[Elster]

I ve been itching for a while to compile a series of quick tips and observations that are too Un-PC for other more traditional (left wing infested) traveling platforms,and since many walks of life conflux in the RVF I suppose people may find them useful in either application or as warning signs.
I'll put in more entries as they come to mind...


°Sitting down in the floor:
You've been hiking a long time,you're either tired or feeling like going a bit native,suddenly sitting on the floor seems like a cool thing to do,right?
If one hippie or punk sees you sitting down and thinks you are a kindred soul he or she will likely seat down next to you and in less than 10 minutes some invisible linewave signal is sent so you will have several funny looking people sitting in the ground around you. Just as one hippie summons another,their combined scent will bring down the police on you faster than you can say "but I'm not a cannabis activist!"

°Alternative living spaces aka Hippie communes and/or punk Squats:
Come for the drugs,stay for the drama.
If you start digging the dirt,you ll realize that many if not at least half of the dreadlocked wrecks you find in places such as rainbow gatherings and other more permanent communes are people who come from an IT field and are basically burnt out. You will also notice that an infantile view on the world is not so much suggested as rather imposed. Adulthood and assertiveness are loathed.
This is neverland,except the lost boys have grown into lost men(and women) and didnt get the memo.

°WOOFing:
Voluntary slavery to people who get money for making improductive farms of overpriced shitty produce.
More often than not,Woof Spots are related to the following entry (permaculture)

°Permaculture:
A movement consisting almost entirely of people who Rant about ecology, understand absolutely nothing about biology and if possible even less about economy, spend a shitload on organic Bullshit and make no progress in their crappy gardens. The vital factor is that at all times and always must they think are better than everybody else.
Having your own farm where you can employ trustees for free is amongst the highest achievements you can score amongs permaculturists.

° The Man and the sheeple:
Contrary to what other crusty travelers would tell you,turns out cops and "normies" can be quite nice if you bother at all to actually engage on social interaction.
Of course,then you are selling out to Babylon

°Hitch Hiking:
Many times a thrill seek,often a neccesity.
If you're not on a time pressure,it can get you from point A to B with many bonuses on the way
It's The kind of thing you remember fondly until you have to do it again and you then finally remind yourself why you hate it so much.
The positive is that it teaches you that people who you would hate and/or would hate you can be nice and still give you a much needed hand.

[debeguiled]

(07-26-2016 03:15 AM)El_Gostro Wrote:  


°WOOFing:
Voluntary slavery to people who get money for making improductive farms of overpriced shitty produce.
More often than not,Woof Spots are related to the following entry (permaculture)

°Permaculture:
A movement consisting almost entirely of people who Rant about ecology, understand absolutely nothing about biology and if possible even less about economy, spend a shitload on organic Bullshit and make no progress in their crappy gardens. The vital factor is that at all times and always must they think are better than everybody else.
Having your own farm where you can employ trustees for free is amongst the highest achievements you can score amongs permaculturists.

I would be interested in anything you want to share about these two, especially WOOFing. Is there nothing positive about this? Do you learn nothing? Or is it just a racket?

[Elster]

(07-26-2016 11:18 AM)debeguiled Wrote:  

(07-26-2016 03:15 AM)El_Gostro Wrote:  


°WOOFing:
Voluntary slavery to people who get money for making improductive farms of overpriced shitty produce.
More often than not,Woof Spots are related to the following entry (permaculture)

°Permaculture:
A movement consisting almost entirely of people who Rant about ecology, understand absolutely nothing about biology and if possible even less about economy, spend a shitload on organic Bullshit and make no progress in their crappy gardens. The vital factor is that at all times and always must they think are better than everybody else.
Having your own farm where you can employ trustees for free is amongst the highest achievements you can score amongs permaculturists.

I would be interested in anything you want to share about these two, especially WOOFing. Is there nothing positive about this? Do you learn nothing? Or is it just a racket?

Im of course beinge extremely tongue-in-cheek about the issue.
Permaculture strikes me to gardening/eco system management what sociology is to Anthropology.
The principles behind it seem simple and make sense:
-Nature is the architect and a fine one at that
-Don't over abuse the soil and rotate
-if it aint broke don t fix it
-Too much work is counterproducing don t work your ass off for it,like nature!

In practice I find the initial effort and techniques are either as time and effort consuming if not identical to "traditional" gardening/agriculture methods. And I ve personally never seen an actual self sustaining/managing permaculture garden,though I read there are many out there.
I suspect its mostly a way of putting a spinful label and sugar coating it with new age vocabulary to try to differentiate it.

The ONE person I do remember that was sort of invested in the movement or the idea of permaculture who did not strike me as a New age random shito automatorambler was a "Geo-Biologist" (not exactly sure if his totle is actual paleonthologist though he basically covers that field) from Göttingen in Germany (University town that has or had an actual permacultural garden project that usually works/ed as containment cell for socially awkward eco system management students).
He had a small vinyard in the same place where I camped so I got to learn something from him.
The way he explained things to me on how stuff worked and his use of so called organic material actually sounded like an asceptic version of how "folks" traditionally handled cultivation.
However,his pragmatism and actual work (as opposed to most of the kids in the perma garden) is what made his garden actually produce something,even though it did not render a profit and was solely for his own hobby
(For the record: his wine is pretty neat and the man makes a mean apfel schapps!)

