How to Hit the Road on the Cheap
Intro: How to Hit the Road on the Cheap
This isn't so much an instructable as an inspirational. The idea of this instructable is to inspire people to go nomadic. I highly recommend it. I did this way back when I was still in highschool. A friend and I took off on our bikes and pedaled from Milwaukee, headed south into Indiana, got as far as Tippecanoe state park and headed back north to Muskegon, MI to take the ferry back across Lake Michigan. The trip took a few weeks and we did the whole thing with 20 dollars in our pocket. We didn't have tents and we couldn't afford camping fees so we slept in dirt lots, on the front steps of a school, etc.
So anyway, last weekend we ran into this guy up in Mendocino, CA. He was walking his bike from Texas up to Oregon. See the next slide for more details on how he had his bike arranged.
So anyway, last weekend we ran into this guy up in Mendocino, CA. He was walking his bike from Texas up to Oregon. See the next slide for more details on how he had his bike arranged.
STEP 1: Lash All the Stuff You Need to Your Bike.
Here's a better shot of the bike and the layout of the stuff.
By the way, when you're on the road for a long time, you need a bank account to draw on or some skills to make some spare cash. This guy was both a preacher and a sign and mural painter. I suppose that's how he made some money. Don't know how much money you can make preaching, but maybe some congregation takes pity on you and gives you some money to spread the word.
By the way, when you're on the road for a long time, you need a bank account to draw on or some skills to make some spare cash. This guy was both a preacher and a sign and mural painter. I suppose that's how he made some money. Don't know how much money you can make preaching, but maybe some congregation takes pity on you and gives you some money to spread the word.
STEP 2: Support Yourself
I added this slide to give you the nomad's own explanation for how he makes a living while on the road. Did I mention that he didn't hit us up for any money? I suspect that means he made a living of sorts with his painting. Instructable readers and contributors are clever dudes and dudettes. No reason they couldn't do something clever on the road to support themselves.
30 Comments
discontinuuity 16 years ago
mitchell12 16 years ago
gromm 11 years ago
Yes, yes you can.
1. Your cell phone (if you *really* can't live without that, because, ah, you can) doesn't use that much juice. You can easily get a solar-panel backpack, OR...
2. Public libraries and internet cafes often have computers you can use. Either for free or for fee. If you can't stand to be offline for more than 48 hours at a time, this works just fine. You can also charge your cell at such places without hassle.
Now, aside from that, this guy is basically just taking bike touring to the extreme. There's other details online or in other 'ibles with more information than this has. This 'ible is mostly completely lacking in information.
I also
stib 12 years ago
Learning to sleep anywhere was a necessity, I got so that I could just lie down on bare concrete and get a good night's kip.
Early on I met someone who gave me some good advice about sleeping by the road: don't sleep too close to the verge, if someone decides to do a U-turn or swerves they'll go right over you.
I found that generally people don't seem to see you if you pitch a tent or lay out your sleeping bag in some bushes or behind trees, or if they see you they don't want to get involved with an unknown (and possibly crazy) person, so I never had any trouble from strangers while sleeping in parks, public land, anywhere beside the road, either in country towns or out in the desert. Even in big cities there are always bits of wasteland or deserted parks, especially if you pitch your camp after dark and get gone in the morning.
nativewater 12 years ago
wildernessgoat 12 years ago
nativewater 12 years ago
solitary man 15 years ago
nativewater 15 years ago
solitary man 15 years ago
I definitely agree with you on this, please check out this friendly Instructable also:
https://www.instructables.com/id/GerTee-Portable-tent-home-made-of-recycled-materia/
I agree also with alaskan tent lady's philosophy and her political stance on anti-communitarianism. I also believe things are going to get rough. I myself went to the library yesterday and checked out a couple of books on tipi's. My wife would have a hard time with tipi living so I may go with the yurt idea as it is more of a home like structure. Tipi's and yurts are both portable structures but will we able to afford gas is something yet to find out. I think all of us interested should ready ourselves by building our own shelters in advance of a possible economic collapse while we can afford it. If we find ourselves unable to travel we will have to find land and permission to use it. I may sound extreme but this depression may be bad, if we have our own shelters we can't be kicked out of our homes. Peace! :)
guitarman63mm 15 years ago
askantik 15 years ago
Not to mention Scandinavia sure does have some nice scenery, but I plan to go all over! I only hope it one day becomes a reality.
shmacky26 15 years ago
nativewater 15 years ago
stasterisk 15 years ago
nativewater 15 years ago
sideways 15 years ago
Woodenbikes 15 years ago
leebryuk 15 years ago
diylyhbilly 16 years ago