hitch hiking?!?

[gizzy bear]

I read a lot of posts where people mention hitching a ride to and from trails & into towns... I'm not so sure I could do that.... How do you know good people from bad people?!? Do they have special bumper stickers that read "I don't kill people" ??

[Ox97GaMe]

rofl. It is understandable to be hesitant about just jumping in a strangers car. But on the AT, it is common place. the trail doesnt go through large cities or high crime areas and most of the people that are driving the rural roads are locals and understand the nature of hikers hitching in and out of town. This isnt like trying to hitchhike across America on the interstates. After a couple of weeks on the trail, you will see how common place this is in the hiking circles. That is not to say that you should let your guard down. There is still the possibility of a shady character or two that you would meet. If you dont feel comfortable getting into the car of the person that stops, just thank them and wait for the next ride.

Have a great hike.

[gizzy bear]

Well as I read on a another thread... A lot of hikers look like Jesus ... Jesus is good and thanks !!!

[Fur Queue]

I read a lot of posts where people mention hitching a ride to and from trails & into towns... I'm not so sure I could do that.... How do you know good people from bad people?!? Do they have special bumper stickers that read "I don't kill people" ??

You can't tell, I hitch hiked from Amsterdam to Greece and then up to Sweden, what I learned is that it's best to never put your pack in the trunk, always have it to hand or on your lap if you have to...that way you can get out whenever the vehicle is stationary...

[RedBeerd]

I was nervous the first time and then it took like 30 minutes so I thought I was doing something wrong. But you end up meeting really cool people. In one trip into and out of town I met a pot smoking former DEA agent (former for a reason it seems) and a very elderly lumberjack guy who spent 20 minutes praising the health benefits of chiropractic care.

But anyways..I thought people carry guns on this site?

[gizzy bear]

I read a lot of posts where people mention hitching a ride to and from trails & into towns... I'm not so sure I could do that.... How do you know good people from bad people?!? Do they have special bumper stickers that read "I don't kill people" ??

You can't tell, I hitch hiked from Amsterdam to Greece and then up to Sweden, what I learned is that it's best to never put your pack in the trunk, always have it to hand or on your lap if you have to...that way you can get out whenever the vehicle is stationary...

That's good advice... But if I felt threatened... I wouldn't want my pack... I'd want to run like the wind... Not a turtle . I will be hiking with my boyfriend... BUT I swear I dont know if I can get in the car with a stranger :/ it's funny because I remember my dad picking up hitch hikers when my sister & I were young... I wasn't scared then... But the thought right now, is very scary to me.

[garlic08]

There's not even a huge need to hitchhike. At some popular trailheads you might arrive with a day hiker who you've chatted with the last few hours and they'll offer a ride. If you have a cell phone and plan on staying in town, you can call for a ride. On my AT thru, I didn't need to hitch until New Hampshire, over 1800 miles into the hike, and I only hitched three times total.

[gizzy bear]

I was nervous the first time and then it took like 30 minutes so I thought I was doing something wrong. But you end up meeting really cool people. In one trip into and out of town I met a pot smoking former DEA agent (former for a reason it seems) and a very elderly lumberjack guy who spent 20 minutes praising the health benefits of chiropractic care.

But anyways..I thought people carry guns on this site?

I didn't say we wouldn't be packing I deal with homeless people & have never been scared ... But I feel like I control in those situations... Getting into a stranger's vehicle makes me feel vulnerable ...

[leaftye]

You can't tell, I hitch hiked from Amsterdam to Greece and then up to Sweden, what I learned is that it's best to never put your pack in the trunk, always have it to hand or on your lap if you have to...that way you can get out whenever the vehicle is stationary...

That's a good idea for other reasons. Some hikers I gave a ride left some newly purchased gear in my trunk. I didn't realize it until the next day. I didn't have any luck finding them.

I like having a compact pack to easily put on my lap. It's the main reason I'm trying to move to soft bottles instead of my big 1.8 liter gatorade bottles, and also the reason I prefer an air mattress instead of a foam pad.

But anyways..I thought people carry guns on this site?

They're really good for getting a ride, but you might not end up where you wanted.

There's not even a huge need to hitchhike. At some popular trailheads you might arrive with a day hiker who you've chatted with the last few hours and they'll offer a ride. If you have a cell phone and plan on staying in town, you can call for a ride. On my AT thru, I didn't need to hitch until New Hampshire, over 1800 miles into the hike, and I only hitched three times total.

Good idea. Yogi a ride. They might have some left over trail food too.

