What I take with me while Train Hopping
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- čas přidán 4. 10. 2023
- A rundown of what I’ll have in my pack for an upcoming trip to Wisconsin from the east coast.
Stealth camping and personal safety equipment.
I’ve been riding freight off and on for over 20 years. Countless nights of stealth camping in 14 countries, and more miles logged on the road than I can remember.
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Some of this gear was made by me, and can be found at
www.pitchblackforge.com
Follow me on IG
Same handle as here.
Thank you.
(This video was uploaded at a higher quality than it is appearing for me right now, so I may re-upload it if that doesn’t resolve itself.)
#hobo #trainhopping #stealthcamping #vagabond #blacksmith #bladesmith #bushcraft #camping #campknife #combatives #bugoutgear #ifak #adventurecamping #solotravel #sneakreaper #edsmanifesto
I was just about to give up on CZcams. SO many time wasters, so much bullshit. This guy saved this platform for me. Tons of solid common sense info for anybody that's never been on the road. Plus he just seems cool. I appreciate your time and effort, man.
Thank you. I’m here to wage eternal warfare on all rail jabronis.
CZcams wants everyone on shorts now.
Alot of the coverage of travel is them doing their thing, just recording. Many don't consider the audience. It's more a record of an action.
First time watcher and I’m now hooked! Great videos! Two people I’ve been watching had accidents. One died and the other lost two fingers so safety is obviously important.
I live in Wisconsin now. In July I will be doing my first train hop. I just recently discovered train hopping. I’m looking for a clean high in life. This life I live now is draining. These devices, the porn, media, the material items, the drugs ( 2 months completely sober), the repetitiveness of this life I live now. Until I embark on this journey, I have some relationships that I need to meld before I leave for a month. I am sure glad to have discovered your channel. It’s refreshing, like a feeling I get when walking along a newly discovered stream. I wish to work on my character. This gives me hope. Like there’s a piece of me that I’ve lost that is waiting to be rediscovered. Answers to the questions in my head. I yearn for this experience. From my heart, safe travels to you Ben. It’s people like you that I admire. Characteristics I wish to one day attain to bring back to share with my family.
Thank you. Getting away from porn, and parasocial relationships as substitutes for real world ones, is a worthy goal. Congratulations on your sobriety. Good luck out on the road. Bring a book or two. And keep your head on a swivel. I don’t pretend that mileage, or freight trains, can fix anything approaching the damage that much of regular life causes people. But it can be a start, a catalyst. Take care of yourself out there.
@@PitchBlackForge Goodmorning Ben. I have my journal next to me, doing research on land navigation and radio communications. Do you have any videos made on these topics or could you perhaps point me in the direction of someone who can explain these topics? This one might be a silly question, "keep your head on a swivel"... what exactly am I needing to pay attention for and what is just "noise".
Did you do it??
Crom, strong on his mountain!
THIS YOU CAN TRUST
What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women...and being a vagabond. Crom approved. 👍
Hey something you might want to have on hand is a plastic painters drop cloth and a package of tea lights from the dollar tree. You can rig up a super shelter and light a tealight if the weather turns bad. Thanks for the video. It's always interesting to see what people carry.
Good meeting you today! I'll have to take some time to make my way through your videos and listen to your stories! All the best, stay safe out there! ✌✌
Great to meet you as well. I’ll definitely be watching a bunch of your content. There’s a ton of it.
"...so you're not walking around a sketchy neighborhood looking like a treat" haha
Awesome video, awesome loadout. +1 for packing Cormac. Stay safe out there. -Subscribed from Oregon
Travel well and have fun! MKE resident here close enough to hear the train horn blow from the yard. Makes me wonder now if one of those will be you. Thanks for the videos!
Thanks for sharing your gear Ben! I hadn't considered how useful a cell phone would be while on the road, specifically for photos and maps. I always had my crew change, rail atlas, and trucker atlas which was definitely heavy but necessary. Its been almost 20 years since I rode a train and I hear it's a totally different world out there now with modern security tech in hot yards and less ridable cars. I look forward to seeing your videos & progress in the following weeks! Safe travels man! 🌲 - Adam/Kitty
Been a while since we ran into each other. I hope all is well on your end.
