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Solar Power Indiana
Indiana Expeditions: Electricity Part 1
Alternative Energy Questions:
backpaking across the states from east to west?
so im gonna go backpacking, pretty much roughing it by myself. im tired of stressing over debt and bad credit so i figured while i have nothing goin on with my life i should take a trip and reconnect with myself. im not taking a car im hiking it. i have the main essentials but not alot of money. I have a back pack a good pair of hiking boots a tent a knife with pins for blisters ,flash light a shower bag that is solar powerd so i can take a hot shower a bottle for water clothes but not to much, wire cutters and the will power. is there anything else i really need besides food and what should i look out for and what kind of odd jobs can i do on the way. im taking a bus to ohio from new york and then walking to cali or portland not sure yet it's pretty much gonna be a straigh shot passing through indiana,illinois,iowa,nebraska,wyoming,u... or idaho depending on where i decide i go. any suggestions?
1: Couchsurfers.com is amazing. You get an account, and then you can stay with people for free. It's not sketchy either; the hosts are vouched for and you can choose whether you would like to stay with someone of the same sex, in your own room, etc. They have really strict guidelines for hosting, so you can feel secure. The service, as well as staying at the people's houses are free, but it's sort of an unwritten rule that when you stay with someone you give them a little gift, even as simple as doing the dishes for them. Most people will even make you dinner or show you around their town. Be prepared, though, sometimes you have to deal with pets, smoking, or no privacy, but it doesn't seem like that is a big deal. It's good after a few days of camping, so you can get a hot meal and a shower and a good night's sleep on someone's couch.
2. When you're going through the states, go through south dakota/wyoming/montana through idaho. Since there is so much tourism from the East Coast through the Mt. Rushmore/Little Bighorn/Yellowstone area, you have a fair chance of hitching a ride with friendly people. Once you hit South Dakota, just travel along I-90 through the NE tip of Wyoming, and it takes you up through Billings MT and along to Yellowstone (which has some absolutely stunning scenery!) I live in southeastern Montana, so I know this very well. They have a lot of KOA and Forest Service campgrounds along I-90, which are usually pretty cheap and can give you a little nicer experience (like a real shower) every few days. I swear by them when I'm on road trips and backpacking.
3. I learned while backpacking through Sweden, that food really adds up. So figure out how much you spend on groceries in a week, double it, and then budget that way. I didn't do this, and ended up broke sooner than I should have just from eating. You may want get some MRE (meal ready to eat)'s at an army surplus store. they last for years and have a lot of food for the money. Since they're made for soldiers, they'll keep you on your feet for a long time and pack and stay fresh for a long time. They're not the most tasty, but they're perfect for hiking.
