I have been recently terminated from my job and have to be out of my place in 30 days time. I'm 55 years of age and have 5k USD saved up. I've made plenty of mistakes in my life to get me to this point and have no recourse but to head out. Is it possible to live on the Appalachian trail and get properly outfitted for 5k? I have nobody to resupply me and I'll be starting in Virginia and heading southbound for the winter. Any advice on getting day jobs on the trail, hostels, survival, ect. would be greatly appreciated.
>>27969725k isn't a lot for anything, unfortunately. To get properly stocked, and stay stocked is gonna be a money sink. During winter especially, you're gonna need to stay dry and make sure you don't slip and fuck up your equipment, I live in East Tennessee, so while we don't get feet of snow like others, its gonna be muddy, cold and uncomfortably soggy.
>>2796972Having walked the border between poverty and success I can share some things I found helpful.>5k for gear Go lightweight, don't follow all these guys who spend thousands of dollars on shit they don't need, learn to live without it. Some examples>Don't use a inflatable mat for sleepingYou can use beds of leaves, dig a hole using dirt, or use dirty clothes and other accoutrements to support you if you need it. Make sure to stretch before and after bed, and practice good posture. You'll go a longer way with this then with a mattress pad.>UL or lightweight travelTravel with less clothing, wash them out in streams, cut out everything that isn't absolutely essential. Lighter weight will be easier on your body, especially in your age (I'm not sure your physical condition so I'm just guessing.) Ultralight also ensures that as you are accustomed to working with less you have less gear to replace over time.>Work and occupationHitchiking typically allows you to meet people who are looking to hire some cheap labour, you can also check out Wwoofing, which while it doesn't pay, you at least get food and board and can network with other locals that do pay, you also will learn alot from these folks on foraging and other techniques that will be useful. Fly a sign that says your looking for work, ask around, use craigslist Gigs (Not as good as it used to be but still). Wwoof is 40$ for a year subscription but it is worth it if you end up going that route.>Heavy miles a dayIf you can get to the point where you're doing 30-40 miles a day you can resupply a lot easier, I've heard the AT especially has a lot of places to stop or at least hitchhike into towns. Moving heavy miles in a day will burn more calories, so make sure you are counting what you need, protien too, and establishing a budget. I typically run 100-200$ a week depending on where I'm at for food. I prefer to buy produce when I canbecause it's biodegradable and I won't have to carry my trash with me.
>>2797018You can put napkins in a container of greens to absorb moisture and make it last longer while traveling without a fridge. These and other storage techniques. If you're not to picky about eating goyslop and s-o-y additive foods then just get protein bars, just remember it's more expensive to eat out then build a budget and sue a grocery store.>TentI use a 1Lb tarp, light weight, easy to set up and take down in a hurry, versatile, easily replaceable and cheap. Saves a lot of space in my bag. I'd recomend finding ones with good tent stakes that will last longer. >TowelAlways bring a towel, it is essential, you'll thank me later.>Hat and coco oil for sun protectionHat is cheap and better then having to cover your face all the time, coco oil has an spf rating of 10, which while not great is better then nothing and not full of chemicals. Natural Tan will help out the most, coco oil can also be eaten in a pinch.>HoneyGreat for dressing wounds and for calories, peanut butter and nuts are also easy to pack, fairly inexpensive in bulk, and go a long way.>ShoesI'm a barefoot guy myself, I travel with a thin pair of flip-flops because I get a lot better stability, easy to replace, and makes your feet and balance a lot stronger over time. Get some shoes that will last a while if you do, make sure they're comfy, just don't be a 300+$ footfag.>Water filterSome people use em, I've been learning to just drink what is available, but definitely still carry one for really gross water when nothing else is around. Sawyer Squeeze is great but the bags degrade really quick, so you'll want to buy the bag separate.>Rain gearDon't be a pussy, just get wet, it'll dry off. Watch the weather and don't get caught in more then you can handle. I have a waterproof backpack that makes it easy to just toss everything in when it starts to rain, then I just enjoy the rain on my skin like that one song where no one else can feel it for you.
>>2797023My overall advice, buy as little gear as you can and use what you have for food, make sure you have some kind of plan in mind for work, travel with the seasons. Use the time you have left in your house to get whatever gear you need, then just get out there and enjoy yourself man. You've got an opportunity to make the most of things, it might turn out even better then where you're at currently. Watch some survival videos on youtube if you can, oh and lastly>Small fishing kitThe government doesn't want you to know this but you can just fish for free everywhere you go, but a small kit or a collapsible rod, use worms and grasshoppers and whatever else you find for bait. Don't forget to bring a lighter of course, but learning a friction fire is also based.
>>2797026Thank you so much.
>>2796972>5k USD saved upjfc, ive been a fuckup most of my life and even i have more money saved that THAT. get your life together old man
>>2797090I know. I messed up big time. No debt at least.
>>2796972>55>5k in savings>lost your job and want to just go hiking>Any advice on getting day jobs on the trail, hostels, survivalHonestly anon, you're almost 60 and you wanna just "live off the land"? What is your experience in hiking/being an outdoorsman? What is your skill level in terms of survival? I wanna tell you to go out there and just do it, but I don't want to see some homeless guy panhandling on the interstate in a few months.
