Today, 10 men set out to boldly go where very few have gone before. They leave behind their worldly possessions, dependency on technology and the comfort and shelter of a home.

It’s Vagabond Week.

“I want to get outside and walk around, sit on some benches, get away from my computer, get out of my room — same things as before,” said junior Krishanu Ray, one of the founders of Vagabond Week. “I’m doing it again because I had fun the first time.”

By definition, a vagabond is a person who wanders from place to place without any settled home and is typically associated with a carefree lifestyle.

Participants are beginning the experience today at 10 a.m. and finishing Friday at 5:30 p.m. Last April, the inaugural Vagabond Week had only three participants: Ray, junior David Zimmermann and sophomore Steve Geluso. But their ranks have expanded slightly this year, as friends of the trio decided it might be a worthwhile experience.

“It just sounds like something I would do,” said freshman Mike Bolton, who met Geluso in elementary school and heard about the adventure a few weeks ago. “I really like camping and stuff and making this difficult for myself, so I decided to join [Geluso] on his quest.”

The rules from last year still apply — the group cannot sleep in the same place two nights in a row and should spend one night with people they’ve never met before. But the veterans have added a few more challenges to make the week more interesting.

“One change that I’m making this year is not bringing my laptop,” Geluso said. “We’re all going to do that.” Geluso plans to go to the library or one of the study centers on campus if he has homework that requires a computer.

“I think a laptop is overburdening,” he said. “I’ll have a little more space, maybe for some extra underwear, extra socks.”

Bolton is upping the stakes as well. Three of his friends who are also participating have challenged Bolton — a self-proclaimed cell phone addict — to leave his phone behind, which could be difficult, he said. He might just carry it with him and not use it, or only answer if it’s something truly important.

Bolton expressed concern about things getting stolen, but Ray said it was not a problem last year. The other veterans don’t seem too worried.

“You’ll have to kiss me to get close enough to steal my things,” Geluso said.

With more people in the group, finding accommodations may be more challenging than it was last year.

“I imagine we will probably spend a lot of time meeting up in the middle of the day … when there’s times we would usually be doing different things,” Geluso said. “In terms of sleeping, we might split up and do our own thing. But I’d like to spend some nights with those guys.”

The goal of the adventure hasn’t changed since last year. While the vagabonds will technically be without homes for the week, they maintain that the purpose of the experience has nothing to do with pretending to be homeless. Last year’s participants received some negative feedback in that regard.

“I don’t think any of us are really that social-activist type,” Ray said. “The term ‘vagabond’ we chose because there’s sort of an implied choice — a vagabond is someone who wanders, rather than ‘Down On My Luck Week’ or ‘Homelessness Week.’”

Overall, despite the expected sleep deprivation and foreseeable difficulties with showering, the participants of Vagabond Week 2009 are looking forward to their adventure.

“Vagabond is just an eight-letter word for ‘fun,’” Geluso said.

Reach reporter Molly Rosbach at news@dailyuw.com.