Advice for a female climber that wants to dirt bag it on her own?

If you are indeed a woman ask yourself a question : what basic things can I do without? Shower, skin and hair care, dental care...the basic things. Working while "dirtbagging" gives you choices and allows you to continue being a woman.

Faced with some situations I thought " I did not come to this country to feel deprived of things even though I pursue climbing" I dont ever see myself living like a dirtbag in this country of opportunities. No matter how little you make a job is better than no job...if you make a good impression you may expect to be rehired next time you are in the area.

Liberty wrote:If you are indeed a woman ask yourself a question : what basic things can I do without? Shower, skin and hair care, dental care...the basic things. Working while "dirtbagging" gives you choices and allows you to continue being a woman.

Bring a super comfy chair. Being on the road for a long time you'll miss a good place to sit and chill for the evening. Pick nick tables are fine for about a week and then you start to hate them. A good chair takes up WAY too much space but is seriously worth it.

Whenever you're in a campground and see people in tents that aren't from Wal-Mart you should go say hi. Odds are they'll be stoked to hear what you're up to and may have a spare beer.

My biggest "security" tip - don't sticker your car.

Ignore the fearmongers - human beings always try to rationalize the ways they choose to live, that's just the way it is. I just wanted to add a couple of practical things to what's already been said:

1) get a smart phone (if you don't have one already) - so you can check weather, MP.com database, driving directions and do online banking. Cell phones, btw, are a great security tool - not only you're can call for help, phone cameras are a great crime deterrent. When I lived in NYC, I would pretend I was talking on the phone with someone when walking alone at night on empty streets. Also, if you don't own a Kindle, you can get an app on your phone - it's not the best to read from, but it's something if you run out of reading material;

2) banking: get an account with a bank that preferably has branches nationwide (Chase, BofA or Wells Fargo), make sure they have a mobile app for making deposits, if you can't find your bank ATM - don't worry, I mostly do cashback when buying groceries;

3) get the most comfortable bedding for your setup: thermarests are only good for a week or so. Exped mats are nice but are expensive, you can sometimes find a 3-inch foam pad in Home depot for around $30. Blowup air mattresses are not very practical - a) they don't fit in small irregular spaces like cars and b) they're frikkin cold - if you bring one make sure to put something insulating on top like a thermarest when it's cold. Make sure to bring a nice pillow and a comforter too (to sleep under when it's warm and to top your sleeping bag when it's cold). Real cotton sheets and towels are nice too if you're living on the road (the packable nylon towels are only good for short periods on the road);

4) bring a yoga mat.

I'm a big fan of yoga pants as well.

Just pick an area that is popular and social, head there, meet some great people, climb, laugh, have campfires, live the dream, and don't worry about it. Climbers are social, you'll meet great people and they'll show you the ropes. Before you know it you'll be an expert, saving cardboard cups for free refills, burritoing everything from the pot of who knows what but damn it's good, and mastering the fine art of taping gobies. The only warning I would give you is too think before you take the leap. If you're like many people I know you may find it was the best choice you've ever made, that the road life is the good life, and spend the rest of your days figuring out how you can get back out on the next trip! Yikes!

Off the top of my head:

- A really good sleeping bag. Cold nights suck in a crappy bag.
- A few more clothing layers than you think you'll need, you might need them
- Buy food on the way to the destination if it's a touristy spot, tourist grocery stores are a rip off
- Podcasts and audio books for the road
- Get the Mountain Project app for your phone. Comes in handy a lot.
- If you show up somewhere alone, beer and firewood will guarantee a warm welcome by many a campsite
- Take a towel, and Don't Panic!

Wylie wrote:Take a towel, and Don't Panic!

couchsurfers [dot.com] to break up the routine. My bad if it's been suggested already but I've hosted several.. all with good results.

Daryl Allan wrote:couchsurfers [dot.com] to break up the routine. My bad if it's been suggested already but I've hosted several.. all with good results.

Take up bird watching. You are going to be tired or partnerless sometimes in places with really awesome birds. I have had countless amazing non-climbing mornings and evenings bird watching while wandering among climbing areas. Also, then you will know when you are looking at a canyon wren or a cliff swallow, and what raptor just soared BELOW you when you are up on the walls. It will require buying binoculars and a bird guide, but I can nearly promise the investment will pay off. Of course, that is about the cost of one cam, and if you haven't built up much of a rack yet, you might be better off buying gear.

yet, again i'm not a female..... so i can't completely comment on certain safety issues, but..... depending on the size of you car, a bouldering pad can double as a pretty damn comfy mattress.... its going to take you a month or two to really get used to sleeping out and living in the dirtbag fashion. Trust your instincts. If your brain says, "danger danger" when on the road, follow that instinct, move on, find a better spot to camp. Check in with someone you know every couple of days if possible, it creates a map of where you have been, and where your heading, for general locations to help you out if anything did happen to you.

I would really recommend squamish as an area to strive for on your trip. cascades are awesome in the summer too. No offense but i think that our locals up in the NW will be less "simple" than many of the locals in the SE of the country. (i know its a generalization, but one ive made from personal observation.) umm, devils lake wisconsin is great, friendly area, (but not many climbers in wisconsin) almost everything can be TR'd, thus you can solo TR when you can't find a buddy. (learn to solo TR and dial it in)

Be confident, make everyone think you've got a card up your sleave when you get in a sketchy situation. (avoid sketchy situations.) finding a climbing partner is going to be a lot easier on females, than males..... your better off there.... use message boards, find partners, ask if you can bivy in their backyards, or know of good spots to stealth camp. remember you own forestry lands, and BLM lands, use this to your advantage. (free camping)

I've used an ENO hammock to sleep in for a few months at a time, get a camo tarp and sling your hammock 2ft off the ground with tarp over it and your almost invisible to anyone driving or walking by, unless they are looking for it. I've lived off of nutella, bagels and ramen and oats cooked in my jetboil. also get the french press for the jetboil..... nothing can bring cheer to a shitty sleepless cold night like a warm bowl of oatmeal and a hot cup of coffee in the morning.