So a friend and I have decided travel the California coastline during the summer of 2009. Our starting point will be Tijuana, then move on up to San Diego, and travel the coastline up to the Oregon border from there. We don't have all the details as of yet, but most of the trip will consist of hitching rides from people we know along the way, and probably a few people we don't. For anyone with hitchhiking experience, could I get a general outline of the amount of cash I should expect to bring, supplies, gear, etc? We would prefer making it to one of the national parks in the north and camping out for a few days around there. I'm from Texas but my travel partner was born in California so he knows the state well enough. All I'm looking for is some advice as to what we should pack, how much I should expect to bring, and so on, being that we will be in modern civilization for the most part.Any help appreciated!

Bring lube

Great. Any more advice, please.

My buddy just went down the coastline from Vancouver.


I'll let you know some advice when he get's back and I get the low down of his journey.

My buddy just went down the coastline from Vancouver.


I'll let you know some advice when he get's back and I get the low down of his journey.



Thank you, I appreciate it.

Southern California has San Diego and LA, Pismo and all the other beaches. Get on Highway 1 as soon as possible. The coastline view is awesome. Hit up, Monterey, Santa Cruz, etc. Avoid the Central Valley. There isn't shit to do there. If you can make it to Yosemite then do that. Visit all the cool shit in SF. See a game in Oakland or SF. Visit the hippies in Berkeley. And Oregon doesn't have too much except an assload of trees.

As far as what you should bring it depends on how much time you're spending where.

Bring:
An ASSLOAD of money.
A good camera and plenty of memory cards/batteries.
Car charger for shit.
A pre-paid phone if yours and your friends don't work here.
General camping supplies.
Bring a weapon.
Sunglasses/Ballcap
Laptop?
And as with any sort of traveling, dress in layers. It can be hot as fuck to really cold although it is usually pretty moderate.


Will post more if I remember.

Definitely hit up some national parks. Joshua Tree, by San Diego is really cool.

You're going to need a baseball bat to knock hipsters off their bikes if you decide to go to SF.
Oregon seems kinda boring, so spend most of your time in the bay area.

We will most likely spend much of our time in the Hayward, SF area because we have a few friends around there. By the way, if my friend is no longer a resident of California, does that mean he's not entitled to obtaining a prescription for some medical herb? ;)

I hitched from SD to SF back in the late '70s. I'd be glad to offer hints.
Travel light and decide if you want to go up 5/grapevine or 101.

Bring a weapon.


^do not do this.


pack light friend cause you will have to carry what ever you bring an fit it into the cars that pick you up. i would suggest at the minimal some rain gear, a california road atlas, a tent, fire starter, 3 liter water container ,bread, cheese, fruit, pot to share with your lifts, warm jacket(it gets cold when the sun drops), good shoes (not sandals), two changes of socks, two changes of under wear, deodorant, tooth brush, tooth paste, permanent marker(for your hitch sign), cell phone, camera, flash light, spare batteries, small musical instrument if you can play it (i bring a mandolin), and maybe $100. you should only really need this cash for food, but bring an atm or credit card with you as well just in case.

as far as hitching goes, try to have your rides drop you off at gas stations just out side of town.i find it is much easier to get a lift here than it is on a high way exit. if you are having trouble getting a lift dont be shy, walk up an ask the people at the pump as they fill up.


if you have any other q's ask em. i have done a fair bit of hitching in my life an will be glad to share what i know.

I carried a knife with me. When me and my buddy met some other hitchers outside of Ragged Point, we all displayed our cutlery.

But that's a good list, lostmyface.

Bring a weapon.


Definitely do this.

well if you must have a weapon on you, then at least choose something non lethal.

well if you must have a weapon on you, then at least choose something lethal.

This.

Honestly hayward is pretty much the last place I would make a destination. Hayward sucks. Get up to fort brag asap and go up highway 1. come spend some time in marin. And don't forget s.f

I've hitched all along the I-5 between Seattle and LA quite a bit, especially the section between the Bay Area and Ashland, Oregon. I've done a small stretch on the coast highway, but don't have much experience there.

