Reading for the feral

Dwelling Portably is a zine that makes The Accidental Hermit look like GQ. This publication is for the true downscalers, the permanent campers, freeconomists and intentional bums.

For a long time Dwelling Portably has been the Sasquatch of zines, often mentioned and occasionally photographed but rarely seen in real life. One reason for this is that it has no net presence, for almost thirty years it has consisted of a few sheets of paper with typewritten text and occasional line drawings. To get a copy you had to send money to a P.O. box.

Microcosm publishing has now collected back issues and released them in rather handsome booklets. The typical contributors (and the editors) live in semi-permanent camps in wilderness areas, survive by foraging and buying foodstuffs in bulk, and travel occasionally to town for the odd money-paying job and to pick up mail. There is more information here on building with tarps and plastic sheets than most would have thought was ever put into print.

Occasionally the tips and suggestions come from Crazyland. There's one piece about recycling condoms I wish I hadn't read. But for the most part this is a beacon of staunch sanity.