Hobo Bindle! [ What's In It? ] 

I'm glad you clarified what a hobo really was. I knew because my grandfather told me he was one during the great depression. He would ride the rails looking for work. Most people today have absolutely no idea. He was a hard working man and made a good life for himself. He learned a trade and started his own business raised a family.

When I was a boy (back in the 50's) we had a Hobo who showed up twice a year. He knew where we lived, and we always enjoyed seeing him. He had lots of stories for a young boy to thrive on. I did not know until I was an adult this man was an ex-Marine who fought in WW1, as did my dad. My father had invited him to the house, and they were actually quite friendly toward one another. Daddy extended that invitation because they were both Marines. Fond memories for me now. I am afraid those kinds of days are long gone. Never knew what happened to him. He just quit coming.

A true connoisseur of historic Hobo culture.

My grand dad called Hobos bindle stiffs. He saw and helped out a few coming from Oklahoma to California. They were very resourceful. Ultimate survivalist.

cartoons taught me what would be in these was a half loaf of brown bread, a triangular wedge of cheese, and a green apple. Really cool to see all the actual stuff they would have been carrying!

Being a very seasoned citizen I remember the different classes including the kings of the road and pensioners from the rail road who only made at best $60.00 a month. They taught me many skills under railroad bridges and along the river. I still have my old fashion fire kit in a Prince Albert can.

I DO need to read about it, as I met some of those guys when I was younger. One of my best friends while he was alive rode the rails during the Depression. Later he was in the 101st Airborne all the way from Normandy until Austria and liberated a Concentration Camp. The most good brother would talk about any of the WWII experiences. He would NOT talk about riding the rails! I miss the old fellow. I was a late teen and he was in his 70s...

I really enjoy all the Hobo series episodes. I find the life style of the Hobo interesting. Anywhere they could hang their hat they could sleep and call it home.

I think it's very important that you brought up the fact that they lived and worked near the railroad.

I didn't think that there would be that many items in there. What a Suprise.

Yes, they used to differentiate between "Gentlemen of leisure" and "Gentlemen of the road" in the UK. Am a big fan of using bandanas to wrap up Billy cans. So many uses. I'm very impressed most of your items look like they're from the era. My first fixed blade was very similar to that one, probably about tenth hand, made in Sheffield and was incredibly easy to keep sharp. Wish I still had it.

This video brought a smile to my face and many wonderful memories of my great Aunt Lydia. Specifically the story her son [my second cousin] told about the sheriff finding him at work one day and telling him there was a marked path from the RR tracks to his back door. He was asked if he wanted to take down the markers and told the sheriff ''No, Mama will just walk down there and bring them home to feed them. Besides that I have not raked leaves, mowed grass, trimmed hedges or chopped wood in a long time and the fence has a new coat of white wash. This is a true story and took place after WWII.

Nice set up. I tried to make one of these as a kid, which is when the internet was just for colleges or governments and no home PCs. Anyway I would read what they carried but I couldn't find a handkerchief that would do the job. It wasn't til the late 90s I learned they were the size of a scarf. That is why people like Kephart wrapped hi torso with a silk one for warmth at night. Get a cowboy rag and you have one that can do the job. That is why these videos are important, you couldn't find information like this whe I was young and not to easy to get today.

I got a couple of those retro "church key" can openers based on your recommendation. They are superb for craft projects like making stoves and re-heaters.

Can you do a video on a modern hobo pack? Maybe for different seasons.

Thanks for making this. My grandfather who died a few years back aged 104 told me that if he'd not had a family he would have loved to have been a Hobo hopping the Train in the US .

Great post. I love the Americana living history. Thank you so much for bringing this to us. I love it best wishes

You told us you played that harmonica and that reminded me i had one so thanks to you i'm trying to play it again.

I was surprised at how much you were able to fit in that. God bless and stay safe.

What an awesome video! It brought back a lot of memories. I forgot the entire joke, but there was something about Prince Albert in a can. Thank you for the old-time memories. God bless love from Colorado.

That was awesome James! That old school can opener was an amazing touch, just the history of that one little piece would be all worth the while! Thanks for making this, the hobo series is outstanding. Take care my friend and God bless you and yours!!

Best bushcraft cup ever. I have one of thoes I got from my mother. Gotta love it

Interesting video James , thanks for sharing , God bless brother !

Hey James. I've got an old pair of Boy Scout aluminum pliers I carry with my cook set. One of the handles has a J hook for the end of the handle, and its used if a T format for lifting Dutch ovens and other pots. This might be a useful mod for your hobo pliers on the other end. Cheers.

my god that bindle is straight out of doctor who!! 😳 all that stuff in there! hobo's must have been master packers! everything necessary to survive but nothing extra! they basically founded (possibly!) todays EDC bag layouts in a way, plus they were doing the olde version of a bugout i guess, but to work not SHTF scenario (they'd probably survive longer than most either way!) most interesting! being in the uk hobo's didnt exist (to my knowledge!) we had tramps and vagabonds (unsure of the spelling!) but they may have been the uk version of hobo's! anyway, thanks for an interesting video (i cant think of any that arent!) i was wondering, do you ever have bloopers on these vids that you dont show? they may be fun to add at the end of the video if you so dare to! 😊

