/diy/ - Do It Yourself

"To start with, a sleeping bag and a cheap pup tent are advisable so you have comfortable shelter to sleep in during construction of the dome. Buy a small one, resisting the temptation to go larger, as it needs to be storable in a backpack and is only a temporary measure. Save your money for the other items on this list. Here’s a model of tent that averages $22-30 in price, pick your preferred source:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=tent&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=1
0467537434389556048&sa=X&ei=v4HITpiyPIGFtgfd8viFDA&ved=0CMwBEOUNMAI

Here’s an excellent cold weather sleeping bag. It’s $10 more than a warm weather sleeping bag but the difference is worth it. It’s winter right now, something designed for camping in sub zero temps will keep you cozy at nights. You will eventually want an electric blanket and air mattress, but for now a sleeping bag designed for cold weather environs will suffice:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=sleeping+bag&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&a
mp;cid=8964806896673833746&sa=X&ei=y4LITpCeKMK_tgft0uniCw&ved=0CLQBEOUNMAE

You will also need an initial supply of food and bottled water or access to a water source and a means of filtering it. Here are two written guides and two video tutorials on how to make a low cost water filtration system from sand, pebbles and a 2 litre water bottle. Ideally you should make several as they filter water at a very slow rate.

http://www.practicalsurvivor.com/emergencywaterfiltration
http://www.ehow.com/way_5447837_homemade-liter-bottle-water-filter.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbPvhXrfgjQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXfVVAJJ1II

They may use varying designs but all operate on the same principles and any one of them should suffice. Three or four filters of this type will suffice for one person’s daily needs. For food, consider bulk dry goods from a bulk foods store. Not things like rice and beans which require boiling or other prep, but things like granola, dried fruit slices and so on. Invest also in rubbermaid containers for keeping these foodstuffs dry and off limits to bugs or small animals.

With the tent, water filters, sleeping bag and initial food supply taken care of, you have everything needed to pick a secluded spot and begin construction of the dome. Don’t actually head out until you have everything necessary to build the dome because you need a residential address for the parts to ship to, at least for those ordered online.

Here’s a written guide and video tutorial for building a modest “3 frequency” geodesic dome. 3 frequency refers to the number of segments. Higher frequency domes are rounder but more complex to build. A 3 frequency dome is simple to build and plenty strong for your needs. View the guides below:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-PVC-geodesic-dome/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osnv4IFZW5o

Home Depot or Lowes will not only have the PVC pipe, but they will also cut it for you on request to the lengths specified in the tutorials. More importantly, they also carry multi-sided connectors of every conceivable type, you should be able to find four and five sided connectors of the type needed. If not, as in the instructable you can make your own connectors (or ask the Home Depot people to make them) as shown, from four or five two sided connectors cut in such a way that they can be bolted together in the center to form a sort of five sided star shaped connector. Provided that the pipe segments are the correct lengths and you have the connectors purchased or built, you’re equipped to assemble the dome skeleton itself. However, you will also need a large tarp. Best to buy several and stockpile some of them in a hidden cache in case the one you’re using is stolen or confiscated. A black tarp is recommended because it will absorb heat from the sun most effectively. Slim tent stakes, preferably metal, can be used to secure the corners of the tarp in the ground after it’s draped over the dome. You now have a wind and rain proof shelter.

The dome will keep out water from above, but only by raising the ground level inside above the dome’s rim can you keep the floor (and your bedding) dry. For this I recommend waste paper, house insulation, any cheap material you don’t have to pay much for and which can get wet without consequence, laid down and crushed flat until there’s a sort of cushioned platform an inch to three inches high. A second tarp is stretched over this material and staked down to keep it in place.

Now, you’ll want an airbed. This not only provides a comfortable surface on which to sleep but also keeps you high enough that you’re certain to stay dry. You can buy some dodgy brands for very cheap and even get several for the price of one nicer airbed, but they are prone to develop leaks that are difficult to permanently repair. If you’d like to go the cheap route, look at these:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=air+mattress&hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,c
f.osb&biw=1280&bih=653&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=12944543925441349337&s
a=X&ei=KYXITv6JGIK3twf-25mtDA&ved=0CKMBEPMCMAA

If you’d like a reputable brand for a few dollars more, look at a Coleman:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-Twin-Single-High-Air-Bed/16539575?ci_sku=16539575&ci_src=14110
944&sourceid=1500000000000003260410

To inflate the bed quickly, you’ll want a 12 volt air pump. Not 120volt, as that requires an outlet or an inverter, and inverters waste a lot of power converting between DC and AC. You will be using 12 volt car batteries for power storage, so all appliances you buy should be 12 volt travel/camping appliances:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/DC-Insta-Pump/14295539

Now, you’ll need a 12 volt battery charger. Here’s the cheapest I could find, it has a switch for charging either 6 or 12 volt batteries::

http://www.walmart.com/ip/American-Hunter-Charger-BL-C6-12-6-12-Volt-Battery-Charger/14678470

In the event that you do need to charge something that uses a regular wall outlet plug, you will need an inverter. This converts 12 volts to 120.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?pq=clip+on+inverter&hl=en&ds=pr&cp=0&gs_id=24
&xhr=t&q=inverter&tok=m8qHhWVh7DSX3UtrInmfzw&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&
#44;cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=653&bs=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=105098629568
34683779&sa=X&ei=VIbIToLMDcO1tge9p9D9Cw&sqi=2&ved=0CJwBEPMCMAA

In order to use this inverter with a a 12 volt battery, you will need a 12 volt female socket with alligator clips that attach to the battery terminals. That can be found here:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200438216_200438216?cm_mmc=Aggregates-_-Google-_-Alte
rnative%20+%20Renewable%20Energy%3EPower%20Inverters-_-457105

With a 12 volt lead acid battery, the 12 volt socket clipped onto the battery terminals (red is positive, black is negative) you can now plug in the air pump, which doesn’t need an inverter because it’s already a 12 volt appliance so it has the correct plug from the start. Plug it into the 12 volt socket, and it should activate.

Now that you have a shelter, dry ground, a battery with the means to charge it and to convert to 120v as needed, you can buy the heated blanket. Choose from one of the following, keeping in mind that they are different sizes and you’ll want one large enough to comfortably sleep under:

https://www.google.com/search?q=12+volt+heated+blanket&tbm=shop&hl=en&aq=f

It is advisable to purchase two (one to lay on the matttress and sleep on top of and the other to use as a blanket) and use a 12 volt splitter like this http://www.amazon.com/12-Volt-Outlet-Splitter-Turn-Cigarette/dp/B001KS94OO or this http://www.amazon.com/Wagan-Twin-Socket-Travelers-Adapter/dp/B0019891NO to turn a single 12 volt socket into multiple sockets. Keep in mind the wattage of the blanket determines how long it will run on a single battery. You can calculate the Watt Hours of the battery by multiplying the voltage by the amp hours. For instance, a 12 volt, 28 amp hour battery is 12x28= 336 watt hours. Therefore, a 25 watt heated blanket will run for just over 13 hours on that battery. 336 divided by 25. With this simple formula you can choose a battery for your needs, keeping in mind that it should be something small and light enough that you can carry it in your backpack; After all, the cheapest way to recharge them will be to either leave them (concealed) plugged into an unlocked public power outlet or by setting your bag down next to an outlet in starbucks, with the battery concealed in your bag, charging. The best plan is probably to have multiple mid sized batteries. Use them as needed while also occasionally take the depleted ones to public outlets or starbucks/mcdonalds for charging.

Deep cycle batteries are very expensive and heavy...

>>69691

Yes, that's true. But you can buy multiple small ones to make a larger overall battery pack and recharge them one or two at a time.

Of course the ideal is finding a location with a forgotten, exposed public power socket. This is more common than you might expect, the city puts them at the base of trees for christmas lights in the winter or to supply power from the equipment used by city workers that clean and maintain public spaces. If you can find such an outlet, problem solved.

If you cannot, batteries make a good plan B.

Thanks. I know someone who could use this, I'll pass it on.

I was homeless for two months. I slept in my car. I think that's better than propping up a tent somewhere because it provides you protection and mobility, and you can use the car battery for whatever you need. If you find yourself running out of batteries, you can always hotwire your own car or something. Now, I don't know about your friend, but I didn't really need much of anything, since I had a job but no place to stay until I found somebody needing a roommate. But hey, whatever.

The point being, sleep in a car.

Oh, hey Mad. Didn't know you came here.

I would really suggest more insulation in the roof of the shelter. Like a foot or so.

>>69707

A good idea, except he has no car. The items I have listed, all together, cost far less than even a very poor used car from craigslist.

If you do have the means to purchase a car prior to eviction do so. This guide is for those who cannot.

>>69708

What type of insulation? How to adhere it to the tarp? It is a helpful suggestion but of no use without directions for what material to use and how to install it. Remember this is not merely conceptual, it has to be very specific so that someone can actually follow through and do all of this.

It's why I didn't opt for something more complex. I feel this is doable on relatively short notice (A month or two) with relatively little money and materials.

The design doesn't attempt to keep the interior of the dome warm, by the way, which might have been a source of confusion. Instead it keeps the actual occupant warm, through the use of the electric blankets and perhaps one of those metallic heat retaining blankets on top to prevent heat from escaping.

after having been homeless myself I found it's much easier to keep your "house" capable of fitting into a single military size pack. A bedroll is way more practical and efficient than an air mattress (sleeping bag - mad warm in winter, and you can get cool ones for summer or just store it and use a sheet - and "yoga mat" for insulation off the ground and a little cushion).

Also it's easier to hide in bushes with your pack under your head, wrapped up in a sleeping bag, than it is to find a place and pop a tent.

Don't know where your friend is but very likely a tent will draw attention from LEOs.

as for power, I only ever needed to plug in a phone charger, and eventually a laptop, those can both be done for the price of a mac donald's cup of coffee or free if you don't mind sitting outside chilling for a little while at any business.

or you can just ask.

a few changes of clothes, cloth bags inside your pack to keep things separate (dirty from clean, clothes from food, etc). a metal and non metal dish for eating out of, metal can be used over fire, non metal can be used in a microwave at a gas station.

Has your friend considered hitchhiking somewhere south for the winter? Seriously it just might be a good time to start heading to Florida.

>>69718
>Don't know where your friend is but very likely a tent will draw attention from LEOs.

The current plan is for him to set up camp in a nearby national forest. There are other such encampments there and for the most part they are overlooked by the state.

I hear yo regarding portability btw which is why I chose a portable design. The dome structure is simple to disassemble and reassemble, like tinkertoys, and the tarps can be rolled up.

The concern power wise isn't cell phones and laptops, it's power for providing heat. The electric blankets are each around 25 watts, so 500 watt hours is needed to keep them running for 10 hours. Two car batteries of a size and weight that is appropriate for carrying in a backpack can supply about 600-700 watt hours. As you say, any other charging needs could be done directly someplace like mcdonalds.

>Has your friend considered hitchhiking somewhere south for the winter? Seriously it just might be a good time to start heading to Florida.

If he had the ability to travel that far he could simply come to where I live and I'd put him up. Operate under the assumption that travel is not an option. Also having lived in Florida myself for three years, it has suddenly started to get very cold during the winters, especially at night. Living there would not remove the need to keep warm.

Speaking from experience of being homeless for 4 months-- all the above is crap, and reads like a survivalist fantasy. You can't prepare for what the optimal setup will be for unknown circumstances. ("Gee, this whole state is filled with violent thieving cunts." "Motorcycle... what do..")

In my case, I put everything into pay-by-the-month storage, and lived off the back of the Honda CT.

>>69710
Shame. I have found that it tends to get very cold outside, and unless you're a rich motherfucker who can afford to keep the engine running all night, a sleeping bag should be another priority. Get a sleeping bag instead of an air mattress. Saves power too. Again, do what works.

>>69729

>Speaking from experience of being homeless for 4 months-- all the above is crap, and reads like a survivalist fantasy.

That's extraordinarily offensive. I put a lot of thought into that plan. No part of it seems like a fantasy to me, I very carefully designed it to be practical. :(

>In my case, I put everything into pay-by-the-month storage, and lived off the back of the Honda CT.

