Walking from the east coast to the west...

[DunNa]

The idea is simple you will walker from somewhere on the east coast to somewhere on the west coast (of the US). You can have a standard school backpack and whatever you can attach to your belt (canteen, flashlight, that sort of thing). Guns are not an option, though you will be able to have one knife (lets say a 4" blade bootknife).

You will most likely be traveling the south/mid west US and during the summer so extreme cold would not be an overt issue so you probably don't need to pack a snow suit or something like that. You will not be allowed to stay at hotels or anywhere that costs money, free churchs for a night, friends houses, goodwill, etc are acceptable as is sleeping outside. Also for simplicity sake we are going to say you will have no issues walking down the highways and that sort of thing.

So the quest is what do you pack? You will need atleast one change of cloths it can be tshirt and shorts if you want (screw underwear we can go commando!) but they will need to exist, you'd also probably want afew pairs of socks.
Pic of style backpack, as you can see nothing super fancy so the idea of bringing a tent or normal sleeping bag is semi out of the question but if you can explain it, its all good.
http://www.kahunna.net/graphics/jansport_small.jpg

Your task is to pack for that trip. Its all walking, no hitch hiking or anything like that.

I put this here because I'd like remotely serious answers. Things like "hookers and blow" are not an acceptable answer.

[pk!]

This might be bigger job than you think - it takes a week to walk across the UK, it will take far longer to cross the US - maybe 6 weeks.

A better rucksack. Water. Small gas stove with case that doubles as a pan. Gps unit (I recommend the Garmin eTrex Legend). 1:50,000 or better maps of the route. Compass. Washing kit. More socks than you think. One decent shirt for eating in restaurants. A tent and sleeping bag-I recommend the Laser Competition tent - possibly the lightest decent tent in the world, and a mid-range light sleeping bag e.g. Karrimor Ultralite II 900. A small LED torch and spare batteries. Decent footwear - I recomend Rohan Calgary. A waterproof jacket - I recommend Berghaus Paclite. A fleece underjacket. Some people carry a first aid kit but I've never needed one.
Student ID so you can get into university cafeterias etc en route. Insect repellant.

I'm going to have a look in my cupboard and see what I've forgotten. brb.

[pk!]

There's a thread here about equipment http://forums.worldatwarmod.com/showthread.php?t=13297
and one here about food
http://forums.worldatwarmod.com/showthread.php?p=308963

hope it helps

[BlindSite]

Water 2L in a camelback, Cigarettes, A credit card, There's also these super lightweight and small sleeping bags that roll up to about the size of a bred roll but are warm. Special Forces use them in Afghanistoffle and stuff. So I'd have one of them.

I'd also want to take a set of brass knuckles and a knife. Self protection roffle. No narcotics because police will probably stop me some time. A roll of cash for various needs.

2 army ration packs, enough food for about 48 hours in one if you know what you're doing, A zippo lighter, 2 bic lighters and my passport, in case I lose my wallet or something.

The change of clothes, a roll of TP because you never know.

Most important thing, a pack of condoms.

[Captain Colon]

I'd probably just fill the bag with money because it's the only thing I could fit in a tiny-ass bag like that that I could survive with.

[proudinfidel117]

I'd probably just fill the bag with money because it's the only thing I could fit in a tiny-ass bag like that that I could survive with.

god if you were still in a wheelchair this would be a lot easier. i'd just have to pack my skateboard :D

[Captain Colon]

yeah it's all fun and games until you find out that you have to go UPhill in san francisco and not down

[CaptCommy]

This might be bigger job than you think - it takes a week to walk across the UK, it will take far longer to cross the US - maybe 6 weeks.

A better rucksack. Water. Small gas stove with case that doubles as a pan. Gps unit (I recommend the Garmin eTrex Legend). 1:50,000 or better maps of the route. Compass. Washing kit. More socks than you think. One decent shirt for eating in restaurants. A tent and sleeping bag-I recommend the Laser Competition tent - possibly the lightest decent tent in the world, and a mid-range light sleeping bag e.g. Karrimor Ultralite II 900. A small LED torch and spare batteries. Decent footwear - I recomend Rohan Calgary. A waterproof jacket - I recommend Berghaus Paclite. A fleece underjacket. Some people carry a first aid kit but I've never needed one.
Student ID so you can get into university cafeterias etc en route. Insect repellant.

I'm going to have a look in my cupboard and see what I've forgotten. brb.

I agree with what he said, except for a few differences on brand names. But that's because I don't recognize some of what he picked. Weird ass euros.

[Daywalker]

Money is definetly the biggest thing, you can buy everything you need, but carrying it would be difficult.

[DunNa]

Money is definetly the biggest thing, you can buy everything you need, but carrying it would be difficult.