A note on bandanas. Standard bandanas are 22” square. However typically for between $1-$2 additional you can purchase 27” square bandanas. Same manufacturers. Same colors. Same patterns. The extra 5 inches all the way around substantially increases the utility of the piece of cloth. It’s amazing how significantly. ALSO: if you play paintball, Air Soft or otherwise train in environments where infrared technology/optics are in use 🚨wash those bandanas separately w/o using laundry detergent🚨American laundry detergents all have whiteners in their formulas that glow like Caspar the Friendly Ghost when viewed through I.R. (infrared) Obviously this applies to field garb, rifle slings, packs -everything. Utilities washed in Tide, Gain et al are no longer safe/advisable for any tactical applications. God bless. Proverbs 27:12

Have a beautiful week

Red Skelton doing Freddie the Freeloader was always humorous and never hurtful to anyone. James, you are 100% correct. The picture of a Hobo most folks carry in their minds is very far from the reality of truth. This is a wonderful video. Thank you for posting.

I literally just got a church key today. American made super sturdy for a quarter 😅😅 And I was wanting a video of things that are different for survival uses etc. Thanks James

Barlow knifes were classics back in the day.

Excellent video! Very informative, you gained a subscriber from New Zealand! Keep em' coming! :)

Can you elaborate on this culture more please. Thanks

You just kept pulling stuff out of that bundle. Great load out on it.

Greetings James, I enjoy this series of hobo ... I would love to see a story line like the pioneer it would be very interesting see you play out a mini series...

That prince Albert can brings back memories,I had one filled with odds n ends,it was most sought after by kids,this was before altoids tins

I said it before but I love that hat great video God bless you brother

That was great James! That's the kind of stuff I love! Thanks!

Fun video, thanks James!

Excellent. Great education for the life on the at the time.

Really keen James! I like seeing again the old tins; nostalgic. Done with obvious pleasure. Thanks!

I've thoroughly enjoyed your hobo series. There's nothing like it on the rest of youtube. Thanks so much for your research and content.

Great video! After seeing each of those individual tools, I've gotta say, thank God for the Leatherman WAVE+! 😁😁😁

Thanks, James, I absolutely love these hobo videos! 🙏

Awesome! Thank you.

a bar of curd soap would be a good addition, you can not only wash yourself with it, you can also use it to shave

Thanks James. This is great.

Thank you. I always enjoy historical stuff. Also I can’t believe all that stuff fit into that bandanna!

I have said this before on one of your 1800's videos I just love your explanations and your demonstrations on the various subjects.

Excellent!

Now that is very interesting, thank you. Looks like they carried just what they needed.

You always have the best information in your videos.

What happened to the videos about the guy trying to get to the great Ohio country.......... please share links if there's more, cause I can't find it anywhere...... me and my boys love watching those....... oh yea, thanks so much for making them, and PLEASE CONTINUE SO......... we love your channel brother!

I had to go back and look for the coffee video. ☕ I couldn't believe I had missed it. But then saw it was from a year ago and I don't think I've been subscribed that long. That's my story and I'm sticking to it hahaha. 😄 Time to binge watch some "missing" episodes. ✌

James, that bundle holds a lot of great items.. Ty for sharing

Really enjoyed this video! This James chap is a national treasure... or should be!

Very cool. Always been fascinated by the hobo way of life

I think maybe I posted this a while back on something else where you had the hobo stick. But the very last time I went trick-or-treating I was about 12 years old and I dressed as a hobo. Stick, red bandanna, rickety Old hat and a 5 o’clock stubble put all over my face with an eyebrow pencil. We was “Po Folks”. But apparently we had moved up a little bit in the world because I remember my first Halloween costume was a paper bag with eye holes cut out. 🤣

Thanks for researching that and sharing. I bet a lot of people during that time had very little and had to move around looking for any work they could get.

thank you James is very useful for EDC , a kid with simple and cheap tools , i see yoy later be fine

Would be good to see you doing a hobo camp out like Kenith did. Great little kit.

Thank you for that info.

another great video! thanks for making it, love the hobo vids!

This Is Awesome, Thanks for sharing!!!💯💯💯🤙✌

When my Dad was a young man he and my Papa used to follow the wheat harvest from Texas to Canada and come back home with money during the depression. Papa used to work for the railroad. He got his gold watch after his stroke and so that is how they made money + his pension. Growing up dad would peel the label off the can and put it on the stove but serve it in the bowl. (While my mom is giving birth at the hospital, Army, overseas) What a life I have been blessed with. What a ride. More to come! That is why your history is so important to your kids; the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful.

Another Amazing Video James and Thanks For Teaching and Sharing Some History My Friend! God Bless and Be Safe.

😊interesting. Thanks for sharing this 😊

una maravilla de kit Hobo. felicitaciones. gracias muchas gracias por mantener con vida la cultura HOBO. Respeto y saludos desde Colombia Sur America. estudio mucho el arte de la supervivencia.