Is it permitted to live inside of a storage unit? That also seems potentially promising.

>>69734
>Get a sleeping bag instead of an air mattress

I realize why this seems like a good idea, but what happens when it rains and the ground becomes wet? A wet sleeping bag is miserable. The air mattress not only insulates you thermally from the cold ground, but also cushions you and keeps you high enough that you don't get wet.

>>69717
Whatever you can get. Newspaper works fairly well, as does Styrofoam if you can find enough. And you don't really have to attach it; you can sandwich it between tarps.

>>69738

Hm, okay. But it would slide down the edges due to gravity.

Does anyone make sheet foam? Like the stuff foam mattresses are made from but in sheets as large as tarps?

>>69738

Wait, what am I saying? Remember, the dome isn't there to keep in warm air. That increases complexity by requiring insulation. It's there to shield against wind and rain. The layers of electric blankets are what produce and hold in heat.

Heat the occupant, not the air. Less wasteful.

>>69737
The only solution for that I can think of is to just buy an actual tent. I realize though that the cost might be a bit too much. But really, if it's within budget, then why not? I mean, just because you're homeless doesn't mean you have to look the part.

How far away from you does this guy live? It seems like for the price of all this stuff, you could rent a car or even a small moving truck and pick him up.

>>69736

To touch on the "survivalist fantasy" bit and the "lots of thought" bit -

having experience and drawing blue prints are two different balls of yarn.

Some of the most practical plans do not actually play out well in action, mostly due to other people.

Your friend would benefit greatly from warm clothes, a warm sleeping bag, good boots, and a sturdy pack. National forest = building a fire. Tarps and small pop tents.

I have camped in national forests in dead winter with no electricity, up sorta north in the snows and everything. Fires, man, fires. Fires and pelts, or at least that newfangled heat-reflective shit they make for cold weather. somehow hyoomans survived without electricals and plug-in heats for times before the last 200 years or whatever.

Fire, keep some wood dry under a tarp, move camp when the groundwood is exhausted. I never even needed to cut my own wood, there was enough on the ground. Ice is great for water, you boil it over fire and make tea to warm your innards.

A machete is a better tool than a deep cycle battery, how much does a deep cycle weigh?? that and even your tinkertoy rollup house cannot all be carried on one man's back, can it?

I lol'd at this thread. I know ppl who have been homeless for eight yrs, living in WA state all it does it rains. If you look through his gear you will find a change of clothes, a tarp, a hatchet, and a bic lighter, high chance a pipe with some weed with it, also some 550 cord. He has been living like that for a long time. So you don't need all that gear you are listing OP. Just basic knowledge on how to make a shelter. Hell I was homeless for a yr and never had that set up either. I was more then happy.

>>69737

yoga mat

in a tent

you put your tent at diamond-shape on a slope with the sleeping bag facing up hill, feet pointing down hill.

make sure you waterproof the tent, or just string a tarp into the trees above it, with the water running off. Bonus points if you have a bucket at the runnoff point to collect rainwater

and from experience, an air mattress doesn't insulate from shit, you're sleeping in the air lol. whatever the temperature is, is how cold the air is in your mattress.

>>69749
>So you don't need all that gear you are listing OP.

Oh, I know it isn't 'necessary'. Everyone seems to be missing the point entirely. It's how to make the experience more comfortable given foresight and preparation time/funds.

The way you did it, and the way most did it, isn't ideal in my opinion. I may be wrong, but I don't think so; You've never tried this way, after all. I think it would provide a higher quality of life.

Perhaps that wasn't clear and I should have said all of this upfront. In that case, my bad.

>>69751
>and from experience, an air mattress doesn't insulate from shit, you're sleeping in the air lol. whatever the temperature is, is how cold the air is in your mattress.

....Are you serious? Air is an excellent insulator. The ground is colder, the idea is to put a cushion of air between you and the ground so that your heat doesn't escape into it.

>>69743

>It seems like for the price of all this stuff, you could rent a car or even a small moving truck and pick him up.

Not an option for a number of reasons. I would have to quit my job, which is a bad idea right now, the fuel costs would add considerably to the sum (and I'd be without income) etc. etc. It would basically put me in the same position.

>>69740
>>69741
Hey, its your dome; whatever works for you. I only mentioned it because I live in the Northeast. A little insulation can make a shelter a lot more livable, in my experience.

>>69749
>>69749

yes, me too. Tents are like luxury mini homes. I prefer just a tarp and sleeping bag. I'm spoiled on those damn sleeping mats though.

but really, I did chuckle at the thread, OP i commend your hard work and effort to help your friend. But really, humans are a lot more adaptable than we give ourselves credit, or have been taught to believe.

I'd give anything to go to the sticks with a tarp, sleeping bag, and lighter right now, shitty weather and all.

>>69758
>But really, humans are a lot more adaptable than we give ourselves credit, or have been taught to believe.

Again, I know this. The list isn't "Things that are absolutely necessary to survive".

The idea was to provide as much comfort as possible within a budget, with a month or two of prep time.

>>69753

Actually I have tried to recreate "home" in the woods. I ended up whittling down to my bare basics for survival and found I was much more comfortable. Less to maintain, less to worry about, less to have stolen from you.

>>69754

Seriously, a foam mat under you is going to insulate and doesn't carry the risk to pop open. I had that happen twice, feelsbadman. I just think the money spent on an air mat could better serve for good cold weather gear.

Oh man, military issue thermal underwear, that shit is like a hug from a warm place in heaven in winter.

>>69763

Okay, some good points. Foam mat instead of air mattress, check. I still worry about torrential rains getting the interior wet.

>>69761

Ok, have fun. I wish you and your friend well.

>>69753

My way of life was more then happy. I use my knowledge to do it. I am sorry if I know how to make shelters from natural material That can keep me dry, can easily keep me warm with out a blanket. Sorry if I know about wild edible plants to eat, how to make snares and dead falls to help me catch a lil squirrel or raccoon to eat.

I actually have tried doing the way you describe it. I found it to be a waste of money,as well as just stupid. The way I go, it allows you to appreciate the finer stuff. When you are homeless, you truly do not want such a fine set up. High chances are your shit will either 1. get stolen from other hobos or stupid kids. 2. Cops will kick you out of the area if found. 3. It could easily all be destroyed. Have you ever been homeless? I really feel like you have no real clue what you are talking about OP. It's not like a lil camping trip.

>>69766
> I am sorry if

Hold on there, it wasn't my intention to attack you. Don't take it that way.

>I actually have tried doing the way you describe it

I don't believe you. I think you're saying this just to make a case against what I've proposed out of spite. I say this because it's an awfully specific model, and I very much doubt you did exactly what I described.

Okay, some revisions:

Foam bed roll instead of air mattress
Dome tent instead of PVC/tarp dome

Anything else? Remember the idea is "how much comfort can I have given a modest amount of money and prep time prior to eviction?" Assume there's someplace to camp out that isn't disrupted by police, as this is in fact the case for him.

>>69768

You know it's not hard to use a portable solar charger to drip charge a car battery through time to keep it going. It truly is a waste, get yourself a nice emergency blanket. It truly works a lot better with no energy needed. I got to find that out while doing that. Seeing as you never did answer the question of you never being homeless. I will take it you have no real clue what you are talking about OP. So why don't shut the fuck up now stupid moron. Off to a thread were some one ACTUALLY knows what he/she is talking about. Instead of some one making guesses.

>>69754
I don't mean to pry too much, but you would have to quit your job to spend a day or so picking your friend up? Or can he not live with you for some reason? Fuel costs certainly aren't negligible, but the total cost of the trip wouldn't be excessively more than the cost of all the stuff you mentioned earlier.

Listen OP, you've got a good idea, but you plan hasn't had contact with the enemy yet. Let me give you some tips from experience.

I've done geodesics before. I built it with scrap cardboard, scavenged latex paint & construction glue, and lots of plastic bags & pallet wrap from dumpsters.

Build the dome from cardboard, glued together, coated alternating layers of plastic and paint. Messy as fuck, looked hideous, kept me dry and warm. Dump some leaves and shit on the wet paint to camouflage it and add more insulation.

If you are in a national forest, you can build a fire. Build one, warm some large stones and rocks near the fire, wrap them in old clothes or blankets and take them into you shelter at night for all night heating.

Instead of the whole battery set up, get a hand cranked flashlight/radio. That will give something to listen to and a source of light. Mine had a solar panel on top for passive charging as well.

For foods, you want the rice and beans you knocked earlier. Boil them over the same fire you run for heat. Get a small stainless steal mess kit.

Air mattresses are never worth it. I slept on a series of them for over a year. I kept patching and re-inflating and replacing them way way too often.

Get a few $5 blue camp pads from walmart. You can stack them together to get higher off the ground (But if you do, either glue them together, or slide them all in an extra sleeping bag, otherwise they slide around at night and slip out from under you.

The trick here is to look at it like long term survivalist camping, and not homeless street living. Well, that's how I did it. I've got a friend in homeless that hangs out in the middle of cities, is a single bedroll and pack kinda of guy. But I prefer to build longer use shelters.

Just to clarify what I was talking about earlier though, here is an actual PVC dome. Hopefully seeing it with your own eyes will drive home that it isn't fantastical or difficult, it's entirely within one person's means to build quickly and cheaply.

I think if I was going to be living someplace in the woods for a long time I would want a sturdier, more permanent shelter than a tent. This is how I would do it if I were in his situation. I don't see it as implausible or impractical in any way but that's possibly due to the fact that I have first hand experience building such structures. It might seem more 'out there' to someone just now hearing about it or who has never build one.

>>69774
>Listen OP, you've got a good idea, but you plan hasn't had contact with the enemy yet.

Hmm, fair point. I haven't really accounted for hostile homeless. But then that's a problem even with tents or any other shelter suggested here. If they want to harm you or steal from you, they will.

>Instead of the whole battery set up, get a hand cranked flashlight/radio. That will give something to listen to and a source of light.

That isn't a replacement. Those things won't keep you warm. The idea of the battery pack is a way to stay warm.

>Build the dome from cardboard, glued together, coated alternating layers of plastic and paint. Messy as fuck, looked hideous, kept me dry and warm. Dump some leaves and shit on the wet paint to camouflage it and add more insulation.

Hmm, I will suggest this, but I am skeptical that it would hold up in a storm.

>If you are in a national forest, you can build a fire.

This is how they spot vagrants. Make a fire and they find you and kick you out. If you don't make a fire, they don't find you and don't kick you out. That's about the level of effort they seem to be willing to put in with regards to locating illegal campers. Hence the electric and propane heating solutions.

>Air mattresses are never worth it. I slept on a series of them for over a year. I kept patching and re-inflating and replacing them way way too often.

Noted, and replaced with a foam bed roll.

>You can stack them together to get higher off the ground

Very good idea, thanks.

>>69773
This. A $100 greyhound bus ticket goes coast to coast.

Your friend isn't going to do any of this shit you've written up for him - in fact giving him all this useless info like "hurr carry around two car battery's like a fucken idiot" is just going to make him depressed and possibly make him commit suicide.

Get him the info of a support agency like the salvation army, they will give him an area where he can sleep, wash and if funding is good possibly a cooked meal.

Seriously tho... Car battery's and a tent in the forest... wow you're a faggot.

I like this thread and I'll dump whatever I can

neat trick to warming up fast called "palmer furnace" and the site is pretty neat when it comes to going inna woods

http://www.bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=356

and another neat trick called the super shelter (keeping warm with a thermal blanket)

http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22150

this guy has plenty of youtube videos on DIY, lives on 5k a year inna woods and built his own dome to live in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh9J87yBIAs&feature=relmfu

another option for a tent is military surplus gear if you can find it

http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14939
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52079

if you want something more permanent and warmer you can use earthbags filled with whatever you like (rice hulls for example have an r rating for insulation) and plenty of designs as you can see in the link

http://earthbagplans.wordpress.com/

>>69783
OP's friend is a disruptive schizophrenic with typically bad hygiene. They have been friends for years and through a lot but no way OP wants to share a room with friend.

