Has anyone here lived in a tent?
Posted by Opposite_Praline_746@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 86 comments
27M. I'm planning to live in a tent for about 4-6 months. It just depends on when I feel like packing up and leaving. Near where I will be putting my tent up is a gym, so I can go there when I need to go to the toilet and actually use the gym. My job (I've used an address that I'm allowed to use) is about a 5-10 minute bike away. Everything will be in distance of where I'll be staying. I plan to do this for 4-6 months because I want to go travelling around Asia for a year after living the tent life.
Has anyone here done something similar?
DECKTHEBALLZ@reddit
You can use Working Holiday Visas to travel the world until you are 35 and they don't involve being homless.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I'm not physically well enough to travel the world right now and I also can't afford it either. I need to work first before considering something like that.
jim__nightshade@reddit
And do you honestly think that six months of living in a tent living off protein shakes and spoons food is going to do wonders for your health?
Mate you need to put off whatever travels you have in mind and have some stability for a couple of years.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I'm not just chugging protein powder. It's one scoop of protein powder, made up of milk, olive oil, honey, oats. It covers the macronutrients you need.
12Keisuke@reddit
bit concerning reading this thread. no stable income stream. no home. but you want to go travelling in Asia with the first job you have had in 6 months. gambling your health and safety by living in a tent at a location that you are not actually allowed to be at.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I know it's wild. It's just that spare rooms in this city are ridiculous prices and I would like to save up as much as possible.
Aceleeds@reddit
https://wwoof.net/
Why don’t you join wwoof and work abroad?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I can't afford to go abroad right now.
Bacchus_Bacchus@reddit
Have you thought about food? Will you have a camp stove and make your own food, or will you be buying takeout every day? If the latter then I don’t think this plan is super cheap.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I'll be using high calorie shakes.
Immediate-Finding-75@reddit
My man, you can’t just live off high calorie shakes for 6 months
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
There's a local wetherspoons here, so I could occasionally get a meal, or just invest in a stove and cook whatever. As for the high calorie shakes, they're made up of one scoop of protein powder, olive oil, milk, honey, oats. It obviously doesn't have all of the nutrients you need, but it certainly packs the weight on.
SpunkSacks@reddit
I have. I was technically homeless for a year and the sofa surfing was a bit much for my mate so I moved into a tent in his back garden for 4 or 5 months. Winter months too.
I had an army camp bed. A sleeping underneath that on the ground. A duvet under me and a duvet on top. Once I was in for 15 mins it was fine but going out at night and getting in was grim.
Had an orange cat friend who used to join me and sleep on my chest.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Would you say that time went quite quick?
That's cute that you made a friend.
SpunkSacks@reddit
Surprisingly difficult question. What I will say is that it wasn’t actually as bad as it sounds. But I was obviously spending the evenings out and about or in the house with my friends.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Yeah that's a good point. I'll be working night shifts and then sleeping in the day, so I don't think it will be too bad.
ScottSays-@reddit
Can’t you buy a cheap caravan and just put it in your uncles/friends driveway/garden? Better, warmer and safer than living in a tent
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I can't afford a caravan.
SlickPillock@reddit
That all sounds nice and all but have you thought about back up plans for things? What happens if the gym says you can't go there to use the toilet or wash? If that happens then how will you keep clean for your job?
rustynoodle3891@reddit
My main concern would be the tent being cleared out when I wasn't in it. Leave it unattended and it's gone. Plus 6 months means your likely to encounter some very cold nights.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I'll clear it out myself when I go to work (take my clothes with me). Between now and October, it should be ok weather wise. It starts to get cold around that time.
rustynoodle3891@reddit
Even now where I am in Cheshire is getting down to 2-3°C now mate that ain't comfortable. Where are you?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Really? It's lovely here in Biggleswade.
rustynoodle3891@reddit
Overnight it's lovely in the day
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Overnight it's not too cold here. I'm fortunate enough that I will be working nights.
rustynoodle3891@reddit
Stay safe mate it's no joke outside
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Thank you mate.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
That won't happen. My Uncle stayed in the exact same spot for 5 months and went to the same gym every day and showered there. I have a membership for the gym, so I'm just as in my rights to use the toilet and shower as anyone else.
SlickPillock@reddit
What's the necessity to stay in a tent for several months? For context I'm 30M and want to do similar things. I've got money saved up and no commitments and been umming and arghing about buggering off to south America for a couple of years... Unless you're completely busted for cash right now then I don't see any reason why you can't just go right now and figure things out as you go?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Busted for cash. Been without a job for a very long time. I'm at my Uncle's house for the time being while I'm waiting to start a new job, but I can't be here much longer because he's not allowed anyone here. He's just doing me a favour because I'm family and I was homeless.
