Buying gear, then off I go.

[MadScientist]

Hey there, everyone! My name is Jack, but a few friends call me the Mad Scientist so perhaps I'll take that as my moniker.
I'm a nineteen year old male who hails from Northern Michigan.

I'm from a lower middle class family and I graduated from high school in 2013, I attended one semester of college before deciding it wasn't for me (right now at least) and then I joined the military. I was in the Air Force before I was seperated for health reasons.

I spent a month in Marquette, Michigan before going down to New Orleans for another month. When I came back home I wanted to get the hell out so I was planning a trip over seas to Japan when I came across a post from Huck on Reddit and started reading into the vagabond life. As far as I'm concerned, everything is worth trying once as long as it's not meth.

So, I'm getting a part time job right now to save up some money and buy gear and then hitch my way to Chicago. Who knows how long I'll be at it, but it'll be an adventure and that's for sure.

 

[Tude]

Welcome aboard! We have lots of good info on the different (and many) types of equipment needed as well as people offering up advice on what to take, what not to take, etc. Have fun!!

 

[Art101]

What wait you have to try meth once or twice to be a true vagabond,but seriousy welcome and good luck there is a ton of great info and alot of fun like Tude said but man never write off the meth its great for your teeth mind and general outlook.

 

[Deleted member 20]

Welcome to the site @MadScientist . Good luck getting the gear together & hitting the road. I use craigslist for most of my gear. I buy military issue gear mostly from returning vets from overseas deployment who never want to see camo again. Good luck

 

[Art101]

I too perfer the camo but look for the old bdu,s they blend better at night but ya milspec is the way to go and its usually not to expensive.

 

[DonnyDerelict]

Welcome aboard, and see ya around.

 

[Deleted member 20]

I dont actually wear the camo @Ghostbo for camo properties since i have seen few camo trains. Most of the abu/acu stuff blends well with the dirty grey grainers but I wear black dickies or bdu woodlands cutoffs since thats what i always wear. Since most freight trains have been spray painted with graf its not necessary to be camod up. I meant stuff like packs, goretex rain gear, goretec bivy sacks, sleeping bags etc. I am a [HASHTAG]#hoboninja[/HASHTAG] & have been for decades crossing intl borders & never been arrested yet. riding solo is the best advice I can offer but most kids lack the experience, common sense & confidence to survive.

 

[DonnyDerelict]

I dont actually wear the camo @Ghostbo for camo properties since i have seen few camo trains.

Naw, dawg. You're doin' it all wrong. You gotta get ALL USGI old school woodland camo gear and unlock the all matching gear stealth perk. You can't unlock it til you kill your first dragon, though.

(if you've never played skyrim, read the following instead)

Naw dawg. You're doin' it wrong. You gotta spray paint the train camo so it matches your gear.

 

[Tude]

Naw, dawg. You're doin' it all wrong. You gotta get ALL USGI old school woodland camo gear and unlock the all matching gear stealth perk. You can't unlock it til you kill your first dragon, though.

(if you've never played skyrim, read the following instead)

Naw dawg. You're doin' it wrong. You gotta spray paint the train camo so it matches your gear.

OK, I'll admit - you had me till I re-read dragon twice.

 

[Art101]

Lol at camo train I guess its also what I got used to wearing and have stuck with it.The one time I tried to hop in ACU'S I got caught so it might be a healthy level of paranoia

 

[xOo]

Since most freight trains have been spray painted with graf its not necessary to be camod up.

You could just paint your stuff in a rainbow of the most common Ironlak colors. Heard that works well too.

 

[Deleted member 20]

I can hop trains in a bright ass yellow dress or hot pink feety pajamas & not get caught. When I first started hopping trains we were still able to have conversations with railroad workers & ask them questions. Thanks to the increase of camo wearing dumb ass, drunk dirty kids riding trains in groups, with pitbulls etc we are now more & more regarded as criminals. Please lets not all blame 9/11 for this since its bullshit! We were dealing with spots getting blown up & the influx of poseur dirty kids fucking shit up before & after that. We need to leave railroad workers with a good taste in their mouths & have them envious of our freedom. I think we want to continue the nostalgia & americana that is the american hobo. I have actually seen filthy ass kids with packs, banjos & dogs spanging (travelin, hungry & broke) on street corners while housed up at their parents house. I am unsure how many hundreds of kids who look traincore as hell & have never traveled anywhere; no hitchhiking, no train hopping not even a fucking megabus. How many gutterpunks are there in NYC that havent left that fucking city yet? The more I am active on this website the more I feel like an elitist for offering my opinion through actual longterm first hand experiences. Do I hate newcomers? I must look inwardly as this personal struggle to determine if I hate all young people or just the arrogant & ignorant ones.

 

[Tude]

WHEW! hehe @highwayman glad ya got the derailment of this thread more on line (yeah I was one of the guilty ones).

 

[Deleted member 20]

It was actually the intro of @MadScientist . Fuck we get off track easy around here huh? Sorry peeps but when I get up to the pulpit I feel the need to preach!::rules::

 

[Art101]

dumbass camo wearing really mmm go hop in a yellow dress all you want I dont care for the new breed of riders myself but Ive got plenty of riding time myself and I know what works for me .

 

[Art101]

Sorry I woke up and read that last little tirade and rubbed me a little wrong.Im sure you are trying to make a valid point.I may not be currently riding as of right now but Ive got a ton o miles and time and when I started camo (bdu,s) were all that was availiable that could really stand up to the punishment.I personally stick with what I know works for me as I stated earlier,when I was offering my experience and advice.Personally I want to try and catch out in my Kilt but that will prob be a spring summer piece of riding gear.Anyways

 

[Deleted member 20]

Well a woodland utilikilt may be just what the doctor order in the summer, @Ghostbo My point was that all though I am the [HASHTAG]#hoboninja[/HASHTAG] I am not constantly concealing myself. Every situation is different, some times I wont need to enter a yard until my train rolls up & other times I am taking showers inside locker rooms & using the microwave to heat up food. I think its all about reading physical/electronic security systems & acting as if you are supposed to be there at times. I have experimented with hopping in jeans, work boots, carhart jacket, safety csx vest & hardhat before but the one thing thats hard to conceal is the pack. Some times if you are the only one wearing camo among others you stand out like a sore thumb. I def think that some yards require ducking & hiding 100% of the time since railroad workers are already in the habit of pretending that they own the railroad or are some sort of deputized bulls since they draw a paycheck from the RR(it may break up the boredom of their day too) I have bibs, coveralls, current/former issue mil spec uniforms. I mean everything from the boots/socks to the belt, cover, rain gear, tactical gear, ghillie suit/veil etc Then again, I have been known to purposefully sneak across active border crossings, evade police/bulls on wild goose chases & enter military installations for fun!!! Sometimes I just hide in plain sight while wearing what everyone else is wearing or get all rambo like. \
Lets get back on track @Ghostbo this aint a thread about whats in our wardrobe all though it will surely benefit @MadScientist Since you were in the USAF, perhaps you have some camo, packs, boots, coveralls, etc that will work fine for you, combined with whatever normal clothes that you already wear/like. Its best to be yourself & be comfortable in all situations, dark/muted colors work but again your terrain is constantly changing. If you are actively pursued & can hide in the bushes somewhere that is when the camo will come into play. We have tons of threads where members go back & forth about gear. Instead of creating another competing thread & further getting this intro thread off rack lets all try to stay on topic.