I'm a noob! Some tricks/tips/advice?

[evagreene]

I've been thinking for years that it would be really neat to just get up and leave and travel around the country, but money was always an issue for me. I've been on several road trips before and had the time of my life, but I'm looking for something more adventurous.

Yesterday, I ran into a few kids in Richmond, VA who were travelers and this sounds exactly like what I want to do. But, I'm completely new at this. I saw them using dental floss to sew up holes and patch other parts, but are there any other things I should consider packing that a noob wouldn't think about?

Any advice is greatly appreciated...I literally have no experience in this. Anything about trainhopping, dogs, hitchhicking, etc. would be awesome too. Thanks guys!

 

[xRastaxRuggzx]

good luck, make sure to read alot about places your heading, and even though reading is no substitute for experience, read as much as possible.

 

[wildboy860]

yeah.. I got a tip for yah! dig through trash cans looking for food. sometimes people will give you some food if they have some available, sometimes they will give you money. if they give you money, just go to the next trash can till you find some food, then use the money for booze later on. good luck and make sure to read the forums.

 

[120 Proof Vomit]

make sure you only use dental floss, otherwise you're a poser. that's really all you need to know.

 

[stanktank]

Seriously, you don't need someone to tell you what to pack. Use your brain. To me that's about ninety five percent of it. Tips and tricks are nice but if you can't figure shit out by yourself...well, you've got bigger things to worry about than not knowing what to pack.

 

[Jimmy James]

I've been thinking for years that it would be really neat to just get up and leave and travel around the country, but money was always an issue for me. I've been on several road trips before and had the time of my life, but I'm looking for something more adventurous.

Any advice is greatly appreciated...I literally have no experience in this. Anything about trainhopping, dogs, hitchhicking, etc. would be awesome too. Thanks guys!

Yah...When your on the road, don't trust nobody, unless you really know them WELL. Always keep yer shit with you that you would mind if you would lose it - that's what packs are for. A decent internal frame climbers/ expedition type pack is perfect. You can pick them up used, cheap usually at places like Second Wind Sports, Garage sales and even thrift stores. I bought an awesome Lowe toploader at Salvation Army one day for $15 (this model sells for like $260 new). You neve know WTF you might find at thrift stores, garage sales and even dumpsters...The end of the school year is coming up, spoiled rich kids who go to your local University and are flying home for the summer will be throwing shit out in the dumpsters near their dorms the last week (finals week) of school. I have scored all kinds of shit this way at MSU in Bozeman; perfectly good boomboxes, packs, snowboards, ski boots, all kinds of shit. I even found a good laptop in a dumpster there. Anything I cant use I'll sell locally or give away to friends. Dumpsters can be goldmines, sometimes it's just all about timing and shit. There's a snack food place in town (distributor) you can score cases of day old (past the date) potato chips, cookies you name it. I just scored five cases (all I could carry, was on my bike) of day over date Starbucks 16 oz. Coffee energy drinks and double shots last week in a beverage distributors dumpster. These are just a few examples. You can thrive off decent dumpsters.

On the road, if you cant get food stamps and are broke, need food and dont have time to spange or things are shitty in that dept. where yer at, theres usually a local Food Bank you can hit up... These are just a few tips, search this site and you'll find tons more.

Good luck; as an old wino used to tell me in my home town, life is an excellent teacher, but can be hard as shit. Take advantage of every opportunity to make it easier.

 

[120 Proof Vomit]

around here the bakery gives away day-old bread too. keep an eye out, ask the people that work at bakeries what they do with their day-old stuff.

 

[JBlaze]

Some one posted to read all you can. Reading everything you can get your hands on will only get you so far. Normal travel books will probably serve you little purpose; there are simply very few 'books' written on the subject.
You might be able to get your hands on some relevant info, but not much. You will have to search.

Check out Duffy Little John's book. If you can derive good info from that, you should stay at home.
Amazon.com: Hopping Freight Trains in America (9780944627341): Duffy Littlejohn: Books

Also, the book Evasion. I know, I know; We have all heard the critiques of Evasion. The book might offer you some inspiration and yes, also some good knowledge. CWC Books : Evasion

There are some others out there. I will leave the list short because I want to place emphasis on the inability of a book to convey real experience.

The only way you will learn ANYTHING is by doing.
This sort of doing is of another kind though. You DO need to take very serious safety precautions before riding freight OR hitchhiking.

OK. The last thing you should be worrying about is taking dental floss.

The two most important pieces of gear in my world are a good backpack and a good sleeping bag...Worry about obtaining those before you worry about the assortment of patches you will be taking.

After that, get a good tarp and a method of carrying water, preferably large amounts of it. Actually: get as many water carrying contraptions as you can muster. You will need them.

You can work wonders with just those right there. Everything else beyond that truly is luxury.

Get a good map. You will need less clothes than you are probly thinking, although a pair of "khakiflauge" might be useful.

more than knowing what to pack is knowing what to look for. Knowing what to look for can only be learned through experience.

Go out there and do it. Dont accept everything that is offered to you. Meet other people, people your age might be easier to start with....

Everything else is all hands on..

 

[stanktank]

"Everytime some fool posts 'READ EVASION' I wanna PUKE"

hahahah true!

 

[Beppy]

"Why is it that freaks and fanatics are always so sure of them selves, yet the wiser of us are always so full of doubts?" -Bertrand Russel
that's twice this week this quote has come my way in very different forums