> cant have fires

l2dispersed camping in national forests

http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/suzi/articles/around/dispersed-cg-guidelines.htm

>>69787
brilliant idea for him to fend for himself in the woods then. just unload him on a homeless agency. there is nothing you can do for him

>>69787
OP said in >>69728
>If he had the ability to travel that far he could simply come to where I live and I'd put him up.

>>69784
>Your friend isn't going to do any of this shit you've written up for him

Yes he is, he's actually an intelligent and capable person and likes the plan as suggested. I'm just looking to improve it.

>in fact giving him all this useless info like "hurr carry around two car battery's like a fucken idiot" is just going to make him depressed and possibly make him commit suicide.

Why? That makes no sense. He's not depressed, just in a tight spot. And I myself carry such batteries around. I have a Duracell 600HD I use for experiments out in nature and I have a light weight reserve battery pack I keep in my backpack so I can juice up my gear as needed (video cameras, laptops, etc.) as well as two folding solar panels.

I don't get why you're so viciously negative. What's the matter?

>>69791

Ooh, good tip.

>>69787

No, this is not the case. He is intelligent, lucid and hygenic. He just lives at the exact opposite end of the country from me and it isn't practical to go pick him up. Unless it's actually possible to take a greyhound that far on $100 as someone claimed earlier, he'll have to find a solution for where he is.

>>69786
as far as tools go I've found the following 3 to be indispensable

http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21172

http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6494

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7EdhnReYH0

as you can see I favor wood handles since you can customize them as needed

>>69799

Now this is an excellent tip. I'll pass it along.

>>69781
Well, the enemy I was referring to was mother nature, rather then hostile homeless. I openly carried a hatchet, and I'm a tall broad man with a long hair and a fuck off beard, nobody messed with me. You just need to worry about getting your stuff stolen. Never leave anything at camp you aren't prepared to replace. Carry it with you in your pack. Never take your eyes off you pack. Take it with you to the restroom. Take it with you to shower. Everywhere you go, your pack goes. You don't ever want to know the feeling of loss and rage that comes from finding everything you own was just stolen when you went to take a leak.
The dome is about as well as a tent will in a storm, honestly. It's much heavier then a tent, so the wind is less of an issue. The paint and plastic give it excellent waterproofing. You can tie the thing down with ropes if you want. I had a bit of problem when I made a cardboard platform, but I replaced it with a foundation of milkcrates and the world was peachy.

Ah, I see why you went with no fire. Yeah, electric might be a way to go, if you can't build a fire. A rocket stove is supposedly pretty much smokeless, if built right, but might be a bit beyond your friends means. Propane might be cheaper though, if you get a larger bottle, but those would be a pain to backpack in. Wait, if it's a national forest, can he get a pass to camp there? I don't know how it's different from national parks, but I spent a lot of time in the Smokey Mountains and never had a problem over my camp fire.

The amount of money you are dropping on doing what you suggest could be used to just go on craigslist and rent a room while your friend gets his shit together...

>>69797
Portland, Maine to San Francisco, California is apparently $202.

>>69803
>Wait, if it's a national forest, can he get a pass to camp there?

Yes, for two weeks at a time. There's a cooldown period such that you have to vacate for a week between these periods, it's specifically designed to prevent people from trying to live permanently in the forest.

People do it anyway and with considerable success so long as they stay away from the hiking paths, bike trails and other frequented areas so they are not reported. The number one way they locate illegal campers is smoke plumes from their fires. I suggested the forest because I knew a guy who worked there and he was able to offer tips for not getting caught.

>>69805

>The amount of money you are dropping on doing what you suggest could be used to just go on craigslist and rent a room while your friend gets his shit together...

No, this is not the case. This is the second time someone has greatly exaggreated, the first being the claim that a cross country greyhound ticket could be had for $100.

If you go over the listed items you will find that contrary to first impressions it actually works out to be surprisingly cheap. Far less than one could rent a room for.

get him to find a copy of steal this book
>full of tips for getting free food

>>69797

> bus fare

OP I just went to greyhound.com and checked price for a ticket a month from now (since your friend isn't getting evicted for at least a month or two, stated upthread), all the way from portland, or to miami, fl. It's $153 to buy that ticket right now.

Now I am assuming that your friend is closer since you also said "a few states away" and "not as far as humanly possible" as I made it on the sample ticket.

How much is a deep cycle battery again?

>>69810

Shit, another good tip. This is the kind of thing I could buy for him. In fact I will probably wind up buying most or all of the shit on the list and mailing it to his current address, I am just worried about it getting there in time. He has to be out by January 1.

find out if there are any foreclosed homes in his area then have him break in and bring in couches and furniture
>less likely to be evicted if he looks legit

>>69813
>How much is a deep cycle battery again?

$35.

http://www.batterysharks.com/CSB-Battery-EVX12200-p/evx12200_ups12-18.htm

He'd need two of them to power the setup shown, so $70 total.

>>69818
Then that answers my question. The total cost of the stuff you mention is around $150 or so (not including the parts for the dome or whatever you want him to make). For an extra $50 he can get from Maine to California.

>>69818


and how much for two electric blankets, a warm weather sleeping bag, tent, PVC pipes and joints, stuff to carry it in, how's he going to pay for transportation deep enough into the sticks not to be messed with while building this construction...

If it's less than $153 for all the stuff you've listed in your manifesto, that's impressive and I might just consider going off into the deep woods with this myself.

>>69821

The electric blankets were something like $10-15. All the parts were the cheapest I could find on Google Product Search, sorting by lowest cost. If you actually read the guide it includes links to every item, you can add it up yourself.

It does make good sense to have a "Fallen on hard times" kit and there might be a market for selling such kits preassembled with everything in a duffel bag.

>>69825

I know I'm a total killjoy, but did you figure in cost of shipping?

>>69829

For some items; many can be purchased retail at comparable prices, such as the batteries, charger, and various 12v connectors. Tarps, pvc pipes and other items would also be purchased retail so shipping costs apply to only a small subset of the items listed.

>>69829
I'm going to be an even bigger killjoy. The cost of traveling across the country is comparable to the cost of all that shit, so it seems to me that OP is more interested in having his friend play survivor out in the woods than actually helping him get back on his feet.

My only suggestion is to get a cheap camping generator and a single larger battery; Use the generator periodically to charge the battery. Honeywell and Honda make very quiet, discreet generators for just such a purpose. However they're something like $300 so this is something you would need to buy and have shipped to him.

It eliminates the need to move heavy batteries around entirely, and he can just siphon gas as he needs to.

http://zinelibrary.info/unequal-streets
this might be of assistance

>>69834

>The cost of traveling across the country is comparable to the cost of all that shit

I actually don't know if he wants to move here. I brought up the possibility but he didn't really acknowledge it.

>so it seems to me that OP is more interested in having his friend play survivor out in the woods than actually helping him get back on his feet.

This is incredibly mean. No, that isn't my intention. What's wrong with you, saying something like this? It was the best I could come up with for solving the basic problems of living outdoors.

Why are people on here so needlessly vicious? Is it a byproduct of anonymity, or because inflection doesn't come across in text or what

http://www.thespoon.com/trainhop/train1b.html
how to hop a freight train

here we go it's a zine on squating
http://zinelibrary.info/opening-doors-primer-housing-liberation

$153 greyhound, + $40 for burritos and coffee x 3 days.

I have no problem with the premise of how to survive inna woods, but doing that to live when freshly homeless is a recipe for a complete waste of time and money. going remote and shit costs money in itself, not to mention hauling around a bunch of shit.

In another way, your idea may not be so appealing to him. Most newly homeless people would enjoy the prospect of getting back into a home, rather than a well meaning hipster/hobo lifestyle choice.

just talking straight here.

where does your friend live?

>>69842
>>69841
>>69836

Excellent, passing these on.

>>69844

Lakeland, Florida.

>>69843

>just talking straight here.

Yeah but without knowledge of the person, his preferences or his exact situation.

>In another way, your idea may not be so appealing to him.

But he has said that it is. Again, there's much you don't know here.

>I have no problem with the premise of how to survive inna woods

Then let's stay within that premise.

this is where i got a lot of material
http://zinelibrary.info/english/housing

>>69838
If he would rather be homeless than move to a new place, he's not nearly as intelligent or capable as you claim. However, I could see him brushing it off if you seemed like you didn't really want to put him up when you "brought up the possibility". Such a proposal is very imposing on you, so you would have to make a firm offer if you are really willing to have him move in. Obviously you don't have to if you don't want to. Personally, there aren't many people I'd put up for any length of time.

>>69847


I'm calling fucking bullshit on needing the electricity for heat then. I live in fucking Jacksonville and I've never needed more then a quality sleeping back, some wool military blankets, and camp pad. Maybe a milar blanket. Florida doesn't get that fucking cold. If you stay dry, I don't think it's possible to freeze to death down here. Especially with wool blankets, which will insulate even soaking wet.

>>69855

>Florida doesn't get that fucking cold. If you stay dry, I don't think it's possible to freeze to death down here. Especially with wool blankets, which will insulate even soaking wet.

You're right, it doesn't get cold enough to kill you. That was never the issue. Again, the issue is comfort. It doesn't get lethally cold but it can be cold enough to be unpleasant. I care about this person and want to provide a degree of comfort by way of preparation and carefully selected products. I hope that clears up any confusion.

www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/resources.cfm
HUD's homeless resources

I've known a couple homeless people and i'm going to agree that this isn't practical

electric blankets and the air mattress are unnecessary

also the water filters are unnecessary as well--finding water shouldn't be an issue...

you should try to keep your stuff "packable" in-case you have to move camp and keep in mind that people are going to steal/vandalize your shit if you can't pack it up easily
my friend built a tipi in the woods near my town and bicycled into town for supplies and to work and all he had was a hatchet, his dog, and a firepit

>>69863

>electric blankets and the air mattress are unnecessary

I already addressed this earlier, twice. Yes, they're not necessary. This isn't about what is necessary. It's about how to provide comfortable living, given a modest budget and some prep time.

>also the water filters are unnecessary as well--finding water shouldn't be an issue...

It is, though. Try it. Every time you drink it's something you purchased or from an indoor source. Outdoor drinking fountains and whatnot aren't that common and the only ones in the park at at the visitor's center which would require a mile+ walk every time he needed a drink.

Should I remake the thread? There's been a few revisions already and everyone who posts seems to fundamentally misunderstand the goal.

Should I remake the thread? There's been a few revisions already and everyone who has replied recently seems to have fundamentally misunderstood the goal.

>>69866
you can bring jugs of water back with you.... and the electric blankets are just going to be an unnecessary hassle... use fire for warmth

my friend was homeless by choice for about 15 years and did fine in kansas winters without electricity


i do advice getting a bicycle though

>>69871

>and the electric blankets are just going to be an unnecessary hassle... use fire for warmth

Not an option. See: >>69781

>my friend was homeless by choice for about 15 years and did fine in kansas winters without electricity

Again, I don't doubt that, but this isn't about basic survival necessities it is about how to provide a level of comfort above that.

>>69876
Does your friend have a job? If not, I know I would forgo the unnecessary comforts in order to keep shaving supplies and a respectable, clean outfit to wear to interviews and whatnot. While preparing for the worst-case scenario is always good, he still has a little under a month and a half to find employment and cheap housing.

If your goal is to provide a level of comfort you can forget about it.

Being homeless sucks.

If hobos find your camp they will steal your shit. If people in general find your spot they will destroy your shit out of just pure maliciousness.

I was homeless off and on for years and it never ceased to amaze me how someone would bust their ass to find my extremely well hidden spots and fuck up my stuff just for the sheer joy of doing it.

Especially if your friend is in a national forest someone will inevitably follow his footprints in the snow to find his camp.

The only way to go is to never leave anything you can't afford to lose. Keep valuables and extra clothes and what not in a storage unit. Join a gym to have a place to get clean and maintain your physical appearance.

As for talking about water that is just plain stupid. If you can't figure out how to carry in a couple of jugs of water you are going to be dead pretty damn quick.

http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/hobosign.htm
hobo symbols

MAD SCIENTIST

I'm Australian and spiders and snakes will fuck you up if you live on the ground, any suggestions (unless this has already been ammended in the thread?) This camping method is brilliant because I go hunting with my father up at broakbach mountain and get some kangaroos.

