Giftassist Blog

5 gifts for successful hitchhikers

Posted on 11. Jun, 2010 by Rob Watson in Lifestyles, Male

Did you hear about the football fan who is hitchhiking all the way to the world cup?

I read about Andrew Grady in the paper a few days ago – his is a great story. 13,000 miles, travelling through 16 countries with only a cheap tent for shelter.

Obviously that would be one hell of an journey, but it got me thinking what would be a good gift to get someone before they embark on a thumb fueled trip?

I think there are 3 main things that would make for a successful hitchhiking mission.

1. You would need to keep on the right side of your driver.
2. You need to be thinking about your own comfort and sanity.
3. Most importantly, you need increase your chances of getting a lift

So, to tackle the first.

What better way to keep your driver entertained than a head full of fascinating and amusing facts?

The QI Pocket Book of General Ignorance fits the bill perfectly. Designed for traveling light and packed full of snippets of wonder, it’s guaranteed to keep conversation flowing.

Who knows, with this weapon on your side, your lift might even take you to your door.

Keeping your driver entertained is all very well, but you need to be equally sure your not repulsing your ride.

Lets be honest, if you are thumbing down lifts and sleeping in a tent it’s probably safe to say you might be developing a fair hum. Therefore a good supply of Deodorant is going to be an excellent gift.

There nothing more likely to get your driver suddenly saying he “can’t quite take you as far as I promised” than a strong smell of BO.

Considering keeping your traveling companion sweet is the best way to get to your destination, avoiding smelling like a sweaty tramp has to be a must.

Just on the off chance that you do happen to strike hitch hiking gold and you find a driver who is willing and able to take you for good stretch, it makes perfect sense to be prepared.

Since you might be spending many hours in cars and the opportunity to sleep will become something you have to grab where ever possible, an Inflatable Pillow could really become your best friend.

Getting decent sleep will be the best way of keeping your spirits high and that has to be essential when you never really know when your journey will end.

During your journey there will be many hours waiting for the next lift to stop.

Obviously your iPod will be there to keep you company, but that poses the very serious problem of what you’re going to do when the battery dies?

Meet the solution. The Solar Powered Charger.

You need never be left with only the sound of passing traffic to keep you company. So you can continue to listen to your favourite music, keeping your spirits up whilst the you wait for that next generous soul.

So what do you do if no one is stopping?

Well in these occasions desperate times can call for desperate measures. Time to start faking it with…

A set of Crutches

The sight of you hobbling slowly alongside the motorway is bound to draw plenty of extra gazes. Surely one of those people will feel motived to help out someone who is clearly in extra need?

Now it goes without saying that you will need to keep up the pretense and have a pretty good explanation for your sticks. But if you can handle the deceit, you could be at your destination in no time!

So, if you know anyone like Andrew Grady who is planning a trip on the cheap, then do them a favour and make sure they are fully prepared!

Tags: andrew grady, gifts for hitch hikers, gifts for hitchhiking