If you've ever seen a cartoon, you know that vagabonds carry bindles. You may not actually know what a bindle is (that little bag-on-a-stick thing) or what it's for (they carry their stuff in it) but you know they carry it. It's become ingrained in our collective consciousness, like detectives carrying magnifying glasses. Well, times are getting tough again, and you never know when you'll need to make one in case you yourself become a career hobo.

Step 1: Making the Bindle Stave

There are two basic components to a bindle: The kerchief and the stave that supports it. For a stave, any long, straight pole will do. A broomhandle would work fine, but I decided to go more hillbilly-chic and cut one myself. I prefer willow saplings, because they're long, straight, light and strong. They don't carry them in most stores, so I sought one out in the local vermin-infested swamp.

Step 2: Tying the Kerchief

The kerchief is the part of the bindle that contains your hobostash^tm, which may include a harmonica, moonshine, a comically ragged stovepipe hat, or victuals. In this case, it contains my Pantspack, which in turn contains all of the clothes I took while visiting friends this weekend.
I made this particular kerchief myself out of cotton cloth, it measures about 1 square yard and will also make an excellent keffiyeh for when the dustbowl envelops your shantytown.

Congratulations! You have a bindle. You can now enjoy the majesty of the countryside from the comfort and safety of a moving boxcar, make stew in rusty tin cans, and die of consumption. For best results, grow a beard and keep it just long enough to be really gross, wear oversized threadbare suits and use a piece of rope to keep your trousers from falling down.