,

.

I knew I was a bum when once I was poaching a campsite behind the public bathrooms in the downtown park in Salida, Co and I was accosted by another traveler, the flute playing bus riding type, for stealing his campsite. Thing was, I had long learned that public parks in CO sprinkled their lawns at night, so we had set-up a tent with rain fly, and slept like a baby.

Wake up, and I'm about to get up and tear down camp, around 6:30. As I stretch out next to the tent I see a cop walking up to us. He obviously doesn't seem happy about us being there, and gives us a run down on how we were doing something wrong. At the time we were on a bike tour and had our trailers/ bikes right next to us, and he gave us some leniency when we told him we'd just ridden 700 miles to get to where we were and we were still going another 2500. No tickets, just told us we couldn't stay there again and told us where we could stay for free.

Apparently the homeless guy had locked himself in the bathroom when the sprinklers came on, and when the automatic locks turned off, and the door stayed locked the cops got called, and that's how they found us.

Biggest thing I learned in my few years of bumming around was that people are nice if you give them the chance to be.

I lived in my VW van for a spell, so cliche, but oh the money I saved. My favorite was late one night someone knocks on the window and says, "hey man, can I get some change for the bus?" I said, "I'm living in an effing van, you think I have money?" Funny thing is I had never had more money before in my life. Not paying rent does wonders for your checking account. The tough part is finding bathrooms that are reasonably clean when you need one. Seems that everytime you need one their filthy, when you don't care the bathrooms are squeaky clean.

Fred Becky is still doin' it at 86 or so. . .

bruno-cx wrote:Living out of the back of toyota pickup was some of the best times I have ever had. Climbing all day, partying at night, waking up in the morning and cooking pancakes while still in the sleeping bag. Then more climbing. A wife a mortgage and few dogs will put an end to that lifestyle fast unless she too is a dirtabg. Although I did meet two Canadian Guys who played for the other team while on the road. Always wondered how well that worked for them. Might be a good solution for those who need a companion on the road.

Not one stinkin' Arizonan in sight back then Bruno. Hey wait, now I understand why someone is grumpy at times. Ha Ha.

Lived at Devils Tower in 81. Livin out of a 64 Ford Falcon when the rangers who climbed invited me to stay with them. Climbing, banana pancakes, hackysack, tons of climbing and I met my wife which is why I became an Arizonan. Love those ranger chic uniforms. Ha Ha.

Dirt bag
Living in a VW van I never felt like a dirt bag.
70s were great I could make enough in four days as a carpenter in San Diego to live for a month in the Valley.
I could sew in Foresta one day a week and make enough to feed and keep my youngest brother and I, that’s including a room in a dorm.
I can not give enough thanks to Jackie and Maggie for hooking me up as their ghost roomie.
I lived as cheap as $25.00 my first season a week to $100.00 a week in the end.
Define dirt bag, frugal or down and out broke/dirty?
I climbed from Gunks & NC to Calif. Both in my van, truck and hitch hiking.
I only remember spending two nights unplanned under the stars hitching from Maine to San Diego.
Once when I ran out into a corn field (long story) and once in the desert west of Phoenix when Michael Bruce dropped me off where I could get a ride. Yes I even hitched rides with rock stars and turned down a plane ride so I could finish the journey as I planned hitching. I never D&D a meal or went with out.
The times may not trump getting married, becoming a father,a grand father and teaching my daughters to climb but they rate in the top five.

elena sera jose wrote:...it does not make sense to pay rent and utilities as high as they are if you are always out either climbing or working.

I think you're onto something there...!

muttonface wrote:If there's one thing that will totally dash a man's dreams of dirtbaggery, it's children. Damn them.

I think the wife would have a bigger issue than the kids. ("Yay...camping!")

elena sera jose wrote:...well its more expensive to cook for one person than to eat outside (gas, water, time, spoiled unused groceries etc..) tv time? who wants that...go live a life! so basically your house is a bed plus storage is what it all boils down to...go figure!

