I may have mentioned that I've been homeless and living in my car since last November. But...

[TreasonousBastard]

that's not the point of this thread.

My county has a system of parks that includes campsites. You can throw up a tent for under $18 a night and get water and showers. RV's and such can have electric hookups.

So, I've been looking for a tent.

Walmart is out of them.

Kmart is closed.

Dick's Sporting Goods is out of them.

Tried a few other places on a whim-- even Aldi, which sometimes has such things.

Nothing, Nada. Some rows of shelves through the stores looked like locusts hit the place. Everyone told me deliveries were almost random. Nobody told them what was coming in.

Finally found a few in Target, of all places. 90 bucks for a Coleman that "sleeps 6" if they are under 4 years old. Anyway, it's perfect, and Dick's or Target have no cots or air mattresses, but Walmart has a selection. Locusts in that aisle, too, but they missed the air mattresses. My point is that stores are not replenishing inventory. I haven't found out if they can't afford inventory, or if it just isn't there. Target has no bicycles on display. None! Walmart has very few. Aldi has empty shelves. ShopRite has some half empty shelves.

Something is happening. What it is I have no idea, but something is happening.

[elleng]

1. 'Thanks' for the warning.

[flying rabbit]

2. Shelves are empty in wierd places.

I have noticed it too.

[appalachiablue]

34. EBAY, maybe not what it was, but still lists Camping Tents, Gear:

Dick's Sporting Goods, https://dks.scene7.com/is/image/GolfGalaxy/16FNSUFS7X6X463PRCAT_Orange?qlt=70&wid=1100&fmt=webp

Ebay, https://www.ebay.com/b/Camping-Tents/179010/bn_7221813

LL Bean, https://cdni.llbean.net/is/image/wim/510013_27731_41?hei=764&wid=665&resMode=sharp2&defaultImage=llbstage/A0211793_2

[SheltieLover]

3. I agree!

So glad you found a tent, even if a small one! So sorry to hear you are homeless! 😢

I don't shop for anything but food but it is very difficult to get anything here.

Eg. I like Aldi frozen supreme pizza. Nada. Zip for 2 months. A few pepps & plain cheese only.

The Aldi Buys aisle with misc household stuff has bn empty for 2 months as well.

I go at different times of the day to try to get what I want, byt it's truly disturbing with empty aisles.

Kroger is same way with many just empty shelves, but that small store is so poorly managed but has bn this way for 2 yrs.

Dunno what's going on.

Anyone else notice this?

[Newest Reality]

4. I have been...

I have been living in a tent year-round for several years now. I need a new one myself. I am using tarps to cover the leaking walls and holes. I have noticed long delivery times for some tents on Amazon for instance. I wanted to get one at Wal-Mart, but they have a spotty supply. Every time I have gone there they were out of the one I needed.

I think that there may be many factors concerning shortages of camping gear as far as the supply chains and production goes, but there is something else that came to mind.

I am speculating that many people may be anticipating being homeless or already there. That would mean that tents would be in short supply if there is a run on them. I would assume, if that's correct, then other camping gear may also follow like cots, sleeping bags, etc.

You can almost bet that, if evictions increase and follow through in the coming weeks, tents and gear will be a factor.

[RockRaven]

5. Decreased production b/c of coronavirus shuttering factories in East Asia, maybe?

Or lots of people preparing to be evicted...

[nocoincidences]

7. I think you may be right and it is very sad

to think that people are preparing for this possibility while they still have some funds to buy what they are going to need.

It's heartbreaking.

And hugs to all of you already living in tents!

[nocoincidences]

6. This is good information about what is happening

in real places. We don't get that kind of info from the media, only individuals can report what they are seeing.

It is important. Something is happening and this is data to try and work it out.

THNX!

[babylonsister]

8. Maybe demand is outstripping supply.

I think tents might be looked at by a lot of people before this is over, likewise air mattresses.

[MLAA]

9. Wow.

I tried replacing a chair from online AllModern site. They are out of stock. When I ordered the first one 1.5 years ago I found the same chair on a couple sites, not anymore. Found something similar from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Ordered it. Just got an email that shipping is delayed.

Maybe there is a black hole out there! Seriously, it is odd to find so much out of stock. No doubt much comes from China. Maybe they are screwing with impotus.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

10. OMG, so sorry about your situation!

There's many public restrooms that are closed to the public around here because of the pandemic! And even if they were open, I'd be concerned about using them without an N100 mask and goggles.

As for lack of inventory, I recently struggled to find portable toilets used for camping. I wasn't even finding them available online at companies like REI! After thinking about the closed public restrooms around here, it made a little sense to me that they'd be sold out.

