Five years ago, I contemplated a life as a full-time tenter.
There's no downside to envisioning different futures in one's head.
I decided not to hike down that particular trail, and in fact, I don't even have a tent at the moment, and I have a different car. My new-to-me-car is a Prius, and there are plenty of folks who trick theirs out for camping, but a Prius isn't as camper-friendly to me as my 2012 Prius V was. I'm currently playing around in my head with what kind of camping I want to do in future.
I spent the major part of the previous two years on a Pan-American road trip, either by car or by bus.
The most tedious part of long-term travel is the route-planning. Living as a full-time tenter means constant route-planning: Where am I going? How am I going to get there? Where will I stay on the way? How long will it take me (in actual time, not Google directions time) to get from each day's start time to my desired arrival time? Where will I stay when I get there? What necessary services are along the way, such as groceries and gas? Are there vacancies at my desired destinations or waystations? Are there floods or fires that have closed roads or that might close roads (both were a factor in fall 2024 as I headed to the west coast and northward)? Bus trips through Latin America are no different: Which bus goes to my desired destination? None? Ok, so let's figure out which zigzagging bus trips I need to take to eventually get to my desired destination.
Yes. The thought experiment on being a full-time tenter was a good one. It helped me make a decision: That will be a road not taken.
Monday, May 3, 2021
Rootless and Portable: A Thought Experiment: Fulltimer Tenting
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| My Oliver Lee State Park campsite, outside Alamogordo, New Mexico. September 2012. |
I've flirted with the idea of becoming a full-timer for more than 10 years, always in a modest arrangement. A smallish camper or, more recently, ChezP.
In the past five years, I've gone on innumerable video tours of folks living out of their cars. I've imagined how I might make it work for me at some future point. Over time, I concluded that full-timing out of my car was not a good fit for me. Too cramped.
But in the past year, I toyed with the possibility of full-timing in a tent (with ChezP as my back-up when inclement weather dictates).
A tent is roomier. Living in a tent also frees up one's vehicle for transportation.
What's out there to inform full-time tentfolk on the practicalities?
The resources I seek address my specific vision of tenting full time for up to a year:
- Relocation every three to four weeks for new scenery, geographic interests, special events, or proximity to an expensive tourist destination
- Although wifi welcome, I don't envision tenting full time as a digital nomad who requires daily, robust internet access, as this would seriously restrict my freedom of movement
- Mild climate is a requisite
- I don't want to tent for three or more weeks in places where fear of bears (or mountain lions!) are going to keep me awake, like here (oh my!)
Below are some sources that give me actionable intel on:
- Practical realities of living full-time in a tent (power, water, location, weather, food, etc.)
- Gear (tents, kitchens, power, furniture)
- How to stay warm or cool; how to stay dry
- How to mitigate invasions from water, insects and other small critters, and wind
Living in a Tent Full Time? - TMWE S4E22
On Wikihow: How to Live in a Tent (With Pictures). There are useful relevant how-to articles on the page, as well, along with references. Simple, clear, very practical.
From One Crazy House: 15 Tent Hacks to Make Your Tent the Comfiest Place on Earth. (Note: Manage your expectations, of course, but there are some good hacks here that were new to me.)
From Mossy Oak: Camping in the Rain: 7 Tips for Keeping Your Tent Dry
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| Source: ScoutmasterCG |
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