If you’re about to end up homeless or are already on the streets, you’re going to need to prepare yourself for what may be a very long journey to get back on your feet. Being homeless in a first world country is not as bad as it would be in a developing country, but there’s still some essentials that you need to make sure you survive it.
When I first became homeless, all I had with me was my backpack, some clothes in it, and a sweater. I quickly realized that I would need other things, and luckily, I had some money to buy them. But even if you don’t have any money, there’s other ways to get these things you’ll need. So here’s a quick guide on the basic necessities you’re going to need and where to get them.
Food
Food is obviously your most important necessity. If you don’t eat, you don’t live. For homeless people in developed countries like the United States and the UK, free food can be pretty easy to come by in most large urban areas. Many homeless people do buy their own food, but you’re probably going to want to save any money you get in order to get back on your feet.
This is why it’s important to seek out as many free food sources as possible. There’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of these resources while you need the help. There’s no shame in it because you can always have opportunities to pay back the system when you get back on your feet, by donating to the same places that helped you when you were down and out.
In the USA, you can apply for food stamps or other programs like General Assistance (sometimes called Emergency Relief for Families). You can use food stamps to purchase food from local grocery stores that accept them (majority of places do) or you can use the money you receive from General Assistance to purchase the food. In the UK you can seek assistance through your local council to see what is available or what you’re eligible for. In other countries, social assistance programs involving cash may or may not be available.
If for some reason you’re unable to get approved for any social programs like these in the USA, there are shelters, soup kitchens, or churches in every single major city that provide free food every day for the homeless. If you’re in a smaller-sized town, these types of places may be scarce.
You should first check with churches or religious organizations by calling them up and asking if they provide any type of assistance for those in need. If not, your best bet is to get to a larger city any way you know how.
Sleeping Bag or Blankets
Anyone homeless and sleeping outside should have a sleeping bag or some type of blanket. I recommend sleeping bags over comforters and blankets because they do a better job at keeping you warm, plus many of them are made out of materials that help keep moisture out in wet weather.
Many homeless shelters or charity organizations offer sleeping bags or blankets for free, so you should always first check the area by calling as many organizations as you can and asking if they provide these or know of any groups that do. Sometimes churches and religious organizations provide these as well. If you must purchase a sleeping bag, you can pick one up at any large retail store (Walmart, Target, etc.) or at just about any sporting goods store.
Prices will often be cheaper at retail stores like Walmart, however, they probably won’t have as many options as sporting goods stores. When choosing which type of sleeping bag you’ll need, you should always go with one that can keep you warm in all temperatures. For this reason, sleeping bags normally have temperature ratings on them and indicate what seasons they’re appropriate for. Some may say “1 season” or “4 seasons” on them, while others may indicate the temperature rating such as “-40 degrees”.
Sometimes the sleeping bags that accommodate the lower temperatures are hard to find and it’s unlikely that you’ll find these in Walmart or Target if you’re not in a weather that regularly sees snow and freezing temperatures.
You’ll often need to visit a sporting goods store for these or order them online if you have someone’s address you can use to receive the package and can have it expedited. Sleeping bags rated for -20 degrees are more than enough for most people who are not in freezing temperatures.
As far as season-rated bags, those that are “4 seasons” are rated for all seasons normally including freezing temperatures in winter. 3 season-rated bags are often enough for the majority of people in areas where it doesn’t get too cold at night. Another thing to keep in mind is the length of the bag.
I’m a very tall person and have found that many sleeping bags are not suited for me because my upper body and head often stick out more than I prefer. So you’ll want to check the length of the bag if you’re a tall person and bags that offer some type of cover for your head are preferable for most people. Not only can it help keep your head warm, but can offer a bit of privacy, considering people may be walking past you if you’re sleeping on the streets.
Tent
Most homeless people prefer to sleep in tents, rather than just on a sleeping bag or blanket under the stars. Tents can offer a small bit of privacy and a sense of safety, even if the safety they provide is minimal. I had no tent when I first ended up on the streets, and it wasn’t until a few months later that I finally acquired one. Once I did have one, I felt it was a major step up from what I had been dealing with because I felt less exposed to both the elements and strangers walking past me in the middle of the night.
If you don’t have money to purchase a tent, you may want to inquire at both local shelters and churches in your area and ask if they have any resources for you to acquire one. I knew a Morman man who went to his local church and they provided him with a tent, in addition to letting him camp on their property at night.
Similar to sleeping bags, tents can be somewhat inexpensive if you purchase them at retailers such as Walmart and Target, and you may want to start with a rather small one at first because you don’t want to bring too much attention to yourself by irritating local businesses with a massive tent that takes up a good area of the sidewalk or area you’re at.
When I was homeless, I had a tiny tent that I had to sleep diagonally in because I’m a very tall person and it was the only way I could sleep at night with my legs extended. Another guy who was sleeping near me had a massive 8-man tent that I felt was attracting too much negative attention towards our encampment because it was too large to pack up and hide each day, so many saw it during daytime hours.
