think tank forum

i'm living the dream!

http://www.wingedleopard.net/wlwlv2/index.php?comment=212

here's my plan:

i don't have many possessions, and for the past two years i've had idealistic fantasies of being extremely minimalistic. so i'm going to become homeless.

i'm taking all my stuff to my mom's basement. i'll be left with my backpack (and its contents) and my bike. luckily i have an office on campus where i'll keep all my books, painting stuff, and my keyboard. the goal is also to be car-independent with my new bike.

in my pack (arc'teryx bora 80), i'll have:
black diamond firstlight tent with footprint
down sleeping bag with a thermarest mat
two sets of base layer clothing
jetboil pcs, fuel, spork, soap, towel, platypus, nalgene,
other necessities (toothbrush, paste, ..)

i'll camp around town (if nothing else, forest service land is only a few miles from town). i'll shower in the gym. i'll work in my office. then by the time graduate housing has an opening, my fantasy will be fulfilled.

and what i'm up against:

MSU Policy and Procedures 230.00.F
No person may sleep in, camp on or inhabit any University facility, parking lot or other university property that is not designated as a residence hall or graduate and family housing.

City of Bozeman Code 12.26.030.P
IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON IN A PARK TO: Camp overnight except in designated camping areas

Hit up the EPS study rooms every now and then the janitors let my buddy sleep there when he wants to.

i'm still trying to figure out my clothing, but i'll probably use the following:

under armour compression heatgear
patagonia capalene 3

public land in montana can be found via the land ownership maps here: http://nris.mt.gov/gis/

montana public trust land can be used overnight! if the land is leased by a private party, you can stay there for 2 consecutive days. if the land is not leased, you can stay there for 14 consecutive days. you can drive/park your car 50 feet into the land, and you can camp anywhere within 200 feet of the road you used to get there.

best bets for bozeman vicinity mt trust land (township, range, section):
T2S R6E 21
T1S R5E 36

gallatin valley land trust doesn't have regulations on their site. but i doubt they have any sweeping rules, because all they coordinate is conservation easements. however, it could be possible to camp on some of their land.

otherwise, the only other options close to bozeman are usfs land and fgw land. but it's all farther away.

You and me both, larz! I'm getting my bike (motorcycle) here in a month or two and all I have in way of possesions are clothes and notebooks and living essentials. I'm investing in a pack here soon, as well as a one-person tent, because I have the money to spare now that my bills are next to nothing. Rock on!

awesome! best of luck!

i'm a little worried about getting kicked off of land.

Dude thats awesome, keep us posted.

I'm lucky enough to have friends scattered around this side of town that would be more than willing to let me crash there for a night if the weather's particularly nasty, so that's covered! But, yeah, I'm currently looking for rooms to rent out where I work in Katy. Just bounce around and camp when I can. Nasty thing about Houston is there is almost no public land because real-estate is incredibly cheap and we're home to every mega-maniacal corporation that exists ... as well as a few good ones.

haha well put phi, I was in Katy for a week in August. I made a trip down to see my uncle and his nice ass pad. Housing is so ridiculously cheap down there.

i'm picking up a top and bottom of light-weight smartwool for $36 each ($60 reg.) tomorrow. then i just need a bottom shell.

chiken, want to get me a sleeping bag through your mom? can base camp get western mountaineering or marmot below zero down bags?

hahahah..

The CWM EQ Sleeping Bag by Marmot is built for the extreme conditions of the North and South Poles, Alaska, and the Himalayas.

* Temp Rating: -40 degrees F / -40 degrees C
* Reg. Weight (US/Metric): 4lb 10oz/2101 grams
* Fits to: (Reg) 6' 0" / 183cm; (Long) 6' 6" / 198cm
* Shape: Mummy w/collar
* Zip Option: Left and right zip

* Materials: Shell: Aerolight MemBrain N-150R
* Lining: Gossamer Micro N-130R WR finish
* Insulation: 800+ Fill Goose Down

* Features: 9-baffle chest section
* Nautilus 6-baffle hood
* 11-baffle foot box
* Hidden draft tube pocket
* Reinforced foot box lining
* Stretch tricot baffles
* Velcro-free face muff
* Velcro free down-filled collar
* "Feely" draw cords
* Zipper guards
* Down-filled draft tube
* Ground-level side seams
* Stuff sack and storage sack included

review:

Like sleeping on the sun, well not exactly but close. It was hard to drop the cash but hey isn't a good nights sleep worth it, especially in the harshest of enviroments. Have used it on two nights at -5 and slept like a baby.

i can see what they have larz

dnrc bozeman office 586 5243

i'll be doing this for at least six weeks (sept 30 to nov 11) because i can't afford a place until then

bring it on

good luck man. ill keep tryin on that sleepin bag for ya.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucasreddinger/t … elessness/

I'm really digging it, larz. Beat me to the punch... agh!

Keep it up!

if i keep going into november, i need:
warm mummy bag (i want -20 deg or lower)
additional foam mattress pad (R~2.2)
aluminum shovel

On your way to surviving the MT winter, larz?

he wussed out :)