I just finished reading this book , It was really thought provoking and convicting. Basically this young middle class christian kid is going to college and is really disturbed by our attitude of christians towards the homeless especially in the light of a lot of Jesus’ words. So he gets a friend Sam and they devote like 5 months to living on the streets completely. Busking for money, leaving all possessions and money at home. Taking a few miles in the shoes of the homeless. I still need to do a lot more thinking about how to live more intentionally to be prepared to help those in need when I see them.

However this post isn’t about that. It’s about those moments where you begin to daydream and think about how you would stop a terrorist or rob a bank, or do anything more interesting than what you are currently doing. I was at work thinking about how I would survive if I was homeless. After reading that book they had a really rough go of it and I think there are a few things that could have made it easier. These are just some random thoughts I had because I am always interested in adventure and surviving in different places. Also I have become a bit addicted to this tv show and really like finding out all the crazy ways to survive.

The first biggest problem they had seemed to be their smell. Nobody wanted them anywhere because they totally reeked. Hadn’t showered for weeks. A really cool trick I learned on the world race is Nalgene/Bandana shower. It’s not perfect by any means but you just need a private stall in like a bathroom and you can wet a bandana and put soap on it and and wash all your stinky places and then rinse them with a second bandana. It doesn’t allow the dirt and stench to build up as easily.

The next thing is a place to sleep away from rats, warm and dry. You can do what these guys did. Just find a tree climb it and set up a hammock. I found out they use a Hennesy Hammock. I know that like $170 is expensive but you get to stay warm, dry, off the ground, you are out of sight and don’t get yelled at, and you can get pretty comfortable.

The other crazy thing I’ve become remotely fascinated with is wool blankets. They are the warmest for their weight, durable, a bit water resistant and so many uses. Check out this really cool cloak you can make with one. So not only can it be your sleeping bag but also your jacket, your sitting pad, and shade. It’s so much smaller than a sleeping bag and way more usable. Then I went to my best friend Rob’s house and tried on a poncho that he had gotten in Bolivia and realized one of the greatest clothing things ever invented for survival.

both doughboys and Marines in France wore the poncho; it was preferred over the raincoat for its ability to keep both the wearer and his pack dry, as well as serving as a roof for a makeshift shelter.[7]

Today, the United States armed forces issue ponchos that may be used as a field expedient shelter. These garments are also used by hunters, campers, and rescue workers. During the World War II, the German Army (Wehrmacht) issued the Zeltbahn (see Shelter half), a poncho that could be combined to form tents. A typical four-man tent used four Zeltbahnen. In the infantry of Australia and the United Kingdom, a poncho is termed a shelter half, which may serve as a raincoat or as an individual shelter. In operations in which ponchos are used, one shelter half is carried by each person as rain gear; when two are combined, they form a two-person tent.

So not only can it keep you dry and warm, it can turn into a tent and be used as a blanket. It has big side holes to let the wind in on a hot day and you can close it to keep you warm on a cold day. It is perfect for almost any weather!

So if your homeless and you have a hennessy hammock and a good poncho, a nalgene bottle and a couple bandanas you are pretty set. Also if it’s cold and you need fire you can actually go to wal mart and buy a can of altoids and a bottle of paint thinner and a lighter for like $5 total and pour the paint thinner in the altoids can for a cheap and long-lasting stove. Then you can cook over it as well. There’s probably hundreds of other great things that you could do to survive better. But those are just some things that I’ve thought about. It’s cool how little you need to just get by.