Australia has a recently formed a bit of a complicated relationship with hitchhiking. We had one bad guy and we’ve developed trust issues. It’s a shame because it’s a huge country with expensive travel costs. In my mind as long as you’re prepared and confident, there are a lot of things more dangerous you could do for a trip.

Here’s a few tips I have put together around things to expect when hitching around:

1. Have a backup plan

Tell someone you’re going. I love hitchhiking, but like anything fun it does have risks. Let someone know your plans even if they are very loose. If you’re not going to have a phone or be out of reception, just let someone know.

My last trip I had a 3 day panic friend. Where I text him everyday a quick where I am and where I hope to go. If he heard nothing after 2 days he’d try to contact me and nothing for 3 days and he’d tell the police. It’s a slow alarm system, which enables me to keep my freedom and a link with home. If it’s a shorter trip or a trip I not very concerned about, such as NZ, I just give someone an end date and a rough itinerary. Adjust the consistency of contact for the location and length of trip.

2. Take a map

You probably don’t know the area you’re going very well. That’s fine, but take a map. A real map. In the morning give it a glance over. Where you are, where you’d like to get, a few places in between etc. It also helps to have handy encase a lift says somewhere you’ve never heard and they can point to it for you.

Google maps can be slow at the best of times. Nothing beats a real map, even if it’s a print of google. It doesn’t have to be 1:100 scale. Just a map with all the major roads and large towns. I took a 1:45,000,000 rough guide map of Australia. It was waterproof and perfect for our trip.

3. Be adaptable

Be ready for people to offer you a lift that wasn’t the “plan”. Either it’s further, shorter or a completely different side trip. As long as you feel comfortable, get used to saying yes. You’ll often get the best stories from the unexpected stop offs. Hitching is all about flexibility.

4. Expect Ivan Malat/ Wolf Creek jokes

Everyone’s favorite joke. Often it’s funny and I’ve made it too. Pick your timing, at midnight when there’s no one around it can be a little scary. No need to do much research about him (it is messed up) but knowing the name and being able to joke about it will come up.

Another favorite is to tell you off. “You should be more careful”. Once again I usually just laugh it off and thank them for their concern, remind them of all the other horror movies which didn’t involve hitchhiking. If I’m feeling a little cheeky and I’m confident I wont scare them, I’ll flip it on them and tell them off for recklessly picking up a hitchhiker!

5. Have car snacks

Most people wont accept money and that’s not the point of hitching. So take some snacks to share for those longer lifts. A bag of sweets or a block of chocolate (beware the heat).

If they stop for fuel or at a rest stop maybe offer to buy them a coffee or cold drink. It’s not essential and many people will say no, or even insist on buying you something, but it’s a nice touch that can make the relationship feel a little more equal.

6. Have a valuables bag

Another backup precaution. I have never heard of it happening, but it’s always better to be safe. Keep your wallet on you, either in a pocket or a small bag. If you’re going through the desert keep a bottle of water in there, maybe a headtorch, a lighter, some snacks. Just a small bag of things that you could survive on and keep this bag with you always. Also good to have easy access to during a lift if you want to take a picture or write something down. Often your backpack is too well packed and pushed in the boot to grab things from.

Do not however, leave this bag on a bench at a lunch stop, then hitch yourself across the country before you realise you no longer have your passport, camera or phone with your flight 2 days away – yes I did do this. Luckily it was in NZ which has the nicest people in the world, so I got it back and made it to my flight.

7. Get outside town centres

I don’t mean skip every town centre, sometimes that’s what you’ve come to see. But if you’re just hitching through and a lift asks where they should drop you. Say the edge of town, or if there is one a truck stop. If it’s getting late, pick a stop close enough to town if you don’t get a lift, but far enough away you don’t get too much local traffic.

If you’re at the edge of town, people get a better idea of where you’re going and are likely to be going there to.

8. Have a bottle of whiskey

It doesn’t have to be whiskey and it doesn’t have to be big, but if you drink it’s nice to have a little nip of something you can pull out if you end up camping with people. They might have given you a ride or maybe just a fellow traveller, you might swing a future lift from it.

This also works with a packet of cookies etc, but a small drink in the middle of no where after an unexpectedly long day can be a real nice touch.

9. Be prepared to camp

You can plan a trip which goes through regular towns and stay in hostels, bnbs, etc and for some trips I’ve done this without a concern. For adaptabilities sake having just a tent, sleeping bag and mat can really improve a trip (they don’t have to be expensive or fancy). This can remove the stress of needing to get to a particular spot by a certain time and save you money. It also keeps you out of those town centres that bit more.

10. Don’t be dangerously polite

If you feel uncomfortable don’t do it. This doesn’t mean instantly yelling for help and running away (although if you think this is the right reaction it’s also ok). But if something feels wrong, try to change the situation, whether that is just the topic of conversation or it’s actually getting out the car. Try to reduce conflict, but remember just because they stopped, you don’t owe them.

If your immediate feeling is you don’t want to get in the car with this person, ask them where they are going before you tell them your plan, then say you’re going somewhere else, or you’d like to get a bit further than that today. Be friendly, but don’t get in the car. In the morning even have a look at your map and find those “fake” destinations. If they become pushy, just say no and step back from the car and try to attract other people’s attention.

Have fun and keep safe. It can be tiring work hitching, constantly reading people, but you’ll have an amazing time doing it and meet people you would normally miss in the world.