Introduction

[Prufrock]

My name is Tim and I'm a 20 year old male from Wichita, KS.

To begin with, I'll have to be completely honest -- I know absolutely nothing about trains or how to ride them, except from watching them roll by my house every day. However, I've been dreaming about catching out for years -- just to get out, adventure, be free. "Rambler's spirit," I suppose you could call it. Recently I made the decision to pursue this lifestyle, and as I began to plan, I realized that I had no idea what the hell I was doing.

I saw this forum and thought that it might be a good way to talk to the veterans, hear their experiences, and maybe pick up a few pieces of advice.

Also, just to clarify -- this is not something I want to do because I think it's "cool" or "trendy." As Hank Williams said, "Let me travel this land from the mountains to the sea, 'cause that's the life I believe He meant for me." This is very much the lifestyle that I want.

Thanks all for your time.

 

[CardBoardBox]

Welcome to the site! There's definitely a large amount of useful information around here, as well as people's trials and stories they've had. I'm not much for trains- Maybe one day, but where I stand right now I'm pretty fearful of a screaming metal deathtrap (not to mention all the horror stories of the bulls kickin' people's ass). I think a good dose of fear, or being wary, is healthy though. Have you ever done much hitching or travelling on your own? It's kind of the place to start. There's far more to the site than just train hopping. It's about being self sufficient, surviving on the system and alternative ways to living relatively money free.

 

[Kim Chee]

Gotta start somewhere.

beginner traveler is to trains as a terrorist is to highly enriched uranium.

Check this stuff out: http://squattheplanet.com/search/110687/?q=train&t=post&o=date&c[node]=7

Welcome to StP.

 

[Fungus]

Allen Ginsberggggggggggg.​

 

[Prufrock]

Welcome to the site! There's definitely a large amount of useful information around here, as well as people's trials and stories they've had. I'm not much for trains- Maybe one day, but where I stand right now I'm pretty fearful of a screaming metal deathtrap (not to mention all the horror stories of the bulls kickin' people's ass). I think a good dose of fear, or being wary, is healthy though. Have you ever done much hitching or travelling on your own? It's kind of the place to start. There's far more to the site than just train hopping. It's about being self sufficient, surviving on the system and alternative ways to living relatively money free.

Thanks for this. I've actually not done any travelling on my own, and I thought (apparently incorrectly) that trains would be a good place to start. But I'll check out the other stuff, thanks again!