On Woofing:
Most of the experiences I was directly involved or experimented from a distance have almost completely persuaded me it has a lot to do with bullshit.
It always felt to me as "club mediterranee for hipsters" ,actually.
I've heard of really good experiences but the ones I know were not very far away from living in either a religious or hippie commune.
Rules,rituals and dietary impositions which often bordered on financial obligations.
Kind of "We only eat organic so you have to work extra so that we can pay for this expensive organic food despite claiming we actually produce it as apparently our production is not enough to even feed our own selves",add in the aforementioned nearly unescapable new wave +ecology rant combo
On the positive side I guess if you re new and interested in learning about farming techniques its a great way to start light and easy just to get a whiff of how things could actually be.

Im not saying everything out there with woofing and permaculture is bad,but my own personal experiences with it left me far from seeing it with a positive eye

[debeguiled]

That is too bad, because it seems that WOOFing could be such a great way of getting an education or a piecemeal apprenticeship without having to go into debt to get your education. Sounds like in your experience it is free labor in exchange for rainbows and tofu shoved up your ass.

[Elster]

(07-26-2016 12:12 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  

...a great way of getting an education or a piecemeal apprenticeship...

I would say you are better off reading literature and researching on your own (I WOOfed as a goat shepard and several months after it was dead and done I found a "for Dummies" guide to goat farming,I would have sent it to my former "boss" if I didnt know that he'd burn it as heretical literature).
THEN when you feel ready,search for farms or places on your own.
Farming and craftmanship is all about physicality (even a creative skill such as drawing still requires a material component). A farmer or craftsmaster will be more likely to accept or respect your request if you contact him directly. Even if its just for learning some specific points a smart boss would probably not mind an extra hand to ease his job at least on basic duties.

(07-26-2016 12:12 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  

free labor in exchange for rainbows and tofu shoved up your ass.

I request permission to use that line in my upcoming hobodex!!!!



----

Okay let me see if I remember new ones:

University terrain
(covering categories such as Student Parties and/or Youth centers)
Extasis and speed dispenser,free booze and easy lays

Anarco/punk/student Kitchens:
Place with pseudo free vegan food where you wll never see people in actual poverty situations

Soup Kitchens/homeless assistance shelters:
place with pseudo free food where you will never see people that are not in actual poverty situations (specially students)

Smurfette effect:
In squats and communities it is more normal than not that the ratio of sausage to pussy is so big that the latter makes any six become automatically a 10.
The ego of a smurfette crashes horrifyingly when she hits the wall and/or descends from neverland into wicked babylon and is called out as the crumpled raggedy wreck that she is.

Similarly,a dude with even basic game is like a cougar loose in a hen house when he comes to hippie dens,which are notorious beta breeding grounds.He will foster their impotent wrath and leave having hit the best pussy locally available (which might not be much)

-On Banging traveler birds:
Use protection,stick to orthodox sex if neccesary and be wary unless you want to get unwanted kinder surprises

Hippie repelent:
Animals- They work better than soap even! Eco-freaks meet their match and are suddenly silenced when confronted with the part of nature that is not green and static and doesnt complain if you try to munch it

Punk repelent:
Fluent speech

Student/hostel brigadier repelent:
Humbleness

Weather:
You learn why your fore fathers feared the thunderstorms so much they equated them to gods and/or demons.Most cities today arent a lot more safer than the woods in the era of constact construction renovation and wiring,you realiye how lightning friendly your environment can be
Wind can totally ruin your day if you don't carry the proper gear (specially for sleeping) and extended periods of humidity will have you cursing like an gypsy hag on a profitless day

Critters
Your feelings of ecological justice and moral outrage on animal ethics quickly go down the drain when confronted with something that can,
will most certainly have no hindering moral qualms and will probably kill you.
Arguably could be related to entries about animals being hippie repelents but no hippie ever ventures into actual nature

[frozen-ace]

I'm interested in hearing about the daily life of the roving vagrant.

Water- what do you do for water? You can't carry that much with you, it is too heavy. Do you drink from creeks and streams and purify it beforehand? Go into gas stations and drink from the sink in the bathroom?

Shower- How often do you get a shower? Do you carry soap and shampoo with you? Or when you get a shower do you use whatever cheap stuff (with harsh chemicals) that you can get your hands on?

Shit- just shit wherever its convenient? Carry around a roll of toilet paper? Or just use sticks and leaves?

Food- Again, can't carry that much with you. What do you eat every day? How do you cook it? Do you have a saw and cut branches and make a fire? Find loose branches on the ground? Gas stove? Eat out? If so, how do you pay for it?

Cooking- do you carry one pot and pan and a set of utensils around with you?

Dog- Seems like a big burden to take on. Why do you do it? Companionship? Safety? How do you feed it? Do you ever have to take it to the vet? Do you use the dog to clean up after you are done cooking?

Hiking around with all that shit in your bag- doesn't it hurt your back? And your knees? Do you ever have a strap break or have to make repairs on your gear in the field?

