Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: sleek on September 22, 2016, 05:10:11 am
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I have been living in my truck since the beginning of April. You think you know how to survive in the woods, but when faced with urban survival, it becomes a different world. I am learning a lot of things, and feel like i could learn much more if I try to actually rough it more.
One very interesting thing I am surprised of, is that there seems to be an entire sub culture of people doing this very thing and most people never notice. Of course, when put in this situation, the very first thing your mind turns to is, how not to be noticed. You dont want to be a bother, or a target, or asked to leave where you like to park. So we all just blend in.
As I stay in multiple places in multiple states I notice the same vehicals doing the same thing I do. Park near light, close to surveillance, park out of the way of others and far from store entrances. Just the reasoning behind picking a good spot can become a lengthy discussion, but the point is, I see lots of people doing it.
Im going to bed now, will add more to this as I decide to write or discuss, but for now, I thought it would be neat to mention tje large number of people who are modern nomads practiced in the art of urban survival.
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Good luck to you sleek, I guess to each their own, I personal like a fix place and my own bed each night and work had to have and keep that. I am a routine kind of guy so that wouldn't work well with me and can assure you Miss Joanie wouldn't like it. I know life can happen and I guess if I had to I would, but thank the Lord I haven't had to do that yet. Be careful out there, lot of crazy people in this old world. :)
Pappy
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He'll that's almost an article, def a good read
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Pappy took the words right out of my keyboard Sleek. Good Luck out there may all your adventures be safe ones.
Bjrogg
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Yeah there are more people sleeping rough over here too.
If I walk up to the town through the woodland, there is a dense patch of blackthorn, I've often thought it would be a good place to bivouac. The other day I ducked into there to see what I could see and sure enough there were two tents in there. I crept away quietly.
Del
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It makes me really sad when I see that, I know some want to live that way and I wish them the best and no sorrow extended to them, :) live and let live, but others have been forced into it because of things out of their control, or bad choices, life as we call it, those folks I really feel for. :(
Pappy
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With our nice weather there is a lot of that in Florida. It's hard to get a campsite for the weekend in the County and State Parks because of people that have set up semi-permanent residence in them.
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I have slept in my truck a few times when traveling and I don't want to spring for a hotel. Damn uncomfortable with the seat belt holder poking in my back. Wife and I tried living in just a travel trailer last year but it was too small
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Yes!!! The subcultures of "homeless" people is crazy crazy. I spent a couple months hitchhiking and walking coast to coast and all over the country (minus the northeast) and it blew my mind. I still always feel like just two steps to my left is an entirely different world. It varies greatly from south to north too as far as the urban survival rules. I guess you being a rubber tramp you haven't run into teritorial issues like I found in Florida, Louisiana and Dallas. Watch the addictive aspects of it would me warning. It can pull you in quick and I am not talkin about any substances. It's the freedom in the lifestyle
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Good read, Kevin.
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Salt Lake has a big "Homeless" population, and a large "Nomadic" Population as well. The homeless population has exploded. They are in the process of building two more shelters, as we just don't have the room. We have recently had to put up 2 hour parking signs around a popular park to keep the "Nomadic" population from turning it into a alcohol and drug fueled fight club at night. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7606428,-111.9015841,3a,75y,332.29h,88.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXbisINYQs72deiXXKJqlfQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7606428,-111.9015841,3a,75y,332.29h,88.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXbisINYQs72deiXXKJqlfQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
An area of the city that was designed to be an upper class area has turned into a literal skid row. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7624436,-111.905066,3a,75y,229.29h,70.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srpFjSi5cxDdPAWp1lDiJSA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 (https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7624436,-111.905066,3a,75y,229.29h,70.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srpFjSi5cxDdPAWp1lDiJSA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7638967,-111.905155,3a,75y,48.54h,70t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYByVRrrnS6JcgCgkS2Y-Ag!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
(https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7638967,-111.905155,3a,75y,48.54h,70t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYByVRrrnS6JcgCgkS2Y-Ag!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7623537,-111.9050666,3a,75y,232.23h,81.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sf7sD32eTnsI67oXAEV7LqQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
(https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7623537,-111.9050666,3a,75y,232.23h,81.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sf7sD32eTnsI67oXAEV7LqQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656)
We also have a group of people who live in campers and motor homes. The city code doesn't allow them to park in any area for more the 48 hours without being cited, so they just go around the corner every second morning to stay ahead of parking enforcement, and they city can literally do nothing about it. There is for sure a part of me that would have loved to travel the country and live like a drifter, but I do enjoy my place. If you are ever in Utah call me, I'll let you know of the good places to hang out. ;)
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I wish you the best Kevin.
