I’ve been having a lot of trouble finding any literature online about this subject; I’m not sure if it’s because I can’t muster up the right keywords or because nobody actually does this. I’m looking to potentially spend a month or two on a walking trip, but not necessarily on a hiking trail; rather, walking through “normal” areas (i.e., some urban, some suburban, obviously mostly rural). I’d walk about 15-20 miles a day and carry a tent. Has anyone heard of people that did this? Any related websites? This isn’t any sort of exercise in homelessness fetishism, and as such I’m not adverse to spending a little money from time to time, but the cheapest motels and even campgrounds are unsustainably expensive. I’m happy sleeping in a tent in an inconspicuous area as long as it’s relatively safe. Any links or personal knowledge/ideas related to any of the above would be much appreciated. Oh, and for the sake of specificity (not that it really matters), I’m in New England.
I’d reconsider the whole journey if you can’t afford a flight or motel beds. You’re most likely not going to meet wonderful, interesting people, but will have a tedious and dreary journey. If you keep to the rural areas you’ll be lonely. If you find places to kip down in more populated areas, chances are that the land or area owned or supervised by someone who doesn’t want you there. Moreover, we have become more security conscious, some places that used to be available are now locked or posted against trespassers. For instance, in my student days at UCLA, more years ago than I care to admit, classrooms were open, and presumably anybody who wanted to could have wandered in and just spent the night in one if they had to, but now there are keypad locks on the doors. Study lounges, while still open, are posted against trespassing, making even the alumni visitor looking for a place to sit down with a cup of coffee nervous about doing so in the lounges. And that’s just universities. I’m sure it’s the same story elsewhere too.
Found by searching “cross country walking trip” without quotes.
MSNBC article on Walking Tours and Trips, with a list of companies offering tour planning services on the second page.
Every Trail website dedicated to walking tours.
If you’ve got a serious hiking/outdoor store like REI or similar in your area, talk to them. I’m sure they’ve had at least a few customers who were planning a trip like that, or have even done one themselves. Either way, they’ll probably have some first-hand information or be able to direct you to some resources that will get you started at least.
You know, there’s a lot of fun of traveling by foot. Personally I myself plan to take my own journey, so I think I can help just a bit.
Basically, preparing yourself is based on what you think you need. If you want a tent, take it. If you don’t want to be bothered by insects, bring a couple of cans of bug-spray. HOWEVER, you MUST BRING ESSENTIALS!!! You never no when you might be stricken by a bad case of diarrhea, for example. You should bring medication and first aid for those times you may need it. Also, you can help yourself out by bringing canned goods, dried or otherwise preserved foods, and a water-skin or can-tine. Keep in mind tap water will not be available 20 miles in the woods, so when getting water from an unknown source, fish a sign that the water may be drinkable. Or you can plan ahead and look it up online. In addition, don’t take water that LOOKS bad; better to be safe than sorry.
DO NOT TAKE RIDES FROM STRANGERS!!! I can’t stress enough the importance of turning down rides from people you do not know! You can’t be sure who is a murderer/thief/rapist/psychopath, and hitching a ride can be dangerous.
For the actual walking part, I suggest keeping a steady pace. You don’t need to be a marathon runner to walk great distances, but make sure you know your body. Don’t eat all your rations in a short time, so plan what you’re going to eat on a day by day basis.
Since you’re going through towns, I suppose you can travel slightly lighter than some people are comfortable, for you can get provisions at a market. Look for low prices though, because resorting to stealing is a downer.
Finally, plan your actions. If you are a wanderer, than you can go any direction you’d like, as long as you have enough supplies to make it to the next town. If you’d like to explore places, than do it; a journey is supposed to be fun and exciting for you, as well as enlightening yourself to yourself.
PS. There is probably many things I left out, so research this topic even more! I'm actually happy that I found this on the web; I was starting to think I was the only person to ever want to enjoy traveling without a car. As a last note, you may hunt for your food, but make sure you know what is edible and what is not. Forging can work, but is not quite as successful.
Good Luck Lama. Tell me how it turns out.