Safety- what do you do for self defense? Sleep with a fist-sized rock in a spot where you can grab it? Have a knife on you? Have you ever been threatened or in a scary situation? Easy to happen if you are around groups of people, especially drunks.

Gathering from the bounty of nature- Do you ever gather wild berries? How did you learn about them to determine if they were edible or poisonous? Do you ever gather plants or herbs that are supposed to help heal ailments? Sneak into farms or orchards and grab crops from the edges?

Laundry- do you carry a change of clothes? How often do you change? How often do you wash your clothes? Do you use a laundromat or wash them in a creek?

Money- How do you afford any incidentals? You sell art right? So is it just enough for a meal that day, or gives you enough to get from point A to point B?

And of course my favorite- did you ever harvest a boar?

Inquiring minds want to know!

[Elster]

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Water- what do you do for water? You can't carry that much with you, it is too heavy. Do you drink from creeks and streams and purify it beforehand? Go into gas stations and drink from the sink in the bathroom?

I carry about a liter with me (two half liter sport bottles,easier to clean,harder to spot and easily accesible(closeable) at all times possible.
Tap water in most western countries is drinkable (yeah there s fluorides and other stuff but I already forwent other commodities when I chose the roving) and free.
So if on the road,gas stations are definite.
If on long trails and i happen upon some form of civilization like say a farm or a village or a suburb. If you ring a bell and ask nicely for water very likely than not you will be given.

I used to drink from streams and sources without a second thought and never got sick -then again I seme to have relatively good inmune system or cultivated immunities- but after learning what can happen in the unfortunate case of actually getting fucked because I didnt purfiy the water I became more wary.
If it is from a source and you see it directly in front of you,chances are you can drink it with no problem,I'd be wary in other cases.

Water purifying tablets are something you almost never need when in the vicinity of civilization but you will be pretty damn happy you have them when you happen to be in uninhabited areas.
Its the kind of thing you hope you never need to use but you re happy to have if you do need.

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Shower- How often do you get a shower? Do you carry soap and shampoo with you? Or when you get a shower do you use whatever cheap stuff (with harsh chemicals) that you can get your hands on?

Longest I ve ever been without a shower was three weeks and a half I think.

On winter times in some countries it is easier to gain access to homeless shelters/charity/assistance places so its likely you have to wait in line but you can get a shower daily.
I managed more than a few times to be allowed to shower in a local swimming pool by honestly stating my situation and even offering to pay when I felt I had enough,until now I ve never been charged.
When I was in a hippie commune in Sweden near Växjö,some of the guys there paid for the showers of the public swimming pool-I still don t know if they actually paid for teh shower or a for a day's swim.

If you're in a coastal area then you can always just take a bath and clean your stuff at the sea.
Inlands a lake or running water like a stream or a river are also good for washing yourself and your stuff

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Shit- just shit wherever its convenient? Carry around a roll of toilet paper? Or just use sticks and leaves?

If I can I like the comfort of a toilet ,but yeah ,basically just shit somewhere discreet where you won t be immediately seen /provoke backlash (plus its pretty bothersome to realize someone is looking at you) and where the smell will not be a problem either for you and/or other passerbyes (if its the woods fuck them)
IF you have enough space in your backpack a roll of TP is convenient as you can also use it for other hygiene stuff.
Leaves and twigs bent and re bent are amazing ass brushes,it must be said.

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Food- Again, can't carry that much with you. What do you eat every day? How do you cook it? Do you have a saw and cut branches and make a fire? Find loose branches on the ground? Gas stove? Eat out? If so, how do you pay for it?

I used to carry a lot of food with me and as I got older in the game started shedding it to the point of carrying essentials-which to me are coffee,and two units of Canned Tuna (protein) and garlic (russian penycilin)
When you're in urban/semi urban environments, dumpster diving is always an option and you d be amazed at the kind of gourmet shit I ve fed my dog straight from a trash bin in a main street.
Being a Hobo it is easier to get fat than running out of food!

I prefer using a gas stove when i can to making fire,its awesome to make fire and you need practice to get good at it but when shit hits the fan,or rather rain hits teh ground its nice to have a nice quick access to hot beverages/food.
here in Europe a small gas stove is not expensive and neither ar ethe butane tanks.
Alternatively,you can always make a rocket stove with ethanol (which can also be used as an antiseptic)

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Cooking- do you carry one pot and pan and a set of utensils around with you?

That I do! Though I almost never cook,am a lazy bastard to cook unless I m traveling with the bird.

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Dog- Seems like a big burden to take on. Why do you do it? Companionship? Safety? How do you feed it? Do you ever have to take it to the vet? Do you use the dog to clean up after you are done cooking?

Companionship is a big one,extended solitude can be soul crushing -and I'm a loner by nature!
Safety is a big advantage it provides,particularly with an intimidating looking dog like mine you can use it as a dissuader and if push comes to shove,well,he's bred for taking and dealing pain.
In my own particular situation,the little bastard even helps me make money so he basically pays his own upkeep by being an adorable little bugger when Im selling art on the street.
Affirmative on using his as an organic vacuum cleaner,and a happy one at that!