[gizzy bear]

There's not even a huge need to hitchhike. At some popular trailheads you might arrive with a day hiker who you've chatted with the last few hours and they'll offer a ride. If you have a cell phone and plan on staying in town, you can call for a ride. On my AT thru, I didn't need to hitch until New Hampshire, over 1800 miles into the hike, and I only hitched three times total.

I see myself like pee wee Herman on his big adventure... LARGE MARGE!!! oh my!!!

[Another Kevin]

That's a good idea for other reasons. Some hikers I gave a ride left some newly purchased gear in my trunk. I didn't realize it until the next day. I didn't have any luck finding them.

Was it on the A-T ? If so, a shout out here might have been in order; more people read WB from the trail than will admit to it, and the hiker grapevine will carry the message.

[Special K]

I remember in the 70's we used to hitchhike everywhere. Yes, there were some strange ones, but for the most part older ladies would stop just as much as men. You will be fine especially since you will be hiking with your boyfriend. Just have him hide in the woods so you can get a ride faster.

[leaftye]

Was it on the A-T ? If so, a shout out here might have been in order; more people read WB from the trail than will admit to it, and the hiker grapevine will carry the message.

Unfortunately not. It was the PCT/JMT. It was in 2011. Since then I've encouraged hikers to keep their packs on their lap to prevent accidental losses.

[Fur Queue]

That's good advice... But if I felt threatened... I wouldn't want my pack... I'd want to run like the wind... Not a turtle . I will be hiking with my boyfriend... BUT I swear I dont know if I can get in the car with a stranger :/ it's funny because I remember my dad picking up hitch hikers when my sister & I were young... I wasn't scared then... But the thought right now, is very scary to me.

You are unlikely to be or feel threatened...you are much more likely to want to leave a vehicle for countless other reasons...a dog trying to lick your lips off, the driver swigging from and then passing you a bottle of vodka...poor driving in general...the whole vehicle reeking overwhelmingly of chicken poop...etc etc..(all true by the way)...the pack on the lap allows for a friendly, polite and assertive exit without having to ask the driver to do anything else for you and minimize any possible offense being caused...

[fiddlehead]

I've hitchhiked a lot.
Often times it is the best part of a travel adventure.
When people ask me what is the best time I ever had, I am reminded of the time I was picked up by a truckload of aborigines in the Australian outback and we had the greatest jam on their digireedoos and my guitar. Priceless for sure.

The people who pick you up hitchhiking are the open minded people of the world.
Not the scared sheep who watch too many cop shows.

Of course now-a-days with police recommending people pack heat, times are different.
Last time I hiked, and got into a car that was questionable (as to the intent of the driver), I surprised him with a quick question (before getting in):
I said "Do you have a gun"
When he quickly (I watched his eyes) answered no, I got in and we had a great conversation on the way.

To each his own of course, but it'll be a sad day in America when no one hitchhikes anymore.

[snorz]

Actually,it is illegal to hitch in NJ. I don-t know if local or SP enforce the law regularly.

[Lone Wolf]

I read a lot of posts where people mention hitching a ride to and from trails & into towns... I'm not so sure I could do that.... How do you know good people from bad people?!? Do they have special bumper stickers that read "I don't kill people" ??

if you're not comfortable with hitching then have a good phone that can reach all shuttle drivers and pay out the butt. otherwise be like the rest of us and just hitch. never heard of anyone in the past 30 years havin' a bad hitch

[Train Wreck]

I read a lot of posts where people mention hitching a ride to and from trails & into towns... I'm not so sure I could do that.... How do you know good people from bad people?!? Do they have special bumper stickers that read "I don't kill people" ??

Don't know about that particular bumper sticker, but this one's available on ebay as we speak

stickfigure.jpg

[HikerMom58]

You are unlikely to be or feel threatened...you are much more likely to want to leave a vehicle for countless other reasons...a dog trying to lick your lips off, the driver swigging from and then passing you a bottle of vodka...poor driving in general...the whole vehicle reeking overwhelmingly of chicken poop...etc etc..(all true by the way)...the pack on the lap allows for a friendly, polite and assertive exit without having to ask the driver to do anything else for you and minimize any possible offense being caused...

I've heard countless stories about this kind of thing happening while hitching! No thanks! I'm sure, like everything else in life, there's a lot of good experiences to counter the bad ones.

[RCBear]

Ted Bundy was always there to help a pretty lady out with a ride when she needed it. Not sure what his bumper sticker read though.