Eighty years ago today, the October 1939 issue of Life magazine detailed the adventures of 21 year old hitchhiker Will Parker of San Francisco, who thumbed his way to New York thanks to the 29 motorists who stopped to give him a lift. He was accompanied by his friend and amateur photographer Hart Preston who got the pictures of the trip for Life.

As you can see from the photo above (and from several other photos where it was visible), Parker brought with him a portable radio, which the magazine attributed as being one of the secrets of his success. In addition to the radio, Parker brought an electric razor which he used daily. He also bathed almost every day, resulting in a clean-cut appearance.

According to the magazine, the radio was the inspired touch. Drivers would ask Parker about it, made conversation about it, and found themselves persuaded to take him along.

Drivers were eager to talk about themselves and give their opinions about politics. By the time he reached New York, all drivers thought that Roosevelt should run again, but only a third said they would vote for him. Most were in favor of staying out of the war, and almost all of them thought it had been a shame to change the date of Thanksgiving.