How to plan for homelessness

You have to feed that horse, and re-shoe them. They are not cheap. Neither is a car long term either as it will need gas and repairs, new tires, etc at some point.

I once considered camping in the woods where I could walk into town to the grocery store and bank once. Never did it; but I had all the camping supplies and fishing/hunting gear.

Well you have to be proficient at pooping on the sidewalk at noontime. Especially if you plan to be a vagrant in L.A. or San Francisco.

So, out of the small chance this *isn't* a shitpost, I'll leave this here.

If you can: get a van or car. If not: be ready to do a lot of work. Rubber tramping is by far the easiest way to be homeless. If that isn't possible you still have a couple of easier options.

You can "homebum". That is the vagabond term for staying in one city rather than traveling. You'll want to do this is medium sized cities where the other homeless people are less likely to murder you for drug money or the literal clothes on your back.

Alternatively you can hitchhike. This poses a slew of problems. For one, it's both easier and more dangerous if you're a woman. It's also easier if you're better looking and manage to keep yourself relatively clean. (Which is easier than you think.) Be sure to keep track of hitchhiking laws in your area and *never ever* do it at night.

You can also ride a bike. It is energy efficient as well as let's you go faster. You'll need to keep track of repairing and maintaining it though and this might raise your overall cost of living. Obviously if you are homeless that is less than ideal. Especially for long term homelessness.

As for the recommended gear...less is more.

List of gear:

1. Get a hiking backpack with an internal frame. Your backpack is your best friend now. It goes everywhere with you. Do not go places that will not let you carry it.

2. Tarp. This is your second best friend. It can be used as a hammock, a tent, be used to keep you dry, and be used for shade. Tents are bulky and heavy and not having a tarp will screw you over.

3. Wool clothes socks and wool gloves. When it gets cold, you will need these. Wool specifically keeps you warm even when it rains. Wool goes a long way.

4. Solar panel rechargeable battery pack. Bonus points if it's also a light and/or radio. Whether we like it or not, cell phones are now a part of our lives. A solar powered battery pack will help you in a pinch. Radios and lights are bonus ammeneties that you will learn to appreciate.

5. Grooming supplies. Comb/brush. Toothpaste + brush. Floss. Baby wipes. Nail clippers. Nail file. Deodorant. Soap. All of which are needed to not look and smell like a stereotypical bum. You'll still suck compared to the average middle class person, but it goes a long way. You'll learn how to use public bathroom sinks as a pseudo-shower and clothes wash bin.

6. A bug net for your face. Only needed if you live in a mosquito prone area. Wear it at night to get moderately better sleep.

7. Sleeping bag + sleeping pad. The sleeping bag is *very* important if you live somewhere cold. If you do, you will absolutely need a sleeping bag or bivy sack that allows you to survive cold temperatures. Most places don't allow you to start random fires in the woods anymore. If someone sees the fire/smoke, they will likely call emergency services and the cops will shoo you away.

8. Regardless of my previous statement pertaining to fire...you might be able to get away with a collapsible camping stove if you're smart enough. KonvoySG makes a good one. A 6 inch skillet is a bonus.

9. Medical supplies and paracord rope. General medicine and first aid stuff will be important to you. If you're homeless and American, you likely don't have the insurance to pay for general doctor visits. Either that or you don't care about your credit score. Either is fine, but medical supplies are good to have anyways. The paracord is a good "anything" item.

10. A knife. You are homeless. You will need a knife. Self defense, can opening, cutting the paracord, opening packages of food...

11. One fork, one spoon, and a bowl. Your new fine china. Technically you don't need this stuff, but it is nice to have.

12. Clothes, water, and food. People will carry varying amounts of this stuff. It comes down to personal preference but even this adds weight to your gear. Especially the water.

This is the basic stuff. It's not cheap to be homeless. Not if you actually want to survive. Some people carry less, some carry more. Theoretically you could survive by having none of this but the food, water, and clothing, but don't try to do that.

theres youtube videos of people who ride freight trains

Get a van.

Embrace yeti. Move to Canada

Go look at the "Vagabond" subreddit. It has a list of recommended stuff; ranging from gear and strategies.

Is that a temp agency? Do you have any suggestions for a designer/web developer (or product tester?) Either temp work or contract jobs?

go into the jungle and try to live there

There’s some great documentaries out there on minimalism, that’s something I’d look into

Though this is likely a shitpost, I have to laugh when people assume that horses would be cheaper/easier to care for than vehicles. Coming from someone who used to own horses, they are not cheap nor low maintenance (anything but), and where would you keep the horse?

With how many drivers these days text and drive, I would never ride alongside the highway, much less on it, and good luck to you if the horse spooks at the vehicles (as some asshole drivers love to honk at horses as well) and you're an inexperienced rider. Not to mention that it takes years of riding and proper instruction to ride well enough to actually be able to safely ride out alone and in an uncontrolled environment. It is a far cry different from the public trail rides in which the horses are pretty much on autopilot the entire time, and not having control or knowing what to do when things go south creates a dangerous situation, especially in or near traffic.

Also, the horse market has gone crazy and according to my family who still owns them, it's not uncommon for even a grade (non-registered) trail horse with good training, an even temperament, that is sound and at a good age to bring low five figures in our area (which is a cheaper part of the US). These are the "cheap" horses that are actually safe and can hold up to long term riding.

To be honest, I actually think my vehicles are cheaper and easier to maintain and fill up with gas than my horses were to board, feed, vaccinate, trim and shoe, etc. 🤣 Not to mention the $$$ vet bills when the horse decides to try to kill itself (as they are notorious for finding ways to get hurt no matter how many precautions you take). Contrary to popular belief, you cannot just turn them out onto pasture with some water and call it good.