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theycallmej
07-19-2010, 02:42
Hey guys-- I posted in a similar topic about getting to the trail's northern terminus in Maine, and as I'm going by Greyhound I decided to research what would be okay to bring along on the bus and how to take my belongings. needles to say I'm spending hours on this subject and I need assistance!

I'm curious as to how I should bring my pack and items. The things I have are
20 lbs. of gear that will go into my pack
My hiking poles (I don't want these to get damaged in the least bit-- what's a good way to insure their well-being while I travel greyhound?)
My Osprey Xenon 85. This is the most important thing seeing as I don't want the frame or any part of it to get damaged either.

What I've thought to be so far as the best plan of action is to: pack all of my items, aside from the pack, into a rolling case or a large duffel bag and either have that put in the under-compartment of the bus or into an overhead storage bin and take the internal frame backpack as my carry-on. Does anyone have experience with greyhound and could tell me what the best route to take would be for all of this?

Marta
07-19-2010, 07:25
Your best bet is to keep your stuff where you can see it at all times. The consequences of losing your gear are pretty unpleasant.

You might want to put the hiking poles (and any other questionable items) in a separate mailing tube, with appropriate name and phone # labels. If they won't let you carry the poles into the passenger compartment, you can let them stow the poles underneath.

bigcranky
07-19-2010, 07:29
I would put everything, including my empty pack, in a big duffle bag and check it. Then watch carefully at each stop so the duffle doesn't get "accidentally" taken out of the luggage compartment. (Has happened to several hikers.) You can donate the duffle when you get to Maine.

For carry on stuff, I'd probably use my little ditty bag.

boarstone
07-19-2010, 08:07
Ship via UPS to hostel in Millenocket.

rpenczek
07-19-2010, 08:41
If you can afford to ship your gear via UPS, that is likely the safest option with the added benefit of traveling with a simple (read small/light) carry on.

I just got back from an Illinois to New Mexico and back trip with 23 other people on the train. We put our packs inside large duffle bags to help ensure no buckels or straps were not dammaged. I strapped my hiking poles to my pack (inside my duffle), but a good number of people brought them (poles) right on the train with them and put them in the overhead to ensure they stayed safe.

I am not sure if the Dog is the same as Amtrak, but there were no Airport like baggage checks or restrictions to what was brought into the passanger compartment of the train. Heck, we even had access to the baggage compartment on the train (there was no seperate bagge car, btu a compartment on the lower level of the train).

burger
07-19-2010, 08:56
Contrary to the above posters, my advice is to not worry. If the bus you're taking isn't too full, just take your pack with you and sit it on the seat next to you. If the bus is full, take out your wallet/phone/whatever and toss the pack into the cargo bin--it'll be fine. On buses, you can usually load your own pack into the cargo bins, so you can put it in a safe place. Your hiking poles will be fine if you collapse them and either slip them into your pack or into a side pocket.

I've done a bunch of bus trips with my pack, and I've never even come close to having a problem. Don't bother with a duffel bag. Don't ship your pack UPS. Have a fun trip.

DapperD
07-19-2010, 09:53
Hey guys-- I posted in a similar topic about getting to the trail's northern terminus in Maine, and as I'm going by Greyhound I decided to research what would be okay to bring along on the bus and how to take my belongings. needles to say I'm spending hours on this subject and I need assistance!

I'm curious as to how I should bring my pack and items. The things I have are
20 lbs. of gear that will go into my pack
My hiking poles (I don't want these to get damaged in the least bit-- what's a good way to insure their well-being while I travel greyhound?)
My Osprey Xenon 85. This is the most important thing seeing as I don't want the frame or any part of it to get damaged either.

What I've thought to be so far as the best plan of action is to: pack all of my items, aside from the pack, into a rolling case or a large duffel bag and either have that put in the under-compartment of the bus or into an overhead storage bin and take the internal frame backpack as my carry-on. Does anyone have experience with greyhound and could tell me what the best route to take would be for all of this?Taking the Greyhound any long distance has to be one of the worst experiences in my opinion. I travelled by greyhound a couple of times long distance, and it was horrible. They travel so far and then stop, travel a little more and stop, etc...just really stinks. Also get rowdy people, kids throwing things, etc...and I cringe at the thought of leaving my valuable gear under the bus for it to be lost or stolen.

Slo-go'en
07-19-2010, 11:20
I have taken many a bus ride to the trail, as it is the most convenient and least expensive way for me to travel. It's not the most pleasent way to travel though. Don't expect to get much of any sleep! You will be a zombie at the end of the trip, so plan to take a day to sleep once you get where your going.