He is pretty healthy and I've never had to take him to a vet since he almost died as a puppy from Parvo virus (after several failed attempts with other vets I went to the most expensive clinic in a rich tourist beach town and even though I was dirty and penyless they saved his ass).

Most people in cities have a thing for dogs and its very likely that at the end of a busking day I end up with a bag or two of dog food.
He carries his own bowl and some food as well as his neoprene jacker in his backpack so its not so much of an additional weight for me.

Alternatively he s pretty happy to eat from left overs and trash (but I also buy and get for free and amazing amount of fresh produce for him)

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Hiking around with all that shit in your bag- doesn't it hurt your back? And your knees? Do you ever have a strap break or have to make repairs on your gear in the field?

I recently suffered a major inflamation in the muscles around my ribs and honestly felts like crap and was decomissioned for two days,but I ve been overdoing it and underfeeding myself as well.
I would say it is absolutely vital to take a resting day at least once every 8 days

I've had to learn to sew my gear and as of recently am acarrying replacement buckles and straps.

My doggie's backpack was originally quite weak and my girl friend vamped a smaller childs rucksack to reinforce it,now its pretty though.

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Safety- what do you do for self defense? Sleep with a fist-sized rock in a spot where you can grab it? Have a knife on you? Have you ever been threatened or in a scary situation? Easy to happen if you are around groups of people, especially drunks.

My number one safety rule is to avoid bad company.As in keeping away from alternative and other street types as much as possible,even if they don't intend to harm you they're just going to bring the kind of attention that would be better directed at actual trouble makers.
Don't forget : misery loves company,and as horrible as it is to say it,most street people are miserable and broken (pretty sure Im included in that statement)

Self Defense: I carry knives which happen to be the most important survival tool any traveler would need,and I also have a Bully dog that can get pretty mean in a difficult situation but acts great as a dissuader.

I ve been threatened several times and I can t claim to have been fearless and utterly brave in the face of danger but I've acted.
I ve been attempted to be ganged up twice and one time a dude even tried to wrestle and rape me but in Milan but I managed to wound my attacker pretty uglily with my knife so my ass came out pristine.

Most of these situations I've now learnt to avoid by mostly paying attention to my surroundings and-again-avoiding bad company.

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Gathering from the bounty of nature- Do you ever gather wild berries? How did you learn about them to determine if they were edible or poisonous? Do you ever gather plants or herbs that are supposed to help heal ailments? Sneak into farms or orchards and grab crops from the edges?

I do gather berries and fruits that I know (like black berries or figs which are abundant in mediterranean types of climate) and if Im in company I will also pick up as well mushrooms I am absolutely sure I know for cooking.

Learning herbology is a big thing I need to correct at some point in my life as it is a very useful knowledge to have at your disposal

Most of the time there is no need to sneak into a farm or a plantation,asking nicely for some fruits or food can work wonders.

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Laundry- do you carry a change of clothes? How often do you change? How often do you wash your clothes? Do you use a laundromat or wash them in a creek?

I do carry one change of clothes but mostr of the time stick to my super tough working gear which can go for month uncleaned.
I'd say that I do laundry once a month usually,if I have access to a friendly house for the night my first request is to wash my stuff.

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

Money- How do you afford any incidentals? You sell art right? So is it just enough for a meal that day, or gives you enough to get from point A to point B?

Busking depends a lot on the place and the time you find yourself in.Sometimes it can fill your pockets incredibly and sometimes its crap.
I woud say I found a good way to balance it out to the point where even if I have a bad season I ve saved enough that I have a backup if I need to get from point A to B in haste.

(07-27-2016 03:53 AM)frozen-ace Wrote:  

And of course my favorite- did you ever harvest a boar?

Not yet
But I havent given up on the idea,Im still reading literature and trying to apply it to what I see in nature (spotting tracks and markings and other stuff atm)
Im also putting some money aside to build me a body armor with plating and leather (lame I know,but I'd rather do it that way)

[The Beast1]

Great thread, +1 rep.

Here's a protip on toilet paper. Instead of carrying TP, get a cheap paper back novel and rip out pages that you've read. You get entertainment and a means to wipe your @55.

[Lagavulin]

Interesting thread, but why would you choose to put yourself in the position where you need to rake through trash cans to feed your dog?

How would you assess your quality of life?

[Suits]

(07-27-2016 04:49 AM)El_Gostro Wrote:  

My doggie's backpack was originally quite weak and my girl friend vamped a smaller childs rucksack to reinforce it,now its pretty though.

Game-denialists need to read this thread pronto. OP is homeless and he still has a girlfriend.

[debeguiled]

(07-27-2016 02:50 AM)El_Gostro Wrote:  

(07-26-2016 12:12 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  

free labor in exchange for rainbows and tofu shoved up your ass.

I request permission to use that line in my upcoming hobodex!!!!

You got it. Looks like you have a fascinating thread started, and I will always read about this stuff.

Question: Have you ever run into Oogles? For those who don't know, this is slang for a local kid who pretends to be homeless and hangs out with the travelers to feel edgy.