Elena: cooking and eating in even for one person is ALWAYS cheaper than eating out. The key is not to overbuy, only shop for what you need say at most a week in advance. Never get tempted by "family" size bulk items even if they're cheaper. The first step onto dirtbagging lifestyle is to free yourself from consumerism. Buy good quality (even if it's more expensive) but only buy once and only when you absolutely need it. It is true for clothes, gear and food. I'm currently on the road, so if you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.

elena sera jose wrote:My friend lives on $10 a day so she said...

Is your friend in the US? Ask her what she does for health insurance. That alone costs me more than $10/day.

Go overseas and make it last. I lived in India for 3 months and spent more getting there and back then I did the entire time there. It would have been easy to stay indefinitely. I did work in Bollywood for 500 rupees a day as an extra in a movie.

Regarding the initial post - I took a few years off . . . out of necessity. It took about 5 years total, but I was able to change my life for the better. Now I love what I do and have summers off.

I think that a lot of people who "dirtbag" are so focused on climbing that they miss out on many other things than traveling has to offer. I've been living on and off the road and overseas for a few years now and my best memories are those times when I could have been climbing but instead I chose to have another sort of adventure.

Climbing should just be seen as a way to travel and see the world, a way to develop new relationships and to open your mind. Sure, climb your ass off, but don't let it keep you from enjoying the rest of the world.

Explore and leave no corner unturned. No idea is a bad idea.

Ryan Williams wrote:I think that a lot of people who "dirtbag" are so focused on climbing that they miss out on many other things than traveling has to offer. I've been living on and off the road and overseas for a few years now and my best memories are those times when I could have been climbing but instead I chose to have another sort of adventure. Climbing should just be seen as a way to travel and see the world, a way to develop new relationships and to open your mind. Sure, climb your ass off, but don't let it keep you from enjoying the rest of the world. Explore and leave no corner unturned. No idea is a bad idea.

well said...live, love, climb, repeat.

Joshua1979 wrote: well said...live, love, climb, repeat.

vomit, almost sounds like a cheap women's novella title like the one that made it to the big screen with Julia Roberts as the main heroine...

Having a child shut down my dirtbag travels 15 years ago. But it did force me back to college. I was on the road for around 2 years then, living under bridges and in ditches on the side of highway America. I wasn't climbing then, had no car, and had no money except what I could make at day labor when I ventured into the city. Hitch hiking everywhere.

The bums I found under bridges were mostly very intelligent but either mentally ill, or had made a conscious choice to NOT pursue the American dream and also to not be a cog in the wheel of someone's else's pursuance of said dream. The freedom is incredible when you don't have rent or mortgage, insurance, bills, or a car to weigh you down, and all your belongings fit in a backpack.

I just hosted a motorcyclist who had recently spent a week with a gypsy traveler ("Scotty") who has been riding around America for 20 years - he has 500,000 miles on his motorcycle. You can read about him here under the entry "Scooter Tramp Scotty"

intotheblueagain.com/

With Couchsurfing.com, it's easier now to find somewhere to rest, shower, and cook.

Ryan Williams wrote:I think that a lot of people who "dirtbag" are so focused on climbing that they miss out on many other things than traveling has to offer. I've been living on and off the road and overseas for a few years now and my best memories are those times when I could have been climbing but instead I chose to have another sort of adventure. Climbing should just be seen as a way to travel and see the world, a way to develop new relationships and to open your mind. Sure, climb your ass off, but don't let it keep you from enjoying the rest of the world. Explore and leave no corner unturned. No idea is a bad idea.

I'm really close to walking in and quitting my job...

Eric Krantz wrote:[...] The freedom is incredible when you don't have rent or mortgage, insurance, bills, or a car to weigh you down, and all your belongings fit in a backpack. [...]

Not to mention living in the world's most advanced industrial economy in times of prosperity and expanding empire. Those days appear to be coming to an end, which might make the carefree life of a tramp much more cut-throat and competitive.