One thing to keep in mind is that pedestrians are not allowed on the highway in California. So, when you're catching rides you need to find highway entrances with enough traffic of people who are travelling long distances and enough room for them to stop. Usually this will mean truck stops outside of the major cities. If you're at a good hitching spot, don't just take any ride that will get you a few miles down the road. Only take rides that will move you a significant distance and result in you getting dropped off at another good hitching spot. With some practice, you'll be able to recognize them pretty well.

If you decide you want to go up the I-5, a few tips:
- To get out of the Bay Area on the 5, you can take the BART to the Ashby stop in Berkeley and then walk (a long way) to 80. There is a BMW dealership and some factories and room for people to pull over. From there, try to get a ride to Vacaville where the 80 meets the 505. It's a bit tricky to catch a ride here-- your best bet is to ask people at the nearby gas stations. From here, you want to get a ride to a tiny town called Dunnigan, which is where the 505 and I-5 meet. DO NOT get a ride to Winters or any little town in between; you will get stuck. In Dunnigan there is a Pilot truck stop where you should be able to get a ride as far north or south as you want.
- Avoid Sacramento or the town just to the north called Woodlands. The area between Dunnigan and Stockton on the I-5 is very difficult hitch-hiking territory.
- There's not much along the 5 between the Bay (or Sacramento) and Portland, but there are some decent hitch-hiking stops in Redding, Weed, around Mt. Shasta, Yreka, Ashland and Medford.

While you're in California, it's definitely worthwhile to check out Santa Cruz. It's a great town and the beaches are pretty nice.

Also, if you go up the I-5, stop at Yreka and hitch about 30 miles to the west on CA-3 to a town called Etna. The Pacific Crest Trail runs right by it and it's surrounded by park and wilderness. Ask around in the town and you should be able to easily get to a trail-head and find a place to stay overnight or put up a tent.

Mt. Shasta is also worth checking out.

As far as money and supplies go, it depends how much time you're hitching and how much time you're just hanging out. For days hanging out with friends, bring as much money as you think you'll need for that. For hitching, it depends how stingy you want to be. A couple bucks for food is good to have. It will be warm enough that you can sleep by the roadside (tip: find some cardboard, and sleep on top of it) if you need to, or you could shell out for a hotel. Many California parks have "walk-in" rates, which are like $0.50 per day to camp.

For some perspective, I hitched Ashland, Oregon to Albuquerque, NM a couple of years ago with only a blanket, a change of clothes, and $22. I still had $5 or $6 left over when I arrived.

^do not do this.


pack light friend cause you will have to carry what ever you bring an fit it into the cars that pick you up. i would suggest at the minimal some rain gear, a california road atlas, a tent, fire starter, 3 liter water container ,bread, cheese, fruit, pot to share with your lifts, warm jacket(it gets cold when the sun drops), good shoes (not sandals), two changes of socks, two changes of under wear, deodorant, tooth brush, tooth paste, permanent marker(for your hitch sign), cell phone, camera, flash light, spare batteries, small musical instrument if you can play it (i bring a mandolin), and maybe $100. you should only really need this cash for food, but bring an atm or credit card with you as well just in case.

as far as hitching goes, try to have your rides drop you off at gas stations just out side of town.i find it is much easier to get a lift here than it is on a high way exit. if you are having trouble getting a lift dont be shy, walk up an ask the people at the pump as they fill up.


if you have any other q's ask em. i have done a fair bit of hitching in my life an will be glad to share what i know.

why do you suggest not bringing a weapon
?

I've hitched all along the I-5 between Seattle and LA quite a bit, especially the section between the Bay Area and Ashland, Oregon. I've done a small stretch on the coast highway, but don't have much experience there.

One thing to keep in mind is that pedestrians are not allowed on the highway in California. So, when you're catching rides you need to find highway entrances with enough traffic of people who are travelling long distances and enough room for them to stop. Usually this will mean truck stops outside of the major cities. If you're at a good hitching spot, don't just take any ride that will get you a few miles down the road. Only take rides that will move you a significant distance and result in you getting dropped off at another good hitching spot. With some practice, you'll be able to recognize them pretty well.