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Yeah, I spent some time in my youth on the fringe of this sort of modern gypsy culture and it is fascinating and as lumberman said it sure does have an appeal or lure to it that one can easily fall down that rabbit hole. And while of course as in any fringe culture there are crazies (both dangerous and benign) for the most part they are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, I mean literally I've never met more generous and selfless folks.
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A very brief explanation for why I am doing this. I was unemoyed for a bit and struggling very hard. Then a job oportunity in Charleston came my way. It promised to be good money but turned out not to be enough to allow me to have a roof and support my wife and son in Oklahoma. So, tomake certain they were cared for, and to save money for when the contract I was working ended, I stayed in my truck.
Well, turnes out this isnt brief after all. I work as a contractor building aircraft for what ever company finds themselves behind schedual or without a direct labor force. Working in Charleston for the company, I kept being instructed to do things against the engineering drawing. As an aside, in aviation, the engineer is God. His word is the first and last say. Diviation will land you in prison and can and has brought aircraft down in terrifying manners. Now, most were simple things, and some honest mistakes, but I always caught them, and refused with a citation of why. The ethics of the place being so bad, I had to find somewhere else to work.
I got an offer in Stuart Fl, better money than I was making and no state taxes, I took it. Problem is, after quitting my job, and a day before I was to leave for Florida, I got a call saying never mind they lost the contract. Well, now I was unemployed. It was two weeks into being unemployed and no jobs were available anywhere in the country. I was back home in Oklahoma and looking at a notice that said pay the rent or leave on my door. Not knowing how long it would be before I found work, but knowing If we paid rent we would be broke in a month, we bought a camper, arranged with a friend to park it in his back yard and stay in it ( illegal btw in this land of the free but doing it anyway ).
About a week into that I got a job offer in Wichita that I am currently working. I had to borrow $1500 from another friend to buy lots of tools as I had none to do this job. Its a smaller outfit and require you to have your own tools. I have always worked for bigger names. So now, I live under a camper shell on the back of my truck, and my wife and kid live in a bumper pull camper. We are getting along alright, and are saving up all our money now that the bills are reduced and caught up. We are so tired of struggling for years, that if roughing it for a while means a better life in the future, then ok. The money I am making will pay off this house ( its a wreck and condemnable ) I am buying, and leave me the money to make it livable. Which is a good thing, because this contract is only a 3 month job, and it ends Dec 31st, and I wont get to work holidays. But with the current plan, if we live as frugal and simple as we can, after Christmas, we will own a house, it will be fixed up to the point of livable, and have no rent or mortgage. That will reduce our financial strain greatly. Assuming of course, this job last as long as it should. I got a warning yesterday when I pointed out a major section of the fuselage wasnt built to specs. They didnt like that and told me to quit worrying about any work that wasnt my own. If I didnt, My hours would be cut. Man, the ethics in aviation are not what they should be.
Anyways, thats tje long version of why I am doing what I am doing. With luck, after Christmas I will be done.
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Yeah, I spent some time in my youth on the fringe of this sort of modern gypsy culture and it is fascinating and as lumberman said it sure does have an appeal or lure to it that one can easily fall down that rabbit hole. And while of course as in any fringe culture there are crazies (both dangerous and benign) for the most part they are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, I mean literally I've never met more generous and selfless folks.
I have noticed this to be true. One intance in particular, a your and very hippie couple was living in their van in Charleston. I was walking by a hole in the wall diner that served out a window to exactly 4 barstools. They recognized me from having been parked next to me the night before and called out to me. We had breakfast together and wound up spending the entire day and night hanging out. They were very generous in offering me all the weed a person could ever smoke, and enough mushrooms to top a large pizza. I had to decline based on laws and being in aviation its really frowned upon. But still, nice folks. I have met lots of people like this, and we all go our seperate ways afterwards. Its really fascinating to get to know this type of life. Mine is less nomad and more migrant worker, but I meet all types. Many unemployed, others traveling workers like myself. But when you meet and talk, you have an instant connection through a common lifestyle. The amount you have in common really brings you together at times.
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Exactly. I turned down so many offers of food during that time even when I hadn't eaten all day and knew it would be the next day till I went back home because I knew that I could go back home and eat all I wanted while these folks, while not really struggling because they were good at the lifestyle, didn't have the resources I had. And it's usually the hippie/semi-goth/actual Romani folks who are the best.
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Same experience here. Well, in Charleston anyway. Here in whichita I have spoken to anyone yet and honestly don't really intend to. Im just here to work now, and with 10 hour days on 2nd shift, not much to do but sleep when I get off work.
