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I have a question about the fishing kit. Are you sure it was used for hand fishing? The reason I ask is when I was a kid My grandmother used to tell me about when they were kids they would get a piece of string and tie it on the end of a stick usually a cane pole if one was available. It makes fishing a whole lot easier it also makes 6 to 8 ft of line go a lot further. It's actually the perfect amount. All you have to do is hold your pole up over the water and lower it until your hook and bobber is in the water and you can sit there on the shore and relax until you get a bite and when you do it's as simple as lifting the stick up out of the water in the fish comes with it. Seems to me like these guys with know all about that. Especially if everyone back then was fishing like that anyway. My grandmother was born in 1908 so that's how they were fishing probably in the late teens and early 1920s. I'm pretty sure that's how my great-grandparents fished as well considering when they died they had cane fishing poles that my grandmother kept. It just seems like hand fishing is hard work compared to tying the string on a stick. The stick is way easier on your hand and way more convenient. Of course you have to keep it where the stick doesn't throw a shadow over where your bait is, and you don't want to move it around a lot. But that is true of modern fishing as well. I was just wondering, I know a lot of bushcrafters are always making little hand fishing kits, I've made them too. But I'll tell you using a stick can be awful relaxing and pretty Elementary. And Kane is pretty common around a lot of fishing areas here in the states. Have you heard anything about that? I know you do a lot of reading and have done a lot of research, I mean I'm sure a lot of people did hand fish as well. It is easy enough, although it can be rough on your hands. It's also fair to note that like your example they used a braided line not the modern fishing line that would really cut into someone's hand.
@@Eidolon1andOnly the way our country is going, you might better pay attention to these hobo films. We might be doing that crap ourself just to feed our families before it's all over. Clearly we have not learned from the mistakes of our past
@@Eidolon1andOnly another spoiler alert is the title is in the thumbnail. If you don't like it don't watch it. There'll be other things you're interested later on if you hate hobos so much.
If you had freight train riding experience, you would have credibility. I challenge you to bring all that crap, your bindle, your cook kit and all your other "hobogear" with you and actually hop a train. What are you waiting for?
The great depression brought on widespread property, hobo is just a term... But they were pretty much poor traveling workers looking for a job. A lot of them drink and that carried issues... but most people are good in general soo. Most of them weren't bad people
My Grandfather, who was a young man, during the depression, had empathy and respect for Hobos. As he told me, when i was young, there's a difference, between a Hobo and a Bum. He was visiting with a Hobo once, and gave him some money to help him out, the Hobo gave him a silver Hat pin, in return. My Grandfather wore that pin in his hat, till the day he died.
Love your channel. I'm 74 and remember my uncle Bill Telling me about riding the rails. The hobo jungles and all the little tidbits of info that you bring up .He taught us a song from the day called HOBO BILL . Started with.,RIDIN ON AN EAST BOUND FREIGHT TRAIN SPEEDING THROUGH THE NIGHT 2:19
Well done again,when I was young my parents befriended a musician named Jesse Fuller, I remember he would sing us kids songs,one song I remember was the monkey and the engineer, he rode the rails. Check him out,thanks again
James, I really like that hobo fishing kit. You should consider doing a hobo fishing episode on your channel. Small creek with a little moving water and some deeper pools. Make shift fishing pole and your hobo fishing kit. Even take it a step further to include a basic shore lunch featuring the catch of the day all fried up. Just a thought… thank you for continuing to share this hobo series with us.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, growing up used to know this guy named Walter Bohannon. He was an old-timer from before World War II and his brother Decatur and him were some of the well-known that like to fish up in the park where nobody hardly ever went. They would take a sack of taters, find some wild ramps along the way, catch some trout. They would be clean beside the mountain stream and a flat slate Rock would be found and placed on top of two of the rocks where they would build a fire underneath and cook that fish and eat it, along with the potatoes and ramps right there beside the streams. If you've ever heard of The Heartland Series from TV, hosted by Bill Landry, they actually did a show on those guys and it was called "Gone Fishin". You can probably still find it on RU-vid.
