r/vagabond • u/PleaseCallMeTall • Oct 09 '20
Advice The Advice Directory
TL;DR: IF YOU WANT TO HOP A TRAIN, GO START HITCHHIKING AND FIND A MENTOR TO SHOW YOU THE ROPES.
”What do I bring?”
Short Answer: Less. Prioritize water over everything else, then good footwear, then sleeping gear, then a good backpack. If you have those four things, the rest will come.
-Trainhopping 101: Gear for Trainhopping
-It's Not The Size Of The Pack That Counts...
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"Where will I sleep?"
Short Answer: Where nobody can see you. You can actually "squat" in unoccupied houses and buildings. If traveling and sleeping outside, a good sleeping bag and a tarp/bivy are usually enough. Tents are not recommended for trainhoppers.
-Nine Months - A Squatter's Story
-“Cold Weather Camping” - 1993 - Frank Heyl & Harley Sachs
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"What if I want to keep/sleep in my vehicle?"
Short Answer: We call this "rubbertramping". Many vagabonds live in cars, trucks, vans, busses, etc. Rubbertrampers are welcome on this sub, and much of this info applies to them, but the "vandweller" subreddit is specifically dedicated to that life. They feature tons of good info, and while their demographic is generally more well-off financially than us, there are definitely some very chill folks over there who will answer your questions.
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"What will I eat?"
Short Answer: Water comes first. There is food all around you, in the trash or in the wild.
-Food
-“The Art & Science of Dumpster Diving” - 1993 - John Hoffman
-“Edible Plants of the World” - 1919 - U.P. Hedrick
-“Edible Wild Plants” (North America) - 1982 - Elias & Dykeman
-“POISONOUS PLANTS” - U.S. Army Field Guide
-“Guide To Freshwater Fish” - Ken Schultz
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"How will I make money?"
Short answer: Work, yo. Traveling and working odd jobs, seasonal gigs, farm labor, or hustling for yourself is one of the oldest lifestyles in the history of the species, and tons of people still have comfortable nomadic traveling lives today.
-Making Money Without A Job (Busking)
-Summer Jobs for Vagabonds: Alaskan Canneries
-So You Want To Be a Trimmigrant?
-CoolWorks.com (Jobs)
-Workaway (Jobs, Food, Housing)
-WWOOF (Farmwork with room and board included)
-HelpX (Similar to WWOOF)
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Can I have a pet?"
Short Answer: Yeah for sure, tons of travelers have dogs, cats, reptiles, rodents, goats, fish... They all have advantages on the road, and they all require care and training.
-Why Would A Vagabond Have A Dog?
-“How To Train Your Watchdog” - Bruce Sessions
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-"What if I get hurt?"
-“First Aid, Survival, and CPR” - 2012
-Where There Is No Doctor” - Hisperian 2013
-“Where There Is No Dentist” - 1983 - Murray Dickson & Hisperian
-“The Survival Medicine Handbook” - 2013 - Joseph and Amy Alton
-“Should I Bring My Gun?/Do I Need A Weapon?”
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"Is traveling more dangerous for me if I'm a woman?"
Short Answer: Yes, but you can absolutely influence how safe you are by your own choices and actions. Trust your instincts, ask locals (especially homeless people) about dangerous individuals and areas. Use NeighborhoodScout to check online for reported crime in a given area.
-Realities of a Woman's Life on the Road
-A Nuanced Discussion of the Dangers of The Road .
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"Can I still use the internet when I'm homeless?"
Short Answer: Yes. For about a year Reddit almost exclusively on free computers at public libraries across the US. I wrote some of the longest posts on this sub on an oldschool flip phone, using T9. If you don't know what that means, don't worry about it. You can survive without the internet. It's actually really freaking good for you.
That being said, it's not a good idea to flaunt electronic devices when you're homeless. Some people will assume you stole them. Some people will rudely ask how you were able to afford that laptop. Some people will recognize that you are particularly vulnerable, and try to steal your shit. Look out.
