photograpers hitch-hickers?

Pawel- first, thank you! In recent days you've been asking such a wide diversity of questions. It does make it difficult to pin down what your motivations and what your goals may be. Camera comparisons, a study of religion and sexuality in photography, advanced photographic education, and now hitch hiking. I love it! Now I'm looking forward with anticipation to read what your next question will be in a couple days. Seriously, no offence meant at all. I'm enjoying watching you seek all this information.

On the topic of hitch hiking... I hitch hiked only once in my life- I was a 16 year old kid (nearly 30 years ago) 20 miles from home on a bicycle with a punctured tire on the one day I left home without a repair kit. Silly me. Would I hitch hike today, anywhere in the world? Only if my life absolutely depended upon it, and even then I'd be on extreme guard for my safety. I'm in the USA (where hitch hiking is discouraged by law enforcement), and dare I say that for all the hitch hiking that goes on without a bad outcome, there will be a story of someone losing their possessions and/or gaining bodily harm. And having high value things along with you just invites more potential for problems. Go forth at your own risk, but it wouldn't be for me.

Damn, I smell a really interesting project!

I hitchhiked a lot in my late teens and had some interesting experiences - the best being picked up by a guy driving a stolen car, high on something, and sweating being nabbed by the police. If I were younger that would definitely be a project I'd be pursuing with a camera. It's a shame I wasn't into photography back then.

I can't offer any advice with respect to your above questions, but just want to say good luck and stay wary!

Hitch-hicking is not as dengerous as it may seem. I've seen lots of posts of people who already did this, they have been travelling around western europe, eastern europe and arabic countries - and dangerous situations are very, very rare. People don't killed, don't get robbed (however, they were not travelling with expensive photographic gear - that's why i created this topic).
It seems that world is not that hostile as most of us thinks.

I just found insurance company that that would cover thief during hitch-hicking, by the way.

I too hitch-hiked a lot in the service (CA in the early 70's), even got "Stuck in Lodi" from midnight to 5 am during a winter rainstorm - the same kids who dropped us off on the way to a party picked us up and took us father along out of pity and being soaked, but I never took my camera. I always feared I'd have to give it up as gas money. I've picked up a few hitch-hikers over the years (own a VW van) but none had cameras, mostly dogs, groceries or broken bikes. Good luck.

In the U.S. hitchhiking and picking up hitchhikers is now and has always been very risky. If you are traveling that way just to meet "interesting" characters why not take the economy inter-city busses? http://gotobus.com/chinatownbus/
If you don't have much $$ you are just another bum and will be asking for a tough time whatever you do.
Hitchhiking joke: Family in car. They see some raggedy-ass character with thumb out. Kids say "Who'd pick THAT guy up? Dad says: "A guy who looks just like him."

Good luck.

Like others, I did a lot of hitch hiking as a young student, and then in my twenties as a student in England and while traveling in Benelux. I never had any problem, dressed respectfully, had a sign that alternately read Canada to ----- (wherever I was headed). Some very interesting folks offered me a lift and carried on great conversations (driving alone can be less interesting), from office workers to Bentley or Bristol car owners (one an Oxbridge prof, the other a member of parliament). It depends a lot on the times and on the region, some of the latter being safe (relatively). When I moved to Quebec City, a little more than a few decades ago, it was surprising to see nicely dressed young girls hitch hiking home at 1 or 2 in the morning after a night out. Normal then, and safe. Times have changed and the innocence of that time is no longer, so hitch-hiking has been greatly on the wane, even if the threat is not there as it is more so in some jurisdictions.

I would choose my route carefully if I were to be young again and interested in such cheap travel. Dress normally, hide any fancy stuff (ipods, cameras), and use a sign. Tell friends where you are, and are going.

I'm a bum but that doesn't matter since eastern europe everyone is a bum. I'm also a madman so I'm not really afraid about my safety. These are not my concerns. I just wonder how safe my equipment will be during my journey; how much more attention camera brings in such conditions.

i hope this clears things up :}

Keep your equipment out of view, and don't give any other indications that you may be in possession of high tech or any other valuable items. Don't give a predator a reason to prey upon you. A camera (or cell phone or any other similar device) in view will draw attention to you, keep it hidden away.

I read in another long distance tourism book where the author carried two wallets with him. The first had his money, identification, credit cards, etc. The second was a "dummy" wallet where he had just a couple dollars (or whatever form of currency was used in that country), and an expired credit card for an account that wasn't even open anymore. If someone was going to rob him, he'd pull out the dummy wallet and hand it over.

Never say never... it will be when you are feeling the safest that you'll relax a bit too much and become a victim. Even in a region where you've had no bad experiences in the past.

I don't remember toting a camera when I hitched as a teenager. But if I planned to thumb rides just for travel and adventure I'd probably take an inexpensive, easily replaceable point and shoot, digital or film. I might take both, just for conversation pieces.

I also did a lot of bicycle touring in the '70s and usually toted a small 35mm SLR outfit in my handlebar bag. The camera body, 28mm, 50mm and 135mm lenses didn't seem to bog me down too much, even on uphill climbs. Not sure I'd want to tote that much gear when hitching, since there's often a lot of walking.

Regarding safety, hitching was probably among the least dangerous things I did as a teenager. I don't recall ever feeling threatened by anyone who gave me a ride. I did pick up a few weirdos when I was the driver - nothing intimidating, just eccentric folks - which only reminded me that *I* probably seemed like the weirdo when people gave me rides.