Living out of a pack

[offroad]

Well obviously people on the Appalachian Trail live out of a pack for months at a time.&nbsp; But are there active travelers doing this as a lifestyle, when they are older than 50?<br /><br />If anyone has some links to stories&nbsp;of people doing this, would like to know.&nbsp; Seems this could be done solo on a&nbsp;true shoestring budget.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

 

[sl1966]

In a lot of words ... yes. The man in the link below has traveled the world extensively, and has light pack travel down to a science.<br /><br /><a href="http://davidhatcherchildress.com/">http://davidhatcherchildress.com/<br /><br /></a>

 

[twokniveskatie]

Steve, I can't find any reference to his gear or pack.

Right now all the clothes I own fit into a 28" duffle. Not sure what that converts to in pack size. Am looking to reduce that though. I own too much stuff still :-(

 

[offroad]

Am having a hard time finding information on the travel techniques of Mr. Childress, so will need to consider more sources.<br /><br />Looking more at SOLO TRAVELORS on a shoestring budget.&nbsp; Less than $500 a trip to exotic locations.&nbsp; Maybe go as high as $1000 for a month long trip.&nbsp; There must be some explorers doing this on the down low, rock bottom travel like a native gypsy &nbsp;budget.

 

[joey]

Am having a hard time finding information on the travel techniques of Mr. Childress, so will need to consider more sources.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Looking more at SOLO TRAVELORS on a shoestring budget.&nbsp; Less than $500 a trip to exotic locations.&nbsp; Maybe go as high as $1000 for a month long trip.&nbsp; There must be some explorers doing this on the down low, rock bottom travel like a native gypsy &nbsp;budget.

This is a good place to look for cheap places to stay. A friend of mine used it to travel all over Europe. http://www.hostels.com/

 

[sl1966]

Steve, I can't find any reference to his gear or pack. Right now all the clothes I own fit into a 28" duffle. Not sure what that converts to in pack size. Am looking to reduce that though. I own too much stuff still :-(

<br /><br />Oh that's because it's usually described at the beginning of each book.&nbsp;<br /><br />

 

[sparky1]

Back packing is probably pretty Basic---where you are (weather related) would be the difference IE: summer/winter.<br />sparky1 in s.Va.<br />31 degrees where I am this morning.

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;It's doable (I've dunnit), but can turn pretty miserable when the weather/season turns. I did it with a dog too, hitching thousands of miles but.. a rig is much more comfy. I wouldn't mind doing something akin again, but with a recumbent bike instead. Health and wherewithal permitting, I might do so next summer. ..Willy.

 

[wandering mike]

lots of folks doing long distance bicycle rides for long periods of time. &nbsp;See&nbsp;<a href="http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/">http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/</a>. &nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Stücke">Heinz Stucke </a>has been doing it all over the world since 1962.

 

[mockturtle]

&nbsp;It's doable (I've dunnit), but can turn pretty miserable when the weather/season turns. I did it with a dog too, hitching thousands of miles but.. a rig is much more comfy. I wouldn't mind doing something akin again, but with a recumbent bike instead. Health and wherewithal permitting, I might do so next summer. ..Willy.

<br /><br />Agree:&nbsp; Weather is everything in backpacking.&nbsp; Snow isn't really as bad as rain.&nbsp; Once your gear gets wet---and it will--it may not dry out for weeks [or even months, here in the PNW].&nbsp; You'll get awfully tired of packing away a dripping wet tent every day and slogging through mud.&nbsp;

 

[Guest]

<span id="post_message_1275608629">Once your gear gets wet---and it will--it may not dry out for weeks [or even months, here in the PNW].&nbsp; You'll get awfully tired of packing away a dripping wet tent every day and slogging through mud.&nbsp;</span>

<br /><br />So true, it took 45 days of being wet off and on and camping in the rain to break me down this summer but it finally did and I was finished with camping with the sidecar rig for the time being.<br />Bri

 

[Willy]

Yup, here on the S. coast of B.C. we get plenty o' wet.. and then a bit more after that.

 

[Les H]

After being homeless on the streets of Albany, Ny for six months , living out of a backpack, you would think thst the last thing i would ever want to do is live small or carry my worldly possessions in a pack, often existing on less than ten dollars a day- TOTAL. That was over a decade and some ago, and it was the last of my drinking and using days- thats what i had been reduced to. It took several years of being sober before i was comfortable with camping out again, and now i have a new pack and lightweight gear that allows me to head out by choice, not need. These days i am older and a bit wiser, so there is planning involved in a hike, and i find i remember the simplicity and enjoy it, though im glad to have ny van ( and family and job and home and...and...) when before ALL i had was a pack and a bottle.
My experiance-

 

[offroad]

so overall good tip is, stay dry as much as possible.&nbsp; And dry out as much as possible.&nbsp; To me that will translate to TAKE THE BUS to sleep and dry out between locations.&nbsp; And find big covered space to dry out in.&nbsp; <br /><br />Being wet makes people sad because of cold?&nbsp; or because of personal humidity irritation?&nbsp; or because of mold-mildew growth?&nbsp; <br /><br /><br />