My grandfather (born at the end of the 19th century, but ineligible for WW1 as an only son farmhand) carried his money in a leather drawstring bag he called his purse. He always had several hundred dollars in folded bills. If he saw a bull or a truck or a load of logs for sale, he could buy it on the spot without having to get into town and convince a banker to let him withdraw from his account. That deal might be gone by the time he could get back.
I always thought Hobos were bums, or homeless. Your content has educated me of an era I didn’t understand. You obviously have done your homework and research to bring us these great videos! Thank you.
Some men were veterans who'd fallen on harm times or couldn't return to civilian life, even a decade after the war. There were none of the veterans programs or pensions we know today. Same issues of readjustment, similar circumstances.
I'm glad this has fixed the societal programming the rich have given you to see the impoverished as lesser. Spare a quarter now and then, will you? It can go a long way.
Our high-school cheerleaders used to lead the football / basketball etc. in: "2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits, a dollar ... all for the (team name) stand up and holler"!
It's from all the way back in the days of the use of spanish reales as currency, and they would oftentimes be cut to make purchases of less than the value of the reale coins. ( the pieces of eight from all the pirate stuff) 2 bits was a quarter of a reale and that carried over into the days of American silver coins. ( quarter of a dollar = two bits)
My grandfather went through the Depression, and talked about hobos, and how they would feed them, and let them sleep in the barn. They also carried cards and dice, and knew a variety of games. It was a rough time back in the Depression..
I have one of those dollars, mine is from 1922. I used to carry a lot of the same stuff when I was homeless a few years ago, wore an old M65 army coat that got dubbed my hobo coat because of all the pockets it had. And something my father drilled into my head from when I was a kid... never leave the house without your wallet, a pen, a pocket knife, and a handkerchief/bandana.
I’ve really been enjoying your series about hobos and other time periods for survival. History has always interested me. I’m in my fifties but had parents who were children in the Great Depression so some of your context matches up with things they remembered. Antiques are another interest so I enjoy seeing all the items from the early 1900s that you show.
This Chanel is so interesting! Thank you so much for all you do ! As a kid in the 70s living close to the tracks, I indeed did contemplate on how the people riding the rails survived and lived.
It's rather interesting that some of the pocket items are included in the 10 essentials for hiking/backpacking. The late writer Louis La'amour also rode the rails as a hobo around the 1930's and used some of his own experiences in his books. If you haven't already done so...I recommend that you read his book " Education of a wandering man" it's his autobiography from that time.
Very thought-provoking, James, thank you. Today's minimalist nomad pocket contents might vary, but we can all take a few notes from the hobos' pages. Peace. 💖
50 years a hobo. Going by just what you got in your pockets vs a bindle or back pack was called streamlining. You should make a full length " movie " on the daily life of a 1930s hobo. Documentary. Maybe start by showing a freight train going by slowly, then to a shot on a siding with a hobo getting off a boxcar. Walks down the tracks to a " jungle " showing the set ups of another hobo. Then perhaps a chat with the other hobo about the town and work. Can do a lot of showing off with the skills you learned. Sort of a " Day in The Life " story of a old time hobo.
@@WayPointSurvival it’s like portraying a ww2 instructor, two big things Americans did in the 1940s was jingle their change and younger folks chewed gum all the time.
I was told the name 'Hobo' is short for "homebound' .. like in the hiking world, south bound hikers are called 'sobo' and north bounds are 'nobos'. Mabye just trying to hitch a ride 'Homebound"... Love the channel!
I don't know if my grandfather considered himself a Hobo or not but he and a friend at around 13 years of age set out from the mountains of North Carolina to California riding rhe rails ithink around rhe 1900''s. He passed away before i was born so this was information from my aunt but i sure wish i could gave hear some adventures from him.