>>69899
look into hammock camping

I bought this one for $40
http://www.hammockbliss.com/No_See_Um_No_More.html

>>69904

Nice, how hard are they to set up? How long does it take? This, plus a sleeping bag, might be ideal.

Tell your friend to get a cheap .22 from walmart or something for killin innocent little animals.

>>69911
Incorporate the two broski.
All it takes is one long zipper.

>>69911
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxHQVsNU79k

Sorry if I missed something, but how is he going to get food? This is my biggest concern if I ever am going to be homeless.

This thread is fucking hilarious. I can't believe this nigger is suggesting that someone get a bunch of car batteries and sit around with an electric blanket. Jesus fucking christ. That seriously sounds like something a 12 year old with zero real world experience would suggest.

First off, a regular car battery is going to basically be destroyed by that kind of treatment. So you'll have to get a deep cycle. Enjoy your 160 dollar battery I guess. For one night, and then you have to spend 8 hours babysitting it while it charges at some mythical location where nobody minds you sitting there all day stealing their power. And then you get to do that again the next day. You're suggesting that someone LITERALLY spend 100% of their time either charging or discharging a battery. And even your 160 dollar deep cycle is probably only going to take a month or so of that before it's drastically lessened in effectiveness.

It's just so fucking ridiculous that I can't believe anyone would even really be trying to suggest it like it's meant to be taken seriously.

>>69923
also, you keep telling people who have real world experience that you're not just trying to 'get by' but you're trying to provide a level of comfort above that. . . . do you not think that homeless people want to be comfortable? They already know what works, and what's comfortable you dipshit, that's why they're doing it that way. If your retard ideas about filtering water (despite there being numerous easy clean water sources) or using electric blankets (despite the total impracticality of this shit) ideas were at all reasonable, you'd see more homeless people toting car batteries and sitting at starbucks with trickle chargers all fucking day.

>>69928
>>69923
Settle down you vicious little shit.
OP has exhausted most other options, and his friend doesn't accept much charity. He wants to be independant after being evicted.

Grow up.

>>69930
then he's be better served ASKING for advice, from people who actually know what the fuck they're talking about instead of constructing some 12 year olds plan on how to live outside that isn't in any way realistic.

>>69932
>It's sure to be imperfect, if there's any additions or modifications you'd like to make feel free to do so, this is just the best I can offer with what knowledge I have

You're just acting like you migrated from /b/ after 'growing out of it'

Grow up.

>>69930
This post is quite clearly the OP. This thread is fucking hilarious. A hobo living in a forest dome with a bunch of car batteries.

>>69928
>do you not think that homeless people want to be comfortable?

Of course they do. But typically they did not have a safe period prior to it where they had time and money to prepare for their eventual homelessness. If they did I think they might very well equip themselves in such a way as to minimize the suffering that homelessness otherwise involves.

>>69834

Pretty much sums up what I feel about this thread. Your friend is not an experiment; if you care, just buy him a fucking ticket. Don't try to "exercise your intelligence" by coming up with some crackpot plan and then becoming overly defensive "THIS IS EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE I WORKED HARD ON THIS" when people tell you it sucks.

>>69938
Little babby tantrum

Some things will never change

>>69942
> IS EXTREMELY OFFENSIVE I WORKED HARD ON THIS" when people tell you it sucks.

I wasn't offended that people disagreed, but that he was needlessly mean in his reply.

I would buy him a ticket but he seems specifically interested in finding a way to live on his own like this. Otherwise he'd probably go on welfare and find public housing or something.

Dear OP

Ignore everything you've read so far in this thread.

This website > all

http://guide2homelessness.blogspot.com/

enjoy and good luck to your friend

>>69937
Oh shut the fuck up OP with his trip off.

You're not taking advice, and you're actually being condescending to those who actually know what they're talking about.

>The way you did it, and the way most did it, isn't ideal in my opinion. You've never tried this way, after all. I think it would provide a higher quality of life.

You're saying this kind of bullshit to people who have actually done it, and are telling you exactly why your shit won't work and is retarded, yet still basically telling them they just haven't thought things through as well as you.

No dumbass. Listen to people with actual experience.

>>69945
>http://guide2homelessness.blogspot.com/

Wow. Yeah, okay. This is what I needed, thanks.

>>69946

Just FYI that's not me, and I don't know how but I've seen people say there is some method for checking for samefagging. I welcome you to do so, you'll find out that you've been accusing someone else of being me out of frustration.

>>69939
Your naivety truly astounds me.

>>69946
>You're saying this kind of bullshit to people who have actually done it

But they haven't done this. They did something vastly simpler with the intent just to survive. This is different. None of them tried it, I don't think it occurred to them. I think, for some people with the means to prepare in the manner described, it might be a good idea.

I understand you're angry because it seems like I should have the humility to defer to them because they have firsthand experience living homeless. And I respect that they've done it. But isn't it also reasonable to ask that they express some of that same humility and consider the possibility that living homeless can be done better, if one has time and money to prepare for it? Or is it a one way street where I must unconditionally accept as final truth whatever they say and there's no possibility that I could improve on their methods? I don't think any of them would go so far as to say that, it would be arrogant of them and they aren't the type.

>>69945
That website is clearly bullshit. I don't see anything about aquiring 6 car batteries and carrying 100 pounds of batteries every day to McDonalds to charge them up so that you can live like a homeless king and roll around in your electric blanket heated PVC castle at night.

>>69952
>I don't see anything about aquiring 6 car batteries and carrying 100 pounds of batteries every day to McDonalds to charge them up

I never suggested this. My version involves two small batteries each about the size of a brick and weighing perhaps five pounds. You're being willfully dishonest.

>>69950
>I don't think it occurred to them

I suspect that it didn't occur to anyone to go get a car battery and use it to heat an electric blanket every single night instead of using a sleeping bag, because that shit is fucking insane.

>>69954
>I suspect that it didn't occur to anyone to go get a car battery and use it to heat an electric blanket every single night instead of using a sleeping bag, because that shit is fucking insane.

I've done it, I do it whenever I go camping. It's not the huge deal you make it out to be. I suggested it because from my own experience it's a really nice thing to have on hand in cold weather.

>>69955
If you seriously bring an electric blanket and a battery with you camping and think it's a good idea for a homeless guy to tote around and try to recharge every day, then there's nothing more really to say.

You're a world class dumbfuck, or you're trolling. Congratulations I guess.

I have this theory that jamming your penis in a meat grinder will give you sexual powers. Too bad you dumb fucks have never tried it to realise my genius.

LOL electric blanket? jesus fucking christ you make oogles look like geniuses.

For those that actually are going to become homeless, the biggest advice I can give is investing in clean socks. Not kidding, they are one of the most valued items among the homeless, hobos, travelers, and squatters.

>>69961
oh yeah something else, newspaper makes an unbelievably good insulator. Line your sleeping bag with it and it does wonders (expect to get dirty).

Air mattresses are the worst thing I have ever slept on. Better get a good karrimat and sleep on that.
Fuck, I'd rather sleep on rock than on another air mattress.

Why doesn't your friend just occupy some vacant house? I heard there are plenty in the US since 2008.

>>69957

>good idea for a homeless guy to tote around a battery try to recharge every day

I couldn't get this imagine out of my head, so I had to draw it in MSpaint.

Nice guide, 2 comments.

1. I do not understand the issue with drinking water. Go into any government building, access to water fountain. Go to any gov park, water fountains everywhere.

2. I'd suggest buying a razor. Keeping clean shaven, i theorize, i would go a long way into being able to go into buildings that offer free food / other stuff, without looking like a smelly ugly homeless person and thrown out.

Come on, the OP is just a 17 year-old having fantasies after the 'rents blew up at him.

There is a lot in this thread that just doesn't add up.

Like the water "problem". Water is everywhere. How is toting a couple of jugs of water to a campsite a problem?

How are you going to tote around heavy assed car batteries and not water?

Cool thread OP

I thought about living in my SUV or a tent. (Later getting in RV) I could afford an apartment but I don't see the point in getting one, also the idea of throwing all that money away seems plain stupid, I could do many things with it. And living in an SUV, tent interests me.

I already know how to clean water and lots of basic stuff, but is there an easy way to get electricity out in the wilderness?

I wouldn't mind using up a little cash.

Later maybe I'd get myself some solar panels.

Even though a lot of this seems like bullshit I will contribute as I feel this thread has merit. A lot more people are going to be ending up needing knowledge like this the way the world is going.

I was homeless off and on for years. Sometimes by neccesity sometimes by choice.

Probably the happiest I ever have been was when I was living in warm areas working low wage low stress jobs and camping out in the woods away from society and its bullshit.

What people need to realize is that if you live this way by neccesity or choice you can't expect to keep anything at a site. Hobos will steal anything they find. Some goody two shoes and retirees actually make a hobby of finding hidden campsites of homeless people and destroying their contents. I speak form experience.

You need to have some sort of income to even be homeless. Find some shit job. Something. Anything. Run some adds on Craigslist for labor work.

I found that basic bills included renting a storage unit to keep my valuables in. Not llive in mind you but keep the basics. Extra ID, birth certificate, clean clothes WATER, canned goods, extra sleeping bag, extra tent, etc.

Join a gym. It gives you a place to shower and maybe relax a little bit or workout and forget your problems as well.

Your site will always be found and destroyed eventually. Not if but when. If you have any sort of income the cheap sleeping bags and tents you keep there can easily be replaced. Even in OP's scenario he forgets the obvious that it will eventually snow and some asshole will follow his friends footsteps to his campsite and nose about.

>>70024

I also got an awesome leather sofa I sleep in the house, beats all the beds Ive slept in, could easily fit in my SUV, tent.

>>70024

Car camping can be the most difficult of all. You are always on an accesible path. If you could get to where you are at so can anyone else. I did it for a bit and got rousted routinely. Sometimes by people that thought they were doing a good dead, sometimes by malevolent assholes sometimes by cops that got a report of someone sleeping in a car.

If you have any amount of alcohol you can be busted for drunk driving just for having the keys in the ignition. So forget about running the heater. I have heard even of people that didn't have the keys in the ignition being busted.

As for power their are small chargers marketed to backpackers that can charge a cell phone but anything large and bulky will be stolen or destroyed.

>>70030

I see.

>>69697
Check in parks, at the bottom of lampposts and on walls.

>>70025
>Some goody two shoes and retirees actually make a hobby of finding hidden campsites of homeless people and destroying their contents.

What the fuck, why?

Just the thread I was looking for. I may end up homeless soon due to various reasons. There's some gear I still have when my buddy and I had plans for a Thailand trip which fell through: Osprey Atmos 65 backpack, 20F Sleeping bag, sleeping mat and a bivy. Got a little over $300 in cash and would probably head somewhere warm, California perhaps? Currently in Minnesota and we just had our first snowfall, so what would your recommended means of travel be, Hitchhiking, find a cheap(ish) $100 flight to cali or a warmer southern state?

1) Earn/steal/borrow a couple hundred bucks.
2) Get a cheap flight to Detroit or some other shitty city with tons of abandoned buildings.
3) Go to a hardware store, buy a crowbar, a hammer + nails, a few cheap padlocks, few short lengths of chain, a cheap camping stove that runs on alcohol + fuel alcohol and a wind up flashlight/radio. This all shouldn't cost more than a hundred bucks
4) Find an abandoned house, squat in it. Use the crowbar, hammer + nails, padlocks and chain to board up your house to the extent that another hobo won't bother breaking in.
5) buy 49c cans of beans, corn, spaghetti, etc at a dollar store. Cook them on the alcohol stove. You will occasionally need other nutrients to not die, so splurge on a can of chilli or tuna or something every now and then.

Someone above suggested a cheap gym membership; this is actually a really, really good idea, if only for the shower + toilet facilities.

>>70137

I have heard that Texas has a little bit of work at the moment although I have never personally verified it.

