I live in a 16’x16′ tent with my boyfriend – we rent the land for $450 a month, but there’s a persistent issue
ONE off-the-grid living couple has found the secret to the good life by taking up residency in a tent.
These tent tenants have all the comforts of a four-wall home – even if there is an unusual concern they have to contend with.
Because even tent life brings its own share of troubles.
Somewhere deep in the woods, Emily Middin (@earthlyemilyy) took viewers on a journey as she explained “this a tour of the bell tent that I live in.”
She opened her door – or rather unzipped the tent – which typically stays fully closed – for one very important reason.
“So it’s 16 by 16 feet which is pretty big. There’s our bed. I love all of the tree shadows on this canvas,” said the outdoorsy occupant of her spacious setup.
She then showed off the crates and bags where she stored her clothes and food alongside the tent, which she purchased used off of Facebook Marketplace.
Improvising is also important when you inhabit the wilderness.
“We just sleep on these RV mattresses. We had them directly on the floor but it was getting really wet and gross under there,” she continued about the living conditions.
To remedy this tent residency situation, Emily explained how they built a little bed frame for it with wood they had found on the property.
“It already works so much better because air can circulate underneath,” she confided.
She then showed off a full-length mirror, plus a $20 table and camp chair.
The newly moved-in residents are also hoping to eventually add shelves to the space.
They might have a canopy instead of a conventional roof, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have the most crucial of comforts.
“This is a hand-crank sewing machine that my boyfriend uses, it’s really cool,” Emily said of the Singer equipment.
“He’s making me these little pouches that I’m carving little rubber stamps and then printing on which I love doing.”
The couple has also been planning for a future garden – and with five acres of land that they pay $450 a month to live on, there is certainly plenty of space on the property.
It might be darker in the woods, but who needs electrical switches when you have a battery-powered lantern and a headlamp for extra night vision.
The one downside of tent-dwelling: “I have to sweep like ten times a day because it just gets really dirty,” explained Emily.
For this daily – or hourly chore – she is going to get a bigger broom.
After all, they can certainly fit some extra supplies: “It’s really tall, you can fully stand up in here, which is so nice.”
Aside from cooking outside, there is another unusual situation that the tent owner has not only learned to live with – but loves.
“I have a compost bucket outside which I honestly love and prefer it so much to a normal toilet which people think is weird.”
The most persistent issue – not being able to keep their tent doors open – has to do with pesky pests.
“Without the screen, it’s hard to do because just a whole bunch of bugs go inside but we do it sometimes to air it out whenever it gets damp and then the bugs do eventually leave.”
Many fans of the wilderness woman living her best tent life had their own ideas for keeping unwanted creatures at bay.
“If you put some drops of peppermint oil out you can just get peppermint leaves and smash them – use is all around the tent – the spiders will go away,” the all-knowing follower advised.
Emily appreciated the handy trick: “Thank you so much, that’s such a good tip.”
“That would be so cool like it looks comfortable, is it just me?” One amazed viewer commented on the homey feeling space.
“It’s honestly so cozy,” Emily happily admitted.
Another concerned follower was worried about more than spiders: “How do you keep the food bear safe? That’s my biggest fear of tent life.”
“We have bins outside that lock so they can’t get into them! They’re called plano storage trunks,” explained the tent tenant.