Go into any large pet store, into the fish aquarium department -- read the print on the back of the packages for tablets to drop into the aquarium for various fish ailments like Fin and Tail Rot and you should find some of them are just tablets of penicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline. Take a handful like M&M's after evening with said sex workers and all should be well.
(Thanks Kamui) IV CHEAP FOOD: Probably the best staple you can carry with you is rice. It's easy to make, you can carry enough of it for several meals without adding too much weight to your pack (I forget what the weight to serving ratio is but it's very low) you can mix it with just about anything, and it's cheap. Ramen is great travelling food too for most of the same reasons rice is (light, easy to make, mixes with anything), plus it's more nutricious by itself (in a pinch you can eat it raw). I see it on sale for about 10 cents a pack all the time. Instant coffee or bulk tea will save you alot of $, plus it will save you from having to hunt for a coffee shop in the morning (you can get wired on instant for about 10 cents or less as opposed to the $2 you'd spend at Starbucks). Having your own one burner stove is a big help as far as convience and keeping the cost of food down. If you look around at thrift stores, garage sales, or flea markets you can usually score one pretty cheap, pretty quick. Or you can make your own; (This from TrippinTBM): "Here's a link to a site that teaches you how to make a very simple alcohol stove, I made one and works great:" http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/index.html Nothing like waking up in the morning and having your coffee right there without having to leave the woods. Anytime I get to a town I check the phonebook to see if they have a "Grocery Outlet" or a "food 4 Less". You can gat some great deals on the essentials in these places; food, shampoo, suntan lotion, batteries, coffee/tea, etc.) I also carry "club cards" to every major grocery store here in California. Saves alot of $. I can usually get by on the road pretty easy for $5 a day or less (including tabacco).
IV SHOWERS/CLEANING UP: Like I keep saying, colleges are your best bet for free showers and alot of other things (see section on Colleges above). there's also: Public campgrounds: most of these have coin operated showers. It'll take you about $1.50 for a good one. Technicaly, these showers are supposed to be for registired campers but I've used them a bunch of times without a problem. Trailer parks: alot of these have a shower building. It's best to be low profile when using these (stash most of your stuff somewhere and just bring what you need to clean up). Public swimming pools and tennis courts: Most of these charge anywhere from free to $4.50. Sometimes you can sneak in when it's crowded. Homeless resource/recreation centers: (see section on Resources above). Churches: Some churches have a shower they'll let you use. Go to the church office during business hours (usually before 4:00 pm) and ask. Other Stuff: One thing I always have with me is a hose with a shower head. The kind I use is rubber and plastic and has a rubber attachment on one end that fits over most fawcetts. You can pick one up at any hardware store and most drugstores for under $10. they also pop up at thrift stores pretty often. With one of these you can go into any gas station bathroom and take a full on shower (best to do it late at night when business is slow, and make sure there's a drain in the middle of the floor.) Don't try this in places that have the restroom inside the store (duh). Just about any fawcett that's situated somewhere where you won't be seen will do (also, carry a pair of pliars of multi-tool so you can turn the fawcett on if the knob's missing). Or just put your shorts or bathing suit on and do it it plain sight. Sometimes cops will give you a hard time about it but I've never actually been ticketed for it. Another trick that works pretty well: Look for anyplace that has a sprinkling system (wooded parks, along the freeway, along bicycle paths) wait for the sprinklers to come on and, if they're the type that ratches back and forth, take a stick r twig and jam the rotation mechanism. That way you can point the stream anywhere you like. If you can direct it towards a patch of woods or brush where you can get out of sight--there you go. Of course there's lakes, rivers, streams, creeks...sadly, most of these are pretty polluted these days (here in cali at least) from improper septic caused by too much development too fast, or by runoff from irragition and industry. My attitude is "fuck it, I'll take my chances" but I'm not sure how wise this is. I've never gotten sick but I've known people who have. In any case if you decide to take a dip it's a good idea not to let any of the water get in your mouth. If you can try to get some idea about where the waters coming from and what kind of terrain it has to travel through. Generally if there's a designated area for people to swim, the waters probably pretty safe.
Hey this is what this forum has needed for a long time. I'm glad to see somebody who knows what they're talking about putting this together. Thanks
As far as dumpster diving goes, it works for a lot more than food. You can find lots of great stuff in there (depending on what dumpsters you dive) that you can trade for whatever you need/want. Do a google search, you'll find sites about it, people finding all kinds of great stuff, electronics, musical instruments, books, music, picture frames, etc. Stuff you can't imagine people throwing out. Showers can be attained for free in State Campgrounds in Michigan (not sure about other states). If you aren't camping there, sneak in. None of the campgrounds I've ever been to were coin operated, it's just a regular stall in the bathrooms, since they figure everyone there is a paying camper. Actually, my last trip I just took some soap (biodegradable camp soap, cheap and is soap for everything: body, hair, dishes, laundry) and waded into a lake. Not a hot shower, but you get clean, and your clothes as well. Had to do it because I was backpacking, but it's about as pleasurable as a shower, because of the scenery, the solitude, the Nature. That's the whole point right? Beats a grimy shower stall.
Truth! I've even found money in dumpsters. Again, college towns . It's amazing what some of the students throw away, especially at the end of each semester when they're going home on break and especially after graduation. I've found brand new clothes with the tags still on them, appliances that worked just fine, boxes of canned goods, jewelry, lots and lots of books, cd's, and, my favorite, bikes and bicycle parts. sometimes the kids throw away something perfectly good just so they don't have to cart it home with them. I know of people that make quite a bit of $ just picking through the students discards and selling them at the swap meets and flea markets.
wow this is alot of information.. about the rainbow guide you ssay you can order one but i can't find where to do so on the site you gave.
How legal is all of this? I understand how truly amazing and fun such a lifestyle is, but what are the risks if bad karma catches up with you? And what do you think about stealing ape? I'm all for it in a lot of corporate places, like Wal-mart for example. Plus stealing comes so natural to me, gives me a chance to tap into my intuitive and aware nature...
No matter how much you are against a corporation, some people depend on their jobs at those corporation. The more shrink they have (caused mostly by theft), the less pay and benefits their employees recieve. Just remember how many people it affects before you do things out of spite.
Listen guys, I didn't intend for this thread to be a question and answer thing (check out the opening post). I want it to be something people can refer to without having to sort through alot of non-informational posts. As far as stealing goes I'll say this; I've seen alot of miracles out here. One always shows up when I need it. Stealing would be a way of telling the universe I don't need one, so maybe I wouldn't get one, so I'd be missing out.
I really like the way you put that naykid, and you may have changed my mind a bit about stealing. I still think stealing from wal-mart though is a pretty healthy hobby to endulge in now and then, and could be deemed a miracle as well... that we've been blessed enough with the awareness and intuition to steal, and to have evil corporations around with more than plenty to steal from. Would you mind sharin' some of the miracles you've experienced to inspire or maybe change my mind more, perhaps in another thread.. or is too sacred for words or sharing???
speaking of stealing; the college store at my college has very little security. They installed a camera in recent months, but its not monitored. The workers are students and don't care. I'd imagine most colleges are probably the same, easy to get a free meal. Even the food courts are excessible during peak hours. Everyone once in a while i take something and I don't feel guilty. The company running our food court is sodexho, a subsidiary of marriot. They've been known to run prisons in Britain and Australia. Their food is mass produced garbage - so why should i feel bad about stealing garbage...
Here's a great thread with alot of helpful links; Cheap Living for Dummies ( 1 2 3 ... Last Page ) cacophony