This is truly one of the most FASCINATING RU-vid channels! The beef tallow candle was something I did not know! The patina on that hawk bill is so beautiful! A hobo pocket check is truly something I never thought would entertain me, but here we are! And I’m thoroughly entertained. Love your videos! Thanks so much for the amazing videos!
Very interesting video, I didn't know a hobo at that time can be so prepared for various activities at various scenarios. Nowadays, however, I think a cellphone will replace about half of items you have listed, such as change pocket, candle, note pad, watch; but not other items like knife and fishing gear. Thank you for your video, very entertaining!
One thing about that pocket watch, to make sure you don't wear out the latch for the lid you should hold the button while you close it. My father taught me that when I was young and I make sure to do that every time I handle a pocket watch.
This video is simply outstanding! I've been a subscriber for some time, but thia actually made me want to support your channel even more! I've already recommended it to all my friends. I'm an avid student of history but I also appreciate classic, handmade everyday items. I wish this format of video could be expanded beyond just the hobo series - I'd love to see pocket dumps through the decades: from the 1880s Old West (or perhaps even earlier, like Civil War) through the early 1900s, depression era, and through and after WW2. I hope you consider making that! Thank you again, amazing job!
I like your channel and your tips, they take me back to that brief time that I was homeless. While my tactics were slightly different but still moral, I still enjoy your advice.
Great video. Reminds me of my Grandparent's generation. Looks like they had most of the 10 c's, less a container, compass, sew kit, and perhaps a poncho. They had common sense and outdoors wisdom! Thank you.
My Grandad was also a hobo although the name wasn't used here in the UK. In the Great Depression in the 1930s he used to cycle around the West of England (Shropshire and Worcestershire mostly) looking for work. They didn't have waterproof ponchos back then but he had an oilskin cape such as those sailors used to wear, and an oilskin hat called a sou'wester. I remember him telling me how on at least one occasion he'd slept in the rain cross legged under a tree with his back to the trunk, with his cape and sou'wester keeping him dry. Also once how he'd slept on a big pile of gravel left for road workers.
I always enjoy your videos, and look forward to the next one. The coins were an excellent addition. What you could buy for a 1.80 back then. SMH. Stay safe sir.🙏🇺🇸🙏🇺🇸
Love your videos before but these hobo videos are fantastic, very interesting and informative they’ve become some of my favourite videos well done mate
I knew there was a good reason for liking cargo pants. Small but very useful items are only useful when you have them at hand. Pockets are way more convenient when walking longer distances. +A for this video.
Interesting, I hadn't thought to connect the Depression Era hoboes to survival techniques. Very interesting and informative. I'm not a hobo but I've done some extended trips in the backcountry where it was necessary to take along anything you might need. Appreciate the importance of the knife but the stone is critical too, and too often omitted. The fishing kit is also nicely done, a very useful bit of gear that could be assembled largely from repurposed discards by a resourceful person. And if there was wood or brush about to cut a pole (willows are common around water) you could extend your range and have a better tool to land the fish. Your choices here are all on the money but I think a lot of hoboes found a way to carry needle and thread, too. BTW, two bits is a quarter. A bit was a reference to pieces of eight, the practice of splitting dubloons into eight pieces for commercial convenience. So two bits would be a quarter of a dubloon and by extension a quarter of a dollar. Thanks for the fun and useful video.
Thank you a great start to my day. I carry almost the exact same stuff only my candle stub is a small torch my cord is bank line my knife a Swiss army piece and my writing chalk is a ball point pen.
another interesting vid! Also, some hobo's would carry small musical instruments like a harmonica or what was called a "hobo fiddle". These guys were quite interesting and were cut from a different cloth than the rest of us. Thanks for a great vid!
love your page. Just wondering if there will be anymore added to the series of when you set out to build your cabin for your family and stayed in an abandaned wigwam. The last one I saw was when you finaly made it back home to your family. Looking forward to hopefuly seeing more to that series.
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