Hitchhiking: what to take with you and how not to get lost on the road

Hitchhiking (hitchhiking) - the use of passing vehicles by tourists to travel part of the way. The driver voluntarily takes a fellow traveler with him and usually does not receive money for this. A free-rider on a bus or a refugee who secretly entered the holds of a merchant ship is not considered a hitchhiker. Hitchhiking can be automobile, rail, water and air.

Drivers sometimes take people out of pity or a desire to help, but more often they are bored on the road, they want to chat and get interesting information. Hitchhiking is a partnership based on the principle of free exchange. The traveler gets the opportunity to cover the distance quickly and free of charge, the driver gets an interesting interlocutor.

Why hitchhike

Saving

There is no better way to save on travel. But a lot depends on the accompanying factors: the intensity and nature of traffic, the country or region, the level of welfare and crime, luck.

Hitchhikers are more often hitchhiked by students who are not willing to pay big money for long distance travel.

Communication

Hitchhiking is ideal for extroverts who find it easy to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

Jack Kerouac author of On the Road

Most of the hassle when you walk with your foot is the need to talk with countless people, as if convincing them that they were not mistaken in picking you up, and even how to entertain them, and all this turns into enormous tension if you just go all the way and are not going to spend the night in hotels.

Impressions

Hitchhiking brings vivid memories. The traveler moves out of his comfort zone and overcomes himself in order to get an extraordinary experience.

Sport

Some travelers compete with each other in terms of travel distance, speed of covering a section of the route and the number of cities and countries visited by hitchhiking.

Several large clubs of hitchhikers are organized in Russia, which organize competitions, lectures and meetings. Also, every year there are gatherings of hitchhikers - "Elba", named after the meeting of the Allied forces on the Elbe River at the end of the Second World War. The most famous "elba" is held twice a year near the village of Izhitsy in the Valdai district of the Novgorod region. It is convenient to get there from Moscow and St. Petersburg by hitchhiking along the M10 highway.

What you need to take on the road

Backpack

For travel, you will need a large and comfortable backpack with additional straps for the waist. The correct travel backpack distributes the load evenly over the body and has external mat holders.

The straps should not press or chafe, the backpack should be easy to remove and not restrict movement. It is advisable to purchase a cover for the backpack. For documents, important things and money, get a separate carry bag.

clothing

You will need a clean set of outerwear, three sets of underwear and socks, a raincoat, comfortable trainers and light sneakers just in case. It should be clear from the appearance of a hitchhiker that he is a clean and socialized person.

A miserable appearance sometimes saves the situation, but only in case of objective reasons, for example, during a cold rain. Outerwear should have reflective elements. If you intend to hitchhike in the cold season, you need to take warm boots, woolen socks and a set of thermal underwear with you.

Personal hygiene products

Your cosmetic bag should contain toothpaste and a brush, soap, toilet paper, a towel, and insect repellent. Do not bring shampoo and shower gel bottles. You can find them in a hotel, camping or hostel.

First aid kit

Analgin, aspirin, a remedy for indigestion, an antiseptic (miramistin or chlorhexidine), hydrogen peroxide, an antihistamine, cotton wool, a patch, a bandage is the minimum required. And don't forget travel insurance.

Food and utensils

In order not to increase the weight of the backpack, it is better to take with you dehydrated nutritious foods that can quickly satisfy your hunger. These are dried fruits, nuts, nutritional bars, chocolate.

If you intend to cook over a fire, you can put salt, buckwheat and a can of canned food in your backpack. The basic principle is simple: you should always have foods for one meal that are updated as you eat them. Pack them in a pot along with a spoon and mug. It is advisable to bring a canister burner with you, especially when traveling in Europe.

Technique

Find a tariff for low-cost Internet access. Download apps to find tickets and accommodation, weather forecast, translator and maps. Don't forget the charger and power bank.

Take your tablet or small light laptop with you if you're blogging or working. If your phone camera isn't enough for you, get a versatile lens. You also need a flashlight.

Other

For drivers and others who might want to help or socialize, consider small souvenirs from your own country. Take a notepad and pen, and on the way, use a piece of cardboard on which to write the place where you are going. For outdoor overnight stays, bring a simple and lightweight tent, sleeping bag, and rug.

How to hitchhike the right way

Before your trip, map out the main cities that you will meet on your way. You will most likely deviate from the route or get out of time, but this should not take you by surprise.

