zeppinger

I am doing an experiment for the next six months on living homeless on a bike. This thread would be a bit of a combination of the touring and living car-free threads. I realize homelessness is highly stigmatized but I think it would be an interested thread to read about and see if anyone else is doing this. I just graduated with a degree in Anthropology and am shipping out to the Peace Corps in January. On August 15th I am required to move out of my college dorm and do not really see the point in renting an apartment for 5 1/2 months when I am just going to leave for the next 2 1/2 years and have to sell most of my stuff anyways. Yes, I could rent out a room somewhere but I am planning on have a job during this time and just want to save as much money as possible so I can do some backpacking/touring is Asia. Anyone els ever lived out of/off of their bikes? Do you couch surf, camp, homeless shelters, stealth camp? Tell us about being car and home free!

peabodypride

squat punx.

Nightshade

Living homeless you may get lessons in humanity that you wish you hadn't.

Becareful in this endevor!

EatMyA**

kick ass. Go for it. Not for the weak brother!

GOOD LUCK!

zeppinger

Like I said being "homeless" is highly stigmatized and thought of as "dangerous" when its really not. Think of it as a 6 month tour but your staying in roughly the same area, just moving around within it.

bragi

I wouldn't do this if I were you, but I'm not you. Good luck, and don't be afraid to bail and stay with friends if it starts to suck too much to deal with.

And do be very careful about your safety. I used to work with homeless vets, and homelessness is not just about not having a roof over your head. If you're perceived as homeless, middle-class type people will do everything they can to pretend you're invisible, including totally ignoring you if you try to talk to them. More to the point, some homeless people, due to the rigors of the lifestyle and the nature of their personalities, tend to be pretty predatory, especially towards other homeless. This is probably not an issue for you, given your situation, but stay away from places where "real" homeless people go, and do everything you can to make yourself look well-groomed and prosperous. Leaving urban areas and moving around among state parks, etc., might be a good choice.

cerewa

not sure where you'll be spending the time, but if you're in a place as cold as Seattle is in December, be careful. A well-prepared person will do fine in the cold but if you aren't prepared, it's a serious hazard.

Extended bike tour does sount fun, though.

CliftonGK1

I spent 6 months homeless, and it sucks. 3 months on a 'walkabout' between HS graduation and starting college, then 3 months again after I graduated college (although I was employed, so I was able to sleep in my office a couple days a week at the grace of my boss.) I don't suggest it for anyone. Don't be homeless unless you have to. Shelters are horrible 99% of the time. Stealth camping is dangerous because if the police don't feel like politely asking you to move along, you're facing one of two situations: Arrest, or a beat down. Then there's the theft, so you need to keep an eye on all your stuff, all the time. I had a guy try to use a pair of scissors to cut the straps on the backpack I was wearing while I slept. Someone else tried to steal my glasses. Not sunglasses... my prescription glasses that I can't see past my elbow without them. Suckage.
Now, if you're talking about couch surfing kind of homeless, then it's different. The 3 months after college was less of a crap-fest. I slept in my office, and I floor-camped a buddy's trailer a few nights a week. His place was a 17 mile ride from town, so it wasn't too horrible a commute. I was able to stay a a few different friends' places every couple of weeks, and trade off chores for space on the couch. I stored most of my stuff between 4 people's garages, and I could get to what I needed semi-conveniently. If you feel the need to go sans-domicile, I'd suggest going about it that way. I only had to stealth camp about 2 weeks total during that time.

Shodan

Camping's probably the best and safest way. Even if you have to invest in some gear, you plan on using it later in Asia right?

Then again, as an anthropologist you may enjoy living with the truly homeless to see what it's all about.

Shodan

Do you have enough cash to camp legally, at least some of the time? That kind of takes the "edge" off of your experiment though, huh?

zeppinger

To answer some of the questions so far.

1) I will be steering clear of most other "real homeless." No shelters or anything like that. I also used to work with them when I volunteered a lot and know that things like Hepatitis and other such diseases run rampant with them

2) Yes, there will be some couch surfing involved with friends, this is my hometown we are talking about! However, it will probably be a combination of camping, surfing, and stealthing. The "Area" I am referring to is the greater Sacramento area and its surroundings such as the bay area and Chico. I basically have friends all over here. I will probably have a roof over my head most nights except win in transition from distant couches. Should be great experience for learning about touring for long terms.

3) As i said before, I will have a job because the whole point of this is not because I am an anthropologist but because I want to save money for Asia. Like I said, why rent a new apartment and pay deposit/new furniture/ect.... when I am just going to have to sell it all in January anyways?