The idea is that you would be bumming it. Not staying in hotels that cost money, not getting fancy gps's and that sort of thing. Not being able to stop and buy a Big Mac whenever you see a McDonalds.

For a reference I would say you have a $20 budget for the entire trip. You have your backpack, cloths, and house hold items(lighters, flashlights, blankets, I'll be generous and give in that you might have a small tent, those sorts of things), and that 20 has to cover everything else.

This is actually abit of a situation for some characters, but I didn't want to come out and say exactly that since I felt it would cloud the responses abit I guess I just wasn't as clear as I should have been. In this situation money wouldn't be worth to much, you could probably barter stuff later on but most people really wouldn't care about you slipping them some money. The characters don't know the exacts of the situation they simply know they have to get from where they are to the west and they can't hang around for more than afew hours or so to pack.

[Captain Colon]

So basically the idea is that you're fucked and probably going to die? :\

[DunNa]

So basically the idea is that you're fucked and probably going to die? :\

You seriously don't think a person can make it (on foot) from random east coast town, to random west coast town? I will admit there are some chances for failure (if there wasn't were would the fun be?) and that the issues with failure are abit more serious than saying damn it and walking home but I think its possible.

Then again I can understand a cripple just up and shooting himself at the concept :P

[pk!]

All the things I listed I have in my house right now, and more equipment I didn't mention. I'd guess most people have some camping gear lying around.

If I was pushed for space I'd leave the sleeping bag, ditch the inner to the tent and cut down on the clothes I carried. I wouldn't do without some sort of navigational aid, even a kid's compass and a gas station map would do. My gps only cost about £150 (that's $300 so it's not too fancy).

If the budget was slashed to $20, then, frankly, you're fucked. You can either move across the land or live off it, whether by foraging, begging or bartering - all these things take time. As you are walking, you need food or you won't have the fuel for the journey. At a bare minimum I think I could get by on $3 per day if my route took me past the cheapest supermarkets.

At that level of subsistence, it stops being fun real fast. If I had to make the journey under those conditions, I'd hitch hike.

[proudinfidel117]

just jump on a freight train. hobo's do it all the time.

[Daywalker]

what I meant was its a lot easier to buy consumable items as you need them, than trying to take it all with you. Why carry an excessive amount of clothes? $20 takes up a lot less space and you can just stop at one of the infinity walmarts that you'll walk by and get the clothes. or food for that matter, you don't need to carry over a weeks worth of food when you could carry half that and restock as needed.

The problem is the more shit you carry, the slower you go, the longer it'll take to complete the trek. The longer it takes, the more shit you need.

only $20 is unrealistic. Cell phones have GPS capabilities if you download the right program.

[OMFG it g00]

ok well if my budget is 20 dollars, plus whatever i ahve lying around? hrm
several maps, 2 pairs of shorts(wearing one), 2tshirts, a small tent, pegs, and rods. a apir of hiking booths, or track shoes with some massaging gel insoles, or support insoles (i have them :-p). socks a couple pairs, a camelback, or several nalegenes, a fishing poll(!). a knife, tent stove with some POWA....spork, bait etc
so yeah basically what everone else said cept..support insoles, and a fishing pole and the most important thing...a spork
id have to spend 20 dollars on the cheapest food i could find, somehow...hrm
its tough

[Captain Colon]

You seriously don't think a person can make it (on foot) from random east coast town, to random west coast town? I will admit there are some chances for failure (if there wasn't were would the fun be?) and that the issues with failure are abit more serious than saying damn it and walking home but I think its possible.
Not with $20 and nothing but a backpack with some useless gear, no. Your only chance to make it alive would be a backpack full of Amaranth (http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/20001.html), which still probably wouldn't be enough to last the whole journey. At 10mph which is a pretty brisk pace, I'd guess it would take around 300-350 hours nonstop if you follow roads. Assuming you can walk a full 8 hours a day (unlikely at best) that's about a month and a half to make the trip.

I'm sure there's plenty of people who have walked across the country. I doubt any of them did it on $20, a backpack full of beans, and a pocket full of dreams.

[RoommateRiot]

I'd bring:

- Nalgene Bottle, maybe two.
- Lite tent and sleeping bag
- One shirt.
- One pair pants
- One pair long johns
- one light jacket
- Several pairs of socks
- Leatherman
- Flashlight
- Sewing needle / dental floss.
- Toothbrush.
- Thumb (to hithchike)

- Food can be picked up in dumpsters along the way
- Shelter can be provided in cities of any good size by fellow DIY punks who are always willing to hook someone up with good food / room to sleep in for a night.

This wouldn't be hard at all. I know people who have done it with less equipment than I mentioned.