Homeless Travel

Being homeless is being on the go. Whether living in a shelter, a tent city, or camping. You don't have anywhere to be, so you have to keep moving. This means carrying a lot of stuff and you need a bag for that.

But, what kind of backpack? Do you want to pretend you have a sensible reason to be carrying camping gear in an urban setting? I mean, other than the fact that you are homeless? Or, maybe you don't care. I know some homeless take pride in their condition, some see themselves as martyrs, others as adventurers, and advertising their status is a point of pride.

Personally, I see being homeless as painful and humiliating, and I would as soon other people didn't know. When directly confronted about it, I am honest, but I do what I can to avoid those situations. This means hygiene, clothing, and carrying a sensible bag.  Sometimes, the homeless in the tent city I live in, think I am a volunteer - that makes me feel good. But I am very careful to not be in denial about my situation. My life is broken and I won't fix it by pretending 'everything is fine'

Homeless Bathing

The hygiene of the homeless is a sensitive issue to both the homeless and the non-homeless. This is probably the single most important factor that forces homeless to stay in shelters however horrible and unpleasant they may be. The unpleasant atmosphere of shelters is why so few people who volunteer to work in them continue to do so and why shelters keep the volunteers they do get separate from the homeless as much as possible.

How is one to keep themselves clean when the have no home?

Hand sanitizer is truly a modern miracle for the homeless. While it can't replace showering/bathing completely it can make the long stretches between bearable for the homeless and those around them. 

Hand sanitizing wipes  are useful to a point but not worth the extra cost because of the small size. A large bottle of hand sanitizer and some toilet paper is a more practical and cost effective solution.