How to safely survive in the bush/on the streets as a women by yourself? | Squat the Planet

How to safely survive in the bush/on the streets as a women by yourself?

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Hello there People!

I'm officially all alone and homeless all by myself now, my boyfriend got picked up cops last night, we usually sleep outside together because he's the one that makes sure that im physically safe, now that is gone, im feeling anxious, scared and alone on how to survive the streets by myself as a women, wondering how many of you women have survived being on the streets by yourself, sleeping outside in the bush safety without anybody hurting you, etc, any tips and suggestions would be appreciated;

here is my plan on what to do;

get my self some pepper/bear, knife to keep by side in case anybody trys to assault me ( when i'm sleeping alone)

find somebody s empty shed/building to sleep in

find those big truck transports to sleep in

squat in a abandoned basement of somewhere

get myself a dog to protect me
 

roguetrader

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do you have any friends or family near to where you're staying ? or could you travel to some ? being around people who give a fuck can lift your spirits so much in bad times and maybe someone might let you stay until you formulate a plan.... as you said in the other thread the weather is starting to get cold - being outside all winter in Canada is gonna be a brutal exercise in survival skills and if you're determined to do it I think you need to be with other people - if you fuck up on your own you might freeze to death...

are you in an area where you could spange enough money in a day to sleep in a cheap motel overnight ?
 
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Jackthereaper

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If you unsure as to survival in such a harsh climate i highly reccomend you either head indoors with family or get your ass south and out of canada to somewhere warm. I would hate to see inexperience lead to your death.

If neither are possible, THEN start figuring out how to make it. But first consider all your options. Frostbite is no joke

Consider getting one of these if you have access.

0910705A-C881-4F6E-92B9-299DB02240B5.jpeg
 
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Coywolf

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@Childgoddess

Although I am a larger Male, I still have to deal with sketchy shit all the time, so I'll offer my piece (I also woke up to something wild walking right next to me in my camp last night)....

All of those things you mentioned are good ideas, I carry an 8" straightblade knife everywhere I go, in the open, so people can see it. That all depends on knife laws in your area.

I also carry a can of bear mace on the other side of my belt, all the time.

A dog is a GREAT idea, especially for a lone female traveler. But, only if you can take care of them!

Try to find areas to sleep that are safe. I know that is vague but there are some thing to help with that:

-more upscale neighborhood of a city
-unfreqented areas of forests or parks (KNOWING they are unfrequented is key, I'll sit in a place for a whole day before I camp there sometimes)
-squatting can work, or finding a punk house with other squatters, but make sure you know who is coming and going from that location, scumfucks galore sometimes, I personally avoid squatting unless it is nessasary due to weather/lack of gear, or it's just too good to pass up.

Like others have said, it would be MUCH more preferable to get somewhere warmer, however that can be harder to do in Canada. Vancouver or Victoria would be my choices. Im Currently in Seattle and Its cold here, that wet cold, ugh. Cant even imagine Canadian coast line...

The way we live can be fucking dangerous, I've went and got a job and stayed in motels/hostels because of this fact many a time. That is also an option. Another would be to look at your local houseless resources on housing. Could get motel vouchers, womens shelters, or rental assistance. Trust me, it's worth it.
 

DuHastMich

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To add to @Coywolf - you're getting ready to start some brutal ass winter shit up that way (I know South Dakota got hammered with snow in late-September, so you guys are probably getting nailed.

A quick Google search of shelters in Thunder Bay area turn up shit that seems like referral services. Nothing much in the way of actual shelters unless you have a kid.

If you cannot score a knife, a small heavy object like a metal bar or a sock full of rocks will also keep the fucktards away from you.
 
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You're not doing anything a lone male traveler wouldn't do. Sex and gender are much less stigmas on the road or in the streets, to be honest. Everyone faces the same bullshit, and people use the same protection tactics.

You already have a lot of the right ideas about protection (different things work for different people), but something you really need to be worried about is not freezing to death. I think it's too late to get proper weather gear, for harsh weather. If traveling is in the cards for you, head southwest now! If not, see if there are people you can stay with, or gather some money to get a room, or something.

As a non-binary person, on the road, I had mace for a while and that was it. A dog limits travel options, as I like to take the bus. I recently got a knife, and it's easy to hide if I'm going in somewhere with metal detectors. It would be easier to get a plastic knife, though, so I don't have to go out of the way for that - but those are hard to find. There are hard plastic weapons, if it means that much to you. But, we all know a knife is a tool and weapons, and I would rather have that.
 

Jackthereaper

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You can make a basic shiv out of anything. I have seen people carrying leather knives for personal protection in the past. Just have something and practice a bit with it. A hilt is best for a stabbing impliment, its not as important for a slashing weapon.

59404E11-4EEC-4CEE-8BE1-4C133B221512.jpeg

A “japanese leather knife”
 
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Crazy Hobo Johnny

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I was thinking, is there a way to set up an account like: Go Fund Me account or something like that so we could all pitch in so she can get money for a hotel/motel room for the winter?
Is there a way you can get transportation to Toronto and seek shelter there?
 
