I've read all the blogs written by men who have developed streams of passive income over the internet, and now spend all their time traveling. That's awesome.
Unfortunately, it's not reality for me. As a lawyer, I'm tied to certain states, courtroom appearances, and my office. I can't spend 6 - 10 months abroad, and my income isn't passive.
But... there is some stuff I've figured out to making a 9-5 work with a vagabond lifestyle.
What I like to do is just jet out of the city on a Thursday or Friday after the workweek has concluded and just head out into the middle of nowhere. Even if its just for the weekend, or a three day weekend. Just sort of drive around and find stuff.
These are my musings...
1. Buy a truck. I live in a major east coast city, and everyone tells me "Hank, a truck is impractical, blah blah blah. You should get a Honda Prius or something that lets people know you're a lawyer!"
Nope. I drive a truck. It's incredibly practical and cheap. Pickup truck, SUV, something that can both store your stuff and transport it. My truck has off-road tires and a snorkel. I store all my camping, fishing, and hiking gear in it.
I have never, ever once thought "Boy, I wish I had a Prius!" Never ever once.
2. Equip your truck for your lifestyle. This is what you will need:
a. A big ass backpack or duffle bag to hold your camping stuff. It will include: a mallet, a few head lamps, a flashlight, wine opener, heavy gardening gloves, long stick matches, a hand axe, charcoal fluid, a tin cup, instant coffee, rope, camping plates / utensils, batteries (AA and AAA), a battery or solar lantern, bug spray, and duraflame.
b. A small backpack for hiking like a CamelBak. It will include a compass, a first aid kit, head lamps, and poncho. Hike light. Just bring trail maps, water, first aid, and some Ostrim (or whatever).
c. A tent (I have a four season), sleeping bags, and blankets. When it's fall, you will absolutely need a sleeping bag.
d. A speaker. It can be a little bluetooth one, or a construction grade one like I have. Bonus: My speaker charges all my devices.
e. Cast iron cooking ware and a grill top. You can use it at home or in the woods. The grill top is like the thing you throw over a BBQ, except you can throw this over a campfire and cook all kinds of stuff.
f. Bag for clothes. I recommend getting stuff from Exoficcio. It's expensive but you can wash it in a sink, wear it for days at a time, and it's light. I do three pairs of underwear, three pairs of shorts, and three shirts. One sweatshirt. Hiking boots and hiking sandals.
g. Hygiene bag. Include soap (I use Dr. Bronner's), comb, deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste. All you need to camp most of the day but still be fresh enough for
f. Footwear. I go with hiking sandals during the summer (Merrells) and Salomon during the colder months. Do your research and buy whatever works best for your feet. Hiking shoes are fine for most day trips.
Optional:
g. Roofrack with crossbars. Tie a bunch of stuff like kayaks or bikes to your truck.
h. Kayaks, canoes, etc. These can also be rented.
i. Kindle Voyage or whatever. Reading is the best. Not hauling books is even better.
Cost:
Truck: $3000 and up depending on how elaborate you want to get with it. Mine was given to me by a client. I'd rather own a $5k truck than a $30k BMW. If you're not driving kids around, what's the point of something that won't store and transport your gear? What's the point of a nice car that's going to cost a fortune to service? I've found that even in my profession, where people expect lawyers to drive BMWs, no one holds driving a truck against me.
Camping stuff: Around $1200 for everything, including all the backpacks.
Camp site: Around $30 a night. They usually have running water and electricity. Meaning you can sit and do work from the middle of the woods, which is what I'm doing now.
Fire wood: $6 a bundle, give or take.
Unsolicited but necessary advice:
- Don't setup your campsite in the dark or in the rain, unless you're pretty experienced.
- Camping trips can be boring if it's raining. Try and gauge the weather before doing one of these. If it's going to rain heavy, you might be better just staying at home and doing other stuff.
Unfortunately, it's not reality for me. As a lawyer, I'm tied to certain states, courtroom appearances, and my office. I can't spend 6 - 10 months abroad, and my income isn't passive.
But... there is some stuff I've figured out to making a 9-5 work with a vagabond lifestyle.
What I like to do is just jet out of the city on a Thursday or Friday after the workweek has concluded and just head out into the middle of nowhere. Even if its just for the weekend, or a three day weekend. Just sort of drive around and find stuff.
These are my musings...
1. Buy a truck. I live in a major east coast city, and everyone tells me "Hank, a truck is impractical, blah blah blah. You should get a Honda Prius or something that lets people know you're a lawyer!"
Nope. I drive a truck. It's incredibly practical and cheap. Pickup truck, SUV, something that can both store your stuff and transport it. My truck has off-road tires and a snorkel. I store all my camping, fishing, and hiking gear in it.
I have never, ever once thought "Boy, I wish I had a Prius!" Never ever once.
2. Equip your truck for your lifestyle. This is what you will need:
a. A big ass backpack or duffle bag to hold your camping stuff. It will include: a mallet, a few head lamps, a flashlight, wine opener, heavy gardening gloves, long stick matches, a hand axe, charcoal fluid, a tin cup, instant coffee, rope, camping plates / utensils, batteries (AA and AAA), a battery or solar lantern, bug spray, and duraflame.
b. A small backpack for hiking like a CamelBak. It will include a compass, a first aid kit, head lamps, and poncho. Hike light. Just bring trail maps, water, first aid, and some Ostrim (or whatever).
c. A tent (I have a four season), sleeping bags, and blankets. When it's fall, you will absolutely need a sleeping bag.
d. A speaker. It can be a little bluetooth one, or a construction grade one like I have. Bonus: My speaker charges all my devices.
e. Cast iron cooking ware and a grill top. You can use it at home or in the woods. The grill top is like the thing you throw over a BBQ, except you can throw this over a campfire and cook all kinds of stuff.
f. Bag for clothes. I recommend getting stuff from Exoficcio. It's expensive but you can wash it in a sink, wear it for days at a time, and it's light. I do three pairs of underwear, three pairs of shorts, and three shirts. One sweatshirt. Hiking boots and hiking sandals.
g. Hygiene bag. Include soap (I use Dr. Bronner's), comb, deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste. All you need to camp most of the day but still be fresh enough for
f. Footwear. I go with hiking sandals during the summer (Merrells) and Salomon during the colder months. Do your research and buy whatever works best for your feet. Hiking shoes are fine for most day trips.
Optional:
g. Roofrack with crossbars. Tie a bunch of stuff like kayaks or bikes to your truck.
h. Kayaks, canoes, etc. These can also be rented.
i. Kindle Voyage or whatever. Reading is the best. Not hauling books is even better.
Cost:
Truck: $3000 and up depending on how elaborate you want to get with it. Mine was given to me by a client. I'd rather own a $5k truck than a $30k BMW. If you're not driving kids around, what's the point of something that won't store and transport your gear? What's the point of a nice car that's going to cost a fortune to service? I've found that even in my profession, where people expect lawyers to drive BMWs, no one holds driving a truck against me.
Camping stuff: Around $1200 for everything, including all the backpacks.
Camp site: Around $30 a night. They usually have running water and electricity. Meaning you can sit and do work from the middle of the woods, which is what I'm doing now.
Fire wood: $6 a bundle, give or take.
Unsolicited but necessary advice:
- Don't setup your campsite in the dark or in the rain, unless you're pretty experienced.
- Camping trips can be boring if it's raining. Try and gauge the weather before doing one of these. If it's going to rain heavy, you might be better just staying at home and doing other stuff.
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