Has anyone else ever lived on the road?

I used to love ultra lightweight hiking/walking. I would often go off and do long distance hikes/treks taking weeks to walk long distance footpath and trails in remote areas. Sometimes I would go alone, other times my partner would join me.

Then life changed, my partner had a major health scare and we realised we were in a rut. We were doing the same thing day in day out, week in week out, month in month out and so we decided that to shake things up. We went off on a week long survival course living off the land, and whilst there we started to think about how we could change our lives. We both cycled to and from work, myself everyday and my partner most days. It occurred to us that we could holiday with the bikes, actually using them for cover the distance and so a new plan began to hatch.

Our first cycle tour was a learning curve because although we already had the lightweight, minimalist approach to travelling that was essential when you had to carry it all, we now had to carry extra kit for the bikes, and we also had to learn much more about bike maintenance. Despite everything that happened on the first tour (15 punctures, a slashed tyre and seized brakes), we loved it and we were in love with it. We could cover much greater distances but we were still outdoors experiencing the weather, enjoying ourselves and going at a speed that allowed us to see nature, be part of it and also see more than when we were on foot. That first tour was just 12 night long, but we were able to cover over 1,000km and suddenly we were addicted to cycle touring.

Less than a year later, we had quit our jobs, sold everything we owned and set out to cycle around the world. We lived on the road for several years, camping anywhere we could, often not as legally as it might have been, and lived never knowing where we would be the next day. We loved every minute of it and met many other people who had done the same thing.

Has anyone else ever done anything similar? Have you ever lived on the road, not having a home to go back to?

 

I recently spoke with a guy, in his 40's, who is riding around the country on his bicycle, camping most of the time, apparently carrying everything he owns. He camped in my backyard for a few nights recently; I didn't meet him, being away at the time. I don't know his whole story, but I suspect he is very much like you!!

 

I am not the adventurous type so this kind of activity never appeals to me. Also I own a lot of stuff. I am a bit of a pack rat so living outdoors is not for me. I also like comfort such as light, air condition and a nice bed. Maybe I could try it for a few days but really I will always look forward to a nice bathroom where I can take a bath comfortably. I guess I would also be afraid of wild dogs or wolves nearby. I don't have any survival skills I can boast of so definitely living in the road is a difficult undertaking for me.