There is a pretty funny blog called "Look at This Fucking Oogle," which started out as a picture blog of oogles, and over time transformed into a menagerie of oogles, vagabonds and assorted anti-social types in all sorts of compromising positions:

http://lookatthisfuckingoogle.tumblr.com/

Because we are on this forum, these two blogs have to be included:

Hot Oogle Women

And:

Sexy Oogle Ladies

It would be a mistake to take the adjectives in the last two links literally.

[Lagavulin]

(07-27-2016 08:36 AM)Suits Wrote:  

(07-27-2016 04:49 AM)El_Gostro Wrote:  

My doggie's backpack was originally quite weak and my girl friend vamped a smaller childs rucksack to reinforce it,now its pretty though.

Game-denialists need to read this thread pronto. OP is homeless and he still has a girlfriend.

There's more to life than having a girlfriend.

I read the thread, I'm not hating on the OP, my question was valid.

Edit - just realised that might not have been aimed at me. I should also point out that it seems the OP has chosen this way of life, which is rather intriguing.

[ColSpanker]

Twenty years ago I moved to an East Coastal American city and had to leave a lot behind. I took a room at a boarding house and spent as little an amount of time there as I could. My housemates were derelicts and one step from the gutter. I ended up living at the local YMCA and spending much of my free time at the library. I learned who were the real homeless in town pretty quick just from seeing them all the time. It was an open secret the big municipal area dumped their bums on the local trains and sent them out to the suburbs. You didn't want to linger at the train stations back then because the bums would hit you up for money.
I came out of weighing a lot less and with an appreciation for survival skills. Nothing makes you appreciate normal living better than walking through a snow storm in January in hopes your one local friend will be home and you'll have someone to hang with.
I'm still filled with an inner rage against people who hit me up for money on the street. I'll buy them food, but they get a lecture on how a man should never sink so low he'll have to beg. I think the Sikh's have it right. They are forced to wear a band around one wrist to drive home the notion you should never beg for your food (with cupped hands, everyone will see the metal band).
I've thought about doing the Indian wandering Sadhu thing if I ever get to the point I just don't care any more. With my age and lack of responsibilities, there are days when I'm ready to grab a staff and just go out on the road. So this thread is most instructive.

[Elster]

(07-27-2016 07:27 AM)Lagavulin Wrote:  

Interesting thread, but why would you choose to put yourself in the position where you need to rake through trash cans to feed your dog?

While I'm not an advocate of freeganism once you become practical about stuff it is amazing to realize how much you can save from time to money by checking trash.

From what I understand dogs evolved from a scavenging type of wolf/canide and actually tend to prefer meat that is *slightly* off,they also apparently have the proper bacteria to process it.
In my case it also helps to keep him engaged and not too poshy (it happens after a while that they get used to fancy shit and you actually have to starve em for almost 20 hours until they give in and take what is available).
And I know it sounds ridicolous,but seeing his expecting face and stance when checking a bin is really funny.



Yeah,it can get kind of icky but in our "civilized" life we greatly underestimate our capacity to develop inmunity and process shit,it helped me to remember that until more or less 80 years ago electricity,plumbing/warm water and otherc ommodities werent so immediately or easily available (arguably a lot of people died younger too,but it also served as a form of genetic culling)

These days I genuinely cannot tolerate Kebab but back in my worse periods,at one point I found it silly to actually have to pay for a fast food meal when good/tasty/sometimes quality stuff was just scattered around. It is both painful and delightful to see how people just take a bite or a sip and then throw out the rest of the food and/or drink.
I'm still wondering about what motivates such behaviour,does it give some sort of power rush in the mindset of a person that has to work two hours to be able to pay for that meal?

(07-27-2016 07:27 AM)Lagavulin Wrote:  

How would you assess your quality of life?

All in all? I have to say its not really bad!
I do enjoy a lot of it actually!

This doesnt mean that I have no problems,I do,and they are very real unfortunately.
But on the flip side,I am not unburdened by so many secondary or unreal problems like many other people in a "normal" life.

*I do not intend to use the term "normal" in a derogatory manner,btw. Just stating more or less the standard.*

(07-27-2016 07:27 AM)Lagavulin Wrote:  

I should also point out that it seems the OP has chosen this way of life, which is rather intriguing.

Im not sure how much it was personal conscious deliberate choice,how much were circumstances or a balance of the two there of...


But to be more concise:
I think I was dealt a couple bad cards,and found a way to play with them and make that hand into my strategy.

(07-27-2016 10:20 AM)debeguiled Wrote:  

You got it. Looks like you have a fascinating thread started, and I will always read about this stuff.

Thanks! And to the other posters as well! Im actually suprised at the interest taken in this thread actually.

(07-27-2016 10:20 AM)debeguiled Wrote:  

Question: Have you ever run into Oogles? For those who don't know, this is slang for a local kid who pretends to be homeless and hangs out with the travelers to feel edgy.

Well,I did live for 8 months in New Orleans so yeah!
And as such I too,was amongst the legions of crusty newbie zombies fresh for a night of slaughter in the gutters of Bourbon Street.
Thankfully,it taught me pretty fast that I should change company and move a bit further away from said gutters.