Most any warm place I have ever been has had a really seedy underbelly though which is why I live in the North as it tends to kill off the bums. I was never a bum but was homeless and learned to despise career bums.

I would advise against hitch hiking anywhere in the U.S. This country went nuts a long time ago. I can't imagine making it somewhere warm without ending up robbed or beaten.

Craigslist ride share might be a better option. A couple hundred bucks for fuel contributed towards someone's trip might get you quite a ways.

>>70131

Why do people rape or kill or continue to wear spandex?

>>70159

Alabama needs farm labor badly now. As does Georgia.

Out around Lake Okeechobee in Florida they're always looking for people too.

Granted, the jobs are high impact and you have to compete with immigrants (in Florida at least).

The plus side, the weather is warm, the work is mindless, and if you're anything other than a Hispanic with no English you're likely to get treated well after your employer realizes you're going to stick around.

>>70131

Only the people that do these things could tell you the why and you aren't likely to see them posting in here.

I can only tell you about my own personal experience. I never had a camp that didn't get raided or trashed.

I would go to every length to conceal my presence. Why would someone hike into the middle of a lava field just to destroy what little a homeless person has is beyond me.

I guess for a sick minded person it gives them a sense of empowerment. Like they feel they are playing Batt Man and killing the scourge of homeless people. Albeit in a fairly cowardly way by monitoring someones property and destroying it when they know the person won't be there.

I used the example of retirees because I saw a few videos on you tube of this. Retirees have all this time and look for something to fill it up with. Idle hands are the devils play things as they say.

Also the older generation has no concept of how easy it is to become homeless in this fucked up world and economy. The days of just finding a job as they say are pretty much over at least for the time being.

>>69676

Just let them live in your undersea base!

Man, get that thing up and running.

I´ll admit I haven't read the whole thread OP, but this might be some quick tips;

If you seal off the dome, the possible heat from your friend and the "magic" blankets will stay inside this dome of yours, instead of just leaving it. Saving your buddy energy as the body uses energy for heating. And when it gets cold, your friend has to eat more making him more poor.

The plastic and metal plates for both camp fire and microwave was an brilliant idea as fellow anon here suggested
>>69718

Also
If you get your friend to buy a spade of some kind, he could build up some sort of circle platform inside his dome to get no water flowing in in case it rains. Also have you heard of cold pits for snow caves and such? The cold air sinks while the hot air is going up, in this case the build up is good saving the heat. Also tighter space means less space to heat up and he´ll be more warm. the air mattress takes up space of air making more space to heat. Use the other types of mattresses as suggested, and you have also decided upon.

The water rinsing idea was brilliant, finding a lake or river shouldn't be too hard and saving his money. As for food, make him read some tutorials on making snares to catch rabbits and stuff. Also some bow and arrow is not the worst idea ever. The only minus is that he would need exp to use it. But as he has unlimited shots, this should give him enough training as he is homeless, right?

Reply with what you found helpful.

Fellow Anon

bump it up

dont know if this has been said yet but MREs are great sources of food also cheap, but can be hard to find and can taste awful.
wit a cheap vacuum food saver and some lightly packaged foods of your choosing ;candy bars, instant noodles, etc, you can make your own MREs suited for your taste
heres a link for how to
http://www.instructables{dot}com/id/DIY-MREsa-tutorial/

>>70167
>>Why would someone hike into the middle of a lava field just to destroy what little a homeless person has is beyond me.
Isn't that essentially the whole plot of lord of the rings?

PROTIP: don't use heavy lead acid batteries use cheapo RC lithium batteries, they're much more energy dense.

Also, if you are using said batteries to power a heater, you're doing it wrong. Lot's of insulation can do the job of a heater pretty much any day.

You could join a gym, but aren't they really expensive?

Don't know how close you can get to a truck stop, but you can buy showers at T/A and Pilot truck stops for about 7-8 bucks.

Thanks for the thread. Just discovered and going over it religiously.

I make less than $200 a week and have been searching for two years for something better and currently am in immense debt from college (And these debt collectors are now seizing my assets) and currently can't afford rent ($700 a month before water/electricity/gas) because I choose to eat instead.

I'm going to be homeless by January 1st. Hooray!

>>70210
MRE's have gone up in price, they're anywhere between 7-9 dollars a meal. Some places gouge for 12 dollars a meal. That's a quick way to go broke being homeless. The upshot to MRE's though, they're designed with enough calories to support an adult in a combat situation with one meal a day.

>Speaking from experience of being homeless

What this gentleman said, dropping money into an outdoor living setup isn't going to do you much good when it all gets stolen on the 2nd night.

Better to spend what little cash he has on a greyhound ticket, and get to someplace somewhere warm.

Was homeless for 6+ months over last winter, the rule is, if you can't lock it up in a car, or carry it with you everywhere, it won't be yours for very long.

>>70137
get a bike and pedal there

>this thread

this thread is lulzy

you are a shitty friend OP,
it this thing is even real or partly real, not helping your "friend"....

ITT: Time wasting neckbeards with not much to do

and really OP, You don't have a clue about being homeless.
Leave your fantasy plans and get ot of your mom's basement.

Homeless rule #1: Can't haul it, don't bring it

lol
USA sure is a first world country

>>70261

Ditto. If you are in such a bad spot in life that you are going to be sleeping in the freezing cold then why even stay there? Obviously you have no true friends or family in the area so why even bother? Sell whatever you have and use it to get the fuck out of dodge. Tell everyone nice knowing you. Don't expect me to stay in touch.

Some of the other posters had good ideas about farm work. If I didn't have commitments myself I would look into this. The real ID act is putting the squeeze on some farmers to find help. It is hard work but beats the shit out of being homeless. Some big farms and ranches have lodgings available.

Pro tip. Put some ads in Craigslist in warm areas that have known worker shortages for ag work. That way you have something lined up before you even get off the Greyhound.

He should become a backpacker and profit travelling all over the world, something that prob many will never have the chance to do

This thread is heading straight to the top. I don't know if that is good or bad.

OP, it is -55F where I am right now.

I would quickly die with your arrangement. Thanks for nothing.

Also, OP, have you ever slept in an air mattress like you suggested in cold weather? They are colddddddd!

>>69737

Hammock for the win.

I have this one:
http://www.eaglesnestoutfit.com/double-nest-hammock.html

It is awesome, strong, lightweight, portable/smalll, easy to set up, can be very warm, very comfortable.

>>70319
>and really OP, You don't have a clue about being homeless.

Apparently. Sorry for wasting everyone's time. I meant well, and thought I was doing a good thing.

First priority will now be convincing him not to stay in Lakeland and scrounging money for a greyhound ticket.

>>70449

I'm sorry for all the hate you have encountered OP.

I can see that you did try to do something good, and people raged on you, big time, myself included (>>70423 >>70421)....

Do you have any more ideas to share?

As for the tent set up, why go with pvc pipe? It seems like a lot of work, etc. I would just use rope and clever tying arrangements for my tent/shelter.

>>70451
>As for the tent set up, why go with pvc pipe? It seems like a lot of work, etc. I would just use rope and clever tying arrangements for my tent/shelter.

Well, my thinking was that it's sturdy and easy to assemble/disassemble. It would be more difficult to transport however so a tent is most definitely a better idea.

The structure of a geodesic pvc dome skeleton also gives you something to affix insulation to, a tent doesn't.

How is your friend going to pack in all the equipment? If he doesn't even have a car how is he going to get in and out of the woods? Hike in? Who is going to watch his camp while he's gone, is he going to leave all his gear behind for town runs for water and food?

I mean, not that other homeless are going to want an air mattress or whatever.

But that sure seems like a load of gear to be getting around without a car.

I did that. I came into the woods with a wonderwash, a popup clothes drying rack, a handy dandy radiant propane heater, radio, rechargeable batteries, and a shit ton of other crap I found out I didn't need OR WANT. it took up space, I had to look after it, I had to maintain it, I had to stress and cry about it when I didn't have it, just to find out it was so much easier and better without it.

When living in the woods you get FREEDOM to live more comfortably without so-called "modern conveniences". Radiant, electric heaters were invented because people weren't allowed to have FIRES anymore. lol.

>>70453

Yeah, reasonable points. Cool.

If I were trying to be somewhere long term I could see this as a viable option, but my personal preference would be to use wood found in the forest, or materials scavenged from a local dump.

I agree with above posters that the battery and heated blanket idea seems highly impractical... I don't know, it just doesn't seem necessary (I know you are taking issue with this word here and so hear me out) to being comfortable and warm.

I mentioned that it is really fucking cold here where I am... I slept outside a few nights this week (-40 or so temp.). I insulated my tent with lots of snow around the outside/edges, lots of foam to sleep on, sealed tent and warm sleeping bag - no shitty batteries - and I did just fine. Batteries would lose their charge anyways in this cold.... I understand that we're not talking about these temps though, and I am just bragging about it.

>>70456

>I mean, not that other homeless are going to want an air mattress or whatever.

lol...

IMO it's a pretty good plan. People here love to hate and everything seems to be a big e-peen measuring contest (OMG fuk u OP u dont know DA STREETZ like i do!).

The PVC dome seems like a good idea if you can find someplace safe to set it up as a permanent shelter or you have a car to store it/carry it around. Also, how big is it? And can it be bigger? Because if it's not much bigger than a tent, I can't see much point in it.

The batteries also seem like a good idea, but as with the dome you'd need somewhere safe to keep them so that you don't have to carry them around all the time. How much do they weigh, btw? I think they'd be a great resource, and there's no reason that anyone should be without power in 2011.

Anyone here into Kerouac or other similar writers?

Get ready to fire up the rage canons:

I am poor, but surviving, I have a good car (gift from parents) and currently can afford food and cloths, and am just barely making rent. I am unemployed at the moment, but I am employable - university degree from a good school. BUT I am poor, job prospects are not great or good and I am pretty fucking sick of the way I am living, and the society that I was raised in ($$$$$$$$ is king). I don't want to be some little hipster thing, but I do want to ditch my car and just get to some wandering. Pack my bag with only what I need, and use my brains, eyes, ears, and hands to do the rest.

I'll pack my good axe, a few clothes, rain jacket, knife, lighter, tarp/tent/hammock, and maybe a few other things...

What should I do?

(don't tell me to pack batteries)

>>70466

I think they'd be a great resource, and there's no reason that anyone should be without power in 2011.

>wrong. fuck power.

>>70470

Doo eeet

>>70473

Okay. Have fun living like a caveman unnecessarily, I guess.

>>70460

Hm. Propane heaters seem like they might be more worthwhile. Yes? No? If they use a standard sized propane cylinder you could just exchange them at a blue rhino swap station every month or so. And you'd only really need to do so through the winter.

>>70466

>seem like a good idea

>seem

>>70475

Implying that living without power is living like a caveman.

Some of my happiest memories are from times when I was far from the grip of electricity.

I understand what you're saying, but aside from laptops and cell phones (and electric blankets lol) what would you want power for living in the woods?

Lights? Okay, maybe, but the soothing light from a good kerosene lamp is lovely, or the glow from a warming fire.

>>70478

No.

Fuck power, fuck propane.

FIRE.

sleeping bags.

warm clothes.

Really. Especially in Lakeland, FL.

I was running around Ocala Nat'l Forest in January with tank tops and shorts. The townspeople shivering to death in their warmed houses, couldn't step outside without hat jackets and scarfs.

I was comfortable, they were not.

Seems to me, the housie people are the ones suffering and inconvenienced, thinking they're more "comfortable" because they got a bunch of electricity and propane. Right now yes, I have a heater. I miss the days when I could just make a fire and be warm until the coals died down and then go in my down fucking sleeping bag and drift into blissful warm snuggly sheep-fuzzy sleep.

God house people don't know how hard they've got it!

Shiiiit, being homeless sounds cool as fuck.
I'd just build a cabin, though. My uncle's a millionaire architect.

>>70478
>>70478
>>70478

propane tanks are heavy as shit, is he going to wheel barrow it to town?

>>70489

Well he has a bicycle, and I could buy him a cheap bicycle trailer.

>>70484

>>70470


hear hear!