If you decide you want to go up the I-5, a few tips:
- To get out of the Bay Area on the 5, you can take the BART to the Ashby stop in Berkeley and then walk (a long way) to 80. There is a BMW dealership and some factories and room for people to pull over. From there, try to get a ride to Vacaville where the 80 meets the 505. It's a bit tricky to catch a ride here-- your best bet is to ask people at the nearby gas stations. From here, you want to get a ride to a tiny town called Dunnigan, which is where the 505 and I-5 meet. DO NOT get a ride to Winters or any little town in between; you will get stuck. In Dunnigan there is a Pilot truck stop where you should be able to get a ride as far north or south as you want.
- Avoid Sacramento or the town just to the north called Woodlands. The area between Dunnigan and Stockton on the I-5 is very difficult hitch-hiking territory.
- There's not much along the 5 between the Bay (or Sacramento) and Portland, but there are some decent hitch-hiking stops in Redding, Weed, around Mt. Shasta, Yreka, Ashland and Medford.

While you're in California, it's definitely worthwhile to check out Santa Cruz. It's a great town and the beaches are pretty nice.

Also, if you go up the I-5, stop at Yreka and hitch about 30 miles to the west on CA-3 to a town called Etna. The Pacific Crest Trail runs right by it and it's surrounded by park and wilderness. Ask around in the town and you should be able to easily get to a trail-head and find a place to stay overnight or put up a tent.

Mt. Shasta is also worth checking out.

As far as money and supplies go, it depends how much time you're hitching and how much time you're just hanging out. For days hanging out with friends, bring as much money as you think you'll need for that. For hitching, it depends how stingy you want to be. A couple bucks for food is good to have. It will be warm enough that you can sleep by the roadside (tip: find some cardboard, and sleep on top of it) if you need to, or you could shell out for a hotel. Many California parks have "walk-in" rates, which are like $0.50 per day to camp.

For some perspective, I hitched Ashland, Oregon to Albuquerque, NM a couple of years ago with only a blanket, a change of clothes, and $22. I still had $5 or $6 left over when I arrived.


Thanks for this, I'll be showing a lot of these responses to a friend of mine with whom I'll be traveling.

Thanks for this, I'll be showing a lot of these responses to a friend of mine with whom I'll be traveling.

A couple of other words of advice:

I just noticed from the original post that your travelling buddy is a guy. I don't know if you're a man or a woman, but if you're a man as well, it will be a bit tougher to get rides (in comparison to hitch-hiking solo or with a woman). It's not impossible, but just be aware that you might be waiting for a while. Don't worry about it! You're not in a hurry. You're just two friends exploring the country and meeting people along the way. The more fun you have, the more fun you will have. People will see that and want to meet you (and give you rides)!

Hit up Malibu. Just go down pacific coast highway and you'll find yourself there. And yeah, bring some kind of weapon.

And don't trust spics.

Isn't it illegal to hitch hike in some places?
Not that I care about the law...just saying...

Isn't it illegal to hitch hike in some places?
Not that I care about the law...just saying...

Such laws piss me off.

How can you make something like hitchhiking illegal? Makes no sense.

If someone doesn't want to pick up a hitchhiker, they are free not to. No need to ruin the fun for everyone else.

Isn't it illegal to hitch hike in some places?
Not that I care about the law...just saying...

it is usually illegal to hitch from the expressway ie standing on the side of the highway. something to do with safety.

but you should not be hassled at all hitching form truck stops/gas stations/ or the shoulder of an exit. plus you will have much better luck finding rides from these locations anyway.

why do you suggest not bringing a weapon?

simple, a weapon will only exacerbate a situation instead of resolving it. are you telling me you are willing to risk life an limb over a backpack an $20? are you telling me a blade is gonna keep you safe from a gang of homosexual armadillos? i will tell you. you wont, and it wont. if you really want protection bring some mace. you wont hesitate as much using it as you would with a blade.

i did bring a knife with me on my hitches, but only as a tool. for cutting fruit an the like.