Hitchgathering

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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

Communication

Location

Each year the same challenge: where? While it's easy to think of many beautiful countries around Europe where it would be nice to gather, exact practical location is really all we need. It could be next to the sea, or not. We've gathered in city parks, mountains, at countryside farm, sea sides... We'd need a committed group of (3-10) people who will make it happen.

Checklist
  • Is it a hidden paradise?
  • Free camping place for 100+ people to put up their tents and be loud all night.
  • Do we need a permission and is it easy to get without having anybody really responsible/organizing the event?
  • Is it possible to stay hidden enough? Do locals mind? In Slovakia we were kicked out from 3 locations before we finally found good one (and that was the best one). Sometimes camping for 3 people is just fine, while for 100+ it's a problem. Private lands (such as the farm in Lithuania) are great if we can get permission. Also locations where there was a festival prior to us are great, since they might have all the permissions/facilities there already. Sometimes bold enough places with enough people are just fine — such as "200 hippies camping under eiffel tower for two nights", what could've they done to us?
  • Is it possible to make open fire? (No trees too nearby, running water nearby, laws?)
  • Is it okay to dig multiple shitpits nearby for like 200+ people?
  • Did you just found a herding place for cows and they weren't there when you checked it, but appear first morning?? (Slovakia).
  • Food? Nearby dumpster diving locations are very nice but not necessary. Any kind of small village shop in hitchable/walkable 4km or so distance is fine.
  • Drinkable water? Check if there are abandoned wells, springs or a shop nearby.
  • River, pond or lake nearby enough for washing. Fantastic to have it just next to us, okay to have 2-3km away.

Time

Early August, typically at first weekend. People will arrive some days earlier and many stay for like 1-2 weeks. New people keep coming and going during these two weeks. Festival sort of fades in and fades out, most busiest days having over 100 people at once.

Each year somebody suggests if the main event could be moved to June/July. Each time we come again to same conclusion: early August is the most optimal for all the students/working people to have a hitching trip. There will be smaller pre- and post-gatherings happening all the summer.

Past events

Future events

  • 2014 North American Hitchgathering Location Voting in Progress here.
Applications-office.png This article is a stub. This means that the information available to us is obviously insufficient. In these places little information is available or the description is severely outdated. If you have been there, whether hitchhiking, for travel or as part of an organized tour − be sure to extend this article!