As the moratoriums on evictions end, the United States could soon see a wave of homelessness the likes of which has not occurred since the Dustbowl. People will be seeking shelter in temporary locations, in their vehicles, in RVs, and in campers. Many will not be leaving their homes by choice, but due to dire economic circumstances.

While you're in for a shocking change if a nomadic lifestyle is suddenly thrust upon you, it doesn't mean that you can't still be prepared.

Back in 2018, I deliberately chose to be a nomad myself. After my youngest daughter left the nest, I decided to sell or give away most of my things and set out to live a nomadic lifestyle. Over the past eight years, I was fortunate enough to briefly live in Greece, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, and Mexico, and I visited many other countries in between longer stays. My goal had always been to see the world and immerse myself in other cultures. It was such a privilege to be able to do these things when I was fit and healthy, and I don't have a moment's regret.

My wandering ways had a lot of folks asking me, "Have you given up on prepping?"

You can still prep in temporary locations.

Prepping looks a lot different when you are in a temporary location or living in an RV/van, but it can – and should – still be done.

One very important factor in living a nomadic lifestyle is that if you pay attention, you can avoid a lot of problems or at least make things more tolerable. Here are some examples

If you live in your RV and hear that a hurricane or massive ice storm is coming in a few days, you may be able to drive your home somewhere else and avoid it altogether.

During Covid, I left Europe and went to the US to stay with one of my daughters. I was able to help her with the bills when she was unable to work. What's more, I had a place to stay in a country where I understood the language during a very tense time in the world.

When I was in Bulgaria, some anti-American protests had begun related to their national elections. I still had a week left on my beautiful rental in the center of Sofia, but I arranged my transportation to Romania, stuck a velcro patch with a Canadian flag on my backpack as a "disguise," and got the heck out of there.

How do you prep when you live in a temporary location?

You prep in a temporary location much like you would in a stationary location, except you pay more attention to space and transportability.

Depending on space, money, and the length of your stay, your options may be very different from what you'd choose if you lived in a home with a large pantry or storage room. When I was out there nomadding, most of the places I visited had a lower cost of living. So, I donated non-perishable food that I hadn't eaten without feeling like I had blown a whole bunch of money. For example, in Mexico, a can of vegetables costs the equivalent of 12 cents US on sale.

When I traveled around Europe from one country to another, I didn't have a vehicle, so everything had to fit in my luggage. Items I always had with me were those little packets of just-add-water soup and oatmeal, nuts, dried fruit, and other lightweight, uncrushable items. With those and a water filter, I could keep myself fed and watered for a few days without heading out to the grocery store. Is that an ideal diet? Of course not! But the point here is to have things on hand regardless of your situation.

If I was staying somewhere for more than a couple of months, I would be able to build a bigger stockpile.