>>2796972you need to start flinging out applications for McD's and BK's is what you need to do, find some ratfuck motel or ghetto apartment to rent in or whatever you need. itll still be waaay better than living innawoods during winter
>>2797150Honestly, Anon, whatever happens out in the woods happens. I just want to experience the trail before I check out.I have fishing experience, can catch and clean and I'm in generally good health. I've hiked the back country in Florida and PA in the past.
>>2797155Plus I hear that there are organizations and people on the trail that give out food and such to hikers.
>>2797148You would be better off with debt and a house. If you did that you would have some equity. Rentcucks btfo again
>>2797160BasedHope the old cuck dies in a ditch with norovirus.
>>2797148>No debt at least.??????That 5k can buy you 5 years of 50k+ in credit cards at the very leastMake sure you rack up some debt, if you get injured on the trail laugh at the hospital billThey don't give a shit about sub 800k small fry debtors, that's the entire point of this "economic growth"They only come after you for multi millions lmaoDon't be afraid of any debt at your age, it's on their bill, besidesThey were the ones who took everything from you
>>2797155Dumbass, its fucking winter, you aren't going to have a good time out there, and no doing some hiking in fucking Florida and Pennsylvania isn't enough experience to go on a several thousand miles long trail during the months of winter. >fishing Nigga, can you forage for food? Can you build a shelter with what you have around you in case something were to happen to your tent/tarp? Can you sew/do fast repairs? How good are you at creating safe drinking water/startinga fire if your lighter or matches fail or are lost? That's the questions you need to ask yourself, are you self reliant and able to take care of your belongings when shit gets bad and you're miles away from help. You have no safety net if shit goes bad, 5k is gonna disappear quickly, just buying the gear you need for the shit months of winter and relyingon the generosityof others is a gamble, especially now.>>2797153Listen to this guy, you need to find a job, and cheap housing. Do not put yourself in a situation where you're literally out in the woods during winter, and you got no way out. You will die of the elements or, probably some junkies beating your ass for the brand new shit you just bought and now you're in some ditch.
>>2796972Your priorities are all ass-backwards. Find a new job, find a new lease, and go for hikes in your spare time.
>>2796972Don't listen to the demoralizers OP, but don't go into it without a plan. If you want to be mobile you can easily find side work and odd jobs, for winter months it might be good to carry a pot for warming water and using it to bathe. The system is not going to get any better, it's going to get worse, so it's good to get out now while you can.I know this guy is kind of a meme here but he is legit, and if you decide to set up somewhere then watching his videos might give you more of an idea of what to expect. Find a place with good foraging, a water source (Preferably with fish), and build a shelter. Remember that gardens take awhile to set up, and you need both water and decent soil.https://www.youtube.com/@ForestAnon
>>2797169Safe drinking water would be bringing it to a sustained boil and filtering any particles through a coffee filter or if desperate, a clean handkerchief. I can build a lean-to in a pinch if necessary. I know how to make a campfire with dry kindling on the bottom and larger timber on top and sustain it, elements permitting. As for foraging, I only know that Ramp is edible. I have some medical knowledge and access to antibiotics. I can also perform minor surgery on myself, drain and pack wounds. I might be able to bunk with a mate til early Spring. If I use that time to educate myself and get into shape, I should have a shot.>>2797168I like your scenario. Debtmaxing might be the way. After all, what can they take from me? With 50k, I could probably live like a king on the trail.
>>2797179Thanks, bro. Will do.
>>2797171Context on this image? They're all dead from a gas attack or something?
>>2797179>https://www.youtube.com/@ForestAnon>found a woman, no longer le doomer and went back to society
>>2797206I thought he was having a kid but still planning to live in his cabin? Haven't seen anything to suggest he was moving back to society, sounds like a psyop.
>>2796972Anon, how did you fuck up that badly to lose everything but five thousand dollars? Divorce?
>>2797185>With 50k, I could probably live like a king on the trail.That's a chatbot tier way of thinking because the gear you need costs minimal but it might as well be free on a credit card and cover years of camp food, besides financing a vehicle or such, and you can't be a king in a place where everything is what you carryYou should be careful
>>2796972>I've ruined my life with bad choices so here I go making yet another bad choice to make things worseWell at least it tracks
>>2797168You may be functionally retarded. Get test ASAP.
My advice, set up a tent in the back yard and live in it for 3 or 4 days, just to see if you can. Some people just aren't cut out for it.
It's rained all day, everything you got is wet. You stay up all night shivering under your wet blanket. That's the problem with winters along the Appalachian Trail. It's not like a winter in Canada where it snows and the ground is covered with dry powdery snow until March or April the next year. Today you get soaked with rain, overnight it snows and falls below freezing. Then it warms up and all that snow and rain turns to mud. Then you're wet and covered in mud, and everything else you have with you. You could tolerate that in summer. In winter you die of hypothermia. Buy a bus ticket and go do the bum thing in Florida or California. Live in a tent under the overpass until spring. Then go on an adventure if you still want to do it. Surviving the winter is your first priority I think.