Back in the day,the oogles would call out or be called out others for being oogles.
Calling one of the "anarchist" kids an oogle was like telling a feminist she is fat

I'm not sure if it warrants one or another label such as "crustie","oogle" or "traveler" but one thing I did find a bit funny amongs the US vagrant types was to use "traveler names" (I guess they aere trying to emulate the pirates or something?) which were quite endearingly self damnating:
"Trainwreck"
"Shitface 92"
"Shame" (who actually had SHAME tattooed in his neck in horror movie drippy ink fonts,doubt he is still alive given what he looked like but it d be fun to see what such a tattoo looks like 25 years later)

And amongst the oogles and/or newbies:
"Quest"
"Planet"
"Sauce cat"

(07-27-2016 10:20 AM)debeguiled Wrote:  

There is a pretty funny blog called "Look at This Fucking Oogle," which started out as a picture blog of oogles, and over time transformed into a menagerie of oogles, vagabonds and assorted anti-social types in all sorts of compromising positions:

http://lookatthisfuckingoogle.tumblr.com/

Oh damn,I had totally forgotten about even the existence of this blog!:amuse
Ha! I wouldnt be surprised to find a picture of me somewhere around there,coincidentally a lot of those face look familiar to me as the traveling world isnt that big...
Then again,with that much dirt and shit on,anyone could be under that crust!

All in all ,I think just looking at the pictures in this blog perfectly illustrates what I said about bad company. Reading the entries confirms my opinion even more...

(07-27-2016 10:20 AM)debeguiled Wrote:  

Because we are on this forum, these two blogs have to be included:

Hot Oogle Women

And:

Sexy Oogle Ladies



It would be a mistake to take the adjectives in the last two links literally.

Agreed,I object to using the "sexy" label on many of those entries.
And again,banging many of those may get you Kinder suprise

Man,it makes me wish I hadnt sold away all my cartoons and jokes about crusties that I was doing back in NOLA

(07-27-2016 02:46 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  

Twenty years ago I moved to an East Coastal American city and had to leave a lot behind. I took a room at a boarding house and spent as little an amount of time there as I could. My housemates were derelicts and one step from the gutter. I ended up living at the local YMCA and spending much of my free time at the library. I learned who were the real homeless in town pretty quick just from seeing them all the time. It was an open secret the big municipal area dumped their bums on the local trains and sent them out to the suburbs. You didn't want to linger at the train stations back then because the bums would hit you up for money.

Painful reality is still real today everywhere

Train stations are still a major zombie bum breeding ground today,some are worse than others.
And as much as I often get the bad end of the stick ,it makes it understandable why police can be rather dismissive and/or blunt in these areas.

Boarding houses: Often the host him/herself is stark raving mad (then again you have to in order to set up such an arrangement). Another reason why I prefer sticking to my tent and own equipment.

Libraries: The universal Hobo HQ by excellence!
Entertainment in the form of newspaper,magazines and computers/wifi for almost free and access to bathrooms? LUXURY!!!!!
What is funny that you also find a lot of people who arent even homeless but just have nothing better or more interesting to do in their houses (which is understandable).

Hell,Im typing this reply from a local library right now!

(07-27-2016 02:46 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  

I came out of weighing a lot less and with an appreciation for survival skills. Nothing makes you appreciate normal living better than walking through a snow storm in January in hopes your one local friend will be home and you'll have someone to hang with.

(07-27-2016 02:46 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  

I'm still filled with an inner rage against people who hit me up for money on the street. I'll buy them food, but they get a lecture on how a man should never sink so low he'll have to beg. I think the Sikh's have it right. They are forced to wear a band around one wrist to drive home the notion you should never beg for your food (with cupped hands, everyone will see the metal band).
I've thought about doing the Indian wandering Sadhu thing if I ever get to the point I just don't care any more. With my age and lack of responsibilities, there are days when I'm ready to grab a staff and just go out on the road. So this thread is most instructive.

I have only passingly heard about the sikh's,the one I actually met was a cannabis addicted fellow who had his own plantation in a small valley in the pyreness.

And the wandering Sadhus I had not known of until your post!
Its very interesting to see how in indoeuropean cultures the figure of the wandering sage is so imprinted,I will have to research more about this!
Thanks for the heads up!


------

Here are some more notes I can think out of my head right now in relation to my previous replies.

°My own personal Problems
Amongst my very real problems are the fact that being a pariah cuts me out from having access to a lot of useful commodities such as medical aid besides emergency treatment and social assistance that goes beyond a meal,shower and occassional bunk.

On one side it fosters my creativity and ingenuity as I literally have to improvise ways to get around obstacles,and the constant exercise combined with my understanding of nutrition keeps me relatively fit and functional.

On the other,it can get infuriating and /or fatigating at times to be literally required to pull a rabbit out of your ass every time you want to get something done.

°Weather

-Strong wind drains a lot of energy when you are awake and moving,and when you are sleeping if you do not take proper measures it can range from giving you a cold to an ear/throat infection
-Thunderstorms CAN kill you,even if you're in a urban setting a lot of factors can add to the risk of getting KFCed by lightning. Im starting to suspect this is one way many hobos and homebums actually bite it.
-Humidity is also very bothersome,fortunately for me I don t have bone aches but I ve seen other guys go crazy from it.

