I'm one of those hobos with a $300 Gregory backpack... and you know what? It's fucking awesome. It's far better than the 30+ year old external frame it replaced. But news flash, I'm not rich. As the last few posters have said, it really doesn't take long to get up the money for decent gear--a fact which should be obvious given how much money some travelers spend on alcohol and smokes each week. With a decent spange game you can make far more money than I will doing odd jobs.
With this in mind, walking around in crusty clothes and patches is a choice. Sleeping under a tarp with nothing but cardboard to protect you is a choice. And if that's what you want to do, sweet, I can respect it. But I never looked good in patches, so I've got some farm job money saved up and I'm compiling a list of gear I want to buy. Proper boots to replace the 2-sizes-too-large freebie shoes I've got now; hiking/climbing pants to replace the muggy/water-absorbing jeans I've got on; a wool base layer; a sleeping bag that'll actually keep me warm when temperatures drop below 60F; a rain jacket that will protect me from wind, rain, and snow without drowning me in sweat; an insulated jacket so warm and cozy you'd shit yourself.
Afterwards, no doubt some crust punk will think I'm just some rich kid slummin' it up for thrills. Oh well. I'll know better. And as for actual rich kids posing as poverty-stricken travelers, I can't say I've ever knowingly run into one.
With this in mind, walking around in crusty clothes and patches is a choice. Sleeping under a tarp with nothing but cardboard to protect you is a choice. And if that's what you want to do, sweet, I can respect it. But I never looked good in patches, so I've got some farm job money saved up and I'm compiling a list of gear I want to buy. Proper boots to replace the 2-sizes-too-large freebie shoes I've got now; hiking/climbing pants to replace the muggy/water-absorbing jeans I've got on; a wool base layer; a sleeping bag that'll actually keep me warm when temperatures drop below 60F; a rain jacket that will protect me from wind, rain, and snow without drowning me in sweat; an insulated jacket so warm and cozy you'd shit yourself.
Afterwards, no doubt some crust punk will think I'm just some rich kid slummin' it up for thrills. Oh well. I'll know better. And as for actual rich kids posing as poverty-stricken travelers, I can't say I've ever knowingly run into one.