>>2797257>DivorceYep
OP, I have been in your position , I hope you see this. Do not go to the AT. You want to find a heavily wooded area that is about 2 miles from a commercial district that has grocery stores, restaurants and a big retailer like WalMart. In a heavily wooded area you can build a shelter that will protect you from weather out of pallets and tarps. You can dumpster dive in the back lots of the stores. If you are not scary and weird you can catch a talk to the young people that work at the stores as they take breaks out back. The key is to be nice and not scary to the young people. Befriending the young people that work at the stores will basically be your key to survival.- they will not tell their supervisor you are dumpster diving- they will not tell the local Police , who do not care about dumpster diving, UNLESS someone complains about scary dude behind the store.- instead of throwing near expiration items in the dumpster the kids will leave good stuff behind the dumpster where you can get it easier. Pro level homeless: - maintain a cell phone to put on job applications- maintain a checking account at a local bank- maintain a gym membership so you can shower. Keep hygiene, soap , shampoo items in a locker at the gym- Register for government assistance before you get homeless so $'s can direct deposit into your bank account
>>2797157Not in the winter.>>2797298This is correct as well. The winters in the South don’t necessarily have white out blizzards or 12 feet of fresh snow dumped in an afternoon or temps in the -20’s. It’s miserable in its own way.Plus it’s totally unpredictable long term. Could be freezing rain, could be sunny and 65. Last weekend I think the high temp on Clingman’s Dome was 50+. This week it will barely make it above freezing (with a high of 17° on Saturday). There were some southbound AT hikers stuck in Gatlinburg because roads into GSMNP were closed (due to snow and ice). A few weeks later and it’s perfect hiking weather. That’s typical.
>>2797179Op here. I watched most of this guy's videos. Forget the AT, I'll just post up deep in some national forest and so supply runs every so often on the nearest town.
>>2796972I honestly do not understand why anyone would want to spend time on the AT. It's heavily trafficked, all of the people along it are usually weirdos, most of the public shelters are a complete mess and just a spot for disease to spread.
>>2797619It is a challenge that is easy to access for the world's population really. It is not easy to complete but it is easy to get to and begin for anyone with the money saved to do it. Anyone in the world can fly into Atlanta's international airport. You take Atlanta's mass transit system MARTA to the REI store in Sandy Springs Georgia. You can catch a shuttle bus from the REI store to Amnicola State Park which has a nice lodge, restaurant and park station set up to help through hikers. You can take the approach trail from Amnicola State Park to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The approach trail is only 8 miles and people use it to shake their gear down before they start the AT. It is pretty great how accessible the AT is. You can have all of the solitude you want by avoiding shelters and trailheads while you are on the AT or you can take part in the hippy culture of the AT by spending time in the towns and trail shelters. There are many long distance trails in the world but the AT definitely has its own personality.
>>2797619I do it for the smellz
>>2796972>I've made plenty of mistakes in my life to get me to this point and have no recourse but to make more.huh, ok. not how i'd do it.>>2797179there's a difference between demoralizers and good samaritans trying to keep this guy from killing himself or fucking his life up further
>>2797583Exactly. It's easier then you think man. He work on ranches to get an income for food and then does a tiny bit of foraging, all while trying to get his garden going.I'm doing something similar starting this coming month, except I'll be using the PCT as kind of a training wheel. Hunting and Trapping are the biggest skills, that and storing the meat without waste.
>>2797700Most people don't even do it in one go. You literally have to be unemployed to be able to. Majority are just section hiking with someone to support them on the weekends or one or two week vacations.
>>2796972>'m 55 years of age and have 5k USD saved upYou couldn't make it in the comforts of civilized society, what makes you think you'll make it in the wild?Get a job, bozo.
>>2797708>>2797744He's 55 years old and you guys want him to wageslave for what's left of his life?>>2796972It's easier then all these kikes are making it out to be, so long as you're smart about it you can really find peace out in the woods. Obviously don't be a fucking retard and jump into more then you can handle at once, but don't give into these talmudic subversions that tell you you have to live in a city for the rest of your life and die with a few extra dollars to your name. Go out in the woods and have an adventure man, pack smart, make sure you can manage food and water, and live like a man. God forbid you fuck it up somehow you will have at least lived more of a life in that short period of time then most of these jews will in their entire lifetime.
>>2797762Thank you for the support. I'm just to the point where I'm old, I've lived my life and living amongst people in a city/suburb is too confining and generates anxiety for me. I will do my best to prepare and am thankfully in good health for my age (no medications) but if mother nature is to take me down, then so be it, at least I dared to take an adventure off the beaten path in this life. Honestly, slaving away in some no-count job scares me more than a hike into the unknown.
>>2797787>>2797319 - this is the way. Maintaining your health and wellness while you are homeless in an area you are familiar with that has resources available to you is hard enough. Being homeless and adding in the demands of trail hiking is not a good idea.
