JustAnOldRoadie

Hey, fellow wanderer. As one who walked across America solo, do you prefer tent or hammock bivouac?

*I chose to sleep in trees, because no one ever looks up. Much safer for female.

Consider this: next time you’re out and about, watch the people. Very, very few look up. To be honest, no one expects hammocks in random places, either. To minimize exposure in some areas, I’d just tie it up as a pod or chair instead of bed.

I didn’t have a fancy setup. Just a $5 backpacking hammock, an old military slicker, a small rucksack with two changes of clothes, knife, fishing pole, and an old Bible that someone lost. It was not a planned trip. I just took off walking. For reasons. Foraged and fished for food, occasionally stopped by stores to ask if I could earn food for loading or unloading trucks. (Grew up as a roadie, so I have mad skills organizing crates and packages.).

My recommendations:

• Intuition. Pay attention to it. Don’t second guess it, even when you’re tired.

• Socks. Invest in nifty socks. I would have singlehandedly cleaned the Washington Monument with a toothbrush for warm dry socks.

• Remember every living thing has energy. You, the trees, animals... if it is alive it has energy. Aboriginal cultures knew this. Their goal was to resonate with that energy. It’s quite astonishing to experience. Despite encountering all manner of wildlife, from bears to snakes, I never had a problem. Still lack words to express this phenomena. You’ll have lots of time to consider such things on your walkabout.

That’s about it. Of course, it’s assuming you have basic survival skills such as acquiring water in the wild, orienteering, foraging, signaling. Wouldn’t hurt to have a book to read, especially if it is military survival techniques. Memory can go wonky under stress, fatigue, thirst, hunger. Don’t rely on electronics. Take a wristwatch.

Backroads make the best adventure. Take time to walk barefoot in ancient streams, explore. Maybe take a harmonica and learn to play on the road. Savor the experience.

Life well lived, sir. Thank you for decades of service to the innocents, forgotten, lost, hurt and alone. May I ask what prompted a career in law enforcement?