroom with hot water and soap, rinsed well, and then filled up with water. I look for aqua-fina water bottles, because they have a nice wide mouth and seem to be just the right size. ALWAYS fill up your bottle when you get a chance.

A map can be had for a few cents in any library in any town or city you might happen to find yourself in. As a matter of fact, one of the first things I tend to do when I arrive in an unfamiliar place is to go straight to the library. Not only are they heated and air-conditioned quite nicely, but you can use the restroom, fill up your water bottle, and find maps of everywhere you need to go. The local phone books often have maps of the city. An atlas will have highway maps of states. These can all be photo-copied for a few cents. While in the library, you can also use the internet to check email and let everyone know where you are and that you are okay. Also, find out if there are shelters there  if you need a place to stay for the night or a shower. Or a bookstore, or grocery store, or laundrymat. Mark all of these places on the map you just photocopied ….now you have a handy guide to the city.

Music Although it is is extra weight, a smalle cd player, tape player, or mp3 player can often revive the spirit when you are on the side of the road for more than two hours and no one seems to be stopping. Put on an inspiring song such as Van Halen’s “Jump” and you will perk right up. Latley I have found myself bringing audio books along to pass the time.

Bandanas are so multi-use that I wonder now how people ever survive without one or two on their person. I am much like Bilbo Baggins in that I get very upset if I leave home without one. Two is better. They can be used for the obvious nose-blowing as well as a quick towel or sponge bath, a handy tie-down, a hair-band, an eye cover, a bandage and many many other uses.

Some food a couple of chocolate bars or candies stuffed deep inside your pack can be a nice sugar boost. A sandwich from a grocery store deli is a very nice meal. Cookies, crackers, slim-jims or whatever you prefer. Cans can be heavy, and trail mix gets old very quickly. Glass is a stupid thing to bring on a hitchiking trip for many reasons that should be obvious. Zip-Lock bags are the greatest thing in the world to carry your food in, as it will keep the ants out when you have to sleep outside.

A jacket and scarf I find that old army jackets work well for me; however, if you can afford it, outdoor stores sell a wide variety of wind and rain-proof jobs that work well, but cost $$$.  A scarf can provide a lot of extra warmth. If you have never tried one I recommend it.

A change of clothes this can be whatever you like. If it is warm I will have a pair of shorts,  two pairs of socks, and underwear (in addition to what I am wearing on my person). Colder weather will naturally require long pants and perhaps a pair of long-johns. The point is that you can change into a clean pair of clothes at some point while washing your dirty ones at a coin laundry mat.

Bathroom/First-aid kit this will vary from person to person. I personally carry a small bath-bag kit with some asprin, band aids, bronners soap, toothbrush, and a few q-tips. This seems to be sufficient for all of the times I have travelled. I also carry some raw ginger in my fanny-pack for curing motion sickness (it really works but is a very strong flavor).

A knife A knife is useful for many things. I tend to mostly use mine to cut food. I used to carry a large knife for protection, but found that I never used it for such, and quickly shed that heavy object for a small kitchen knife with a plastic handle(like a steak knife). You can find these in a thrift store for less than a dollar. They are small, legal and cut your bagel very nicely, and will also spread cream-cheese. I suppose they could also serve as a weapon if you really needed it to.

A plastic coffee mug Another thrift store item that can be had for under a dollar.I usually carry a few tea bags with me, and stop in a coffee shop or gas station, fill up on hot water, sugar, and cream, and viola! I have a hot cup o tea. I always offer to pay for the hot water first, and most of the time they do not charge me.

A plastic spoon for soup or whatever other food you may be eating. Some outdoor stores have some nice lexan spoons that are perfect for this. Forks are redundant. Leave them at home.

A flashlight or headlamp. These can be nifty little thingees for finding a place to sleep at night, reading before you go to sleep, or waking up to scary noises and shining around while you yell “Whos there?!” over and over in a screechy voice.

There will, of course, be a few more items that you don’t want to leave home without. Some people might want a cell phone, or a pen and notebook. If you are traveling with another person, then a deck of cards can provide some entertainment. A lighter or matches is always nice.The main point is that the fewer items you bring, the lighter your load will be. The above list, if packed properly, weighs under 20 pounds, fold up nicely, and keep you comfortable for many many miles, and can be had for under $200.

Having said all of that, I would also add that for those who have larger budgets, there is a huge array of outdoor equipment that is light-weight and functional that will do just about anything you can think of.  Again, the point is to keep your load small, unobtrusive, but functional for what you will be doing while hitchiking, which is walking, eating, sleeping, riding in cars for long distances and talking to complete strangers about life.

In the next part I will write about ways to get rides, places to avoid, and places of interest.

But despite the danger of getting picked up by a celebrity psycho-path, hitchhiking, just like many adventure sports, can be a perfectly safe past time or mode of travel if one applies common sense and a few safety measures. I  have hitchhiked across the United States in its entirety several times, as well as a few up and down the coast trips in California, Oregon, and Washington,  and have suffered very little damage to my person. Along the way I picked up a few tricks and pointers that may he helpful to know about if you plan on undertaking a trip of your own.

Mostly I have hitched when I had to travel long distances and had very little money, but plenty of time. There are other modes of travel, but the money might not be available.  Don’t despair! A few dollars and some basic supplies can be all one needs to travel.

Having said that, I must say that there are times when I have had a little bit of money to spare, but not quite enough to get me all the way to where I wanted to go. At these times I have quite successfully combined the speed and reliability of the Greyhound transit system with economical hitchhiking.  A little pre-planning can make a big difference in these situations. Greyhound usually has some sort of deal going on, so I always check this first and base my travel plans accordingly. For example, sometimes there is a deal where you purchase a ticket a week in advance, and you get half off the price. When this is the case, I immediately buy a ticket for half of my trip, say from Flagstaff Arizona to Atlanta Georgia, and then spend a week hitching to Flagstaff from California.  After I make it to Flagstaff,  I jump on the bus to continue the rest of the journey.

In the next part of this blog I will write about what sort of gear is good to carry when thumbing it. The gear you carry can make an otherwise cold and miserable trip into a fun and entertaining voyage.