SlickPillock@reddit
Well it might sound cheeky but if you can ask your uncle or any other family for some cash to go travelling for a while then maybe try to convince them of that? If they say no (which they might well do) then maybe try and get some shelter in a bedsit somewhere? I was looking for homes in Birmingham recently and there were a lot of bedsits for homeless people for £10 a week. Obviously you've got to put up with the hosts and I'm not exactly a social person myself so I get the stress that can cause for some people but it's honestly better than camping. I do hiking and camping as a hobby and it is a massive pita after the first few days. You've got to figure out places to wash, places to wash your clothes. It's not fun after a few days.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
My Uncle has been on benefits his whole life. He's not allowed anyone staying at his house because it's a housing association place.
There aren't any bedsits like that here in Biggleswade unfortunately.
I'll be able to shower at the gym and take my laundry to a laundry place, so I've got that kind of figured out.
When do you reckon you'll go to South America?
SlickPillock@reddit
I think I'm probably pretty lucky (in a way) because both my parents have gone and left me some savings. I'm torn between investing it in a home or going abroad for a while. Don't have much going for me here so I've been leaning towards the latter option. For you though, in the brief convo we've had, I really reckon you might be better off just going for it as soon as you can and getting away from here at the first opportunity. Going abroad will probably teach you allot. You'll figure out ways to make money to keep you going and if you really end up in a f*cked up situation then you can always get repatriated lol 😂
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Go travelling!!!
As for me, I'll see what happens come the end of August. If I can realistically be out there for let's say 7-8 months with the money I would have saved up, I'll go. Fuck it. I'm also looking to start an online business, but I'm in two minds about starting that now or when I'm out there. I know exactly what it is I want to set up and how long it can take to start seeing results, but it's just about when I set up the business. I would like to get in really good shape too before going there. I'm super skinny after being homeless.
No_Coyote_557@reddit
How are you going to run an online business from a tent with no electricity?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Library nearby.
liminalbrit@reddit
Across the pond we have an abundance of thoughts and prayers, maybe they can work something out with a Yankee?
SlickPillock@reddit
I kind of got in to serious drugs the last couple of years as well... Ended up doing crack and it really made me reconsider what I've been doing in life... When the choices are staying here and getting high on that crap or buggering off abroad and potentially having the time of my life then I guess it shouldn't be a hard decision.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Definitely go. Is it your first time solo travelling? If it is, just be careful over there. I've never been. Only been to Asia, but the same principle applies there.
You said you'd potentially be over there for a couple of years. Just do it mate. You only have one life and you're still young. No responsibilities either, so you have everything to live for.
mcglash@reddit
But then how are you paying to go travelling?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
By saving money from working.
geeered@reddit
Presumably by being in a full time job with very few outgoing for 6 months.
wordsfromlee@reddit
If your uncle has done the exact same thing in the exact same spot, then why aren't you asking him about it rather than strangers on the internet.
He'll know way more about it than any of us will.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I have. I was just wondering if there's anyone on here that has done the same.
bahumat42@reddit
That's called the hot hand fallacy.
Just because something happened that way before its not a guarantee the same happens again.
ActionBirbie@reddit
Policies change - Please don't rely upon this easy going attitude for something so vital.
WeeklyPermission239@reddit
Okay, let's say gym changes owner and suddenly it's not an option anymore. They realise you're using the facilities in a way they don't like and they decide to bar you. Seen it happen. Do you have a back-up plan?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Yes. I can ask my Uncle if I can shower at his every day. I can't stay at his much longer because he's not technically allowed anyone here.
TrousersCalledDave@reddit
You're right that there shouldn't be anything wrong with that, but you also have to accept that it isn't normal. Most people aren't relying on gym showers as their sole source of hygiene routine or indeed their toilet. You're treating it like your own bathroom.
It's possibly enough to at least attract suspicion. Your best bet would be to have a good look through your contract with them to see exactly where you stand. You may find some clauses deliberately written in there to stop this type of thing, attracting vagrants to exploit the system.
octobod@reddit
My prime concern would be some drunk arse kicking down your tent (or worse) fro the fun of it.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
That's true. Not saying it won't happen, but my Uncle stayed in the same place and had no problems.
Shrimp_Watch101@reddit
I slept in woods during a period of homelessness.
Some people adapt to living wild much better than others. So my advice would be to try it out for at least a week before you do it for real.
It's easy enough to find practical tips on wild camping from people who do it as a hobby - plenty of YouTube channels cover that.
But I don't think anyone can prepare you for what you go through mentally, knowing you can't just pack up and go home. It really comes down to how resilient you are.
Personally, I wouldn't ever choose to live that life again. YMMV.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
That's true.
I'm going to stick it out for a while and see how it goes.
rhysisreddit@reddit
I've seen your posts a few times on here. I can see in the last few months alone you've been living in Huntingdon, Dundee, Grimsby and now Biggleswade.
Would it not be worth putting the traveling on ice for a bit, until you've got some stability in life? Otherwise you're risking ending up in this same position again when you get back.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Yes. I'm hopefully starting a job in Biggleswade. Travelling won't be for a while.
