How to get a colonist to pick up an item?

[rogerbacon]

How do you order a colonist to pick up something? I'm not talking about equiping or wearing something. I mean picking up a stack of cloth and dropping it off somewhere, or just carrying it around?
I know they will do it when forming a caravan but how to do it without forming a caravan?

[Lys]

There would have to be a hauling job for that item. You can't normally have them just "carry" stuff around for no reason.

[Hans Lemurson]

You need an empty stockpile that can accept that item, in order for there be a place to haul it to.  Weapons and clothing can be worn and then dropped by a drafted pawn for more direct control.

If your pawn  "Incapable of Dumb Labor", then they are too haughty to haul items for the sake of the colony, but will do it for their own projects.  Such a pawn will refuse to cut down trees unless it is to clear land for planting crops, and will not haul harvested cotton unless it is to their tailoring bench for a shirt.

Additionally, you can force the transportation of building materials by ordering something to be constructed, and then cancelling it once the materials are delivered.