Also, from Kerouac:


"See the whole thing is a world full of rucksack wanderers, Dharma Bums refusing to subscribe to the general demand that they consume production and therefore have to work for the privilege of consuming, all that crap they didn’t really want anyway such as refrigerators, TV sets, cars, and general junk you finally always see a week later in the garbage anyway, all of them imprisoned in a system of work, produce, consume, work, produce, consume, I see a vision of a great rucksack revolution thousands or even millions of young Americans wandering around with rucksacks, going up to mountains to pray, making children laugh and old men glad, making young girls happy and old girls happier, all of ‘em Zen Lunatics who go about writing poems that happen to appear in their heads for no reason and also by being kind and also by strange unexpected acts keep giving visions of eternal freedom to everybody and to all living creatures."

This whole thread is ridiculous. That's not being homeless; that's going camping.

>>70495
>That's not being homeless; that's going camping.

Okay, then call it camping. I don't care. I think it's conceivable that one can carefully choose a setup that not only meets their basic needs but provides some level of comfort in spite of their homelessness.

Just think of it as a design challenge. How do you provide the basic necessities like shelter, warmth, food, drink, light and so on with a minimum of materials and money?

>>70489

I suggested that he hire a small team of mover, perhaps migrant laborers, once a month as needed to help haul in the propane.

With cooking and warmth needs this shouldn't need to be done often, and the help will probably cost only about $20 per trip.

>>70482
>>70484

The entire point of the dome and the batteries are to make it more like living in a house. If I were homeless I'd be all over that shit.

Drive out into some abandoned woods somewhere, set up my big PVC dome in a hidden area. Blow up a nice comfy air mattress, maybe some inflatable chairs. Keep a few batteries on hand to power my lights, recharge my laptop/phone, ect. Maybe try planting a garden. It'd be about as close to living in a cheap apartment as you can get without having to pay rent.

Then all I'd have to do is run into town once or twice a week to recharge my batteries and buy some food.

It would sure beat sitting on a log and staring at trees all day.

>>69774
good shit dude

>>69847
>>69847
HOLY FUCK! i grew up in lakeland. that place is pretty, but its awful. i was homeless last year, now i'm living off of generosity of friends while i try to find work.

>>70500
>>70500
>>70500

lol'd with great joy

>>70499
I apologize for looking like a troll, but how the fuck would a homeless person be able to get all that shit together? They're homeless to begin with so they probably can't even get half of the things in here.

>>70501

> laptop and phone

and what kind of carriers are you going to have, just staring at a little square lit-up screen with no access to "the outside world" sure isn't fun when the real outside world is full of trees and nature and wonder and sunshine.

>>70509

Well, the premise of the thread was that he has some money and time to prepare. Not that he is homeless already.

>>70509

Don't make OP angry with questions like that!

He stated that this is for someone who is about to become, but is not yet, homeless. Thus they have some money and time and resources to get this silly shit together before hitting the streets/woods.

>>70514

I don't feel angry. I feel embarrassed that apparently I know jack shit about the practical needs of someone in that situation. I really thought it was a clever plan that would be helpful to him.

But if it's shit, then it's better to find that out now and listen to people here whose ideas would be of better practical benefit.

>>70513
>>70514
I apologize, I don't want to make anyone angry.
Oh, ok. You have a point there. I still find this somewhat useless but yeah, you have a point.

Solution for water flowing into tent:
Use those long plastic sheets people use to separate plants in their gardens. Stick it in the ground around the tent with a slight angle. Two layers wouldn't hurt, but one should be enough to keep flowing water away.
Also, thermal clothes, no more cotton.

Hey OP just fyi, the easiest way to be comfortable isn't to lug a bunch of high tech shit around. Instead, just let your body adapt to a lower level of comfort. You'll feel the same, and it'll be cheaper.

>>70519
>Hey OP just fyi, the easiest way to be comfortable isn't to lug a bunch of high tech shit around. Instead, just let your body adapt to a lower level of comfort. You'll feel the same, and it'll be cheaper.

Well, that's the failure condition here. So it's not really a useful proposal. It's like someone asking "How do we go to Mars" and your answer is "It's easier and cheaper not to go".

If he has someplace he can live with some permanence without being disturbed, and he seems to think that's the case, I think it's reasonable to plan around a more permanent shelter and a higher level of comfort.

Revised shopping list:

Military pack
sleeping bag (winter)
sleeping mat
thermal underwear, 2 sets
socks, 4 pair
pants, 2 pair
shirts, 2
undershirts, 2
drawers, 4 pair
winter coat, 1
lighters, many
mess kit: cup, plate, fork, spoon
sturdy knife
paracord
tarp
e-tool or small shovel (gotta cover your shit)
water canteens

luxury items to "work up to" utility belt and a grizzly beard, small tent for shits and giggles, candles, or a crank light,

eventually the foxfire books and building one's own log cabin, learning to garden and hunt and trap and skin wild boars and shit.

but for reals. the first list is what one would need. anything else is playing with his emotions because it will be gone and will let him down.

have fun op's friend, the wild is calling you.

>>70521

No.

The point he was making is that comfort is relative - not absolute. Going to Mars is not relative it is absolute. You either go to the distant planet or you do not.

By contrast, comfort exists on a sliding scale and we hold the key to its calibration. Haven't you heard people say shit like "how did we ever live without computers!?" - often said in a satiric sort of way. Well, that's because we lived just fine, and we're not any happier now with laptops and dick-clocks.

In the end electricity won't love you and make you feel fulfilled. So, fuck that shit and get to the root of your happiness without destroying the planet and working yourself to death to buy useless horse shit.

>>70521

welp, I guess he's in for a surprise, a load of disappointment, and a difficult transition into life outside the sticks-and-bricks.

>>70510

>It would sure beat sitting on a log and staring at trees all day.
>implying that I want to look at the sun or some boring ass trees.

I could still go for walks in "nature" and shit. But I'd also have the option to watch movies or TV, play video games, ect. Even if you're homeless, it would be easy to go somewhere with wifi and pirate a shitload of free media for after you leave. And besides, many phones have internet access anyway. I would much rather chill in my domehome and browse 4chan than go out into the "real" world.

>>70521
No, the failure condition would be "don't be homeless". I was saying, like >>70530 correctly interpreted, that comfort is perceived, not absolute; so rather than wasting a lot of time and money on gadgets and *stuff*, just change your perception (or rather, let it change itself).

>>70530

As someone that has lived without computers, I can say with authority that it sucks ass.

Going outside is fucking boring. Sure we still survived, but it was more boring and uncomfortable, and much less fulfilling.

It's cool if you want to become amish, but please don't pretend like that sort of lifestyle is superior. You would be going backwards, not progressing.

>>70536

It is difficult for me to argue against this as I sit inside on my macbook pro with high-resolution screen etc. but I do think that we've lost something.

We used to do more shit outside than today, and we used to know how to entertain ourselves out there - building things, working with out hands, hunting, fishing, understanding nature better. A lot of people go outside today and just see "forest", they don't know about all the different kinds of trees, birds, plants and other things there. The "outside" world is not one dimensional, but increasingly our ignorance of it is making us believe it is so.

>>70536
So what you're saying is:

>I'm a hopeless computer addict

One day, hundreds of years from now (assuming humans still adhere to this ridiculous idea of "progress"), someone like you will be saying "man, living in the early 2000s must've sucked ass; all they had were shitty slow computers and the internet").

Make your own fun. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of crafts and trades and art forms created and enjoyed over the course of human history, and the vast majority of those came about before the personal computer.

>>70539

>There are hundreds, if not thousands, of crafts and trades and art forms created and enjoyed over the course of human history, and the vast majority of those came about before the personal computer.

Ironically, the best way to learn about them is to use a computer.

>>70542
I disagree. The best way I've found to learn about them is to attempt to do them.

>>70544
>>70542

This could be debated a lot.

Sometimes information stifles creativity, sometimes not. It's hard to know....

I think that if I spent less time hooked into a computer I would be a better and happier person - it's just too easy to sit here hitting F5 and trolling OP.

>>70470
I think OP's batteries are a bit excessive and inefficient, as is the blanket

I personally go for the minimalist approach and use eneloop batteries with a solar panel to charge any electronics I may have. It's not that hard to charge my flashlights and e-reader with them and they are a lot more efficient than what OP has in mind.

I like this forum for electronics and here's a good example of a lightweight solar panels, but that makes it a little more frail than other heavier panels.

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?229002-FS-Solar-Powered-amp-USB-Chargers-2-panels-ad
ded

look at my posts for other useful info >>69799>>69786

>>70536
get some books or an e-reader if you want something lightweight. I just bought the nook for $60

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3585930

also get some other hobbies like playing guitar or the violin, drawing, etc. It isn't that hard to keep yourself entertained.

If you hack it a hammock is an ideal sleeping location, I'm a strong light person, and I've set my hammock 3-4m up a tree, this makes weather not a worry, as by running 550 cord directly over and a bout a 1m up you can hang a small tarp to keep the water off, snuggle in with a sleeping bag, a ground mat and blankets and you will keep warm and safe in anything other than a MASSIVE windstorm.

>>69676
and a big fucking smile on that face you fucking faggot

A very large issue that's being overlooked here is cleanliness - self hygeine and clothswashing.

This guy is going to be homeless, that is fucking depressing. However if he is glaringly obviously homeless then people will avoid him, which leads to a trap of isolation. They say after 12 months of being homeless with no contact with other people that you can become completely institutionalised.

You need a method of keeping his self image good enough to avoid the vices of the homeless. I'd recommend he get his ass into a hippy co-op or something, the physical means are only part of the issue.

A greyhound bus ticket to you wherever you live OP would be cheaper than buying all that crap

If you had a good place to set up a semi-permanent camp, I would recommend a 5v dome made of electrical conduit covered by a tarp, with a deck made of scrap wood or plywood. You can make it tall enough to stand up in, strong enough for bad weather, it has a real floor, and is cheaper than most tents of its' size. If the tarp was sewn to fit it, it would be even better. If the deck was made in modular sections, it could be relocated with moderate ease.
This is not good for a homeless squatter in a national forest, for reasons mentioned in posts above. Finding a good site is probably the hardest part of the project. A $400 car or van is a better solution for most, you can lock it, and it gets you to work so you don't have to live off of squirrels.
Awesome DIY website - http://www.desertdomes.com/tips.html

>>70609

Wow, what an ignorant, lame and mostly unhelpful post. If you are homeless I don't think that you become cut off from contact with people, but your community of people may shift. I don't know man, you make some decent points, but in a big way I think it is fucked!

another awesome site - http://vandwellers.org/

You want to know what to do to to prepare yourself for potential, abrupt homelessness?

Talk to a social worker, if you are in this type of situation you are almost guaranteed to qualify for food stamps. They may also be able to provide you with temporary housing depending on where you are and your situation.

Make a go bag.
200-800$. More is better, but take your situation into account, and what you plan on doing with the bag.
A blanket
3 Days of general wear clothes
1 getup you would be comfortable going to a job interview in
1 getup you want to go to a funeral or wedding in.
Bottle of Shampoo, Soap, Toothpaste, Floss...
A months supply of any prescription medications you may need
Tennis Shoes
Dress Shoes
2 pairs of workout clothes.
2 keyed gym locks.
a box extra large ziplock bags
...
Pack the remainder with as much non-perishable food as you possibly can.

This kit will give you the resources to:
On the low end
Move yourself somewhere where warm, with available job opportunities.
Get a bus pass. Keep yourself clean yourself, and store your valuables for a month.
Food stamps, or other social services can feed you, but you can use this money to fill any gap if you absolutely have to.

On the middle-upper end
All that, and be immediately be renting a room off of somebody for a month, or enough time to get a job, and then continuing to make rent.

The bag can also be used if you need to immediately make it some unscheduled emergency.

If you don't have a place to live, get a trial at a 24 hour gym. If you can't, get a membership at the cheapest 24 gym in town.

This will serve as a place for you to shower, work out, change, and clean your clothes, and the gym locker can be used a place to securely store your valuables if you have no other place to put them.

So, OP, how is your friend doing with your magical homeless kit?

>>70648
Seriously, get over yourself. >>70609 is pointing out THE MAJOR ISSUE with homelessness.