My phone's sole purpose is gmaps and my current location
ALOT of shortcuts are possible. Satellite view saved my but a few times.
Inspiring truly you should know i got to writing after watching this, Thank you!
When I was in college, hitchhiked the USA one summer. That tme was one of the freedom in my life. Always want to hop a train. Carried stuff in case I needed to get out of dangerous situations. This vid is great, brings up memories. Also did a tour of Europe. Got above the Artic Circle as well. Be safe, enjoy the trip. Thanks.
This video was wonderful.It got me to follow you.Thank you
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll be uploading more this weekend.
You make some great stuff... Respect !
Thank you! Cheers!
Good bit of kit. Much the same as my get home bag. 👍
Great loadout video. I enjoyed it immensely.
Glad you enjoyed it
Awesome channel
Well thought out kit. It's interesting to see the various domains influencing your gear selection.
Thank you. I try to pay attention to a bunch of different sectors. Plenty to learn from conventional and ultralight backpacking, bushcraft, bugout / survival, military, and of course the criminal element.
@@PitchBlackForge Yeah, I've got a similar philosophy and have reached some of the same conclusions, but always good to see someone else's perspective. Good luck on your upcoming journey.
I came into your videos cold from the Train Hopping side, via CZcams. A CZcams Channel, Shiey, was my intro; I feel like you might not be "on board" with his stuff. Keep doing what you are doing. Video and Audio are great and the info and way you present is easy to take in.
Shiey doesn’t ride the way I do. That’s for sure. But he’s in Europe. They don’t have the same culture we do around riding, and they don’t depend as much on goodwill from workers. If he was “surfing” stateside I’d have a problem with it. All the hanging off the sides of ladders and walking on top of trains, on video, has influenced a crop of American dudes to do the same, and I definitely hate those guys. To the point that if I was to meet Dancer on the road, I’d probably cut holes in all of his gear.
Safe travels brother
Damn you are one smart whip
Great stuff
This dude is hardcore. Knows his shit.
Your videos keep on getting better. Tips and tricks that I feel most people would benefit from but are too comfy to care about. I've never trainhopped, but I did live in Stanley Park Vancouver for about 3 years just to avoid rent and bankroll my paycheck.
My goto bag for the longest time was a Rush 72 from 5.11 but it was too tactical and big to stay lowkey. I ended up ditching it after I adapted to the lifestyle, and then downsized a Grey Ghost Gear Gypsy which is still my favorite to use when stealth camping on my travels. Just enough MOLLE to be functional, but hipster enough that I don't stand out at a coffee shop.
Some suggestions I would make would be to grab a Wazoo belt. It functions exactly the same as your stash bracelet. I'm sure there's plenty of things you could come up with to put in those.
Since you're a book guy, maybe a small ereader to cut down on weight/bulk, but also to maximize your library so you have more than one thing to choose from?
Also, I think a Garmin smart watch would be right up your alley as you seem like the type to carry multifunctional gear. Sat maps, LED torch, and a solar panel in the face to charge it. They're the only watch I wear.
I would be interested in knowing what kind of cooking gear/food, if any, you carry during your treks. I was always in the city so I always had money to buy food. Often carrying nothing other than a bag of jerky to snack on. I would only assume that you would need to carry something more substancial on the road.
I thought about a stash belt, but I wear a riggers belt instead since it’s so sturdy and can be used for rappelling if need be.
I had a Garmin, briefly. The navigation feature is great, and I may get one again if I go overseas - really cool for dropping a pin, wandering in an unknown city, and then pressing a button to find your route back to the starting point. I had mine for the heart rate monitor, but it turns out that my tattoos interfered with the IR heart rate monitor. So I returned it. I just wear a cheap analog watch now.
As for the e-reader - I’ve also considered that. But I like the feel of books. I’m on the road a lot less these days, and I’ve got a pretty huge book collection. Many of them aren’t available in digital format. And though the readers aren’t the same kind of screen, I feel like I’m on screens enough as it is. It’s nice to have the actual object instead.