 

[Guest]

So Offroad, are you living out of your pack? Or are you planning to? I lose track of who is living the life or just thinking about it...<br /><br />I have lived out of a pack a lot, when I was booting around the country as a young dude...left home hitchhiking first time at 16 and second time at 17, started camping at about 12 Y.O. I have camped all my life one way or another....had a vehicle I could camp out of or sleep in all my driving life.<br /><br />At 68 Y.O. I am pretty much done with sleeping on the ground. My older brother who started my camping, backpacking and instilled my wilderness ethic...is now 84 and he was sleeping on the ground when camping and hiking or visiting me as late as about 78 y.o.<br /><br />I do some world travel with my wife every year and we live out of backpacks always when we do that...While traveling elsewhere we run into tons of folks of every age traveling the world and living out of a pack. That is the only way it is of interest to me any more. Even Tioga George found that living out of his suitcase and traveling public transpo when he went to Guatemala last winter for a month or two was way cheaper than driving his Class C camper. If I was going to live out of a pack, it would be out of the country to places where it is commonly done and there are hotels and hospedajes, etc. where a guy could live extremely cheaply. Not very many&nbsp; people from the US are out there doing the world travel but there are tons of Canadians, Europeans, Aussies, South Americans doing it.<br /><br />I was in Panama last year and was amazed at how many old guy travelers I met....admittedly they were sober guys in AA and they would often stay on other AA members couches. Most were expats who lived on just Social Security and criss-crossed Central and South America...meeting and knowing other expats in all the different countries....most of those I met had no interest coming back to the US.&nbsp; <br /><br />I am not really sure of what you are looking to find out here or if it just a general thread about packing.....<br />Bri

 

[Seraphim]

While I probably COULD sleep on the ground, it would hurt lol. DW wouldn't be happy with it either, anymore *grin*. We prefer the convenince of a 'room' that doesn't need to be repacked every time we move, and&nbsp;doesn't get soaked every time it rains.&nbsp;Different when we were young and first married.

 

[lampliter]

There's a book called, "Walking" written by Colin Fletcher.<br />I read it some years ago.<br />There are several sequels to it now also.<br />Great for those interested in backpacking.

 

[offroad]

Bri - you really hit the nail on the head for the subject. Yes traveling overseas on a SS ONLY budget is what I was thinking of. Guess that will be my next research. To find travelers who do that. And read their blogs.<br /><br />Can anyone recommend SS ONLY travelor blogs to read? &nbsp;

 

[McBe]

<p>I'm presently reading&nbsp;Andrew Skurka's "Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide."&nbsp;&nbsp;It might give you some good tips on living out of a pack.<br /><br /><br />

</p><div class="content"><div id="outer_postBodyPS" style="height: auto; overflow: hidden; z-index: 1;"><div id="postBodyPS" style="overflow: hidden;"><div>Supreme long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka shares his hard-earned knowledge in this essential guide to backpacking gear and skills. Described by <em>National Geographic</em> as &ldquo;one of the best traveled and fastest hikers on the planet,&rdquo; and named &ldquo;Adventurer of the Year&rdquo; by <em>Outside</em> and &ldquo;Person of the Year&rdquo; by <em>Backpacker</em>, Skurka recounts what he&rsquo;s learned from more than 30,000 miles of long-distance adventures, most recently a 4,700-mile 6-month loop around Alaska and Canada&rsquo;s Yukon.<br /><br />Whether you&rsquo;re a first-time backpacker, an occasional weekend warrior or a seasoned long-distance trekker, you&rsquo;ll love this guide. Learn exactly what you need to carry &ndash; both on your back and between your ears &ndash; for all seasons and circumstances through a show-and-tell of clothing, footwear, backpacks, shelter and sleep systems, and more, as well as through detailed articles on foot care, campsite selection and hiking efficiency. Skurka&rsquo;s practical and priceless recommendations give you all the tools and techniques you&rsquo;ll need to hit the trail.</div></div></div><div id="psGradient" class="psGradient" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</div><div id="psPlaceHolder" style="height: 20px; display: none;"><div id="expandPS" style="z-index: 3;"><a class="showMore" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-...3184498&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=andrew+skurka">Show More</a></div></div><div id="collapsePS" style="padding-top: 3px; display: none;"><a class="showLess" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-...3184498&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=andrew+skurka">Show Less</a></div><noscript></noscript></div><p>

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[McBe]

<p>Andy Graham has a YouTube page&nbsp;called Hobo Traveler full of travel tips and cultural videos.&nbsp; You might have to do some looking, but he has interviewed a few people in the past living on limited incomes in Central America.&nbsp; &nbsp;<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HoboTraveler">http://www.youtube.com/user/HoboTraveler</a></p>