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roguetrader

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well that's a cool idea Johnny and I bet a few of us would be happy to chip in and help a fellow STPer out - but its gonna get expensive if it's for a long period which might not be sustainable (I really don't have any idea what it would cost to let a room long term in a cheap motel in Canada - in England it would be ridiculously expensive)... .

@Childgoddess - if we got a few hundred dollars together between us could you get a bus to somewhere with better prospects - somewhere warmer or closer to friends and family ?
 

Crazy Hobo Johnny

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well that's a cool idea Johnny and I bet a few of us would be happy to chip in and help a fellow STPer out - but its gonna get expensive if it's for a long period which might not be sustainable (I really don't have any idea what it would cost to let a room long term in a cheap motel in Canada - in England it would be ridiculously expensive)... .

@Childgoddess - if we got a few hundred dollars together between us could you get a bus to somewhere with better prospects - somewhere warmer or closer to friends and family ?
I would be happy to chip in! Where she is now gets brutal in the winter.
 

backpacker420

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i'm all for helping out someone but at what point does she have to learn from her mistakes and take care of herself? she had a place but a drunk as a bf that messed it up. why didn't she leave to stay with friends and family or get a job then to support herself so she isn't in this situation? say we do help her get a hotel for the winter will she just take back the drunk bf after hes out of jail and just cause problems there at the hotel and get them both kicked out? look at the homeless guy that was taught how to code apps. the guy that taught him gave him the skills to get a really good paying high demand tech job but he didn't instead he went back to being homeless with nothing to show because he was too lazy to work everyday and just expected a hand out. canada has to have a shelter, local government program or even the red cross to help her in her area no matter what size the town is.
 

roguetrader

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@backpacker420 I agree totally with what your saying - a lot of younger people go 'on the road' with totally unrealistic expectations, expecting everything to be a bed of roses, not realising that surviving on the streets is hard as hell... and people don't wanna do anything for themselves, sitting by as their life goes to shit... so i'd help out with a few dollars in the short term but not much more than that....
 
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Coywolf

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i'm all for helping out someone but at what point does she have to learn from her mistakes and take care of herself? she had a place but a drunk as a bf that messed it up. why didn't she leave to stay with friends and family or get a job then to support herself so she isn't in this situation? say we do help her get a hotel for the winter will she just take back the drunk bf after hes out of jail and just cause problems there at the hotel and get them both kicked out? look at the homeless guy that was taught how to code apps. the guy that taught him gave him the skills to get a really good paying high demand tech job but he didn't instead he went back to being homeless with nothing to show because he was too lazy to work everyday and just expected a hand out. canada has to have a shelter, local government program or even the red cross to help her in her area no matter what size the town is.

Says the lurker with no profile pic...

This reply makes me wonder how long you've ever been homeless for, or if you have ever traveled broke.

The argument of helping yourself is one thing, I get it. But that wasent the question, now, was it?

The question was, how to properly protect yourself and survive the streets as a female. To which we all have provided useful responses.

What you have essentially done here is victim blame a houseless woman looking for help from a fellow community. And it's a shitty conservative argument that I wont stand by and say nothing about.
 

backpacker420

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Says the lurker with no profile pic...

This reply makes me wonder how long you've ever been homeless for, or if you have ever traveled broke.

The argument of helping yourself is one thing, I get it. But that wasent the question, now, was it?

The question was, how to properly protect yourself and survive the streets as a female. To which we all have provided useful responses.

What you have essentially done here is victim blame a houseless woman looking for help from a fellow community. And it's a shitty conservative argument that I wont stand by and say nothing about.
she wouldn't need to live outside if she googled shelters in her area like i did in 30 sec. people here were talking about frostbite well it doesn't matter if you live in a city or in the woods homeless you can still get it. i gave her links to FREE survival books for everything she would need to survive from getting lost to nukes and many are from the military. then gave her links to homeless shelters in her area. its one thing to stay in abandon buildings but smarter people go into the woods build a shelter, gather food and fish/hunt I've done that for 9 months
 

Candice

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Hello there People!

I'm officially all alone and homeless all by myself now, my boyfriend got picked up cops last night, we usually sleep outside together because he's the one that makes sure that im physically safe, now that is gone, im feeling anxious, scared and alone on how to survive the streets by myself as a women, wondering how many of you women have survived being on the streets by yourself, sleeping outside in the bush safety without anybody hurting you, etc, any tips and suggestions would be appreciated;

here is my plan on what to do;

get my self some pepper/bear, knife to keep by side in case anybody trys to assault me ( when i'm sleeping alone)

find somebody s empty shed/building to sleep in

find those big truck transports to sleep in

squat in a abandoned basement of somewhere

get myself a dog to protect me
Where are u located my husband and I are In port st joe doing hurricane cleanup if your in this area your welcome to crash with us will get u a tent
 

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