Informative and beneficial video!
Thank you. I skipped a few small things, and I'll do a recap when this trip is over to review the loadout, and what I could have done differently.
@@PitchBlackForge you covered the necessary details.
I carry my grandpas p38 from korea. Never leave home without it.
That’s more than a tool, it’s a talisman.
Thanks for sharing. What kind of radio? I like the necklace flail - I have a small flashlight on cord - probably not as effective...
The radio is a Uniden Bearcat, the SR30C. And the necklace flail has some demonstration videos on my Instagram. I’ve got one testimonial from a client. Ended a situation he found himself in, very quickly.
Man, one of these days I got to get my hands on one of those stash bracelets. That would be perfect.
They’ll be on the site for a few more weeks before going into production.
Just make one with leather and a snapping button. .
Damn brother you're the special forces of train hopping. Do you hop trains for the thrill or art of it? I work next door to the rail yard in Roseville, Ca and always see train hoppers but never have i seen one like yourself. They usually look pretty rough
Intentionality is key. Lots of folks are content to half-ass things. I’m … an oddball among oddballs. Lifelong sobriety plays a big part, but a lot of it is just curiosity and a tinkerer’s mindset. My approach to kit is the same as my approach to everything. Always looking for better solutions to some obvious problems. Thanks for the feedback. I should have a couple new videos up later today.
Hey! Funny I stumbled on this… haven’t seen you in ages! (This is crkt)
YOOOO. Where are you these days?
Stash your stuff buried in brush and set a pin on Google maps and screenshot it. Cheers
Satellite view unless under heavy cover, which then use topo
Great Video Ben, if you were to get a new backpack, what would you get? Thanks
I’ve been looking at the Mystery Ranch bags… they’re pricey but have a great reputation.
My scanner would bug me all the time in my pack. Turning on always at the worst time possible or just completely drain the batteries.The best solution I came up with was I removed the on an off button completely. Now I used a pen or anything narrow to turn it on and off and works greats. Try it out!
I made a short not long after this video that shows my solution - I put a guard (handmade) around the power button. No problems now. I did lose the clip on the back, though. Wound up getting a MOLLE compatible holster for it. Way better. Next is an upgrade on the antenna.
I would add a platypus water filter or a small water kit.
I’ve considered carrying a Lifestraw or other water filter. There’s always room for improvement (though not always much more room in the pack), but my purpose in carrying extra water is not so much about the availability of clean water but a safeguard against having to get off the train, restock, and then go through the trouble of catching out again. I haven’t run out of water on a train in a very long time. That being said, it is possible to get stranded in the desert. You can’t be too cautious.
RIP Stobe
Very interesting video; you're a real freight-hopping ninja. Strange question, but are there brotherhoods/tribes/gangs/cults in the freight-hopping world, or is it pretty much a lone wolf activity?
In the past there was one significant crew. One of their members committed a number of murders, was caught, and the crew disbanded. There were a bunch of other serious crimes associated with other members. This was 25 years ago. I met a few alleged members forever ago. Dogman Tony. New York Slim. Most would deny the FTRA ever existed. “Never heard of it.” At this point the ones that didn’t go to prison are mostly dead. There’s been some effort to revive the group, but it hasn’t stuck. I hear talk of other contemporary crews, but have never seen any evidence that they’re real. Likely just a few junkies talking big.
🙂👊🏻
my man... need more hoodies
I’ll have new shirts made in the spring, and hoodies again in the fall. Thanks for the interest.
Have you seen the "Write in the Rain" notebooks?
I’ve seen them but somehow have never owned one. I’ve wanted to print my crew change guide on that kind of paper for years but haven’t gone through with that either. Always room for improvement.
What pants are you wearing here? Mine always get wrecked and always never hold up. Any black well fitted trouser recs? Cheers
These are the 5.11 tactical defender slim fit. More comfortable than levis, with a couple hidden pockets. But it turns out they don’t last as long. And they’re way more expensive. At this point I’m back to regular jeans. They all get wrecked from being on the road. Carhartt used to last a long time but they fit horribly at this point.
