Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
Saw this posted on Facebook:
The ultimate picnic bike. I like the fact that it is a bar on wheels but you could also pack i full of less fun stuff like food, tools, spare parts, or other flat goodies. There could be some cross-wind issues but the location is low and centered in the frame. Good use of space.
I never really classed myself as a “nomad” when I was young and traveled a lot. It was more like I was just traveling to see things. I was fortunate. Though not wealthy, I was able to spend a lot of time in the American Midwest, camping and canoeing much of the Ozarks, bicycling southern California, and drifting around parts of Western Europe, even slipping into North Africa for some exciting adventures. By luck, my college career sent me back to Europe and my early career as an archaeologist lead me around the western United States into some pretty amazing little corners of wilderness I would never have seen otherwise.
With the far-sighted perspective of time, I can see than I have been on the move much of the time since I left high school. Being tethered to other, more sedentary people, gives a sense of having a base that may really be a false reality. Having let go of things has opened my eyes to the freedom that having few possessions can provide. It’s a big world out there, and it’s always an education to experience it.
Here’s another interesting documentary about modern American Nomads produced by BBC4 in 2011 based on the book by Richard Grant. They come from all walks of life and choose some very different paths; “Among them are retirees in RVs, teens hopping trains, hitchhikers and rodeo cowboys.” Check out his other books if you get a chance, they are certainly interesting reads.
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About the author:
Richard Grant is a British writer currently living in the Mississippi Delta. He is the author of three books, Crazy River: Exploration and Folly in East Africa (Free Press, 2011), God’s Middle Finger (Free Press, 2008),published in the UK as Bandit Roads, and American Nomads (Grove Press, 2003), published in the UK as Ghost Riders. In addition, he writes articles for magazines and newspapers, publishing regularly in the Telegraph magazine (UK), and Port. He is the writer, presenter and narrator of the television documentary American Nomads, broadcast on BBC4 in November 2011, and currently working on a documentary about tribal life in Ethiopia.
What can you even say? Click the pic for more info.
Hal in Oregon sent me some photos of his stick-built vardo. It is sheathed in house wrap and wood-sided with a metal roof. Sturdy looking simple design. So far, he’s spent about two weeks on it and the shell appears to be nearly complete. This is a link to the album with more photos but I’m not sure it’s public yet. Please let me know through the comments if this link does NOT work for you. In the meantime, here are some photos posted by his sister Jodie:
Here’s a nice open lot from Ireland.
Beautiful…all of it.
I hope its not TOO lame reblogging other people’s posts but this is just too ON TARGET. Check out his blogs.
Learning from the past is important and I sometimes think about this from a design perspective. Can we learn from old traditional designs, or techniques and apply them to modern design? Is all primitive design and technology inferior?
I believe that at the very least learning about old ways can provide us with food for thought, a comparison to our new directions and if necessary can inform any necessary adjustments to our course and design thinking.
External frame backpacks are interesting not only of their more versatile modularity, but also because the structural component of the pack is clearly visible and offers a great opportunity to any designer wanting to explore structural innovation. Designing compelling structural elements from diverse materials such as wood, aluminium, or even carbon fiber is something I think most designers live to do.
Every designer and their creativity draws from all forms of knowledge and inspiration…
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Derek Diedricksen at Relaxshacks.com is always good for some inspirational offbeat home ideas. Here’s a shot of the interior of a sheep wagon with a promise of more to come.
Click the photo for the original post.
Mike is finishing up his remarkable vardo in the great white north. He included a mollycroft in the roof which not only looks cool but should add a lot of light and headroom. The front storage is accessible from the outside like a sheepherder and it will have an enormous bay window in the front. As it comes along I hope he’ll write up more about the design and construction of the wagon. With this wagon and Jack’s build last year, I think I’ll add a page to the header bar for “other vardos” so that they are easy to find on the blog.
Enjoy! Hopefully more to come…
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 