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I have met lots of people like this, and we all go our seperate ways afterwards. Its really fascinating to get to know this type of life. Mine is less nomad and more migrant worker, but I meet all types. Many unemployed, others traveling workers like myself. But when you meet and talk, you have an instant connection through a common lifestyle. The amount you have in common really brings you together at times.
This is what life should be, learning about people before we pass that death sentence judgement. We are all people, we all have something going on in our lives right now. Being friendly goes a long, long way.
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Same experience here. Well, in Charleston anyway. Here in whichita I have spoken to anyone yet and honestly don't really intend to. Im just here to work now, and with 10 hour days on 2nd shift, not much to do but sleep when I get off work.
Except cut all the Osage you can around those parts! Wichita is a yellow gold mine!
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Id have to get a storage unit out here just to store it if I start doing that.
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I'm a little ways from Wichita, but I'm willing to hang onto it for you if you want....
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You and the rest of Pa! Where you at exactly anyway?
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Kc
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Thats a few hours. Of course, my staves of late tend to be more billet size, than normal bow size >:D
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Living that type of lifestyle is fine if you are on your own. For the sake of your family I hope things get better for you
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Living that type of lifestyle is fine if you are on your own. For the sake of your family I hope things get better for you
Short term sacrifice for long term gain. So long as this contract holds for the promised three months, I will be doing great! If not, I will probably loose my house too and have to start all over in life.
So last two nights I had an interesting neighbor. The guy was sleeping in a slide in camper that had seen better days. Mkst people, when they park, its to stay and leave. This guy set up couple of lounge chairs, a table, and cooler, along with dog food and such outside. He made an actual camp in a walmart parking lot, for two days. Last night he was walking around in his underwear. The guy was crazy, but seemingly harmless. Thankfully he is gone tonight.
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Lol, everything but the pink flamingos!
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Yes I wish you and your family the best sleek.Sounds like things if they go according to Hoyle will.I lived a pretty nomadic type life in my youth for a while too.In an apartment or so called anyway.About as big as a closet....lol.In the park too in my pickup with topper.Eating off a camp fire for months.Working for the labor union or where ever I could.As better decisions are made things get a little more stable and things will get better.
Having someone depend on you makes a person do things they need to.Wish you the best.
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Thanks for the well wishes fellas, I think I will be ok. I have many times found myself forced out of a decent situation and came out into a better one for it.
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Well, i got some interesting news. My job is cutting out overtime and talks of layoffs are starting.
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Really interesting to hear your observations Sleek but I'm sorry to hear about the tough circumstances you and your family are going through. I hope your plans work out and that you have good fortune after.
It really is staggering how many people are living on the fringes of society in our rich and developed world. I know there's always been poverty and dispossessed people but things are getting crazy now right!?! ???
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Its concerning to me how soundly I can sleep. A few nights back I heard voices and took a peek out. Three cars were very close to me. A few guys were unloading things from one to another and all drove off, after one guy took a leak next to my truck. I had my pistol next to me just in case they wanted something I had, im a bit paranoid after having had two people try to steal my ac unit and generator. But, i think I have a solution to hide my ac unit and still have it workable. I am also considering a way to hang my generator under the truck in my spare tire area. A long neck pipe to the fuel tank will make easy fill up and increase capacity, and I am considering possibly extending the pull start cable through my bed so I can pull start without getting out. Also, if I can sound deaden it, and pipe the exhaust into my actual exhaust pipe, most would not know I was even running a generator, and that is key to not becoming a target for theft. Fire is next concern.
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If you put it under be sure and watch the exhaust, had 3 folks die last year or year before at a Harley toy run running rally here in Clarksville . Had a generator to close to an opening on their camper, died in their sleep. :( Just listening to you talk about your job, seems to me you may want to look for another line of work, I know they probably pay you really good but regular pay all the time is better than really good once in a while in most cases, then you learn to live on less than you make and over time it will pile up. :) JUST SAYING. ;) :) JMO.
Pappy
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I agree with pappy on all counts sleek, chaising that big payday in a unstable market vs less pay at a stable job you usually end up making close to the same by the time you figure travel and layoffs, and the big kicker with me was being witn my wife and kids. We always got by
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I would be very careful how you route your generator exhaust sleek. Maybe instead of tapping into your existing exhaust on your truck, you should run a second exhaust parallel with the truck exhaust, making it appear as a dual outlet. I don't know what determinants you could have exhausting the generator into the engine while the truck is not running (backflow), and vice versa with the exhaust flowing into the generator while the truck is running and the generator is off.
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I build airplanes. It is unstable work, and I wish I had known that before i got started. I am working on switching fields however. I was going to school to be a machinist, I figured my my resume would be complimented well with manual and cnc machining. I had a month left to finish the program, and there were no jobs yet to be lined up, when I recieved a call from Boeing aircraft company asking me to work for them.
