Christopher McCandless

also, I mentioned this in the other thread, but

www.digihitch.com is a GREAT website to get tips and info about hitching.

smile! people are way more inclined to pick someone up who is smiling than someone who is just sticking their thumb out. also try to be as clean and tidy looking as possible. if you look scraggly and unkempt, you will not get as many rides. I know it kinda sucks to adhere to a sort of standard of gr...

I do agree that women should not travel on the road alone, however.

bobenns, I mean no offense in saying this, but the reason your friends got into trouble is from a lack of common sense. NEVER get into a car with someone who has been drinking. NEVER take alcoholic drinks from strangers (or really, even non-alcoholic drinks). NEVER get a motel with someone you don't...

OH! I forgot to mention water!

you always want water on you, at all times. you will get dehydrated quickly. I just get one of those plastic gallon water jugs and reuse it. get one with a screw cap!

you definitely want a flashlight/LED light of some sort, you never know when you're going to need to pitch a tent in the dark or in fading light nail clippers! I don't know about you, but I HATE having long, dirty, unkempt nails. you'll want a rain jacket of some sort as well. actually, this website...

I've found that hitchhiking is not that dangerous, but I am a pretty big, masculine looking guy, so I can't offer a female perspective on the matter. I do know a few female hitchers that have had no problems on the road, though. It's really all about common sense and instinct. I rely on intuition an...

as for socks, you want to buy some really nice hiking socks. ones that are nice and insulated and absorb moisture and dry quickly. you can find these at any sporting goods store. they tend to be on the expensive side, but when dealing with your feet in an outdoor setting, you want the best you can g...

well, I wouldn't say that I completely cut myself off from society, but I have traveled pretty extensively. sometimes it was on a bus, sometimes on a train (legitimately.. still haven't tried train hopping....yet ;) ), sometimes on a plane, sometimes by hitching rides. the thing is that adventure do...

I feel like an oddball all the time.

it used to bother me when I was younger and I would get anxiety about it because I felt I had some sort of need to be accepted. over the years, though, I've learned to accept who I am, and if anyone else doesn't like it, well, too bad for them.