I eventually bought a bucket with a sealed and screw-on lid that was intended to hold 5 gallons of pet food. Also found a foldable bedside commode with adjustable height so it was just above the bucket (lined with trash bags).

I bought that stuff because of a massive water leak under the foundation of my apartment, and the toilet was removed to jackhammer through the foundation to reach the pipes.

I'm mentioning my far less serious situation to you because you might want to consider something like that for your restroom needs.

What a nightmare! I'm so sorry!

Edit: And I'm a person who previously planned to live in a van, modified to be more like an RV, to try to break free from property taxes, rent and the costs of RV parks. Then the pandemic hit and I dropped that idea in a hurry.

[peacebuzzard]

31. I have not heard of the N100 mask

I have done some research on the N95 which has many cloned versions available, none which are approved by the CDC.
Of course something is better than nothing but I would prefer the best if I could find it. I will look up the N100.

In the meantime I am using disposable masks and cloth masks which can take a filter, but I have just been using the cloth and trying to stay clear of the unmasked population which is hard to avoid where I live.

That was resourceful handiwork with the plumbing!

[Buckeye_Democrat]

32. I bought some N100 masks a few weeks ago.

The ones I bought have exhalation valves, though! So it's not responsible to wear them in public without covering the exhalation valve.

I had previously bought some cloth masks from JoAnn Fabrics that were huge, but I'm glad that I kept them because they're big enough to cover the N100 mask without hurting my ears with their loops.

I could wear a cloth mask underneath it too, I suppose.

Here's what I bought, but there's other brands of N100 masks too. (They're often used for dusty work like woodworking.) NIOSH-rated filtration, so not bogus.

https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/trend-u*stealth-ml

Edit:
Well, that link doesn't work here because it has an asterisk in it, I guess.

Here's an Amazon link instead:
https://www.amazon.com/Trend-STEALTH-ML-Medium-Large/dp/B077TX6TRX

[peacebuzzard]

33. thanks for the links.

the ACME link worked, that page for tools/trends must be down or unavailable.
I remember ACME from when I lived up north.
The mask looks effective for multiple purposes. For whatever reason the exhaust type mask is not permitted on flights, I don't think.
I will double check the airline requirements, but I think I read where the exhaust type was not permitted for use onboard. Which is why I am trying to find the very best allowable for use on board. I have my safety glasses already, and gloves.

[HDSam]

11. I believe

That two things are happening - production slowdowns due to COVID are impacting availability of camping gear and bicycles and more people are participating in those activities. Camping is attractive to families and biking is a good fitness activity that provides good social distancing.

I’m an active biker and backpacker and all of my retail contacts in those industries are telling me they can’t keep stuff in stock. My favorite bike shop told me two months ago they sold out their stock of bikes under $1500...twice.

I was considering buying a travel trailer this spring but after some research I found out camping spots, with and without hookups were near impossible to find. In addition, I found local RV sales lots mostly empty and there is little ability to negotiate prices. High-end manufacturer Airstream is reporting an 11% increase. Thor and Winnebago are also seeing increased sales.

[Kali]

12. sorry to read of your situation, I hope it turns around quickly

part of the run could be people choosing camping for vacations as other travel it too risky...it is the traditional vacation month now...

[WyLoochka]

13. Hello Fresh could not fulfill

Couldn't fulfill my order for this past week. Nor can they fulfill for next week.

I skip a lot of weeks but needed to have delivery for last week.

They said they were trying to iron out some logistic difficulties with a few partners. i.e.they are having supply chain problems.

Anyone know if other meal kit companies are experiencing supply chain disruptions such that they aren't able to deliver to small towns in the northern rockies states?

[sprinkleeninow]

14. Have you tried any Army/Navy surplus stores?

You're in my heart. 💙

[Me.]

15. Just Gonna Say

[LiberalBrooke]

16. They are seasonal items.

They only stock them in their stores in the spring. You will see back to school items now and soon holiday stuff. Are you able to order online?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

17. I have to say, $18 a night seems like a lot of money.

Especially for anyone who is homeless for whatever reason.

I wish I had a tent I could give to you.

[AJT]

18. Where abouts are you?

So far here things seem to be ok.

[SunSeeker]

19. I hear stories about people living in tents on the beach here in CA during the Great Depression.

I was thinking how impossible that would be now. We have all these laws that prevent such "camping" now, laws clearly designed to keep homeless people from spending the night on public property. And of course they can't go on private property; that's trespassing and will get them arrested. And in CA, camprgrounds cost a lot more than $18/night, usually it's about $45, and that's if you can find an available spot.

Where are homeless people going to pitch their tents when the evictions really get going?

