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Tips for hitching

Josh MacDonald, a fourth-year photography student who spent his summer hitchhiking across Canada, shares some tips for a successful ‘thumb-travelling’ venture.

– Tenting is the cheapest and safest way to spend the night if you’re smart about it. Outside the major cities it gets pretty pitch black, so unless you’re pitching a tent in the middle of the road you shouldn’t be seen.

–  When hitching a ride, never go by yourself. Come up with a code word or phrase in case one of you decides the ride may not be safe. Something along the lines of “Hey, do you think we should go south?

–  If you sublet your apartment for the time you’re gone, you can actually save money by hitchhiking and tenting for a month or two. We spent $200 dollars total on our trip to Vancouver.

–  Look presentable when asking for a ride. People will always judge you by their first impression and they won’t pick you up if you look too rough.

–  Hitchhike outside of Toronto. It’s near impossible to get a ride out of the city. Barrie is the most common and simple place to get a ride out.

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