But you 17 year-old running away from home fantasy can't accept it, amirite?

>>70663
The only way you'll get food stamps is if you're on disability or have dependent children. Single adults get zilch. Thank Bill Clinton for that. Also, in order to get any sort of govt. assistance, you need to have a copy of the deed to your home or a copy of your lease. If you're homeless, you have neither.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8L5BSVsrnM
Tips on being homeless . OP i wish a good luck for you and you friend

>>70735
This is bullshit. OP, ignore this.

I'm single, an adult, and I have had food stamps before. I have no children. So has my boyfriend.

It is easy to be denied if you are a student because your happy ass should just apply for financial aid specific to you academic situation instead but if you are an adult without a job or with poor income, it never hurts to try, especially since most foodstamp places now have online applications that can be accessed from the library or centers.

I also know at least two of my coworkers who have food stamps as well because my job pays shit.

Have your friend apply for food stamps anyway.

>>70749
If you can demonstrate that you are not a dependent, and you have a low income, it's still quite easy to end up with food stamps, even if you are a student.

Remember, if you are being claimed as a dependent by your parents, they get a tax break for doing so.

If your parents aren't covering your expenses, you aren't a dependent and you need to make sure your taxes are filed as such.

If you are claimed as a dependent, make sure you can generate something that shows you are unable to feed yourself even with your parents support, or if they haven't been supporting you, provide evidence they you have been supporting yourself, or you have just lost the support of your parents.

If you are a dependent, well, they expect that your parents are going to pay for your damn food while your in college. And if they see you are a dependent that's what they are going to think. You have to correct them.

OP if you're still there, thanks man, I haven't read any of this but I'm saving it to read it tomorrow.

Not homeless or anything but stuff like this is valuable.

>>70663 Talk to a social worker LOL. Someone is seriously out of touch with reality.

You might be able to get food stamps depending upon where you live. Those are usually pretty easy. But social workers? Dude what are you living in Sweeden?

The country is broke. Unemployment both real and on paper are at an all time high. The cost of living relative to wages is the highest in history. You think you can just walk into some place and say you are in a bad spot and get a free place? What are you smoking.

Homelessness is a reality for many, many Americans now and it is just going to get worse. Homeless people die every day in this country and no one gives a shit.

Don't make the mistake of commenting upon situations you know nothing about.

Also an eight hundred dollar survival bag for someone getting ready to be homeless. Must be nice living a comfortable hipster lifestyle.

>>70773
if you make a pic out of it, post it

>>70773
gn OP

OP your friend is going to get beaten to possible death for his shit by other homeless people and they are going to sell your Miracle homeless kit to a pawnshop.

You really have no Idea what other homeless are going to do to your mate, You might as well get your mate to Spraypaint a target on his back. So far your Idea is a pipe dream. just buy the damn bus ticket and feel good that your mate did not die in a forest.

I love the Idea of these electric blankets getting wet (pro tip they WILL) and what will happen after that.

keep living the Dream OP and know forever your resulted in the future death or your mate.

you gonna die! in this tent.

Im from russia, we are survive naked -30C in winter forest, with bears and wolfs. 2 battles vodka, and you can kill a deer.

>>70824

OP should pay for bus ticket.

What is the homeless friend's goals or plans? If he wants to live outdoors, move to the west and stay on BLM land. Free and primitive but a lot safer than homeless in Floriduh. Is Friend tied to current location? If not, go anywhere else. Another option for not much more money is equip him with $700 Ford Ranger and a PO Box. A vehicle can make a critical difference in living standard and methods.

tl;dr - don't plan to be the worst kind of bum.

>>70733

The major issue of homelessness is becoming dirty, and being looked down on by assholes in society and thus remaining homeless?

Fuck you, if you think that is the biggest problem facing homeless folks. Fucking dick. something like 40% of the homeless in the US are war veterans, probably with fucked up PTSD and other shit going on.... hygiene, fuck you mother fucker.

Definitely not 17 years old here, not that it matters. I don't need to get over myself, rather I'm happy to point out that the fact that you're too much of a prick to look past stinky feet and well-worn clothes is a bunch of horse shit, and getting food in your belly, surviving the night and staying warm are bigger problems.

Also that shit about isolation. Personally I don't want to interact with pious fuck-heads who are so turned off by someone "looking homeless" that they won't be decent humans to one another. Sure, you can get cut off from much of society because of this, but so what? Fuck them. Also, lots of people aren't turned off by this crap.

>>70864

Me again.

My apologies for the tirade.

I realize that there are some serious obstacles out there that come with looking like you're homeless, and I know that small things with your appearance can take you a long way.

With that being said I don't think that alienation from others is your worst enemy. But what the fuck do I know...

>>69676
if you're going to use a propane heater make sure you have the proper ventilation in there, you might go to sleep and never wake up again.

>>69838
>Why are people on here so needlessly vicious? Is it a byproduct of anonymity, or because inflection doesn't come across in text or what

It's a not so nice combination of both, but in your case, it's simply suspicion of your ingenuousness.

>>70864
Actually, biggest problem with homeless is mental illness and drug addiction. Most able, sane, people find a place to house themselves in a first world country, even if they end up with an abrupt bout of homelessness.

The biggest thing you need to worry about when being homeless is other homeless.

There's a pretty strong division in most homeless "communities". Predators and prey. There are typically groups of homeless that prey on the other homeless, large criminal communities that take advantage of both the anonymity that comes with homelessness, and the distrust of authority (i.e. police) that the rest of the homeless population has.

If he makes it through one week of being homeless without having all his gear ripped off or destroyed, he'll be doing well.

He needs to find a community of non-predator homeless and get in with them. Best-case scenario is to find an organized "tent city" or similar - they're typically very strict about criminal activity, self governed, have their own volunteer security patrols, share restroom facilities (often splitting the cost of having a couple port-o-potties trucked in and maintained) etc.. They're often much better living conditions than most permanent homeless shelters.

>Thread on how to be successful in life
>19 troll replies
>Thread on being homeless
>reply limit reached


Well fuck that noise.
Evidence is clear. Ima leaving 4chan for reddit where the people can afford at least a marginal existance

I can't be assed to read through the entire thread so if its been addressed already sorry.

What is OP's friend going to do about keeping his shit secure? Having such a luxurious setup makes him a target to be looted/ass kicked by others in the area.

Holy shit America must be getting really bad since the financial crisis.

The only full on 'sleeping in a cardboard box' homeless we have are the people who actively chose to be that way, or far beyond help or don't want to be helped (hard alcoholics/drug addicts/mental/violent).

We have so many welfare support agencies that are willing to help a hand. My friend broke up with his girlfriend and was kicked out of the house with only the clothes on his back, he contacted a place called uniting care -- they hooked him up with temporary accommodation in a caravan park for a week, gave him supermarket gift cards to buy himself food THEN found him a short term 1 person unit he could live in for 6 months... and even then if his circumstances were the same and he was still hard up, they look into public housing/extending the time he could live in short term unit.

He got a job after 3 weeks and got a private rental, but the point is --- doesn't America have any of this?

>>70994

No, not really. Applying for and being granted financial assistance is incredibly difficult (unless you're an unemployed black/mexican with 6 kids). If you make a certain amount, you are ineligible and the max amount can be ridiculously low like say, 180/month, that is apparently more than enough to get by according to some agencies even though your cost of living far exceeds the amount.

Its a bitch to actually get in contact with a case worker in my experience. You'd have to take the day off work and *hope* you can see them before office closing time. Honestly, I can't afford to miss work to fuck around with the sassy black woman on the other side of bullet proof glass.

I'm fucking glad I'm not in dire need of financial assistance these days but I've been trying for months to get a replacement medi-cal card because I can't get my blood test for medication monitoring without it. Shit, my psych has in all likelihood dropped my case at this point.

buy a used car.
instant home.

>>69838
I don't know, OP.
/sci/ is particularly full of douchebags even for 4chan imho.

this is great, and it looks like you put alot of thought into this.
but OP, there isn't any comfortable way to be homeless.
Pretty much every option besides homeless is better than homeless.
Not being able to take a shower or wash your clothes or use the toilet or eat healthy food every day sucks like you would not imagine.
Homelessness even with an unlimited power supply is shit.

if they can figure out a way to jam a shower, washing machine, toilet, drier, and mini-kitchen into a van with some significant means of reliably generating power from a renewable source and recycling free water from the environment well enough that your needs are met, i think i wouldn't mind being homeless.
provided i get free phone, internet, and cable tv...yeah...

>>71016

They call it an "RV"

Get an RV if you are about to be homeless. Check out craigslist under "RV"

I got mine for $3k (tax return)

But I've seen them for $400, some of those old-class retirees upgrade and just want to get rid of their mint condition, garage-kept, 10,000 original miles '85 shaggin wagon complete with a heater, toilet, bathtub/shower, cabinets, stove, microwave, fridge, three TVs and a stereo system.

>>71006

Even that is changing. Where I live the city announced that it was closing the waiting list for affordable housing as there is just too much backlog.

The homeless shelters here are pretty much unlivable. I became homeless for a couple of months last year after a nightmare room mate situation and ended up sleeping in the snow.

Pretty scary when you read in the paper about people dying from exposure every week and know that you face the same risks.

>>70521
I live in the north. When it's cold I sometimes leave the window open. Using only an extra blanket I find this far more refreshing than laying in a dusty, heated room. The batteries you're suggesting your friend carry are probably ill-suited to keeping warm on a regular basis. The human body can provide plenty of its own heat if you provide the insulation to keep it. Batteries sound like a neat idea though, to keep a smart phone charged.

also if you're worried about someone finding your stuff just dig a hole, bury it and dig it up later

my friend made up some shit crazy lie saying he was doing an assignment for his sociology course and was allowed to stay on a public lawn in a PVC dome for about 6+ months until he got drunk and got arrested

>>71040
The problem with RVs is finding somewhere to park it. The police LIVE for fucking with someone trying to get by and sleeping in their car.

If there's an actual crime going on and you call them, they're too busy to help. If they see someone sleeping in their car, bam. . .4 cars will turn up to tear up your shit looking for a reason to take you to jail and impound your car.

what's the smallest car that you can sleep in without people looking in?

>>70994
America is seriously pretty fucking shitty right now, and has been since the 80s. Don't buy the 'best country on earth' propaganda bullshit. Most people are working jobs they hate, and they're being worked like slaves because there's 50 other people below them with even less that would love the position. The middle class is being squeezed into subsistence level living as more and more of the nations wealth is concentrated at the top, and the government makes more laws to keep it that way because those top people legally bribe them with 'campaign donations'.

>>69818
that's a tiny battery. It would go dead in no time at all powering all that crap in OP's picture (electric blankets off of batteries? Seriously).

A more reasonably sized battery would run $80-100.
http://5z8.info/hackwebcam_vfyg..

But having this encampment a mile into the woods is going to seriously hurt his chances of finding a job and actually getting a home.

>>70994
America's homeless shelters are all run by private nonprofits.

They're always full, and will not hesitate to kick anyone out for causing any kind of disturbance - so most of the mentally ill get themselves kicked out quick.

And if you're in a shelter, you'll get fucked with by other baddies in the shelter who are good at avoiding the management. And you'll probably pick up some lice and bedbugs while there, too.

>>71251
A minivan is your best bet. There's tons of early 90's Dodge Caravans for sale out there for little more than the scrap value. Avoid the 3.0 liter mitsubishi engine ones.

You can pull the rear seats and have plenty of bed room.

If the cops hassle you for sleeping in the car, ask what law you're violating. If there's a city law against it, move to a neighboring city (or just get out of city limits entirely). In most large city's it's not illegal, you just have to move the car every few days to keep up with parking regulations.

My hobo survival gear is pretty simple... Basically my normal camping shit lol. Nemo losi tent, 5 degree down bag, lightweight sleeping pad, and a Kindle with free 3G. I could survive a very long time with this stuff. just take to the woods and keep moving, don't set up a long term camp where you're likely to be bothered. If i really want to be homeless mobile, I've got a decent kayak I can load up all that shit as well as a large supply of fresh water/food/booze and marine batteries if necessary and disappear into the fucking bayou. Find a large enough wilderness and you can forage for the rest of what you need. Also, I'd probably acquire some of those solar mats you can drape over your tent, or even a small panel for a backpack, which could easily charge my kindle. Fish for food likely, or hunt whatever I can easily catch. Shit I really can't think what else I'd need.