Catch a ride outside the city on one of the main tracks. Starting a journey in a city, at a junction or on country roads is much more difficult.

In the first case, you will probably be picked up by a bomb or a taxi driver, in the second and third - by summer residents who are not going to go far or go the other way.

A common gesture of a hitchhiker is an outstretched hand folded into a fist with a raised thumb. But remember that this gesture cannot be used in Thailand, Greece, Afghanistan and Iran. An alternative option is a cardboard box with the desired destination written on it. On the outskirts of the city, especially if a bypass road is built around it, the cardboard works worse than in the middle of a busy highway.

You won't be able to catch a ride on the highways, since it is forbidden to walk and stop outside the recreation areas. In some countries, there is a fine for hitchhiking on the Autobahn. The cops can take the hitchhiker to the nearest campground or anywhere you can walk. Offer to the drivers or truckers in the parking lot to give you a lift. As a last resort, you can ask the traffic police for help in finding fellow travelers.

Wait out bad weather indoors or at least under a canopy. If the prognosis is poor, try not to travel to sparsely populated areas.

If you are going to travel through other countries, do not forget to improve your English level and try to memorize key phrases in the local language: learn phonetics, download a phrasebook or compose your own, in which you enter requests for directions, point to a store, hotel or hospital, and other useful phrases.

What are the dangers

There is a lot of contradictory information about the degree of danger of hitchhiking, most often based on subjective experience. Sources on the Internet often provide a link to a survey of 77 Russian-speaking hitchhikers, a third of whom complained about accidents while traveling. There are several types of accidents that a hitchhiker can face.

Accident

Anyone can get into an accident. A hitchhiker, getting into an unfamiliar car, can immediately determine if the driver is drunk, as well as evaluate the driving style. If aggressive driving is intimidating, ask to get off at the nearest gas station, near the campsite or village.

It is dangerous to be near the roadway at night. In this case, it is better to refuse further movement or use reflective bracelets and stripes or a special vest.

Crime

You can become the object of sexual harassment or robbery. In the minds of some people, lonely girls on the track seem approachable. This stereotype is stronger in conservative countries. Riding with different sex couples virtually eliminates the likelihood of sexual assault and greatly reduces the risk of becoming a victim of violence.

The traveler is not required to get into the car. If the driver has raised suspicions, it is worth lying that you were mistaken and heading in the opposite direction.

When getting into the car, demonstratively contact your family or friends and tell them which car (make, number) and where you are going.

If the driver turns out to be unscrupulous, warn that in case of a threat to health or life, you will unscrew the steering wheel or jump out of the car. If the car stops, run out onto the road, attracting the attention of the drivers, but do not rush under the cars. You can carry a gas canister or a stun gun with you, if it is allowed in the country of destination.

Lack of traffic or willing to give a ride

Every hitchhiker faces difficulties that do not threaten freedom, health or life. As a rule, the more intensive the traffic, the fewer people who want to give a ride to the traveler. On uncrowded roads, drivers are more willing to take fellow travelers, realizing that they can stand in one place for several hours.

Nikolay Zakharov traveler and video blogger

I started from Rome, a city big and great, and from this hard for hitchhiking. There are a lot of roads and junctions, there is absolutely no place for an ordinary hitchhiker on the track. The carriers honk and shout something from the cars, while I am walking along a narrow strip along a busy highway with a huge backpack and a guitar. The end of April was hot, so sweat poured out in a stream, my feet were sweating. I walked for six hours. As a result, I sat down right next to the road out of despair, crumpled my smelly and calloused feet and thought about what to do next. There was no way out, how to go forward in search of a better place to stop.

Overwork, injury, or illness

You can't ride around the clock. A few days on the road is a serious test, especially for a beginner. Therefore, periodically there should be days of passive rest, depending on your travel style, tasks and sports interest.

In case of injury or illness, travel insurance will help. Hitchhiking with insurers is not included in the high risk category, which affects the cost of insurance.

Briefly about the main

A clean and tidy appearance will help you catch a ride faster.
The backpack should be roomy and comfortable. Keep documents and money in a separate underwear bag.
Put aspirin, analgin, plaster, antiseptic, diarrhea and allergy remedies in the medicine cabinet.
Start your journey from the main road just outside the city. Avoid country roads and large interchanges.
Consider your actions in the event of an accident, threats to your freedom and health, sexual harassment and illness. Don't get into a car with a driver you don't like.