Going to Hawaii.....

[RandyRhoads]

In less than two weeks I should be on a plane to Oahu. Here's my plan so far...

A one way ticket, by myself, for an undetermined time( Less than a month though), not knowing anyone there. I pack only what I can carry on my back. No hotels, no rental car. Just the good old Chevrolegs, maybe a bus for areas I can't walk through. Sleeping on the beach, spearfishing, maybe a few nights in the mountains, hiking and whatever I feel like doing.

That's is far as i've thought this through , yet... I really am having trouble with any more planning. Pretty sure there's a lot more to think about than this, but maybe there isn't. Maybe some unplanned whatever-I-feel-like adventure is what I need. I worry about getting jumped or skinned alive by the not so nice locals. Other than that what's the worst that can happen, it's not like i'm just heading out in some remote wilderness trying to "survive". Thoughts?

[Winnie]

Yup, that's exactly what I do. Even my trip to USA was what you could call 'fluid'.

Oh, and don't forget... pics or it didn't happen.

[Williepete]

Well Sir, that sounds like a great adventure. My Wife and I have been there twice for two weeks at a time and it is beautiful there. One thing you really have to see is the Memorial at Pearl Harbor, but also the War museum at the beach just out of town. It is quite sobbering. I wonder how the LEO will treat someone sleeping on the beach. If you do make it have fun and be safe.

Bill

[crashdive123]

I lived in Hawaii back in the 70's. There were some great camping areas, many on the beach back then. I suspect that much of that has changed, so would recommend a little research before you go. Also back then - the bus system was a great and inexpensive way to get around the island.

[Sarge47]

Now that's super-cool! Bugging out to the Islands, surviving on the beach with all of the Bikini-clad hotties! Right time of year, there'll be a lot of them on the beach! Way to go! :devil:

[SQWERL]

all the beaches in hawaii are public. atleast they were the time i was there. we drove around one night and you could see all these tents set up. our friends that we were staying with told us most of the people in the tents were homeless people. so there should be no problem setting up on a beach. the only beach on oahu that you have to pay to get to is hanauma bay. go to the polynesian culture center it is awesome. and def. go to the arizona memorial. it is a sobering experience. shark's cove is an excellent snorkeling area. lots of sea turtles. there is a bbq joint that we went to i think it was called big kahuna's i think is closer to pearl harbor. they have amazing bbq. and go to the north shore to the shaved ice stand. it's tradition to get original hawaiian shaved ice. bellows beach is really nice and shady, lots of palm trees. the palis (cliffs) are beautiful as well.
our friend's house that we stayed at had a traditional lanai. and i slept out there one nigt and it was like the call of the wild in the morning. it was interesting waking up to the sounds of a jungle at the crack of dawn. and there are geckos everywhere. anyways i'm rambling. good luck and have fun. i don't know where your flying out from but, get up and move around some on the plane. our flight was about 13 hours.

[hunter63]

Now that is the best idea for running away to the wilderness I have hear in a long time.......
Seems everyone want to go to someplace cold and hard to live in, freeze you arsh off.......finally some one with some sense.......Yeah, go for it, why not be warm and survive?

Congrats, man ...have a good time!

[RandyRhoads]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys. I have been there a few times. When I was a teenager I went SCUBA/skydiving there, Pearl Harbor, Haunauma bay ect. The last time was when I got leave,took two friends and blew through 10Gs in a week there. Didn't do much but drink and party that time. This time i'm going at it alone so nothing can slow me down but myself.

As Crash said, I know there are good campgrounds strung across the northeast beaches, some for $5 a night. But I also remember patches of private no trespassing beachfront houses. I also recall seeing a few hitchhikers, some in areas that look like a bad idea. For these I will hopefully use a bus. I'm a little worried about LEOs hassling me. I feel like I need to keep shaved up so I don't look like "the scum of the earth dirtbag hitch hiker" to them.

Obviously this will be no intense crazy survival trip. That being said I can't wait to get there and play survival :) A mix or urban, tropical and ocean. Time to find out just how far I can go off fish, plants, and bugs before I run to buy a can of food. I'm going to buy a GoPro helmet band camera with a coupla extra batteries to film my good times.

[crashdive123]

Don't know what access requirements there may be now, but my favorite place to camp was at Bellows. Spent many, many nights there.

[crashdive123]

Just looked up their site - you do need a military ID card to get on the grounds.

[crashdive123]

Again - it's been a lot of years, but I also spent many a night on the beach across from Kapiolani Park (near the Honolulu Zoo). When I was living there, there was not a concern about homeless or vagrants (at least that I recall).

[Rick]

My son and his wife just got back. They did quite a bit of hiking. Some of the pictures are breathtaking. I think the big trail was Olomana on Oahu but I'll ask him tomorrow to make sure.

[Sarge47]

Back in '88 I qualified for an insurance convention in Honolulu. We were put up in really pricey rooms(paid for by the company) at the Hawaiian Hilton Village where Don Ho stayed. Great chuck, nice view of the scanty Bikined bottoms, and we just kicked back and enjoyed watching the surf. Now that's "Survivalin'" BG style! :sneaky2: :innocent: :thumbup1:

[RandyRhoads]

Oh man. I already bought my ticket for the month and i'm starting to think this was a bad idea. I've been reading a lot about camping there. You need a permit, and you can only stay 5 days at a campsite before having to leave and wait 30 days before coming back. Camping at a site is dangerous, and sleeping other places is even worse. I guess there are a lot of dangerous vagrants and drug addicts, hookers, drunks....great...This wouldn't concern me very much if I wasn't lugging around expensive dive gear, speargun, computer, GoPro, etc... My flight gets into Honolulu at 2100. Then I start hiking 7 miles just to get to Waikiki. I sure hope there's a bus. Sadly i'm not even old enough to rent a car, even though I have to money to buy it outright.

I have enough money to bail myself out, but I will die if I end up having to pay $150 a night for a month. This is going to either really cool, a nightmare, or both....

[Winnie]

There's no shame in calling it quits if things go to custard before you're due to come home. Better to get home in one piece and with all your gear, than have a miserable and possibly life threatening experience.

[RandyRhoads]

You know, you're right. Here I was thinking I have to stay until the end so I don't waste money on buying a new ticket. Well, the ticket is only $100 one way, and a room would be more than that, so i'd actually save money if things went bad haha.

[crashdive123]

If you have a DD-214 this may work for you. Check with Bellows AF Station. This is where I did a lot of camping when I lived there. IMO it is some of the best beach camping you will find. Not sure what their policy is for vets - I was active duty when I lived there. It is out of the way, but I believe a bus can (or at least used to) get you there. http://bellowsafs.com/Default.asp

[RandyRhoads]

Thanks Crash after I get some sleep i'm going to start doing some calling. I'll check into Bellows, one of the sites I read about all the crime mentioned Bellows as the only safe one due to being near a station. I guess a DD-214 wouldn't be a bad thing to carry around regardless.