I am going to graduate high school in June, I don't have school plans next year, and I want to do something adventurous. I want to visit some cool places around the united states for a while (at least a year, before settling in a place to live and go to school).

I already have plans to go to San Francisco with some friends. One night, I plan on leaving without them knowing, I might leave a note telling them to leave me or something.

I will leave most of my stuff there, and only take what I need to get started. I will have a backpack, and a camera bag. With some clothes and basic gear. I will eventually get all more stuff, and sell off thing I no longer need.

The backpack looks like this http://www.dakine.com/street-series/guys/packs/campus/

I plan on taking my digital, and video cameras and make a documentary of my experiences. I am going to bring my laptop as well, for editing and posting on totse.

Can you think of anything I would need? I am going to post a list in my next post with what I can easily carry with me, and what I plan on bringing.

Wearing -
Clothes –
Pants
Boxers
Socks
Shoes
2 Shirts
Sweatshirt
Belt




Backpack -
Clothes -
2 pairs of boxers
1 shirt
3 pairs of socks
Shorts

Electronics -
Laptop?
Laptop Accessories?
iPods
Headphones
Chargers

Food -
2 water bottles
Granola Bars

Survival –
Knife
Matches
Flashlight

Personal –
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Soap

Misc –
Wallet w/money
Giftcards
Markers
Pen and/or pencil
Journal
Scissors
Needle and Thread
MAP





Camera Bag –
Camera stuff –
Video Camera
Digital Camera
Chargers
Tapes for video
Firewire cable

Where are you going to sleep? How long are you going to do this for? Are your parents going to call the police on you?

I plan on eventually getting a bigger bag, and a tent and sleeping bag. But for the first few nights find someone from couch surfers.

If my parents do call the police, I am 18 and it is legal to live on my own. But either way, I plan on never returning back home. I'll leave everything behind, and bring the things that I will need to get started living on my own.

don't forget essential ID's, liscence/photo ID, birth certificate, social security card, etc..

don't forget essential ID's, liscence/photo ID, birth certificate, social security card, etc..

Yeah, I just thought of those last night. I'll probably have them in a water proof bag, or something.

Plans like this(unless well funded) usually end up with the person being homeless and miserable for years, calling mommy begging for money, or end up with a dishwashing job and in a huge rut a few months later.

I'd get a job, a car(minivan or fullsize van would be alot better), and some money built up before attempting something like this. You'd get further, have more fun, and be able to hit more cities. A thousand or so would last for a month or 2 if you're sensible and getting crap jobs from time to time in different cities would allow you to build up money fairly quickly to fund the next leg of the journey.

When hitting a new town look for a temp agency that pays daily so that you can get some money whenever you need it. It's usually very low pay but living in a car or minivan keeps expenses low.

You could have alot of fun if you're patient and wait until you have more than a backpack and laptop.

Plans like this(unless well funded) usually end up with the person being homeless and miserable for years, calling mommy begging for money, or end up with a dishwashing job and in a huge rut a few months later.

I'd get a job, a car(minivan or fullsize van would be alot better), and some money built up before attempting something like this. You'd get further, have more fun, and be able to hit more cities. A thousand or so would last for a month or 2 if you're sensible and getting crap jobs from time to time in different cities would allow you to build up money fairly quickly to fund the next leg of the journey.

When hitting a new town look for a temp agency that pays daily so that you can get some money whenever you need it. It's usually very low pay but living in a car or minivan keeps expenses low.

You could have alot of fun if you're patient and wait until you have more than a backpack and laptop.

I have around $2000, that no one knows about. Plus I am getting a job, until I leave. I also plan on getting small jobs, and selling stuff (iPods) on Craigslist.

In San Francisco, I will probably get a bike for cheap transportation. I am starting off with barely anything, but plan on streamlining what is necessary.

Should I get a PO box somewhere to store stuff? Somewhere that I can get to easily if needed, and where I can store small goods. Can I get them in multiple places?

A po box is for mail. Anything else gets tossed in the trash.

I still suggest holding out until you can get some form of transportation other than a bike. $500 minivans and cars are not hard to find.

A po box is for mail. Anything else gets tossed in the trash.

I still suggest holding out until you can get some form of transportation other than a bike. $500 minivans and cars are not hard to find.

Alright so instead of a PO box, is it a storage box?

I am not going to buy a van at first. I am going to hop trains and hitchhike. I don't want a piece of shit to breakdown on me in the middle of nowhere, and it will cost money to maintain and for insurance.

A storage unit is what you're thinking of.

HItch hiking doesn't work too well anymore unless you're a hot chick.

Hopping trains isn't a good idea either because you don't know where they're going or when they stop next.

With regard to hitch-hiking, it actually does work, but probably not in the way that you think. I've hitched the I-5 between Seattle and LA quite a bit, especially the stretch between Ashland, Oregon and Oakland. My longest hitch-hiking trip took me from Ashland to Dallas, TX.

Getting into big cities by hitch-hiking is pretty easy. No problems there. It's getting out of the cities to somewhere else that can be a nightmare!

In California it's illegal to hitch-hike on the highways. No pedestrians allowed. So, what you need to do is find an on-ramp with enough space for a car to stop, enough traffic going by (but not too much), and people who are going some distance. This can be nigh-impossible in a city.

For example, I once spent three full days trying get from Berkeley to Dunnigan (where the 505 & I-5 meet). I walked about 40 km's during that time. It's about an hour - 1.5 hour drive by car. Once I was there, the remaining ~350 miles I needed to go was easy. I waited 15 minutes and got a ride all the way to my destination.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you want to see any big cities, you're gonna have trouble leaving them by hitch-hiking. Otherwise, you can have a lot of fun going from rural truck stop to rural truck stop on the major highways. If you really want to do this, I've got some notes and tips sitting around on a hard drive somewhere that I could dig up.

With regard to trains, I wouldn't do it. I've met too many road kids who've been beaten-up by the railroad police, and cars are a nicer ride.

laptop + camera + all your clothes + tent and everything else you need is a bit bulky. why not use an ipod touch or iphone to access internet and shit, that could save some space and then just use a computer when your around one. that backpack is good but consider one you could strap stuff onto the outside.

remember to get a hobo bag hanging on a stick

also, carrying around all that stuff (camera + laptop) you're going to get robbed or mugged. be careful, especially in the city. if i were doing this i would go in the wilderness for a couple months and see how i do, cities are too dangerous on your own.

also, carrying around all that stuff (camera + laptop) you're going to get robbed or mugged. be careful, especially in the city. if i were doing this i would go in the wilderness for a couple months and see how i do, cities are too dangerous on your own.

I am planning on making a documentary of my experience, and I need something to film and edit with on the road. I plan on settling down somewhere, but I guess I could live in the "wilderness" for a while possibly working on a farm.

I used to dream about doing this to when I was 13. If your 18 and serious thou then all I can say is stay away from the rail line, for one rarely if ever will you see a open boxcar to hide in. Then if you do you'll also have to deal with nearly insane vagrants, gangbanging taggers, trigger happy security who will not hesitate to beat the crap out of you then call the cops on whats left, not to mention rail line accidents I.E. hitting vehicles or livestock, or be branded a terrorist threat from law enforcement, and last and certainly the most menacing all those rumors about a hobo mafia riding the lines are true.

I know this because my family has owned a rail spur for the past 6 years and I have seen everything that could happen on the rail lines.