I had no job prospects, and in one month, we were going to need me to work. I was going to school on the GI Bill so that was covering bills, and that was going to end when I finished school. I figured, 26 an hour and only 7.25 was taxable, rest was perdiem, id be stupid not to take the job. Well, hl ow here I am, sucked back into this, and in my small town, mostly fueled by oil business, the economy is terrible. Very few jobs to be had and the ones available are very low pay. Low pay is fine so long as I can pay my bills. Thats why I am trying to do this contract work, to pay off my house and get it livable, that way we can afford to live on a low income, and live well.
The generator I have, it sits and runs on a cargo tray that slides into my trailer hitch. A few times I had exhaust get in when the wind would switch directions, but not in the quantity needed to do anything harmful other than a small headache. I try to park in a way that keeps the wind blowing exhaust away. I figure if a car can run with the pipe right there and leople not die, so long as my gen exhaust is routed the same, I should be fine.
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The generator I have, it sits and runs on a cargo tray that slides into my trailer hitch. A few times I had exhaust get in when the wind would switch directions, but not in the quantity needed to do anything harmful other than a small headache. I try to park in a way that keeps the wind blowing exhaust away. I figure if a car can run with the pipe right there and leople not die, so long as my gen exhaust is routed the same, I should be fine.
Sleek
your are playing with fire with that kind of thinking about CO. Sleeping in a stationary rig is not like driving down the road. Heed Pappys warning. Up the road a while back,a young guy with wife and childern came home from work to find his family dead in camper. generator was outside camper, blue tarp got blown around.....
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Carbon Monoxide poisoning causes irreparable damage to the body, even in small doses. Those slight headaches are a problem.
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Maybe I will just build a bracket to hang it off my front bumper. The headache thing has only happened a few times. I try to stay conscience of the wind direction.
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With the weather cooler now, im going without the generator.
I recently had an idea of a way to keep folks from snooping in my truck. I filled two garbage bags with dry trash, bottles, papers, stuff that wont rot. I keep them in the back of my truck so when someone passes by looking in, tjey see just a bunch of garbage, and loose interest.
I also want to share you can tell lots about the area based on what local stores sell. Specifically, if walmart sells guns or not. If the walmart doesnt sell guns its a high crime area and you dont need to be there. If you are in an area with lots of pawn shops, its a target rich area, and one that indicates a poorer area, and its not a good idea to stay there either.
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Hey Sleek I snowbird for 6 months out of the year out west. STAY in a 20 ft travel trailer with the lovely Sussn and two dawgs! LOL. Anyway we don't use a generator but have enough solar to run everything but the AC unit!!! WE boondocking gor free in the BLM desert, National Forest or State Lands! YOU can stay 14 days. YOU need to check out cheaprvliving.com online, lots of info to make your life better! Also freecampsites.net for places to camp. I like lotdocking at Walmart, Cabelas, Flying J, Pilot etc. They welcome you.
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You're a better man than me, Sleek. I lived in the back of my truck for two weeks some 30 years ago. I was so glad to find a tiny apartment I could afford.
Hope things take a turn for the better for you real soon.
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Been doin it for 7 months now. Had a month home where I slept inside my house, so 6 months really. I enjoy it. The challenge is fun. They should make an urban survival show.
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Been doin it for 7 months now. Had a month home where I slept inside my house, so 6 months really. I enjoy it. The challenge is fun. They should make an urban survival show.
They do sleek it's called the walking dead 😜
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Never seen it. Any good?
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Resurrecting this thread to say I ended my little almost year long advenyure back in mid November due to jugh crime rate. I have managed to save enough money to buy a small in need of tlc 2 beedroom house. No more homeless for my family ever again... hopefully. I need to update the wiring, replace broken widows, level the floor and repair the roof, but, its a house and tomorrow afternoon, its in my name, cash down.
After home repairs are complete, i will be able to concentrate my energy on pulling other veterans off the streets and helo them however I can, money, housing, medical, whatever of their needs I can meet. My life ambition is to have no reason for any veteran to be left wanting.
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Good for you, glad things are turning around for you. You have some great goals and I hope you meet all of them. Good luck. :)
Pappy
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What Pappy said Sleek. I'm so happy you have a house now I sure hope all works well for you and your family. Keep a good roof on it is always number one priority. I live in a old farm house, your work is never done taking care of it.
I sincerely wish you the best of luck with family, Veterans and house.
Bjrogg
PS I've been living in my house for 25 years now and my floors still aren't level.
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Good for you sleek. Glad you got your feet back on solid ground and I am sure your wife and child do also. I am with you on taking care of our veterans.
remember this Marine saying, Semper Fi.
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That is an admirable endeavor.