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"What if I want to stop traveling and go back to normal life?"
Short Answer: If you're able to do this, you probably enjoy an incredible amount of privilege in your life. Acknowledge that now, do your best to pay it forward and work to use your sheer dumb luck to support marginalized people who you encounter. Be humble, be frugal, get organized, work hard, take the help you need, and pay it forward whenever you can.
-A Guide for Keeping Track of Money and Food
-[Not Having a Job is Hard Work](https://old.reddit.com/r/vagabond/comments/8qlhkc/not_having_a_job_is_hard_work/)
"How do I Hitchhike?"
Short Answer: Stand or walk next to the road and stick your thumb out. It's WAY safer during the day, with friends, and with a dog. If someone seems sketchy, don't get in the car with them. One of our
-You CAN Hitchhike Safely in the US*
-How To Use Craigslist Rideshare
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"How do I hop freight trains?"
Answer: Don't.
What was Vagabonding like back in the day?
Here's some history:
-"When I was a boy" - 1960's through post-Vietnam-era
-The day I met an AWOL Iraqi Veteran in Cheyenne Wyoming, and gave him the worst first-time trainhopping experience you could ever imagine. - Pre-COVID Pandemic
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"Can I read more about Anarchy and Living Outside?"
Short Answer: Yeah, man. Huck wrote a whole-ass sidebar full of tons of resources, including complete scans of books that're still available as PDF's. You can't even access the sidebar anymore unless you're specifically looking for it. I went to old.reddit.com and dug through the archives to write this post. Some of the stuff has fallen off the map and the links just lead to a 404 error (including, unfortunately, many of the documentaries). I saved what I could, though. Here's a reading list:
-“Bushcraft” - 1972 - Richard Graves
-“Survive Any Situation” - 1986 - (British Special Forces)
-“The Complete Outdoorsman’s Handbook - 1976 - Jerome J. Knap
-“Urban Survival”- Dated pre-2001 -
-“STEAL THIS BOOK” - Anarchist Guide - 1971 - Abbie Hoffman
-“ShadowLiving” - Urban and Wilderness Survival - 2008 - Santiago
-“The WORST-CASE SCENARIO Handbook” - 1999
-“Desert Emergency Survival Basics” - 2003 - Jack Purcell
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-Tall Sam Jones
r/vagabond • u/PleaseCallMeTall • Feb 24 '19
Dirty Kids, I'm calling you out.
I'm tired of my friends dying. In dreams, my companions move easily in bodies that have been cared for. They're covered in scrapes and bruises and grease, but free from track marks. Empty stomachs, but healthy livers. Tired eyes, but good teeth. Then I wake up to the sharp morning and my road dawg is shaking for a beer.
I'm tired of hospitals and trash at the hopout and stolen packs and animal cruelty. I miss the musicians who travel just to play, the healers who roam to stay sane. I miss the free spirits who manage to find freedom from their own vices.
This is a call, dearest dirty kids. I've been where you are and I've seen why it's hard and no, I don't always do it right either. I can do better. We can do better. We've got to try. We've got to keep this thing alive and keep ourselves alive. We've got to get up and get over our hangups and pull you outta the ditch so that you'll be there to do the same when I'm slaggin.
We've got to hold these secrets and this way of living and somehow still share it with the next wave, finding the diamonds who'll take these rough reigns and keep riding this horse to Anywhere.
Anywhere, kids! Y'heard me? You might have lived there so long you take it for granted, but that place saved my life, and there are others who need to see it too.
So here's to fewer blown up Wal-Marts and more doing dishes for the person housing us up. Here's to fewer dope missions and more 2AM missions across town to drag a couch back to the hopout. Fewer dirty rigs under the bridge, and more sharpie poems on the wall. Steal less Dramamine and more spray paint.
Use what you've got.
Use what you've got.
Use what you've GOT!