Most packs have loops to hang your poles on the back of the pack. That is what I do. I also wrap the waist band around the back of the pack and clip it to hold the bottom of the poles in place better and so the strap isn't flopping around. Cinch up the shoulder straps too.

Try to get a seat near the front of the bus. It is less bummpy and noisy. Also get an asle seat. That way some super sized person will not sit next to you and crush you up against the window. This also allows you to be off the bus quickly and watch the luggage being unloaded so you can grab your stuff right away.

The only time you really need to pay attention is if you need to do a transfer and the bus your on is continuing onto some place else. In this case you must make sure your pack comes off the bus. This happend to me once, when my pack got hidden behind other stuff and I had to argue with the luggage handler that I had something under there.

IceAge
07-19-2010, 11:35
The only time you really need to pay attention is if you need to do a transfer and the bus your on is continuing onto some place else. In this case you must make sure your pack comes off the bus. This happend to me once, when my pack got hidden behind other stuff and I had to argue with the luggage handler that I had something under there.


From my experience on the Dog, it is also completely up to you to make sure that if you need to transfer to another bus, that there will actually be another bus there. It has happened to me, you get off at Station A to catch a bus to station B, then they tell you that the bus to Station B doesn't run that day.

Luddite
07-19-2010, 11:35
Taking the Greyhound any long distance has to be one of the worst experiences in my opinion. I travelled by greyhound a couple of times long distance, and it was horrible. They travel so far and then stop, travel a little more and stop, etc...just really stinks. Also get rowdy people, kids throwing things, etc...and I cringe at the thought of leaving my valuable gear under the bus for it to be lost or stolen.

I've rode a greyhound all the way from green river, utah to west palm beach, fl and it was also one of the worst experiences of my life. It doesn't matter if its 2am, when they stop somewhere all the lights turn on and its impossible to continue sleeping. You most likely won't get any sleep because your knees will be so squeezed in they'll hurt. Even though the bus seems to stop every 20 minutes thats too long for a lot of folks so the bathroom is always filled with smoke. The bus always smells like those disgusting Arby's roast beef sandwiches because Arby's is virtually the only restaurant they at. Then, they have thse bone head security guards who like to causally run a metal detector over you at 3 or 4 in the morning. I had a huge gerber blade in my pocket I completely forgot to stick in my backpack and the dumb security guard didn't even find it on me. The bus drivers are grumpy and hate to answer any questions. The people who work in the stations are even grumpier. While waiting in line DO NOT STEP IN FRONT OF THE YELLOW LINE or you will hear about. I hope you like drugs because you'll be able to buy them on the bus, probably from the guy sitting next to you or at one of the stations. By the time you get to your destination you'll be so sleep deprived and so mal nourished that you will most likely catch a cold.

theycallmej
07-19-2010, 14:03
I've rode a greyhound all the way from green river, utah to west palm beach, fl and it was also one of the worst experiences of my life. It doesn't matter if its 2am, when they stop somewhere all the lights turn on and its impossible to continue sleeping. You most likely won't get any sleep because your knees will be so squeezed in they'll hurt. Even though the bus seems to stop every 20 minutes thats too long for a lot of folks so the bathroom is always filled with smoke. The bus always smells like those disgusting Arby's roast beef sandwiches because Arby's is virtually the only restaurant they at. Then, they have thse bone head security guards who like to causally run a metal detector over you at 3 or 4 in the morning. I had a huge gerber blade in my pocket I completely forgot to stick in my backpack and the dumb security guard didn't even find it on me. The bus drivers are grumpy and hate to answer any questions. The people who work in the stations are even grumpier. While waiting in line DO NOT STEP IN FRONT OF THE YELLOW LINE or you will hear about. I hope you like drugs because you'll be able to buy them on the bus, probably from the guy sitting next to you or at one of the stations. By the time you get to your destination you'll be so sleep deprived and so mal nourished that you will most likely catch a cold.

Well, that's exactly what I'm looking for. Guess I'll book my ticket right away. :-?

Donnie
07-19-2010, 14:14
I have done a decent amount of time on the dog and it was just what I wanted: a cheap ride and nothing more. Sure, it is unpleasant to stop at every stop and deal with shady passengers but you will get to where you are trying to go.