Thank you, very nice history lesson, and very interesting.

Thank you for this verry interesting and informativ video! I think it is good to learn how they manage it in former times to be prepared. With the best wishes from Germany!

Thank YOU. I always wondered what was in that thing 👍🏻

Good video! I remember hobos, yea, I'm old

oh man! I'm really enjoying your style! :)

Love your videos! Those needle nose slips are a rareity, it seems, nowadays. Fiskars does not look like they make them anymore. If anyone else wants a pair like I did, I saw at Lowe's, the Kobalt brand, looks the closest I've found (of course half on the rack were in bad shape from the factory, so finding a good pair was key).

This was fun

Very good.

Another great video. Binge watching to get caught up from the time I was away

Thx always wondered bout the bindlr n hobos.

There's a hobo called shoestring on RU-vid , you two need to meet up and do a video together. He rides the rail's and could go from Alaska to your house quicker than you can fly.

Excellent video Keep up the great work you .

Thx for this nice Video.very interresting and Shows simple get around EDC decades before Out time👍👍👍👍

Good interesting video! I had talked to some old guys many years ago that talked about hoboeing trains during the depression! You look like Red Skelton there!

Fantastic video

I really like your hobo videos

I love the videos you do on the history of Americana....

Almost wants one to be a hobo. Thanks Jimmy!

There was an episode of the Andy Griffith show where a hobo played by Buddy Ebsen was idolized by Opie until Andy convinced the hobo to move on after disillusioning Opie. People nowadays can romanticize just about anything. Read "Down and Out in Paris and London" by George Orwell if you want a glimpse of what it was really like to be poor back in the day.

Thanks for helping to dispel the myths about hobo life. I'm in my mid-seventies and I was taught to read hobo sign by one of the bo's. Like many others my folks both grew up in straightened circumstances during the Depression so they understood why people were still on the road.

Tina "two tooth" from a homeless encampment outside Scottsdale (an upper-class encampment with a latte machine and panini station) told me know one calls it a bindle. No one. They are now called a 'Mobile Home Bag'. Wooden sticks have long been replaced by 'selfie I-phone poles' that record all of their daily occurrences...even at times of constitutional release. She said (and was backed up by Bed Bug Bill and his friend Hector Hemmoroid) that pillow cases are the norm for carrying stuff. B.O. Bob said "doo-rag bags are a clear give-away that narcs are infiltrating our camp". The Scottsdale homeless hold a filet mignon night every Tuesday for newcomers. But do not show up with a doo-rag on a stick as you will scream "narco" to them and what you will be served is rat steak. It is indeed strange to encounter homeless folks like these that drive Lexus and Prius...but it is Scottsdale! Plus their charitably works of raising money for older people (Diapers for those of Decades) is very popular. It showcases an adult diaper that several people can share and wear. They were featured in an article in Forbes called "Share The Load ". They explain how excrement can be an excellent fire starter when dried...especially if Taco Bell has been part ot their diet in the last 2 weeks. If they used 'Diablo Sauce' at any time the fire will roar (and smell) but will create a great campfire. Lazy Larry Limp Leg expressed " You say 'bindle' to me...I know you're poser! " Well, I didn't mean to stir them up but wow are they livid! Yes the men there wear $90 ties and the women sport Gucci purses but they have pride!! Why would you embarrass them with doo-rag stick bag content?? Many of them are leaving camp and taking a room at the Marriott because of the embarrassment! Do you feel no shame?

A wonderful video of turn of the century Americana... Question for ya bud. Have you put thought to a small mini series of "Hobo Life" ? Linda what you did with your pioneer settler videos? I'd watch!! :)

We might all be travelling workmen soon.

Great go through bud

I'm not sure where the "Sharpie" idea came from but, my grandfather brought home a Hobo Bindle when he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad as a Brakeman. Apparently, a hobo lost it running to catch a ride he suspected, and it held many of the things you showed with a couple of differences. Interestingly, no harmonica, but something called a thumb piano that you pluck tin strips of metal with your thumbs, a pair of tin snips were certainly there, but the old big scissors kind, also a wooden whistle, a Barlow knife, no bankline, but maybe 20 foot of jute twine in two or three hanks. There was also cork with a couple of needles with thread wrapped around the cork, a bar of soap in a tin box, a safety razor with a new box of blades. 70 cents in change, 15 of which were penny's, a wind up travel alarm clock, (the old fold up clamshell types), and yes, an old pair of wool socks and a pair of clean underwear that has seen its better days, (the band had been sewn back on in a few places) The bindle cloth was not a bandana, but what looked like a piece of old wax cotton cloth that was roughly about 2 and 1/2 foot square. Oh, and a piece of chalk board chalk.

I really enjoyed this video.

Nice

Great video

My great grandfather and my grandfather used to jump railroad track andbox bare-knuckle or with glove depending on the rule of the encampment /shantytown or spot

This is too cool. I immediately thought of cartoons that prominently feature some hobo-type character with a "bindle"

I enjoy your video

This is probably 10th I have seen this video. I think it would be interesting in what hobos carry today.

Thanks James I really wanted to see the tools o