Just curious, I assume most people living this lifestyle are in their 20s or so, I’ll be turning 32 soon and wondering if it’s “too late” to start? Always wanted to be a drifter and current circumstances are making the idea of going nomad for a while kind of appealing.
Posted Oct 19, 2021, 3:52 PM UTC
Started when I was 16 & homeless. I'm currently 27. Still trampin' about.
You're still the same person just in an older body. Time to start kickin rocks, buddy.
Besides, 30 is hardly that old.
Btw check out Hobo Shoestring on youtube. Dudes old as dirt & one of the most experienced & respected vagabonds
Hobo Shoestring
Thanks for sharing. Never heard of that dude. Really chill presence.
Yes he is. One good dude.
Shoestring looks somewhat older than he actually is aswell though I think because of addiction issues over the years and living on the streets for a long time.
I mean he's still older than the average person here probably, but he also isn't as old as a lot of people think he is just looking at him.
Shoestring is like a God haha, imagine what stobe would've been like if he's made it to that age
I’m 32, and I started 7 days ago. Never too late, pack a bag and dip.
Shit the coolest bum I know is 35 go explore the world man
Not sure how much I’ll be able to explore with these bullshit restrictions, but I’ll at least explore my own country 🤘
God damn right man you’re as free as you wanna be
I hear you there.
How did you all start? Like say I’ve got my bag packed and I’m ready to head out the door. What was everyone’s first step.
Got thrown in foster care. Packed and left
Started at 15, still going at 40. Just a lot more stability though….being a wanderer isn’t just something you do, it’s also a state of mind
Have you ever had long term employment or a career?
Definitely
How do you that and vagabond at the same time? Cuz I’m 50/50. Half of me wants to vagabond full time, half of me wants to build a career and make money
“Being a vagabond” is an action. It’s not a title, to me. It’s like saying “he only killed one guy one time so he’s not a killer”. If that makes sense
I go out usually in May and come home in october after harvest.
I was on the road and rails for over 20 years straight. I still go out in spring and summer but I have a home, made my own successful business in the microdose field, which is exciting. Vagabonding is a state of mind, not something you have to be doing 24/7. I definitely still get out on the road when I want to but I now have a base and a career that allows me to do what I want
Im 30 been homeless for 3 years don't really see myself getting back under a roof any time soon.
What prompted you to go? If you don’t mind me asking.
Lost my job and got evicted. It sucks living this way tbh always having to work at places i dont really want to but i need money. I hate the cold and have gotten terribly sick in winter. But on the other hand I've been to states i probably never would've been if wasn't homeless so this lifestyle has it's pros and it's cons.
Ah so it wasn’t necessarily a choice then? Might lose my job soon too. Although I’ve wanted to do something like this for a VERY long time, this might be the catalyst that I need.
No not by choice I don't know why anyone would live like us by choice. Unless they are just sick of society.
32, started at 17 on and off
Never let the fact that you haven't done it yet stop you from beginning to Live Your Dream. Age doesn't matter about much of anything, other than when your physical body no longer allows you to do something.
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Going Nomad showed me the world, who I was and what I’m made of
Being homeless can be fun sometimes. age doesn't matter.
I’ve always suspected that it might be 😁
I'm going to be living in my Jeep Grand Cherokee soon. I'm 23 and I don't travel but I'm saving for an apartment
So I lived in vehicles, on boats, out of a backpack, etc for about six years between the ages of 18-28. Now I hit 30 after renting a cabin for two whole years but still travel for work and am currently getting certifications to be able to go out on more boats. Doing it this way ensures that I keep that sense of adventure and things don't get monotonous but I'm also able to save for my future when I'm not able to travel and is, quite frankly, safer. It does get old being followed by crackheads or day sleeping because you couldn't find a safe spot the night before or being woken up in the middle of the night by cops and using daytime hours to dry your gear. I'm sure other people have other experiences, I stopped just short of trainhopping cause I had a feeling once I chose that life it would be harder to get the things I really wanted in life, a cabin to call my own and enough cash to go where I wanted instead of just hopping from one place to another once the work ran out. Again that's probably not true for everyone but I think choosing stability at that juncture in my life rather than running off again has set a good foundation for my 40s and onward when sleeping on the ground with no $$ to your name really isn't the same.
19 started at 18
18, living a “normal” lifestyle right now but i really want to travel and vagabond in the near future
Also, there's a difference to being "homeless" and not having a place to call "home" I travel seasonally, work on and off the seasons as I need and I get to see the world, somtimes I live rough, somtimes iv got a van, somtimes my job offers me accommodation, being a migrant worker is a good life when done right, it's taken me through 13 different country's in 10 years, made countless friends and have experienced things people can't imagine. The hardest part is learning to be comfortable anywhere, and learning to keep your wits about you, iv found the most intelligent people are usually highschool drop outs who know how to take care of themselves and are "streetwise" for lack of a better term
I'm 70. I did all my hard livin' back in my 'teens and twenties. Now I'm a vandweller and life is sweet.
That’s cool man 👍
I kinda figured I knew the answer already, I know there’s a lot of old hobos on the road, good to know I won’t be the only one in my age group though 😁
I'm about to turn 21 and I've been hopping trains since 2015. So since I was 14. I feel like most people I meet are from 21-35.
How difficult is it to avoid the train police and related charges? I would guess there are security officers always looking for train hoppers. Thanks
I’m 40, did the vagabond life in my late twenties but I know guys older than me still out there.
Lol. Are you asking if it's too late to be homeless?
Makes it sound like a stupid question when you put it like that 😄
I'm 32 and still homeless. I've stayed under bridges, the woods, shelters ( where I'm currently at) tents. You best be prepared if you want to be homeless. I dont reccomend it
Do you carry a weapon to protect yourself? How often to people try to get aggressive with you where a weapon would be useful?
Ime I don't carry, and people rarely get aggressive if you stay sober and smart.
Hell yes I do. I carry one assisted opening knife in my back right pocket. One assisted opening knife in my front right pocket. 1 small swiss army knife also. I dont run into violence often but it happens all the time out here. I've been beat down. Ive been threatened many times
My exact thought
Sounds dumb but I’ve never been homeless and I’d assume it’s a harder lifestyle to adapt to the older you are,
You are correct. It gets more and more difficult the older you are. The real issue, though, is the effect that smoking, drugs and alcohol have upon you as you age. I'd say rollie cigarettes have killed more tramps than anything else. I've had a LOT of friends who died relatively young--heart attacks, COPD, cancer. Tobacco Kills.