>250 posts

>proud to be an american

>>71293

I have always gotten away with it, saying I was driving and got tired. Rather than fall asleep behind the wheel, pulled into town and took a nap.

Walmart parking lots, 24 hour places, gas stations, truck stops, rest areas that don't ban "overnight parking".

Common sense and don't try to sleep in the parking lot of an elementary school or someone's driveway...

this thread is kinda retarded

>ask someone who travelled around canada and lived on the street on and off 2 years anything from -45c to 45 shit is really simple just need the gear and a good bag which is under 300$

>>71304

But were you *comfortable*

>>71335
very
sleeping in a bivy sack beats all this retarded shit hands down

very cheap on ebay get one of these
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modular_Sleep_System would not use it past -20c since americans don't know what cold is

if you want something good to -50c drop the money on a canadian forces sleeping bag/bivy sack kit by far the best system in the world for the
price it can be used anytime anywhere

If you're going to be homeless, I would suggest you save all the money it would cost you to buy all that shit, buy 1 crowbar, and beat the living shit out of someone who did deck themselves out and take their tent.

>>71339
lmfao, that thing weighs twelve pounds. My entire setup weighs 7.3 pounds.
Seriously, you just go south. It's easy.

>>69676

"Personal experience here again:

Backpack and sleeping bag are the most important things. There are many homeless people who survive with JUST these things, and spend the rest of their money on booze and drugs. I even made a bed out of insulation from a dumpster and a floor mat, so when you're poor you find ways to survive no matter what.

Being a 120 pound male, I prefer to keep things to a minimum. It's important to remember that everything you decide to take is shit you'll be carrying around ALL THE TIME. It may seem like a light load at first, but try carrying it when you haven't eaten in a day or two and have been walking for hours. It's also better to pack light and buy more later, rather than buy too much shit and have to ditch it along the way.

Cont:
I like to have a first-aid kit. If you get cut while on the streets you might want some hand sanitizer or another alchohol based product to disinfect, otherwise you might run into problems. I also have some bandages in there. I stole most of the supplies from work. If you're working atm, your place of employment probably has a first-aid kit that no one ever uses, so take what you can.

Entertainment is another biggie for me. Staying entertained is hard on the streets when you're not struggling to live. I take a laptop with me as well as a few books and a journal. Laptops are good because you can use it to look at guides like this! I also love spits, as they are nutritional and help pass time.

cont:
As for clothing, wool is best. Even if you only have one wool shirt, just wear it as a bottom layer for better insulation. It's good to have two outfits: one for wearing, one for wearing while you wash the other outfit. As for boots, I recommend steel toes or hiking boots, as you'll probably be doing a lot of walking and those boots will last you a long time.

A knife and a lighter are essential imo. Life on the streets is dangerous, obv, so a knife is good to have. Not to mention it's an extremely valuable tool that is good for many things, ie. opening canned food, cutting rope for shelters, patching clothing, and a bunch of other stuff. A lighter is good for making fires and weighs almost nothing, so why not?

cont: As for shelters, tents, and all that shit, I say it's not really worth it. There are dumpsters, banks, hotels, and a bunch of other places you can sleep in for free. You just need a sleeping bag and a will to live. Even if you get hassled by the police, the worst they will do is send you to jail where you will have a warm place to sleep.

In conclusion, I say pack light and get what else you need as you go. If you have money, save it, keep it in your bank, and carry your debit card around (better and safer than cash). Use it for food or anything that you decide you might need later on. That's about all I can think of. Hope it was useful."

>>71343
from my understanding and word of mouth from other people ive met the more south you go the more deadly it is the more north you go the safer/trustful it is

protip: make a solar still to you can get some alchol for penny stoves.

>>70885

You're still an unhelpful asshole with anger issues. You took what I read, which was what the average joe's perspective will be of this guy, and made it mine. Now not only does that deliberately avoid the major point to my post but it's also just being a useless, illiterate cunt.

You want to tell me mental disease isn't an issue? I've seen and known homeless people and I've watched them go from stiff-upper-lippers to getting arrested for stabbing someone and then to killing themselves. It's ugly, it happens. Not everyone thinks they're J.D fucking Salinger. And I bet if you wised up to it you wouldn't have such bouts of illogical anger.

>>71365

I would not recommend steel-toed boots. They get cold as hell and don't warm back up.

>>71367
>from my understanding and word of mouth from other people ive met the more south you go the more deadly it is the more north you go the safer/trustful it is

I don't think that's true, I've "inna woods" plenty in the south. Regardless of where you are jumping fences can lead to bad encounters and being shot at, especially if there are cows on the land.
Also winter is hell outside in the north and most southerners don't give a shit about your status in life as long as you're respectful and polite.

I've been interested in this topic for a while even before the economy got scary, this is one of the best homeless advice blogs i've seen -

http://guide2homelessness.blogspot.com/2004/10/employment.html

there's way to much text here to read, but did anybody tell this guy that lead acid batteries vent sulfur gas as they charge and discharge... op's tent setup is probably gonna be a suicide booth.

>>71696
No they don't. They are sealed. Nothing goes in or out. They even have warnings on them not to break the seal since some idiots think that they should tear their batteries open and pour distilled water into them.

>>71599

There is a difference between city living and country living. From my experience having traveled quite a bit I would say as a general rule the warmer a city is the more hard core permanent homeless it has.

I did the beach bum thing in Hawaii for a time and in a lot of respects it is one of the most God awful places to be homeless as every last spare piece of ground near any town is claimed and you risk a serious encounter every day and night.

At the same time I found very nice areas well removed from the cities both in Hawaii and any other place I lived.

Warm areas attract riff raff. It is just a fact of life. Take this advice for what it is worth.

Former transient here(5 years) now living in a group home, just want to add my two cents.

>>71365
Unless you're doing a lot of wet pavement walking toe/heel irons are very helpful in saving tread, and actually doing your own shoe repair is very cheap and easy if you can get some epoxy, nails, and a rock or preferably hammer to bash them in(neatly of course), also viable for those with more permanent residency.
I found that near-new surplus boots tended to get 150 - 200 miles before absolutely needing a resole, and tacking irons on added at least another 60 miles onto that.

>>71743
This is true, I hung around suburbs most of the time, lived off of the local plant life around parks(tamarind pods, pine seeds+needles[tea], acorns, mints, backyard citrus, etc).
One of the things I hated about going to the city for soup kitchens was after having a bowl there was pretty much nothing to scavenge except trash.
Also yes everybody stresses daily washing but I feel it is much more important to focus on dental care, a lot of the money I scraped up was on vitamins and material for homemade toothpaste.

This might not be an option for some people but if you're located near a upper/middle class suburb a decent source of income is claiming pet reward money.
I got the tip from a friend who claimed that one summer she pulled in $600 for a pair of chihuahas that were running around in traffic across the county line.
Tried it myself just keeping an eye out for animals and managed to collect here and there, I'd say $30/month average for a few seasons.
And of course recycling but that's much more physical labor.

>>70225
>>70225
unnoticed hilarious comment

>>71713
dude, i fucking promise you they do vent. they have pressure vents on the top (sometimes built into the positive terminal) that relieves gas pressure during the oxygen recombination cycle, they have to or they'd explode. take a sealed battery and overfeed it with a rapid charger where it can't vent fast enough it blows up like balloon and busts.

wait has no one mentioned that op friend can just buy a greyhound ticket?

>>72843

Yes several have.

I think that is why this is such a great thread. Most people don't understand homelessness but increasing amounts of people are interested in it because they see it looming on the horizon for the first time in their life.

I think OP meant well and should not be criticized for not knowing the realities of living out doors.

Also I think you will start to read more and more about this and not just in this forum.

look for the SAS survival handbook on TPB or whatnot. includes edible plants and how to obtain fresh water etc etc

I did not go into reading thism just looking off the pic. The water filter posted will truly not fully work. It's good for getting the big crap out, but all the small micro crap will still be there, in return still needs to be boiled, or filtered to kill them (Bleach, iodine, sun etc) Instead of wasting time doing that, might as well filter the water through a piece of cloth, then boil the bitch. If boiling is a no go, you can just few a few drops of bleach, 2% iodine etc per quart. Or if you get a lot of sun, you can always purify the water that way too. Other then that, the rest of the stuff looks pretty fucking dumb. Rather have one of those nice emergency blankets, instead of hauling around a battery, making sure it can get charged, then worry about the wires. Only thing that excited me about this was the l.e.d. lantern.

Brought to you by pathfinder school of self reliance...god I love my job.

Dunno if anybody has mentioned yet (ain't checking 280 posts) but sleeping
on an air mattress in the winter will result in your buddy freezing his ass off,
as the air mattress will act as a heat sink and suck the warmth out of his body.

Better off with a collapsable cot or even a stack of cardboard.

>>73467
Someone doesn't know how low the heat conductivity of air is.
It is not the fibre of your clothing that keeps you warm, it's the air trapped between the fibres.

Cold weather coveralls a size too big, are great for sleeping in so you can take your warmth with you to take a leak and leaves room for comfy wool clothes fire retardant/stay warm when wet. Military surplus rain poncho fits over this nicely. Keep a set of camp clothes coveralls, and town clothes (nice enough to blend in), insulating underclothes, three sets, one for the bush, one for town, one for laundry day. Dumpster diving, penny stoves and good nature/ attitude/ luck

>>73467

Yeah it has been mentioned. I had the same gripe about it.

A thing air mattress does fine - think thermarest - but a full on air mattress is horrible in any sort of cold weather as you simply cannot keep that air at all warm.

>>73526

*thin

Buy a plane ticket, fly somewhere warm...

/thread

>>70470

This is a little late, and not exactly on topic, but if you get a chance to, hop a train. I only did it once but it was a wicked experience, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Just make sure you ask around. Hobos will usually tell you where you can hop a train if you ask, and I'm sure you'll run into a few if you actually hit the road. Good luck.

Send your friend to the closest Occupy X encampment.

>>73478
> Someone doesn't know how low the heat conductivity of air is.

Someone has never gone camping after Labor Day.

>>73728
What are you, a fucking cop? That's a political movement, not a homeless shelter.

>>73478
Someone doesn't know about convection.

>>73741
I'm homeless and part of the movement. Everyone is there because they're getting fucked by the system, so why shouldn't various homeless types be part of it? I help them, they help me, and together we'll be surviving the winter and fostering change.

Get some sticks. Break them so most are relatively flat. Lay them on the ground. Get some leaves/pine needles, check them for bugs, stack them on top of the sticks. Add more leaves/pine needles as needed until comfortable. Put sleeping bag on top and sleep.

I always assumed that if I was to go homeless I'd invest all of my money in a decent used van or camper and take it down by the river somewhere where I wouldn't have to pay a fee to leave it. They're not comfortable but at the end of the day you can put a small heater in the thing, have running water, and even cook a bit. Plus it's a place to sleep that's out of the weather and out of the cold. You can always cover yourself with blankets you get at goodwill.

To the air-mattress thing, yes air insulates, but many small pockets of air insulate much better. You would do best with closed-cell foam for a mattress. It won't soak up water like a spongy foam mattress will, and it will insulate better than an air mattress, not to mention the way when it's cold with an air mattress the air condenses, the air mattress goes flaccid, and it's generally uncomfortable.

HOMELESS NIGGA BUMP

It's in Tokyo and for most of the book the author lives in workers barracks. However, the author does talk a lot about when he was/becomes homeless, the homeless people he knows, and what you need to survive in general.

http://www.amazon.com/Man-No-Talents-Memoirs-Laborer/dp/080144375X

He's a bit crazy, but there might be some useful information in there.

*sigh*

bumping for archival quality

>>73793
You should check out Vandweller. He's a br/o/ that used to post on /o/ and lives in his van, he's got it fully equipped for total living.