High-tech hitchhiking
Smartphones have become such an integral part of most peoples lifes that they can also be very helpful for your hitchhiking -- if you want that.
Apart from smartphones there are a bunch of other niche gadgets that are useful for hitchhiking.
Contents
Smartphones
Smartphones can be a very useful tool for hitchhiking. The main specific uses are: maps, hitchhiking spots and communication.
As this is a fast paced market consider other sources apart from this wiki.
Map apps
For hitchhiking offline availability can be crucial for travelling abroad or in places without reception. Public transport navigation is also very useful.
Expamles of free offline map apps are (as of 2025):
- CoMaps - free, no ads, privacy-focused, fully open-source, run by a community of volunteers, offline maps navigation and search, outdoor map layer, simple snappy interface (created by ex Organic Maps (OM) volunteers due to issues with governance, transparency and some closed sources in OM; OM is based on Maps.ME)
- OsmAnd - free, offline maps for only 10 countries/states, many features, but very complex and slow interface
- Google maps - detailed maps, satellite pictures, public transport navigation, offline maps possible.
- Apple maps - detailed maps, satellite pictures, public transport navigation, offline maps possible.
- Regional apps - e.g. Yandex or 2gis for central asia
Offline Hitchmap and Hitchwiki
For offline hitchmap.com you can download the information of the spots into a small file and load it into your preferred maps app:
- Hitchmap has a built-in feature to download spots in multiple formats.
- Hitchspots.me generates .kml files for e.g. organic maps. Note: As of 2025 Hitchspots.me doesnt get you the recently added spots.
For an offline version of Hitchwiki.org see: Hitchwiki:While offline
Communication
Apps for translation can be immensly useful -- consider downloading needed languages for offline use.
Other things to have on your phone
- Entertainment (audiobooks, ebooks, music)
- Maybe things such as survival books
- Safety-related apps and information
Mobile data abroad
Using internet abroad will be much more expensive than in your home country. It might make sense to get a cheap local sim card, if you stay in a country for a while.
Other devices
Computers
A subnotebook, netbook or ultraportable is a class of laptop computers that are smaller and lighter than typical notebooks. Usually approximately 1 kg / 2 lb - so they are easy to carry along.
Here you can find a comparison of different Web Map Services for your device: Wikipedia
GPS
All smartphones have built-in GPS these days. For more information see GPS devices.
Satellite communicators
For hitchhiking alone through desolate regions satellite communicators (such as the Garmin inReach) can be a an option for an emergency communication/SOS device.
As of 2025 flagship smartphones start to have inbuilt satellite communicators.
E-readers
E-book readers can be useful for killing boredom, especially for long-term or slow-going hitchhiking. Depending on the model can be possible to "hack" the device and use various applications (including map software) with restrictions of slow display.