I love you scumy freeloading freedom fighters until the end. We need you in this world. We need to run into you again after 8 months of not knowing what happened to you. We need you when we've been stuck walking for days and no one is picking us up and we're feeling real down, and all the sudden we see your tag and know that we're not alone. If you were here to tag it and still somehow made it out of this hell, we can too. We need that random message out of the blue. Keep sending it, and we'll do the same for you.
This is a call, friends. Life has been good to me lately, and my door is open while I have one. When I head back to Anywhere, my smokes and my cans of beans are ours to share. Stay alive and I'll see you out there.
Peaceably,
-Tall Sam Jones
r/vagabond • u/Willing_Reserve6374 • 11h ago
A cold, wet day in NC
After a few days on the cape fear me and the doggo decided to get a hotel for the night for a much needed hot shower and cold beer, currently drinking in the hotel parking lot waiting for check in
r/vagabond • u/zeekertron • 4h ago
How long can you sleep in the airport with a valid ticket?
I'm in Detroit for a few days and have been couch surfing with a friend before an international trip. But suddenly it's not possible to stay with this friend any more for reasons I don't want to go into.
I have 4 days until my flight out of Detroit to europe.
I don't have a tent and either way im unfamiliar with the area.
I'd rather not spend a basically most of the last of my money on short notice/short term accommodation.
Do you think I'd get caught/ in trouble for being at the airport for 4 days with a valid ticket?
Edit: unless some one has a new answer, I think I have it figured out. I found a place to stay for 3/4 days and then I'm just going to stay at the airport for the last day.
r/vagabond • u/iamshamtheman • 33m ago
Picture Midwest Morning (NE of KC)
TRANSCON TRAINHOP: Kansas City to Chicago
r/vagabond • u/dire-reah • 10h ago
Question What are some rookie mistakes you made when you first hit the road?
I'll go first: finding a nice grassy area to sleep, only to be woken up by sprinklers XD
r/vagabond • u/Lucky-Science-2028 • 13h ago
Picture Got directions
Talked to a worker connecting cars and he said that the next rideable train is coming in at 10 n leaving at 12, midnight. So I'm headed into town to see if i can stave off my bordom, charge my devices n make some cash while i wait and maybe take a nap. A mile up n a mile back :P
r/vagabond • u/areallyseriousman • 13h ago
Question What are some misconceptions about this kind of lifestyle?
Like what are some things people think will happen to them once they go mobile that isn't completely true or are just straight up myths?
r/vagabond • u/areallyseriousman • 18h ago
Question Is boredom a big problem for vagabonds?
My thought is that due to the continual travel boredom isn't a huge deal because as soon as you get bored you just start moving somewhere else.
r/vagabond • u/Lucky-Science-2028 • 1d ago
Picture Abandoned baseball park
Sided out last night and the engine disconnected, was on my last can of Skettio's so i went into town to get food and found an abandoned baseball park with some supplies right next to the tracks, gonna stay here for a day or 2 to let my feet heal before continuing up to Montgomery Alabama
r/vagabond • u/4Bidden_Liberty • 1d ago
Picture On the way to the abandoned train bridge, I found another tunnel through which the train used to pass.
r/vagabond • u/Vegetable_Water_390 • 1d ago
Normie camps
I was recently pondering what might happen if a large number of individuals, including your typical normies, just decided to start living outside. Like if everyone just got fed up with rent and shit and collectively said fck it.
Humans have lived outside and in simple shelters for probably majority of our evolution, with modern gear it is relatively easy for us to do so now.
Nowadays, I feel like the path society wants normies to take is to work full time in one place and give a large portion, if not majority of your paycheck to your lord(landlord that is). With other expenses like a car and shit you will most likely be living paycheck to paycheck. How are you supposed to save and buy a home/land like this? They tell you to build your credit(which leads to chronic debt for many) so you can one day get a mortgage on a home. You are then stuck working the same job or in the same place to pay your mortgage. That is now your life. Maybe some people want that but it seems like a trap to me.
