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I’m just done. I’m going.

Jakar

Greenlighter
Joined
Jan 22, 2023
Messages
1
Hi everyone I’m new here, not sure it’s more pertinent than my impwndinn foray into homelessness but I am planning on living off the land with my dog for a few months at least as my home situation has become untenable. I just have my brother harrassing me and he thinks I want to be here and I just need to prove that I don’t care. And the dog will love it. I have a half decent tent and a big rucksack. I’m looking forward to it!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Hi everyone I’m new here, not sure it’s more pertinent than my impwndinn foray into homelessness but I am planning on living off the land with my dog for a few months at least as my home situation has become untenable. I just have my brother harrassing me and he thinks I want to be here and I just need to prove that I don’t care. And the dog will love it. I have a half decent tent and a big rucksack. I’m looking forward to it!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Hi there and welcome to Bluelight!

I don't know where you are located but in the US we are still in the middle of winter. Not a good time to be living outside. I understand that your home situation is unsustainable but are there any social programs where you live? At least in my city there are a lot of non-profits that not only help people experiencing homelessness come off the streets but many of them have homelessness prevention programs to help people stabilize their housing so they don't end up camping in the first place.

Close to 20 years ago I spent a few months living on the streets but it was more due to a mental breakdown than outright losing my housing. It was not easy, although it is probably easier for a guy than a girl. Not to sound sexist but a female will normally need to team up with a guy for protection as there are a lot of pervs out there. Also, if you are a guy, it's good to know how to defend yourself with your hands. I had a gun pulled on me one time but the person backed off and I was not forced to physically confront him. Another time a guy attacked my friend by smashing his head with a 2x4 and I had to wrestle the board away from the attacker and there was a brief altercation while I was trying to protect my friend. It ain't like the movies.

Another word of advice is to try to avoid the younger crowd, especially the gangs. They are bad news and you could likely end up dead because they don't give a shit about you as a person, only how they can take advantage of your situation. I don't know if you are a user but be careful with the hard drugs because you don't always know what you're getting.

My best advice is to do everything you can possibly do to avoid becoming homeless in the first place, even if that means swallowing your pride and temporarily moving in with family or friends. We live in a cruel world and economic times are tough. There is nothing to be ashamed of for leaning on someone else even for a short time. Best of luck and please keep us updated. Feel free to pop your head into The Dark Side subforum as the subject matter is sometimes geared to situations like yours. Peace!
 
I’ve done this exact thing, I made it a couple weeks. If you’re isolated enough like I was, that alone will get to you. Still a good experience though that I highly recommend. Also curious where you live cuz it’d be hell around me right now with how cold it is. Remember your dog might not like that cold so much.

-GC
 
How exactly will you 'live off the land' in the middle of winter. Unless you have extensive bushcraft skills and experience you'll simply freeze and starve to death. There's very little to forage at this time of year, so you'd have to hunt for a start.

I've spent a lot of time camping wild, I know how to build a shelter, make a fire, snare and trap, which plants are edible, how to improvise tools etc etc, and I'd baulk at doing what you're proposing. I'd survive but I wouldn't have fun doing it. This is not gonna be the relaxing liberating break you think it is unless you wanna stock up with a whole sled full of provisions. I highly advise against it.
 
Summer would be alot easier but fuck living outside in winter
But the freedom one would feel not having to "do" things that one does not want to do is priceless. Like be beholden to others. I think that is the initial thought. Then of course the biggest curse in physical life is we are beholden to take care of our bodies. We have to house them, clean them, feed them, keep the temps just right. There is no freedom here.

This post taught me that Mr Jerry Atrick is a Giant ready to give wisdom from the wellspring of his heart and from experience. I mean that first answer is better help than most help I have seen in real life. I hope the OP took some of that wisdom, or at least someone else does.

So since we think we are free not serving somebody, Bob Dylan said it best. Your gonna have to serve somebody. (in this case it is the person's own body) so there really is freedom here. Thank you Bob.

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

Might be a rock'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
Might have money and drugs at your commands, women in a cage
You may be a business man or some high degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You may be a state trooper, you might be an young turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord you might even own banks

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be working in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You may call me Terry, you may call me Jimmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
 
^ This basically. i know how to hunt rabbits and stuff with snares and ive lived in the woods all my life but i don't think id ever make it living off the land in winter fuck that. Summer would be alot easier but fuck living outside in winter
Even in the best weather it's labour intensive. You spend most of the day just securing the basics; that is, if you don't take a ton of food along.
 
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