[Buckeye_Democrat]

22. It's a horrible situation.

Lots of places have made it illegal to sleep in a car too. It's okay if you spend money somewhere to do it, but FREE ain't allowed!

The trend of people converting vans into mobile homes is one way some people try to get around it. They block the windows so cops can't see inside. If they tried parking with a typical RV or camper, it could be a violation for having those vehicles parked in an illegal area.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

25. Camping in National Forests (free) is an option, I guess.

They're often not close to towns for additional supplies, but there's some exceptions.

There's a few rules, like not camping too close to a trail, but the rules aren't prohibitive. A few others too, like not staying in the same spot for too long.

[tinrobot]

20. Campsites are pretty booked this summer. People have no place else to go for vacation.

I think this is the main reason camping essentials are in short supply.

Even our local REI was short on tents, and a lot of their stuff is not cheap.

[ancianita]

21. What's happening is Bezos got it.

Not all of box store inventories, but a lot of it.

[CloudWatcher]

23. boycott Amazon!

I've avoided them like a plague for a couple of years now, wish everyone would ((

Not just evil, I like being able to buy retail.

[ancianita]

27. I hear you. But the inventory problem has been retail supplier & distribution. Amazon didn't

even pull a profit for over ten of its first years of existence. I researched it back in 2005, and it was churning tens of millions back then.

Amazon was about breaking the Walmart supply chain, for one thing. And about shopping online, which people got into liking around that time. Later, Amazon developed into taking on excess inventories of box stores whose markets were lost to at least two depressions.

While I'd love to see Bezos pay his fair share (That's after a Democratic win, which I hope happens.), I also am glad he had alcohol (limit 1) when it disappeared from American shelves.

[progree]

24. In Minneapolis, tents are springing up in several parks - we've never seen anything like this before

pre-Covid. Pre-Covid we had one modest-sized tent city that they finally disbanded, and a few tents here and there in a few parks, but now ...

July 10, 2020 https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/07/10/no-easy-solutions-for-tent-camps-in-minneapolis-parks-county

The coronavirus has also had a negative impact on providing shelter to people. Before the pandemic, more than 400 people would be able to find space in a shelter on a typical night, Hewitt said. Now it’s 160.

Aug 7, 2020 https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2020/08/07/minneapolis-parks-and-recreation-board-seeks-local-state-level-support-as-homeless-encampments-continue-to-grow/

The latest data shows there are an estimated 431 tents at 42 parks.

That's just in the City of Minneapolis proper. Not the metro area. Not statewide. Just Minneapolis itself.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

30. Good grief, their concern is limiting the number of tents.

If lots of people get evicted around the country, which would be a crime, it doesn't need to be made worse by limiting options even more!

But it's not too surprising. Reminds me of the vagrancy BS described in "The Grapes of Wrath"!

[appleannie1]

26. The trade war trump started has something to do with it and the virus on top of that.

I could not find a washer and had to pay a fortune to get my old one running again. Owner of one of the appliance stores I went to said it was because they could not get the steel to make them because of the trade war and tariffs.

[Dan]

28. After reading your story, my guts tell me that

America is downsizing....

[Cassidy]

29. I am sorry about your living situation. I hope that it turns around.

Have you tried second hand stores for tents? I often was surprised at the great stuff, some absolutely new, that was available. I understand that lots of people are cleaning house and the second-hand stores are practically overwhelmed with supply.

There are numerous causes for the supply chains continuing to be disrupted. As has been noted, the tariffs and trade wars that Trump started had us in a negative position even Before Covid. In addition, the globalization of trade, that has been occurring over decades, has complicated the supply chains. If the metal for the tents in manufactured in one country, the zippers in another, the fabric in a third, what happens when Covid hits one of those areas. What happens as Covid rolls through all three, then the fourth where the parts are assembled? If these manufacturers are taking precautions that they should, it is likely that production has slowed even in a best case scenario.

In my area, grocery shopping continues to be a hit or miss proposition. I work at a garden center. We were overrun by demand in the spring, but even now that demand has significantly dropped, as it does this time of year, many of our shelves are still near empty. One of our distributors told us that they can get the fertilizers, etc. but they can't get the bottles to put them in. Our soil sources have the soil, but are having trouble getting them bagged and transporting them to us.

I try not to think too much about what we will have to do to climb out of this mess.

Best wishes.

[Warpy]

35. I think it's a combination of things

Manufacturers are short on inventory to ship because of shutdowns and what is being shipped is being snapped up quickly by people who know their jobs aren't coming back and are preparing for the worst. I've seen some of that around here.

I hope the capitalist end game plays out sooner rather than later, or a quarter of the families in this country are going to be camping or squatting and that is not going to work for long.