So this is something to keep in mind, as you not only want to be polite to the community around you when homeless, but also to be able to hide your tent during the day so nobody steals it or vandalizes it while you’re away.
Insulation
If you’re in an environment that can get cold (even a little chilly), you’re going to need some form of insulation. When sleeping on the ground, particularly concrete, it can get very cold because your body will absorb the cold temperatures of the ground below you.
Have you ever walked on the road barefoot on a hot day? If so, then you would have noticed how it can burn your feet because the concrete is so hot. Even though other objects and materials like trees, soil, and grass don’t feel as hot when sitting out in the sun. Concrete absorbs and retains temperatures and the same goes for cold temperatures. Your body also absorbs temperatures, so sleeping on concrete at night will feel much colder than if you were simply standing or sleeping on other materials at night.
This is why insulation is an absolute must-have when sleeping outside. It’s the main reason you see so many homeless people sleeping on cardboard or building their shacks out of cardboard. It isn’t always that they prefer cardboard over tents, or that they prefer to sleep on cardboard instead of bedding or blankets. It’s because the cardboard acts as a perfect insulator between their bodies and the ground beneath them. It prevents the cold temperatures from reaching their bodies.
Clothing
The type of clothing you’ll need when homeless can vary, depending on the location you’re at. Obviously, if you’re in colder temperatures you’re going to want to dress warm with lots of long sleeve clothing and any thermal jackets you can get. This should go without saying.
If you’re in an area with hot weather during the day, it’s also obvious that you’re going to want to wear clothes that will keep you cool during the day. Keep in mind that the more you sweat, the more quickly your clothes will become dirty and you’ll have to visit a laundromat. Doing your laundry when homeless can be a hassle because of having to find a laundromat and spending money.
Some shelters do offer services to wash and dry clothes, but this is extremely rare, so you’re unlikely to come across any that do. Now when it comes to hot weather, you don’t want to underdo it in terms of what clothing you have available. Many places that are hot during the day get extremely cold at night. Los Angeles, for example, can be very chilly at night, although temperatures during the day can be scorching hot.
Any area that has desert climates will be like this, so you’ll always want to have some type of jacket or long sleeve clothing with you. Anything that is more waterproof is better as well. So you’ll probably want to pack a windbreaker or any type of jacket that has some sort of material that doesn’t absorb water as quickly as cloth.
Income
Income, or some source of money coming in, is obviously helpful if you can come by any. As I mentioned previously, those in the United States can apply for General Assistance (sometimes called General Relief or other names depending on the state).
However, you may need to use this for food or for other resources and may want your own income coming in so you can save money each month to use towards renting a room or an apartment eventually. In addition to looking for a regular job, you can do some things online to make money (assuming you can visit a library and use the computers there for a few hours), such as Amazon Mturk or other similar programs.
Some homeless people collect cans and bottles and turn these in for cash in certain states that offer redemption programs, though this can often take a very long time or not be worth the effort for some.
Any creative ways you can think of will help as well, so that you don’t have to suffer the shame of having to panhandle or beg for money, which many homeless people refuse to do, including myself. Income is normally one of the last things you’ll need to figure out when homeless because your two most basic necessities (shelter and food) can be taken care of at least for the first week or so without money.
But you’ll want to network with other homeless people, talk to them and try to figure out how they are making money. Many people living on the streets have their own creative ways of making money each month, even if it’s just enough to put a little bit away every few weeks.
Library Access
As a homeless person, access to the library will probably be one of your most important necessities. If you happen to have a cell phone with internet access, then it may not be quite as crucial for you as it is for others. At the time I was on the streets, I had no phone and even if I did, I still would have needed to use the library for other things. For one, the library can be a good place to go when it rains and when you have nowhere else to go.
The computers and Wi-Fi that many libraries offer can make looking for a job and other resources much easier than simply asking others or walking around. Also, simply reading books at the library about ways to improve your life can offer a much needed picker-up when you’re feeling down.
I was making small amounts of money on the internet when I was homeless which helped me get by many months and purchase supplies and things I needed, rather than having to apply for general relief aid or other sources of social welfare.
I was lucky in this regard. I mainly used the library for their Wi-Fi because I had a laptop with me when homeless, but I also sometimes checked out books there and read them on the streets at night. I read the bible and about Buddhism, even though I’m not a religious person. I read the Dialogues of Plato and learned about Socrates. This helped lift my spirits when I was depressed, and I actually found some inner strength in myself by reading these books.
I’m not saying that everybody will be affected this way, but reading and learning new things when homeless can open up your perspective on your situation. You may find topics of interest that help improve your outlook on your situation, help you to better cope with things, or even to possibly develop some skills that will help you once you’re back on your feet.
I also read books on how to build websites and how to do wholesale importing of products, which actually did give me some knowledge that I didn’t have before. This was one way to pass the time at night when I had no TV or other things outside to occupy my time.