Canadian Trek, Halifax To Vancouver and maybe more!

Planning a cross country trek this summer, no exact date set as of yet but the plan is for a 1-2 month long excursion across this great country of Canada, I am a self diagnosed wanderluster looking for adventure. I have experience hitchhiking long distance as well as hopping some freight in my early 20's...31 years young now. My plan is to do the entire trip hopping freight and being open to the occasional ride share or hitch if needed. Writing and crudely planning my itinerary and just looking for some advice, knowledge and just general discussion on the topic. Tips, suggestions, hot spots to visit, etc....thanks. Cant wait to hear from you.

That's a cool plan, CH! How do you even go about researching something like that? Sounds similar to what I did but much bigger scale.

Oh I admit ive seen your videos many times (namely canadian catch out), loving it but also wishing it had of been longer, but ive been a wanderluster for many many years now, and tbh its only getting worse now that im in my early 30's...wow where did the 20's go! Ha. I know the trip can still be done, regardless of post 9/11, and the newer style 53's...its still a trip that can be made with some planning and smarts. Crew change quide, a 2 way and knowledge of Canada will go a long way, not to mention cell phone coverage, GPS etc. Part of the trip will be stopping often to take in everything it has to offer for the wanderer....me and my pack....thats the idea

Haha, again, that's exactly my thoughts too. Something I will definitely do this time around is get myself sorted out with a Canadian SIM card for my phone so I can check Google Maps without having to find a Tim Horton's. It was soooo annoying at times not having Internet coverage. I don't care what the traditionalists say about not using modern tech. It's 2016 and we have thousands of satellites in orbit to make life down here easier! Get over it!!

And fear not, if (when) I do this you can rest assured that the resulting video will be much longer than Canadian Catch Out. I'll most likely release it in a series.

If you were coming this summer I would suggest maybe we could meet up in Halifax and maybe do the trip, my dates are open as of right now, sometime after June...perhaps July no later then August, just an idea. There is an app MAPS.ME where you can actually download maps that can be used while offline, haven't used it yet but heard about it thru the community. Also, not sure if your aware, but ive heard talk of a system the rail company has that can detect data signal being used on the train, now this would be used to stop engineers from using there phones while working but can also potential throw up a flag of a potential stow away, something to think of and maybe look into further.

Received an email from CP Rail tonight....advising me not to do any freight hopping and the dangers of doing so as well as letting me know they have security to catch hoppers. Comical she states that they watch social media and other venues (websites, youtube) for people like myself. just wanted to share, ....I wont be going now....Ya wouldnt wanna do that.....:p

I would not take her email too serious, sounds a little like scare tactics. Also she is advising you not to, that doesn't mean you can't just go on and do it anyway. Despite security getting tighter there are people that still freight hop, so its still possible. I love that she says that they watch social media for stuff like this, gives me the impression that she doesn't have that much to do at work. Either that or her work is to just sit and drudge through social media, looking for freight hopping stuff.

Sure freight hopping is dangerous, but being alive is dangerous (spoiler warning, you will die at some point). Better to just focus on living life and enjoying yourself, rather than pissing the pants thinking of how dangerous stuff is.

I couldnt agree more Eric! She gave a stat of 31 people killed around tracks in Canada and 18 injured...seems high I will say. but like you said, life is not safe, it wouldnt be my first risk taken. She simply let me know they are watching...fair enough.

"but ive heard talk of a system the rail company has that can detect data signal being used on the train, now this would be used to stop engineers from using there phones while working but can also potential throw up a flag of a potential stow away, something to think of and maybe look into further."

Really? Thats curious.

I've not heard of the data signal detector before but if it does exist then I'd imagine that it's localised to the locomotive at the front. Those trains are like a mile or more long! Unless it's a scanner which is at the side of the track, in which case it could measure the whole train.

Well, the jokes on them! My phone is so shit the battery would be dead long before I'd have a chance of using it.

I carry a GPS, Phone and Radio. If they do something funky I'm on it haha

A GPS and phone sound good, but I don't think the radio would be much use to me. Firstly the train people will no doubt speak in heavy jargon which I won't understand. Secondly they probably speak in French as well (on the Eastern side of Canada). I know a bit of French but I think that fast-talking, jargon-filled French in a Canadian accent might be pushing it for me :P

Fast talking jargon is right but it definitely sticks after enough listening. The really important things that get said like, " we have a rider on the train" and "wait for the police to arrive" tend to stand out because they are unusual. In Stobe's dunsmuir to ogden video it was sera's scanner that allowed us to watch the fire truck light show from the audience and not the stage. The crew van driver you see before the fire truck appears was looking at us while calling in the fire while we were all listening and looking at her. Wish we got that transaction on visual with audio.

Other convenient uses include finding out how long a train is stopped or when one is arriving. This knowledge can make or break a run to the nearest store for provisions and sometimes provide the heads up when a crew change will happen outside its normal spot.

I don't carry a gps and have found the weather channel on the scanner to be a way of getting a good general location estimate. Riding with someone who has the tech is always much appreciated.

"Received an email from CP Rail tonight....advising me not to do any freight hopping and the dangers of doing so as well as letting me know they have security to catch hoppers."

How did they get ahold of you? Did you try asking them for permission? haha.