Bindle

This article is about the device used by hobos. For other uses, see Bindle (disambiguation).

Two hobos walking along railroad tracks after being put off a train. One is carrying a bindle.

A bindle is a small bag or sack used for carrying personal belongings.

Bindles are stereotypically depicted in American culture as a cloth bundle tied to the end of a stick and carried over the shoulder by hobos, especially in imagery of the Great Depression. In this way, the weight of the burden is transferred to the shoulder, which allowed for a longer-lasting and more comfortable grip, which was especially useful with larger and heavier loads. One example of the stick-type bindle can be seen in the illustration entitled The Runaway created by Norman Rockwell for the cover of the September 20, 1958, edition of The Saturday Evening Post.

In cartoons, the bindles' sacks usually have a polka-dot, gingham, or bandanna design. Though bindles are practically gone, they are still widely seen in popular culture as a prevalent anachronism.