As far as pack stowage is concerned, I have always simply left all of my items in my pack with exception of a dry sack containing sleeping clothes that I use for a pillow while on the bus. I have never had any problems leaving my trekking poles collapsed and stuffed into the sides of my Atmos 50 nor have I had to worry about broken buckles. Although combustables like fuel are banned on the bus, take them aboard anyway. I have never had any of my items searched nor have I seen others been subject to search. Like most things with travel, you simply have to use common sense and take the responsibility to do everything you can to make sure things go smoothly.
For instance, although it may be bothersome, sit at the window seat of the same side of the bis your pack is stowed. At each stop, watch to make sure no one walks off with it (and this is usually easy to tell because most people won't travel with hiking packs) and then resume sleeping next to the fatty beside you. At connecting terminals, try to exit the bus as soon as possible and wait by the stowage area where your pack is. If you have to, bug the people working to load and unload items to ensure you get your pack; they usually aren't pleasant anyway and your life is basically entirely encapsulated within that bag. With that being said, be sure to thank them when they grab your stuff.


Overall, I am sure I will ride the hound again. Although rarely pleasant, it is cheap and more reliable than hitch-hiking long distances. Good luck getting to where you want to go!

full conditions
07-19-2010, 14:51
Here's something else: I just checked with priceline for flight fares from Asheville, NC to Burlington, VT for a long trail hike - roundtrip runs a bit over 200 and you're there in about 4 hrs. Greyhound was over 300 and and its nearly 48 hrs. How do these guys stay in buisness?

Mags
07-19-2010, 14:59
How do these guys stay in buisness?

You can do cash only and No CC required. If you book well in advance, they do have sub-$100 specials.

So for those with credit so poor you can't even get a debit card, greyhound is often the only viable long distance travel option.

Llama Legs
07-20-2010, 11:52
I've rode a greyhound all the way from green river, utah to west palm beach, fl and it was also one of the worst experiences of my life. It doesn't matter if its 2am, when they stop somewhere all the lights turn on and its impossible to continue sleeping. You most likely won't get any sleep because your knees will be so squeezed in they'll hurt. Even though the bus seems to stop every 20 minutes thats too long for a lot of folks so the bathroom is always filled with smoke. The bus always smells like those disgusting Arby's roast beef sandwiches because Arby's is virtually the only restaurant they at. Then, they have thse bone head security guards who like to causally run a metal detector over you at 3 or 4 in the morning. I had a huge gerber blade in my pocket I completely forgot to stick in my backpack and the dumb security guard didn't even find it on me. The bus drivers are grumpy and hate to answer any questions. The people who work in the stations are even grumpier. While waiting in line DO NOT STEP IN FRONT OF THE YELLOW LINE or you will hear about. I hope you like drugs because you'll be able to buy them on the bus, probably from the guy sitting next to you or at one of the stations. By the time you get to your destination you'll be so sleep deprived and so mal nourished that you will most likely catch a cold.

Sounds like great prep for staying in crowded shelters on a thru-hike !

Praha4
07-20-2010, 12:54
I've ridden the Greyhound twice in the last 2 months, once from Johnson City, TN to Gainsville, GA... the other time from Panama City, FL to Johnson City, TN. Both times I collapsed my hiking poles and just attached them to the side of my backpack with the pack straps and slipped the grips of the hiking poles into the side water bottle pocket on the pack ... then checked the full backpack onto the bus. They give you a baggage ticket and store the pack under the bus with the other luggage, no problem. When there was a bus change, I did have to get my pack and recheck it onto the next bus, but that was no problem, just meant I had to carry around my pack in the bus station while waiting for the next bus departure. The biggest hassle with the Greyhound is the frequent stops and lack of direct routes, you will have many bus changes on any long trip, with long waits in stations. I had a 5 hour wait in Atlanta bus station on a Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m..... and its in the worst section of Atlanta, the station was overcrowded, not to mention other hassles in the station, you HAVE to stay awake, if you fall asleep, your stuff will likely be gone when you wake up.

I did carry on my valuables, wallet, cellphone, digital camera on the bus. When you're on the bus and its driving, its not so bad. Overhead storage space is very small, you won't have room for a full pack, they probably won't let you carry a full pack on the bus, unless you pay for a 2nd ticket and seat for the pack.

good luck

Luddite
07-20-2010, 16:33
Sounds like great prep for staying in crowded shelters on a thru-hike !

Except nobody has ever gotten their head cut off in an AT shelter. It has happened on a greyhound though.

mudhead
07-20-2010, 17:50
The dog station in Bangor, ME is about 200yds from an outfitter. About 300yds from a hardware store. If that matters.:)