4) Maybe its the term "Homeless" that is freaking people out, telling me to "be careful." Relax guy, take a rest. Lots and lots of people go for longish periods before/after college/job/spouse without a "place of their own." The word "homeless" apparently does not just mean to not own/lease/rent a place but to be a pan handler reeking of urine on the side of the road who is also probably a crook. HA! Like I said, highly stigmatized class of people. I have met all sorts of great "homeless" people in my day, the problem is that they get a bad rap from the most VISIBLE homeless people who are always panhandling and begging and stealing, getting drunk in public, ect... There are tons more homeless people you just see and notice a very small minority of them.

5) Once of the main points of this thread was to see if anyone els was going to do or has done anything like this and to share the experience with others. Advice is always nice, such as the last guy who got to sleep in his office, good idea! What are some other ways of keeping your self off the streets? Lets talk about it!

donnamb 

Just have a backup plan.

mike

I could see camping for several months. It would get rugged, but certainly do-able. Pick some sweet spot in a national forest. I think there is a limit as to how long you can stay in one spot, but if you are mobile, changing spots once in awhile could be nice.

I would not want to live street-homeless in a town or city. Even rats have their own holes.

Of course, you could mooch your way through a couple of months staying with friends and family. That is an age-old approach to homeless and comfortable living.

There are some sweet caretaker jobs available in beautiful and sometimes remote areas. You get free rent in posh cribs AND get paid. Some caretaker jobs aren't even remote such as caretaker jobs for big homes at mountain resorts and second homes. You can also find caretaker jobs on large yachts that remain unused for long periods of time.

Gustavo

Why not just go to Asia and be homeless there? You can live in Thailand for almost nothing, and Kambodja is probably even cheaper.

Rowan

When I made the BIG DECISION to leave my job in 2005 to travel, I spent all bar three weeks of the next six months as a person of no fixed address. That is probably a good way around "homeless" which, as has been pointed out, has certain connotations in this modern age.

I was in a better position because my travels were into the country looking for farm work. I camped and travelled as the work took me around various small towns. I did feel nervous about security of my items, especially as I left an established free-range campsite while I worked down the road or on the other side of town. But it worked quite well for me.

The essential thing is to not let yourself slip into the appearance of common image of a homeless person. Keep reasonably well kempt... continue to shave if you already do, or keep your beard trimmed. Wash clothes, etc, etc. Which is probably what you will do if you are working anyway.

You can get very creative with looking for "stealth" campsites. It takes a certain knack (based on experience) to pick the places that will be quietest and least likely to be found not so much by the police, but by the drunken louts looking for a bit of entertainment. The most significant problem in fact becomes weather and finding a place that is sheltered from wind, rain and/or dust. I did spend some weeks in paid-for campgrounds, which was good for the socialising, too.

Shodan

Start your Peace Corps job early.

coldfeet

Have a look at Hennesy Hammocks, tent and bed in one. Useful for stealth camping, because you can camp in places not normally thought of as suitable.

Newspaperguy

There's nothing wrong with a stripped down lifestyle. There's no shame in living without a car, with few possessions and in humble accommodations. However, true homelessness in any Canadian or American city is not a good idea, even in the short term. It's a difficult and dangerous existence, one to avoid if at all possible. It would be much better to spend that time in a cheap or free camping area. This would still provide a low-cost lifestyle without the risks of urban homelessness.

Shodan

Start this yet? Any updates? Come to any decisions as to what you're going to do?

keiththesnake

So, go ahead and go "homeless." It's not that long of a time period. It's summer. Go have an adventure and squirrel away your money. Tell us about it.

zeppinger

No updates yet I will be officially "homeless" on Aug 18th though, as one astute poster pointed out, abetter term might be "no permanent address" as I will usually have a roof over my head. I will send updates and pictures as they happen

fearfeasog

Good luck, i did this for awhile and the only thing i had trouble with was feeling like a mooch!

have fun!

Roody

I like the term "housefree" as you will always have a home, even if it's only a sleeping bag. Or a patch of dirt.

I was only housefree for a few weeks, more than 30 years ago. I think the short experience had more impact on my life than almost anything else I ever did. I don't think an education is complete if you've never lived in radically altered circumstances. I suppose that different people learn different lessons. I especially learned about faith and where to place my trust.

People will tell you that it's so difficult, but in some ways it's very easy. You'll learn it as you go along, and others will help you along the way.

cooker

I only did it for two weeks, between apartments, and I had money in the bank, a job and a car, and it was still unpleasant enough. The lease on one apartment ended two weeks before the second was available. I couch surfed with some guys I didn't know very well and who didn't give me a key. My girlfriend's mother happened to be in town for most of the two weeks, so it wasn't ok to stay there. Napping in your car in a park because your hosts are out and you have nowhere to go is a very weird sensation. I wouldn't do it again. I'd rent a cheap room of some sort.

Roody

But for you the homeless experience was an unplanned interruption of your desired life. Wouldn't it be a very different psychological experience for somebody who wanted it and planned for it?

Also, it sounds like you put your trust in your girlfriend and the guys you stayed with, and they turned out to be unreliable. That must have been a painful situation for you, and it might have colored your entire homeless experience.