Amazing-Visual-2919@reddit
It'd be ok in the summer but awful in winter. Is the tent in a safe place where it's allowed to be ?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Luckily I won't be doing it in the winter.
It willl be in a safe place, but it's not technically allowed there.
Suitable-Tough5877@reddit
I can recommend the book Doppler by erlend loe. It's fiction, and about trying to escape the modern world rather than just practical reasons, but it's how I imagine it would turn out
SaltPomegranate4@reddit
Where will you keep your stuff? Do you plan on packing up your tent every day
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I'll take my clothes with me to work every day and put them in my locker. If anyone asks why I've got clothes with me, which would be unlikely, I'll just say I go to the gym before work.
wordsfromlee@reddit
So you'll only have two sets of clothes in total?!
Are you planning on visiting a laundrette everyday to wash them or just planning on stinking?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
4 pairs of clothes. Yes a launderette, but I would go there weekly.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
As for the tent, I would have to leave it there. That's the only problem with all of this. Anyone can just take it. Luckily, I'll be working night shift, so people are less likely to see it then.
WeeklyPermission239@reddit
The tent with presumably all your possessions that don't fit in your work locker? That would be a pretty devastating loss. And what mattress are you planning to sleep on? 6 months on an inadequate sleep surface could do very bad things to your back.
I hate to be a downer, and honestly I commend you for being way more adventurous than I could ever be, but I hope you've thought this through. There might be better options than this.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
I'm not taking a tent with me to work. That's how you get fired. My only possessions would be my clothes, which I'll take with me.
I need to shop around for a mattress and other essentials.
SaltPomegranate4@reddit
Could you leave it in the gym locker
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Maybe. I'll have a look when I go to the gym tomorrow. I'm new to the area, so I haven't actually signed up to the gym yet.
-Rhymenocerous-@reddit
Just remember at night youll only be as warm.as.the surface youre sleeping on.
Make sure youve got some clearance between you and the ground if you havent got a camp bed. Cardboard goes a long way.
Otherwise youll lose weight rapidly due to your body burning your brown fat reserves trying to stay warm.
Calm-Treacle8677@reddit
I don’t know why this cant be achieved on a cheaper room share that can have a slightly extended timeframe.
I lived in hostels without kitchens for a while eating just became the expense instead
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
The only spare rooms available here are ridiculously expensive and there aren't any hostels here.
Calm-Treacle8677@reddit
Just as a thought if the whole plan is to travel, Then start as you mean to go on. Travrlbsomewhere less expensive and more available to base out for 6 months
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Exactly. Planning to travel around South East Asia :)
Calm-Treacle8677@reddit
Yes but right now you’re anchoring yourself to homelessness as a viable solution. It’s not a solution it’s a potential disaster waiting to happen, If things are too expensive to live where you do currently, move. What have you got to lose? you already about to live the worse consequence of messing up a move by living in a tent.
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Move to where? I tried moving and I couldn't get a job in those cities. I'm here now and it's the first job I would have had for 6 months. I don't have any option but to stay here.
Gisschace@reddit
They’re saying go travelling now
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
Can't
Nirnroot_Enjoyer@reddit
Having just spent a week in the maternity ward of a hospital, I noticed that outside of A&E, hospitals have toilet facilities that are open access for anyone...which can be used in a pinch, if you're nearby.
You can also do a "camping shower", but using paper towels in a sink.
Just a thought?
tmr89@reddit
Hospitals also have showers
Nirnroot_Enjoyer@reddit
They certainly do, but you'd usually need to get onto a ward for such amenities...
I'm just talking about the standard toilets you'll find on the ground floors, usually next the the entrance.
I see no reason why the average person shouldn't use them, when in need?
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
There isn't really a hospital near where I'll be staying. There is a gym literally opposite the road though.
geeered@reddit
I've known enough people do this, including someone working in a pretty decently paid job, who wanted to save for a deposit.
Most had quite big tents and permission to be on the land, which would give better security.
Living in a touring caravan can also be done really cheaply - see many streets in Britsol etc. For not that much money you can have a solid roof, a bit better insulation, a fridge and an easier life inside it. But would probably want an insured car at least for times you might need to move it, as well as probably being harder to find somewhere to use it.
Zealousideal-Low3388@reddit
I knew seasonal hospitality workers in Cornwall who did similar things.
6 months is a long time. You will be absolutely miserable when the weather is bad and you’re trapped in a tent.
Good luck
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
How long were they doing it for?
It is a very long time. Luckily the weather is getting better now and most likely will be good until the end of August at least, but I would definitely have to adjust to the colder weather in September. At that point I might just decide to go travelling.
Zealousideal-Low3388@reddit
Well it was seasonal work, so the summer.
I don’t recommend it for all the reasons people don’t live in tents. But it’s your life. One thing I would say, is make sure you’re emptying, cleaning and airing the tent regularly. It will get damp and that’s a breeding ground for all kinds of problems
Opposite_Praline_746@reddit (OP)
That's ok then.
Will do🙏
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