Hitchhiker's Guide To Actuality | Part 3 | Preparation - Clothing & Apparel

While hitchhiking can definitely be done successfuly by "merely" being present and in a good mood, many hitchhikers I have talked to agree that certain props can help you out greatly. Getting ready for my journey I have come to find that it's a really good idea to go through my list of things that have made my hitchhiking life easier in the past, so let me share that list with you in these following parts of the series.

Not to say you can ever be fully prepared for the unknown but we might as well try as best we can, right?

Make a good first impression

The first thing I would like to point out is the often overlooked importance of the clothes you are going to wear. I have often met hitchhikers who got stranded, wondering why nobody would pick them up when we talked about "how long they had been here already". And more often than not - in my mind it came down to the first impression they gave off just standing there in their chosen outfit for the journey which sometimes seemed less than inviting or "trustwhorty" from afar. Remember - as we explored in the previous part of this series - we want to make it easy for people to pick us up, instead of giving them excuses not to.

Don't get me wrong, you are pretty much free to do whatever you want and certain drivers might specifically stop for you because they identify with how you are dressed - metalheads will easily pick up someone wearing a dark metal outfit and hippie busses easily stop for people dressed in hippie-apparel with no shoes on their feet.

HOWEVER, generally speaking it's a really good idea to dress very casually, in "regular clothes" - meaning anyhing that looks plain and rather "common" - similar to what people would wear in a shopping mall or on a visit to the movie theatre. "Public" clothes. It could definitely mirror your preferences and how you feel comfortable but don't go out too far if you want to be picked up easily...

Generally, avoid dressing in all black even if you normally do so, it's much better to wear brighter colors for your hitchhiking journey including anything from white to happy colors, or even just "boring" plain colors. I have found plain jeans and a colorful t-shirt to work best for me and if you generally wear dark clothing this might already be putting you in a position to get to know a new side of yourself ;)

Remember, good first impressions...

Odor and cleanliness

Where at all possible, you want to make sure that your clothes are washed when you start on your journey, they will become dirty and smelly soon enough, no worries ;) Seeing a clean and likeable "normal looking" individual standing by the side of the road will make it much easier for passing cars to stop for you and offer you a ride. There is no neeed to make it overly difficult on them and you will radiate a much more comfortable presence knowing that you look and smell fresh and - dare I say "civilized". Remember, even if you are a dirty hippie like myself (ahahaha), you will often get into contact with thoroughly "normal" people and being dirty in our Western cultures is somewhat frowned upon ;)

Furthermore, if you are wearing smelly clothes it might also make you really uncomfortable sitting in someone else's car, once it becomes apparent that the odor comes from you. The ride might be cut short for the convenience of the driver, or you might mess up the energetic exchange with the driver because you feel so insecure and self-conscious about your own... "fragrance". A great learning experience for sure but not an essential one to have in practice, theory should suffice ;)

So might as well avoid the odor trap as best you can.

Even if you normally don't use deodorant and the like, it might be a really good idea to take some with you on the journey. A simple "trucker's shower" at a rest stop (water from sink + paper towels) goes a long way in combination with a bit of deodorant so as to bring your smell back to a tolerable level (don't overdo it either, please!) - for your own peace of mind and that of your driver.

Needless to say this mainly goes for longer rides as you don't need to obsess about this on the first few days in general.

If I think back, the most important piece of apparel on my list for longer trips are definitely socks! Unless you go barefoot you will find that your socks will be the first thing to smell badly (because feet are one of your body's main detoxifiers, see my floor lesson "feet & friction") and I have found that it's much better to bring several pairs of socks along the journey than four different tshirts. Shirts, sweaters and pants will take a lot longer to start smelling than your socks so pack accordingly with the limited space you have available.

Warmth and weather protection

While we're on the topic of socks - unless you are going in high summer please make sure you have enough warmth on your feet as well. This can either be good (thermo) socks, several pairs of "regular ones" or some decent boots that will allow you to stand in the cold for a while without having your energy drained too much through your feet. It's really easy to underestimate how much cold feet over a prolonged duration can tear at your spirit. Getting cold feet can really by a strain on your body and it's good to be prepared for long waits by the rest stop in this regard, which are surely going to happen once in a while when things slow down.

Same goes for jackets or sweaters - unless you go in high summer you want to be prepared to spend hours at a time outside and you do not want to freeze your ass off easily. It might be windy - so have something against onslaughts of wind. It might be raining - so have something that doesn't immediately soak you. No need to pack your whole wardrobe but also don't be naive when it comes to clothes - remember that nights can turn cold and that it might even get wet and rain along the way. Always pack according to season and region in a way you feel comfortable.

Some hitchhikers swear by wearing and always bringing a scarf, as it can nicely become a pillow when needed and can help you retain more body heat should you ever get stranded for a longer night along the way.

Others never go on their journey without some gloves, a favorite hack of a friend of mine is to get some cloth-gloves for cheap and simply cut off the tips. It can easily be underestimated how cold your hands and fingers can get if you are outside for longer than a few moments, especially late in the day or when weather conditions are less than favorable.

If you can think of any essentials in clothing that I missed here feel free to drop me a comment and I will work it into the article for the community.

To be continued...

The next part of this series will deal with the other useful items you will want with you that can make your journey more successful and comfortable.

Come read other parts of this series:The Prospect & The Challenge - Foreword
Part 1 | Preparation - Tackling Fears & Hugging The Unexpected
Part 2 | Preparation - Time, Distance & Availability

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