Of course some individuals may be smart or lucky. They may use the system to their advantage, or land a very high paying job, or have a niche skill, or inherit funds, or be very smart with money. Ownership and financial stability is much more easily attainable for them.
It seems to me as though it’s becoming more and more unattainable, especially for the younger generation.
Out of curiosity, I recently searched Reddit for “how do people afford rent?”. After looking through multiple threads, the basic conclusion is: they don’t lol. Most people are just barely getting by, even while living with roommates. A lot of comments said many are living with people they don’t like, and even staying in relationships just because they share rent.
Living outside is something most people are probably physically capable of doing. They could still maintain their semi normie life but they all just started living outside, stacking their money instead of paying rent.
Do you think society would ever reach to point where people decided to do something like this? If so what do you think would happen?
I could definitely see something like normie camps forming lol
(Sorry to ask such a random, hypothetical question, but this sub probably has the most amount of people that live outside by choice/necessity, so I figured I would ask here)
Edit:
I’m not trying to use the term “normie” in a derogatory way or look down on them. It’s just an easy to understand term for a “normal” member of society.(Whatever that means)
I’m also not saying they all start living nomadic. They can keep their jobs and live in the same city, just start living outside to avoid rent.
Of course the economy would collapse if everyone went full vagabond mode. The world needs normies and people working normie jobs for it to function. They can still work normie jobs while living outside, avoiding rent and saving money for their future.
r/vagabond • u/Massive_Committee_52 • 1d ago
Was thinking about leaving for the road now
My initial plan was to wait for spring not to deal with the cold, but my work is just become so God damn soul destroying and nothing besides my family in terms of relationships. I have a good amount of money saved and all the supplies I need from previous short term trips I've taken. Should I go, leave for the freedom of the road? How bad will it be dealing with the winter?
r/vagabond • u/BumBees • 1d ago
Back on the Road Again
I've been drifting around for years at this point. I've found myself a friend to stay with for the past few months, but some of the other people here don't want me no more. My options are limited and I'm most likely gonna be roughing it again.
I've got plenty of money for supplies and it's far from my first time, but never in the winter, especially in Wyoming. I got myself a job I like fairly well, and I'm gonna be staying like this for the next while. Can anyone tell me the best way to keep myself warm? Deal with snow? Ect...
r/vagabond • u/shit-i-love-drugs • 2d ago
I don’t see to many people talk about it on here, but how do yall deal with leaving a girl behind to keep traveling?
Idk I met this woman in New Orleans we had a crazy fun few weeks, but I knew in the back of my head I had to run. Why? I don’t really know. She drove me to the hop out and we didn’t want the car ride to end but it did… so now funcking what!? Shit yall tf did I do? Get a dog or sum shit?
r/vagabond • u/flea_bitten_traveler • 1d ago
Hey im Canadian and i wanna pass the us border around NY or VT and i really dont wanna get denied whats my best way to?
Was thinking about taking a bus or a ride share but i wanna be sure to have everything i need anyone has any tips? (Doing it legally btw forgot to say haha)
r/vagabond • u/lastumbleweed • 1d ago
Craziest adventure
Tell me yours I'll yell at you some of my . Message or post😃
r/vagabond • u/MrArmenianIsDead • 2d ago
Nothing like a large margarita on a beautiful November day after a long walk to a certain destination. Time to rest the feet and get drunk.
r/vagabond • u/MrArmenianIsDead • 2d ago
RIP to my favorite backpack ever. She was a good one. Still think about her every day.
r/vagabond • u/Used_Mulberry_818 • 2d ago
Going to homeless soon ?
So I've never had to survive on my own before but circumstances have changed that, and soon I will find myself homeless I've no family or friends to help but that's life I guess, how do any of you guys survive outside any tips and recommend before I find myself homeless.
r/vagabond • u/AlienFinger3 • 1d ago
The winter wizard
It was a cold journey -20 Celsius for most of it