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[Sir Finkus]

Also, instead of a gun try considering a taser, one of those pistol thingies that shoots lightning through a wire

Yeah, plastic things like this are usually lighter despite having batteries and such. You want to deter people, and this offers around the same effectiveness without all the legal issues.

 And be sure you have somebody you can call every few days to track your progress. A personal locator is fine and all, but it's best to always have somebody in touch. It'll also make the whole thing seem a lot less lonely. And trust me, going about something like this yourself will get very lonely very quickly. Definitely take a northern route to avoid the more arid parts of the country.

Tasers might even be an issue in some states, and don't seem like they'd be very effective for self defense when you don't have 3 other guys to pile on him when he goes down like the cops do.  Frankly, I wouldn't bring anything (maybe a can of mace).  If the op just travels smart and avoids bad areas he should be fine.

[ein]

As for knives, a Swiss Army Knife is a multitool.
And multitools are not necessarily going to be the best in terms of a useful blade.
This should help for getting a good knife, and a good knife can last your entire life.

When picking a multitool, pick one that you know you will use.
Most of them are ridiculously heavy and will have tools you'll never use in a survival situation.
Others will have useful tools, but they'll be too small for what you need.
And remember, every tool is available by itself.
In a survival situation, the multitool you'd probably get the most out of is a fishing tool.

FIRST AID KIT, FIRST AID KID, FIRST AID KIT, FOR FUCK'S SAKE GET A FIRST AID KIT!
It should have: small adhesive bandages for little cuts, large bandages (rolled gauze for wounds, wraps for sprains and tears), alcohol (NOT hydrogen peroxide), antiseptic cream, iodine tablets or other water purification, sutures, scissors, and OTC medication.

Seconding too many clothes and don't bring a gun.
No comment on budget other than it's too much.
For the clothes you do use, get military surplus clothes.
Except for the modern shit, they're durable, comfortable, look good, and are very utilitarian.
Modern military clothing is all that, sans durability, however, they are much lighter, good for the environment you'll be in.

Read up on survival guides before attempting any of this.
Definitely check out the SAS Survival Handbook.

[ChairmanPoo]

alcohol (NOT hydrogen peroxide)

why?

[ein]

H2O2 decays and is less effective than alcohol.
It's also rocket fuel in its undiluted form.

[Sir Finkus]

alcohol (NOT hydrogen peroxide)

why?

You need Vodka to combat the radiation sickness.

[abculatter_2]

No gun. Don't even try it. You'll be walking across way too many states and the damn thing weighs too much anyway. Even the little ones.

There are phones out there that can do everything you asked for, for journals, pen and paper, location, etc etc.

An electrical generator will serve you no purpose unless you're thinking of recharging your phone. Get a shake-light flashlight instead.

Your food budget is far, far too low. Budget to eat, not to carry.

Remember, this is a walk through the US, not southern Mexico. If you need something you can always stop somewhere and buy it.

And yes. Too many clothes, way too many. Also plan to sleep outside some nights, and when you get a hotel you can always use their toiletries. And whatever you do, don't forget the sunblock and bug spray...

Seriously, can you walk that far? I wouldn't even begin. I'd only try to bike it if I was feeling especially masochistic.

Are gun laws that restrictive?

That's a good idea, though a journal doesn't require an electrical outlet. I suppose I could bring a few extra batteries, though.

Alright. How does $35 a day sound?

Yeah, I was getting a bit carried away with some of the things I was listing...

Okay.

I can't say for certain I can now, though I do like to take long walks. Plus, I have several years to build up for it.


PSUEDOEDIT:
@ Taser idea; That does seem like a better option. I really don't think I'll ever have to kill anyone on this trip, hunting will not be a necessity, and the taser will achieve everything I'd intended for the gun to do anyway.

@ Aridzona problem; I thought of that, though figured there might be enough pit-stops along the way. I guess I figured wrong. I don't necessarily HAVE to end up in San Francisco, as long as it's somewhere on the west coast and I see at least a few national wonders along the way I'll be fine with it.

Also;

Then he'll be in Utah.

You don't want to be in Utah.

lol

Also, don't carry the toilet paper if you can manage it.  Carry a trowel and familiarize yourself with local botany.

Heh, alright. I was a bit iffy about that anyway.


PSEUDOEDIT2: Holy crap there's a lot of new posts.

[SalmonGod]

You need Vodka to combat the radiation sickness.

Like!!!

Tourist's Delight should be a staple of your diet.

[abculatter_2]

Alright, updated the budget and inventory. I'm now packing lighter and budgeting less for things that don't matter.

Also, I don't know if I should pack anything for self-defense besides a knife, for reasons stated above. A gun would be a nice teddy bear, but I don't like the thought of killing someone. Plus hunting probably won't be necessary.

[Cthulhu]

Honestly, unless you're a seriously badass survivalist I wouldn't do this, or at least I would stop somewhere in the Oklahoma area.  If you don't know what you're doing you're gonna die trying to walk across the Southwest.

Faux-edit:  A can of pepper-spray is as much heat as I would pack on something like this.  Maybe I'm naive but I doubt you're going to be repeatedly fighting off packs of muggers.

[Tellemurius]

change your route to colorado, we are friendly to hikers just come during the summer, I-70 is shit right now >.>
i can help you if you can get to denver and even accompany you if you want

[ChairmanPoo]

H2O2 decays and is less effective than alcohol.

Do you have any source on that? My understanding is that it's more effective than alcohol, and I dont think it decays significatively in reasonable timeframes

[Tellemurius]

it decays in sunlight and heat.

[Max White]

Might I suggest a little training before you go for the real thing? From what I hear, the kokoda trail is a nice little stroll.

[Eugenitor]

Yeah, walk to the other side of Florida (west-east, not north-south) first and tell us how it goes.

[Akura]

it decays in sunlight and heat.

Two things he'll be plenty exposed to while walking the very long walk.

As for bringing a gun, I'd say that's a big no. Double no if you're planning on using it for self-defence, triple no if you're not trained to use it(that's 6x no for both, probably more). Chances are, any situation that would require you to defend yourself would happen too fast to draw a gun, and pulling a firearm out only makes the situation far more dangerous, especially for you. Even if you do manage to pull your gun out, it only creates severe legal problems for you(even just carrying it might). I don't believe the US has much in the way of self-defence law, meaning you're not really legally protected even if you're defending yourself, especially since your from out of state. Florida in particular had(still does?) the 10-25-Life law, where if you pull a gun, it's a possible 10 years in prsion, 25 if you fire it, and life if you hit someone(though I'm not sure on the particulars of that law).