Sleeping in the wilderness vs civilized areas

Sleeping is a very important factor to take into account.
In the wilderness some animals that used to be under control or even near-extinct are making a come back,and are not exactly easy to fend off,I understand the urbanized one are actually becoming a problem for even settled communities.

In a city,town or suburb you will be probably safer from the beasties and less affected by the weather but you will be at the threat of:
-Freaks,loonies and other mentally/socially affected people.
-Other homeless people who may want to loot your stuff and/or butt fuck you
-Aggressive jocks or ganged up douches who think you're an easy target
-Cops
-And most importantly: people who are afraid or offended or seeing you sleeping somewhere and will call the authorities.

Cities also have the drawback of being noisy and making it hard to find a dark unlit and safe spot.
This can really screw you over when you are not sleeping in a sound isolating environment of if you are used to the sounds of nature as opposed to the massive data overload that is a urban environment.

[Suits]

(07-27-2016 01:14 PM)Lagavulin Wrote:  

Edit - just realised that might not have been aimed at me.

It wasn't.

[churros]

I spoke about going to a squat rave in Berlin recently.

Lacking appropriate attire, we got shut down pretty heavily. But it was curious to observe that the women – in order to signal that they weren't interested – would defer to men in the group. However, these men were weak and unimposing figures, even when physically large. And though the women themselves were obnoxiously assertive, they started to fret when we did not cower. An inversion of the sexual hierarchy.

[malakaix]

(07-28-2016 10:26 AM)churros Wrote:  

I spoke about going to a squat rave in Berlin recently.

I use to go to a lot of these many years ago.. and you're spot on about the attire. Everyone there is ultra clique and differentiate between the hardcore regulars and the new crowd through what they wear. There's a real elitist mentality that is shrouded in the disguise of been alternative and open minded.

I only went for the drugs and music, I honestly wouldn't want anything to do with the women at these events..

[Elster]

That reminds me of such event in a juzi where i was already pissed and flirting with a chick, her male friend was there sitting with us:

HER:No, I don t do one night stands. Oh and you re probably small dicked and my bf is this huge muscular guy
ME:Why is he not here?
HER(to male friend) hey, you're supposed to be my friend! Shouldn't you say something?
FRIEND: i think you should fuck with this guy, hell you can use my flat!

Unfortunately we didnt get to as she stormed off

[Lagavulin]

You have a great perspective on life OP, your 'get on with it' attitude would put much of society to shame.

I admire how you can find positives (and a girlfriend) in your situation. What's your plan as you move forward in life though? Surely you don't see yourself still homeless in the years to come.

[debeguiled]

Hey El Gostro, I have heard something among the homeless kids who populate the downtown in my city and was wondering if you had any insight into this.

Seems like there are these terms called "Street Mom," and "Street Sister" and I was wondering what this meant. My guess would be that people without families or with bad families elect people they have met on the streets to be their new family members.

What I am wondering is how deep this goes, I mean, is it once a "Street Dad," always a "Street Dad," or is this the sort of thing where alliances and allegiances are constantly shifting, and all of this is just temporary, just talk, and more along the lines of status signaling than anything lasting?

Like, 'Jayme took my weed, she is dead to me. Meet my new street sister."

Do you have any experience with this stuff?

[ColSpanker]

I used to go to a big camping event every year and roughed it for a week. One time I roughed it for two.
I will say this, you don't really know people until you've shared primitive living conditions with them. A few days of constant contact and sharing toilet paper rolls will bring any irritating trait to the surface. The guy you liked to chill with every other Friday suddenly turns into an inconsiderate asshole. Likewise, the guy you hardly ever talk to and assumed was brain-damaged turns into your best friend at a campfire when he helps you hook-up with a babe.
You also start paying real attention to the weather. Nothing sucks so bad as walking into your tent after being drenched in a thunderstorm to discover your tent is flooded out because you forget to tuck the goddamn ground cover inside. You find yourself constantly glancing at the sky, wondering if that cloud is part of a front headed your direction.

[malakaix]

(07-28-2016 03:42 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  

I used to go to a big camping event every year and roughed it for a week. One time I roughed it for two.
I will say this, you don't really know people until you've shared primitive living conditions with them.

I can appreciate this. I roughed it for a week with a friend once while hitch-hiking through the Balkans, he was one of the most tolerant people I've ever known but after sleep deprivation, no food, sleeping under bridges and then you get stuck in the middle of nowhere.. it all seems to break down and those traits come under the microscope.

[Elster]

(07-28-2016 12:26 PM)Lagavulin Wrote:  

What's your plan as you move forward in life though? Surely you don't see yourself still homeless in the years to come.

Hell,no! That is true,after almost 6 years I'm genuinely tired of this and I sincerely want to move on the next big thing.
It has been great so far with very tall highs and dramatic lows,but I think if I want to keep what is left of my sanity (if any) and possibly my relatively stable physical health I should be stopping soon enough...

At the moment my idea is to get a used van and turn it into a mobile home,providing me a much needed home space/faraday cage and a place to leave my pooch in safely when I can t take him somewhere.Plus,I would be able to have a house that can be moved about through land that way too
I did think about a ship,and they are quite affordable in some places but maybe that will be phase 2 after van and hopefully expanding my venture$.
From a practical point of view a van seems more useful.

