# Hitchhiking bob test



## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

So here's the deal, I'm in nor cal, thinking of moving to Montana. It occurred to me that I could just ship my stuff, grab my bag and hit the road. Seems like a journey that long would be a pretty good test of skills and gear. I'd have to trade my guns for a pellet gun and a slingshot to avoid legal issues, but other than that, it would be my bob as is.

Thoughts, suggestions, am I insane?


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## taylort5 (Nov 6, 2008)

Go for it! I personally and honestly would not have the balls to do that tho.  
Lots of crazy people looking for an easy target anymore. ( not saying you would be an easy target!) It would really be quite an experience !!


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## taylort5 (Nov 6, 2008)

Would you really hitchhike?


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

taylort5 said:


> Would you really hitchhike?


I dunno. At this point it's just a thought. Maybe I'll just take a bus to SLC and hike from there. I'm not prepared to survive the Nevada desert.

But yeah, I've hitched before, and no, I'm not an easy target


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## taylort5 (Nov 6, 2008)

FatTire said:


> I dunno. At this point it's just a thought. Maybe I'll just take a bus to SLC and hike from there. I'm not prepared to survive the Nevada desert.
> 
> But yeah, I've hitched before, and no, I'm not an easy target


Hey bro , if you can afford to do it... Do it!!


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## lucaspm98 (Apr 23, 2012)

I'm sure it would be dangerous but it might be worth it for the experience.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Do it for sure. The only way to test your gear and make sure it works for you is by trial. Better to find out now that this piece works or not rather than later when your life is on the line. And take a credit card so just in case all your gear sucks you can hit a holiday inn!!


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## Possumfam (Apr 19, 2011)

Silly question - do people really pick up hitchhikers?


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Possumfam said:


> Silly question - do people really pick up hitchhikers?


Only really good people, and really bad people


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

I wouldn't hitch hike but I'd do it on a bicycle. Plan your route carefully and give us a call when you get here.

Steve


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## urbanprepper (May 15, 2012)

I'd say to it, but obviously be careful and protected. 

My friend and I are planning on testing out our bags by heading into the Canadian wilderness, and see how things go for 3-5 days


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## Ration-AL (Apr 18, 2012)

meh, go for it man, if your willing and able, do it, i used to do that for a bit, hitched from seattle to san deigo before, i think it's a good idea if you want to tune your judgment skills, you learn very quickly how to read people and their intentions hitching and using your BOB it'll give you a chance to test your pack plan and gear , worst case though have some money in an account somewhere as a fall back so you can just pack it in and get there if you want, i wouldn't advise going 100% unsupported if you could help it, meaning have some cash and a place to end up . also i don't blame you on the desert bit ,talk about miserable, 1 car every 3 hours that doesn't stop and 110 degree temps is no fun!!

i pick up hitchers all the time, i just never do it with my wife in the car and go based purely off of looks/demeanour, you can get a good sense by the way a person presents themselves and how they look at the cars whizzing by, the worst experience i ever had was just awkward silence for a few hours, never got stabbed or murdered yet, lol , i think if you have fairly good judgment on which bum you give that dollar to (not the one that's just going to buy booze with it) you'd be just fine picking a decent hitcher up....

i have been on both sides of the coin and despite the horrors of the world there are still good honest people who live that life of adventure and being free just are there are dirt bags, i say you have equal chance of meeting either in any aspect of your life and if you can't sift the good from the **** that's your problem and you should probably get out more.


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

mosquitomountainman said:


> I wouldn't hitch hike but I'd do it on a bicycle. Plan your route carefully and give us a call when you get here.
> 
> Steve


I was thinking the same thing how about a bicycle? great way to get in shape. I was also thinking are there any freight yards near by, you could hop a train. My buddies son used to do it all the time when he was in college, it was his summer vacation.

I used to hitch hike in college, I quit when I was picked up by a queer, luckly I was stronger. No harm came, but I prefer not to deal with that subculture. I might also suggest how you dress for hitching, I wore a sport coat and slacks and carried a smart looking bag, was clean shaven also. Good looking women gave me a few rides when dressed like that. also got layed a couple times.  That was my freshman-junior year in college, 30 years ago, I guess times have changed a little since then.

I might also suggest going to a truck stop, truckers sometimes look for some one to visit with along the way, I was picked up by a couple of them. There's alot more she devils out there driving now.

For safety, I would recomend carrying a cell phone to let some one know where you are and who you're with. Just a few thoughts, sail


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Interesting perspectives, thanks all!


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Go for it!


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

I could see doing it but you'd need a lot of safeguards. This could be a very fun trip of a life time or the last one. 

You find a trucker or someone headed the right way you could make this happen pretty fast, or you could spend the whole trip hoofing it.

I'd map my route carefully and pick locations as goals where you could abort if nessicary, or just restock. 

These way points would be where I'd send an envelop with a spare debit card or some other secure method to get case. This would be in case I got mugged or simply lost everything. 

A sat phone or distress beacon would be high on my list of things to have. If you get disabled by say a broke leg, angry rattler, or hijacked. 