What do you use to re-waterproof your rain gear?
I used Gear Aid Revivex cleaner and DWR spray. Worked well enough.
You are missing a silkok key it's for water spouts on commercial buildings
I cover this in a previous video. I sometimes carry one. Sometimes not.
Why didnt you mention the box in the right hip belt pocket? Secret stuff?
Toothpicks.
"...this you can trust..."
That line will be on the next shirt I issue. The design is already fleshed out.
@@PitchBlackForge ...that will be an amazing shirt... All nostalgia aside, kit videos are always awesome. Really like the matte / sandblasted look for your stuff that all sort of fades into the pack. Almost looks dirty, but it's just the print / texture of the surface treatment. That's the way to stay really low key.
You guys are picking the wrong time to be going north, its starting to get chilly out side
Fall and spring are the most comfortable times to travel. And I won’t be out long. Back to the house and the shop before it gets really cold.
How do you know where your going and what train to get on
If you really want to know, you’ll figure it out.
"i was sick so i went train hopping"
Cool shakedown. I’m curious what’s your base weight?
I’ll weigh myself with the pack sans food and water soon - I somehow neglected to do that for this video.
@@PitchBlackForge yeah baseweight refers to just your full kit minus water and food. I would be interested in overall weight with your full bladder w/both tanks & whatever grub. A baseweight proper and an overall with h2o & food would be cool. I’m 53 with compressed disks in my L4/L5 and out of necessity I’ve gone ultralight. Cost a fuckton but imo it’s been sooo worth it. I dropped your channel name in the r/vagabond today for some kid. I seen a lot of others but you are closest to my style. I h8 pissdrunk heads.
I meant weigh myself with the pack and do the math (with and without food / water), because it’s hard to balance a pack on a home scale. I’ll be in Wisconsin soon and will do the weigh-in when I’m about to leave again for home.
@@PitchBlackForge sounds like a plan my man. Looking forward to that footage. Safe travels you barbarian.
Hor do you know where the train is going?
Augury.
Red loctite the belt clip screws and reinstall
If in swamp or brush you will lose it regardless
Keep filet knife if near river or stream. Fishing is the excuse if searched. You can lose the pocket knife and still have the pig sticker as defense. Bear spray. Worth the $40. Buy one. Or two if plans on separating
"The campers greatest enemy is dropping something in the dark"
I got a molle compatible holster. Problem solved.
@@PitchBlackForge nice. Do the MOLLE buttons hold up? Or use Velcro?
Nobody will look in a dog shIt bag, but they might throw it away!
Nobody in a big city goes out of their way to retrieve dog shit bags from the bushes and discard them.
Some of us just aren’t cut out to fit in society’s BS credit rating, plastic death-maze.
I wish I’d responded to the rails calling back in the 90’s. Now I’m 52 and buying a 5th wheel on Friday. Will only be able to afford to move it once or twice a year but that’s still a bunch of new experiences before the Lord calls me home. If you’re around my age and tried and tried to make the
woman->dog->house->picket fence thing happen, but it just didn’t? My advice is blow it off and move forward. Besides the marriage thing in 2024 is a terrible contract to get into. 71% chance of failure. Great way to be 50, going on 30, financially. Great way to be forced into paying for your former love to sleep with someone else, in your former house, while pretending to raise your kids. Kids who are being trained to hate you and brainwashed into thinking you’re the culprit of everything wrong in the world. If you’re in your 20’s and 30’s please think twice, gentlemen. There’s an epidemic of younger Gen X, Millennials and older Gen Z who are forgotten men. Forgotten men made criminals by a zombified society who, IMO, have completely shit the bed.
Follow your heart but if it tries to dupe you into being just another financial plank for some tragically cute narcissist chick to monkey branch along on her hypergamous, romcom crime spree, then by God, follow your head! It is mid-May, 2024 and we are on the verge of dollar collapse in mc’merica. And like Scripture says “the first shall be last and the last, first.” This Republic was never designed to perpetually war monger and it wasn’t designed to run on cruise control either.
See y’all on the road.