If things go well with my bird and we actually give the infant manufacturing another shot (had a miscarriage earlier this year),I don't think for the first 2 or 4 years the space would be aproblem for the kid(s) as I'd love to be a physically engaged father and make the lil bugger(s) understand outdoor living (I should of course not mention that itd be awesome to have in-house assistants for skinning hunted game).

To round it up,2016 has been the year in which I really upped the ante to profit within my possibilities and the results have not been negative.

(07-28-2016 02:23 PM)debeguiled Wrote:  

Seems like there are these terms called "Street Mom," and "Street Sister" and I was wondering what this meant. My guess would be that people without families or with bad families elect people they have met on the streets to be their new family members.

What I am wondering is how deep this goes, I mean, is it once a "Street Dad," always a "Street Dad," or is this the sort of thing where alliances and allegiances are constantly shifting, and all of this is just temporary, just talk, and more along the lines of status signaling than anything lasting?

Like, 'Jayme took my weed, she is dead to me. Meet my new street sister."

Do you have any experience with this stuff?

I have personally never heard the term in my own time roving in the states,but from the definition at urban dictionary I would say I did run across such groups.

My own interpretation of such terms is actually identical to yours,and I would indeed agree its a status claim. It always struck me that the whole allegiance thing in this workd is a fickle adolescent claim. An attempt to shout the world down through a "bold" claim or act.
Checking the fucking oogle blog entries should give you an idea of how solid loyalties are amongst most street kids,considering how many of them are or end up as junkies.

I myself bailed out on groups or people I genuinely appreciated and wanted to stick by.
My excuse which was unfortunately confirmed in most of the cases was that they either were or were acting the kind of dumb assery that gets you in deep shit.

(07-28-2016 03:42 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  

I will say this, you don't really know people until you've shared primitive living conditions with them.

I couldnt' agree more!
Actually I suspect the reason I hooked up with my current bonnie bird was that we did this for three months straight despite her coming from a much more contained background. And despite her fearful personality I was able to coordinate with her our moving,camping and busking maneuvers much better than with many veterans in the game

(07-28-2016 03:42 PM)ColSpanker Wrote:  

You find yourself constantly glancing at the sky, wondering if that cloud is part of a front headed your direction.

Actually,I can't wait to get that damn van.
Its thunder storm season at the area where Im in right now and its taking a toll on my sleeping times.


-----------------

Another one

Mouth Hygiene

If you look at my teeth you'll realize what several years of bad habits and stupid experimentation can do.(I could compete in the catalog of english smiles)

A few months ago I found an unopened small (travel size) bottle of Listerine on the street and somehow I thought about using it instead of tooth paste to wash my teeth and I was surprised at the effects.
When I compared its composition to competing products I found the BIG difference is that Listerine actually has alcohol.

*Now I understand there are differing views on how good ethanol could be for your teeth ,but then again,I'm applying most things to an immediate/medium term use*

I switched to the version that has strong fluoride since I had been told several times that fluorides can actually regenerate dental matter and believe it or not after several months I've actually noticed some positive changes!

The small bottles are actually very affordable last about a week each and though a big bottle would save you cash in the long run,the fact that they take more space and weight makes the counter productive.

How I use it:
I take a sip and brush all my teeth while holding my mouth closed,of course it drips out a bit.
The effects increase when I use an electric tooth brush

[IDrinkYourMilkShake]

Amazing experience El_Gostro! You should think about writing a book about this, either some type of biography or a practical handbook for modern nomads/bums. As a teenager I had similar a ideas of giving this lifestyle a shot, back then I had a great interest in survival skills, bushcraft and anthropology of pre-industrial societies and cultures. Never did it, but it resulted in a hunting license, wood working (specially bow making), camping/hiking and a bunch of other stuff.

Anyway, I can confirm that my (short) experience with WOOFing sounds like what you mention. I went for curiousity and to get some knowledge in, like already said, an un-official apprenticeship type of learning, but i realized pretty soon that wasnt gonna be the case. Most ppl there where lazy and unfit backpackers, except a greek couple who was living there because of the situation in their home country. The guys in charge didnt want to teach their skills (I asked) they where kind of grumpy and one had aspergers which kind of made some pretty funny situations haha.
The owners fit your description of ppl in permaculture, absolutly no clue about buisness or to have a good overview of the place, there was contantly some stuff that needed attention but would have been fixed if you had a routine of regurlarly going through the place. Very ineffective.
They also complained all the time even when there wasnt anything to complain about. Like one time four of us where assembling some pipes at the greenhouse, when we where done the owner started to whine and rant about how much it 'would' have cost to hire someone to do this.....when we just did it for free. Thats the type of mindset they had, which is kind of weird since they got some good potential as their produce where highly sought after (and ridicously overpriced) and basicly no cost of labor.

Edit: About mouth hygiene, what about baking soda?

[ColSpanker]

One of my former employers, an ex-stripper and the only real anarchist I ever met, used to rant about the privileged kids who made up all the activist groups in town. Seems a lot of them didn't have to worry about money as mummy and daddy fronted the bill for them to "stick it to the man". I suspect you will find a lot of them traveling from one "burn" to the next.