Someone on both ends to check in with would be good.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Nice, I hadn't thought of mailing a debit card ahead. Thanks bud


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

You could be arrested for hitchhiking.

http://www.hitchhiker.50megs.com/custom.html

"Code 21957

No person shall stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride from the driver of any vehicle."


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

BillS said:


> You could be arrested for hitchhiking.
> 
> http://www.hitchhiker.50megs.com/custom.html
> 
> ...


Its an infraction, like a speeding ticket. I suppose you "could" get arrested, but that would take a special kind of stupid.


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## d_saum (Jan 17, 2012)

If you feel like you're up to the challenge, do it! I, myself, would start out with a much smaller scale test like hiking a few days in the woods with just my BOB, but again, I have no idea if you've already been there and done that.  And I also concur... skip the desert leg of it. When would you be embarking on said journey? (sorry if you stated that in the beginning. If you did I missed it).


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

d_saum said:


> If you feel like you're up to the challenge, do it! I, myself, would start out with a much smaller scale test like hiking a few days in the woods with just my BOB, but again, I have no idea if you've already been there and done that.  And I also concur... skip the desert leg of it. When would you be embarking on said journey? (sorry if you stated that in the beginning. If you did I missed it).


Yeah, I done that 

Would be til mid august, and still a big if. But if things work out so I can, I'm gonna


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## d_saum (Jan 17, 2012)

FatTire said:


> Yeah, I done that
> 
> Would be til mid august, and still a big if. But if things work out so I can, I'm gonna


Rock on my liberal friend! Obviously.. you need to keep us posted. :beercheer:


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

I'm glad you like the debit card idea. 

If your gonna do this I would suggest you plan it out assuming your gonna do the whole thing via shoe leather. Ask yourself what is a realistic mileage rate? How many times are you gonna sleep under the stars? Can you survive in those environments even if your just harvesting on the go?

Plot the way points I mentioned before. When you build them assume they're failure points, where you cash out and just get on a bus. If they're not failure you resupply and smile. For a moral boost include a envelop to send it on to your new home.

But the only advice I would suggest you to take heart is make a hard plan. Then ask yourself what can go wrong and right. And how you deal with it.

What if you sprain an ankle and lose a day hiking on it?
You meet a hottie who you let drive you 40 miles off course to see a concert?
What if some truck driver drives you a couple hundred miles and you miss some check in sites?
What if some psycho murders you in the desert and you would like searchers to know where to start looking for your corpse?

Have a hard plan of your course, make sure others know it, know how to tell them it's changing, and hopefully get back to it.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

bahramthered said:


> I'm glad you like the debit card idea.
> 
> If your gonna do this I would suggest you plan it out assuming your gonna do the whole thing via shoe leather. Ask yourself what is a realistic mileage rate? How many times are you gonna sleep under the stars? Can you survive in those environments even if your just harvesting on the go?
> 
> ...


Also, what if tshtf at the quarter point, halfway point, ect. What if that roadside cafe gives me food poisoning, what if I'm first on scene to a traffic fatality, what if I happen upon a drug lab/ pot grow (a couple of potential routes are fairly remote) what if my boots go bad, what if I encounter domestic violence on the road, what if my 8 hr check in fails, my 10 hr check in fails, my 12 hr check in fails, but I'm ok and I need to still reach my bail-out while they are en route...

The mail ahead debit thing was something I hadn't considered...


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

As with all things you can take anything too far.


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

FatTire said:


> So here's the deal, I'm in nor cal, thinking of moving to Montana. It occurred to me that I could just ship my stuff, grab my bag and hit the road. Seems like a journey that long would be a pretty good test of skills and gear. I'd have to trade my guns for a pellet gun and a slingshot to avoid legal issues, but other than that, it would be my bob as is.
> 
> Thoughts, suggestions, am I insane?


When I was young I hitchhiked all over the country without any real problems. The pathetic quality of kit I used back than I would not use for a day hike today. So I do not see how it will teach you much about the quality of your gear. Since than I have motorcycle camped all over the country. Ride my bike to where ever, set up camp and hike from there. That put my gear through some real tests.

No matter what you decide I do not see your guns as a problem once you leave the Peoples Republic Of Kalifornia. Open carry is legal in Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Montana and does not typically alarm folks in those states. Especially if you are trucking down the road. A side arm strapped to your hip and long gun strapped to your pack should not be a problem. But if you are concerned keep the handgun unloaded in your pack and long gun in a soft case.

Now if you really want to test your gear you can come up the Pacific Trail and once you got to WA it would be a short two day hop to Montana. But if you go that route you best head out BDQ as it is a long hump and you do not want to get here after the snow starts.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

mosquitomountainman said:


> I wouldn't hitch hike but I'd do it on a bicycle. Plan your route carefully and give us a call when you get here.
> 
> Steve


This would be challenging, personally rewarding and good exercise. Also starting from SLC would be a good idea. Don't mess with the Nevada desert if you don't have to.
+1


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