Hitchgathering 2018

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Revision as of 13:58, 2 June 2018 by Fverhart (talk | contribs)
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Hitchgathering is the name of a series of international hitchhiking gatherings held in Europe and Northern America since 2008.

Organizing the event


Propose a place

Feel free to suggest locations for main/pre/post gatherings around Europe!

Remember to tackle the following questions when you scout for a location:

  • Is there space for 100-200 persons?
  • Can we acquire drinking water somewhere nearby?
  • Are there possibilities to dumpster dive or is food cheap?
  • How easy/difficult is it to reach the place?
  • How secluded is the place?
  • Can we just stay at the place or does it belong to somebody, do we need a permission?
  • Can we dig shit pits there?
  • Can YOU be there to help organizing in the beginning?
  • What else is important? Which things do we need to bring with us?

Traumschule in Riebau (germany)

Why not Traumschule again? If there are multiple options again, it would be great to host you once more, even as an intermediate spot between other gatherings.

  • Is there space for 20-50 persons? Yes
  • Can we acquire drinking water somewhere nearby? Yes
  • Are there possibilities to dumpster dive or is food cheap? Yes
  • How easy/difficult is it to reach the place? See How to get there
  • How secluded is the place? The place is about 80-100km away from highways (A2, A7, A24) and three kilometers from national road B189 (Pretzier). Train tracks on the area connect Salzwedel and Wittenberge, which has been clearcut during the last gathering and it was told that during 2018 trains are supposed to go on weekends.
  • Can we just stay at the place or does it belong to somebody, do we need a permission? The place belongs to the Freiräume foundation created for open spaces like this.
  • Can we dig shit pits there? Yes, at designated spots.
  • Who will help organizing in the beginning?
  • What else is important? Which things do we need to bring with us? Besides enough time not much more than the usual hitching equipment like a sleeping bag, little money for service costs and durable food.

Free Camp in Vrhovine (Croatia)

I have another suggestion or option for HG '18. In the middle of Croatia in Vrhovine, 150 km south of Zagreb, there is an area called Free Camp. As the name suggests, anyone can camp here for free. I've just been there and even found the location marked as a "campsite" on a map with facilities for tourists. Location can host easily 200 of us. Located near the road, which at times is a bit annoying (noise). There is no water (there actually is, but the tap is closed), although I found water and electricity in the toilets of the nearby railway station (20/25 minutes on foot). The camp has a few electricity plugs, but also not working (switched off). Important, at the camp there WILL be other travellers (camping cars and such) staying there, that's no problem and even very nice. Dumpster diving will I guess not be great, the village has a shop at 20 minutes walking, but small and not very friendly staff, nearest bigger town is Otocac at 20 km, hitchability medium at best, I've also waited two hours once (but in summer it'be better due to more tourists). I've heard that the place has also hosted bigger number of people. Owner is named Alex apparently, but he's rarely at the site, no way to contact. But permission is already there! Food prices are medium. About shit pits, well, there is ONE real toilet and one real sink, but here again the running water is shut of for the moment (who knows, the owner switches it on during high season?). Digging shitpits could be not too easy in that stone/rocky soil, but some solution could be found? Croatia, even the interior as this place is, could attract quite some of us, popular destination and easy to reach. Can I be there from the beginning? For the moment, I guess so! I'd recommend some tools to cut higher vegetation, grasses, herbs, because most of the area is good to camp on, but quite rough. Bonfire is OK, there are some trees but not too many, so for tarps the area is not good. There is no river, lake or ocean next to the place. Nearest stream would be about 5-6 km east (imagine: 2 meter wide, half meter deep, clear water) or 20 km west (small river, Gacka, probably deep enough to swim, the region promotes it for fishing tourism). But I don't know if swimming is officially allowed. At the camp there is even some kind of (cold) shower, but also here water is switched off. Check photos! And visit this link for reviews from tourists that stayed at this FREE CAMP. [1] --Fverhart (talk) 12:58, 2 June 2018 (UTC)