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Living in a tent

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smegballs
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PostPosted: 23:11 - 01 Oct 2009    Post subject: Living in a tent Reply with quote

Has anyone done it and lived like it for a extended period?

I want to try is this summer and see how it goes, possibly staying in my friends bottom field for a small rent.

A proper tent mind! Along these lines..... https://www.the-outdoor.co.uk/shopscr421.html

There are tents with an aluminium section for putting to flue from a woodburner so it can have heat inside.

300 is bloody cheap for a place to live! That combined with a low rent, say 15 would have me living quite happily all summer.

I'll try making a yurt ger over the summer too and see how that turns out. I could happily live in a ger, I dont even class that as a tent!

Obviously I'm not gonna jump in at the deep end by trying to live in a tent over winter so I have plenty of time to prepare....

Any comments/suggestions appreciated as always...
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G
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PostPosted: 23:14 - 01 Oct 2009    Post subject: Re: Living in a tent Reply with quote

A colleague at my previous company did this starting in October two years ago and going right through winter. He seemed to do ok for himself. He was saving for a house, so trying to keep costs down (though he still drove around in a recentish lexus.)
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yen_powell
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PostPosted: 07:17 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't forget you can knit clothes pegs and sell them around the town centre to pay for your poo shovel and toilet paper.
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Whosthedaddy
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PostPosted: 08:24 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why not over winter? If you have a log burner then its all the heating you'll need. Just get a decent sleeping bag and appropriate clothing, a decent ground mat or even old carpet on the floor and a few storm lamps for light and additional heat.
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Fawbish
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PostPosted: 10:05 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

How the hell would you play your xbox? Thinking
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Handsome
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PostPosted: 10:10 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just remember to turn your torch/lamp off at night otherwise everyone will see you ' Polishing the silver ' Embarassed ...
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Sparks!
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PostPosted: 10:13 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

and don't take any girls back, pretty sure most don't really like tents Laughing
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Bubbs
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PostPosted: 10:15 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great idea!!! Pitch it near enough to someones house so you can run an extension cable from one of their plugs, preferably without them knowing so that you can get free electric. Oh and get a digital cable splitter to steal their Sky channels.... think you have to watch what they are watching though. Wink
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Kwaks
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PostPosted: 10:16 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

And stock up on deodorant
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Mr Nice Guy
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PostPosted: 10:44 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

How would you shower?
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G
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PostPosted: 10:47 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sparks! wrote:
and don't take any girls back, pretty sure most don't really like tents Laughing

Bloke I mentioned actually complained his girl friend visited too much.... some just 'have it' Sad.
He did have it pretty well sorted and I got the feeling his family had some gypsy roots somewhere - they always did some work or other in the circus fields at Glastonbury apparantly.
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smegballs
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PostPosted: 10:56 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

My friend in question lives in the countryside. He has a old farmhouse and loads of outbuildings. Id be in the bottom field about 300m from the house. Out of sight begind a hedge etc etc...

I might go full on wintering at some point. However I think it would be best over summer first to see if i actually like living in a tent when its warm etc etcc before I commit to being cold and wet....
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ms51ves3
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PostPosted: 11:11 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

It wouldn't be too bad if you were living on a camp site as you have facilities, but permanently in the wild, as has already been mentioned, you may start smelling a little ripe.
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njd27
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PostPosted: 11:53 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

I feel I have some authority to speak on this subject since I've been living in a caravan for 6 months.

We're lucky in that we have power, gas cooker and chemical toilet. I guess you could sort that lot out in a tent as well.

Showering is a problem - go swimming every morning or something.

The main thing that gets you down in the end is the lack of fresh water - we have to fetch it every time we want to make a cup of T. And the lack of space - I would love to have a nice sofa and be able to stretch out in front of the TV.
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Peter3hg
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PostPosted: 12:21 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bell tents are a ball ache. You're better with a normal ridge tent. Just make sure it is one with no centre upright.
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Ol
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PostPosted: 12:54 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

sorry, i just dont get it... are you doing it purely as a cheap way to live? or to try to live like the folks on grand designs and be self sufficient etc?? if it's the first - would it not be just as cheap to buy an old caravan and live in that, or even just to rent a room in a shared house??

i assume it will be just yourself living there??
do you have a car / bike / valuable posessions - where will they go??
what would you do for electricity ??
what about plumbing for a toilet / sink / shower etc ??

dont get me wrong, i'm not saying i think its a stupid idea or that your crazy etc - just not sure i understand why??
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ms51ves3
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PostPosted: 13:53 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

OllyNSR wrote:
what about plumbing for a toilet / sink / shower etc ??


He could just go to the toilet in some bushes and showering wouldn't be too bad if he had one of these.

https://www.spheralsolar.com/ProductImages/sundancesolar/sundancesolar_1912_1918333.jpg

It'd probably be cold though.
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truslack
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PostPosted: 14:32 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

12v water pump fed from a barrel through a back boiler on the wood burner?
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Ste
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PostPosted: 15:02 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

if you live in a tent then the fact you can't shower isn't a problem. well, it is a problem for everyone else but that's not your problem. Razz
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ms51ves3
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PostPosted: 15:42 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

truslack wrote:
12v water pump fed from a barrel through a back boiler on the wood burner?


Don't overcomplicate things Laughing What's wrong with a bag full of water?
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B10Hazard
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PostPosted: 15:47 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

I lived in allymosss field for a week ( bcf user )
That was interesting. We just got pissed and stoned every night.
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The Shaggy D.A.
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PostPosted: 15:54 - 02 Oct 2009    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think the logistics of living in a tent/yurt/ger/cave/van/boat/portacabin is a problem, once you've decided on what level of comfort you're happy to live with.

Personally, I'd want a 12v power setup for my laptop and phone, and some LED lighting. A few deep cycle leisure batteries and a solar trickle charger/wind generator would sort that out, but anything else and I'd probably be looking at a small genny too.

As njd27 mentioned, a water supply is a biggy. If there's no standpipe close by, you're going to want a decent sized container on wheels.

Cooking would depend on availability of fuel, if you keep to a single ring then a large propane/butane cylinder will last quite some time. Sensible planning of meals will save energy; things like filling a thermos before you go to bed will give you water for porridge and a cuppa in the morning. Get a large stainless steel thermos and treat it like a small pressure cooker, so you can do rice and pasta.

Some form of cold store for food would be handy, depending on the site I'd look at maybe burying an old chest freezer as a larder.

My wife lived on a boat for 10 years, and when away from dock used one of those solar shower jobbies. At times, it was too hot to shower with, but here in the UK I'd settle for it being above the ambient air temperature. Nothing wrong with a strip wash and a bowl of hot water, anyway. Unless you need the incense burning soak in a hot bath with candles listening to Kenny G moments Smile

Loo wise, again depends on facilities available. If your friend is OK with you digging trenches in his field, then a bucket with a loo seat attached is fine. Or crap in jiffy bags and mail them to MPs. Anything long term, and I'd be looking at a humanure setup, composting in 55 gallon drums.

Laundry depends on the type of clothing you have. Either make weekly trips to the launderette, or factor in the time and space you need to hand wash and hang up your stuff.

As far as keeping warm's concerned, I would try to keep energy usage low by wearing appropriate clothing, but would still have a woodstove/chimnea/fire pit, because (a) I like fire and (b) it's a great mental comfort.


Of course, if you have a mains supply available, you may just be content to be saving on the rent, and have TV, satellite, fridge, microwave, xbox, electric blankets and air conditioning Smile
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