Just gettin started

Dreadlox · #1 02/12/13, 03:34 PM

Hey everybody! I'm new to this. I've been following for a while and finally registered. I'm just about to make the move to a tent onto my friends property till I find a chunk of my own. I'm out in west Texas. I sure would welcome any advice that anybody has for me. Thanks!

Rick · #2 02/12/13, 07:22 PM

Welcome to the forums!

Might I suggest that you list the things you have thought out already such as hygiene ( bodily and food), food storage, laundry, power needs, security, shelter from harsh climate.

That would make it easier to give thoughts.

Best Wishes.

FarmboyBill · #3 02/12/13, 10:16 PM

Might wanna wait onna tent for at least another month.

Chief Cook · #4 02/13/13, 12:10 AM

Welcome to HT, you are in a great place to learn LOTS. Did you say you are planning to live in a tent in West Texas? It's about to be spring. Stake your tent down really well and then stake it down even more. Good luck, you must be fearless! LOL

motdaugrnds · #5 02/13/13, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreadlox

Hey everybody! I'm new to this. I've been following for a while and finally registered. I'm just about to make the move to a tent onto my friends property till I find a chunk of my own. I'm out in west Texas. I sure would welcome any advice that anybody has for me. Thanks!

I'm not sure what type of information you're wanting, i.e. how to live in a tent or information about finding a chunk of property.

Fae · #6 02/13/13, 07:05 AM

Welcome to the forum. I would be terrified of tornados in West Texas in the spring and don't think a tent in a tornado is a good idea. But that's just me.

Tricky Grama · #7 02/13/13, 07:12 AM

Welcome! Good luck.

Big Dave · #8 02/13/13, 07:45 AM

Welcome to the show.

ronbre · #9 02/13/13, 09:04 AM

wow a tent, you are brave..good luck

Yvonne's hubby · #10 02/13/13, 02:51 PM

My best advice would be to be very cautious when handling rattlesnakes, scorpions, and most of the natural plant life in the area. There seems to be very sharp teeth, stingers or nasty stickers on just about everything that grows in west Texas!

Buffy in Dallas · #11 02/13/13, 02:57 PM

What part of Texas? South west, northwest, panhandle, Gulf coast, mountains? That makes a BIG difference!

Will you have running water? Elect? Phone?

Living in a tent isn't that bad. Me, Hubby and five small kids lived in tents for months then moved up to a travel trailer. I was very happy living on my land in that little tent.

Now that the kids are grown I'm planning on moving out to the new property. I think I'll skip the tent and go strait to the travel trailer though. I'm a little old to be sleeping on the ground.

arnie · #12 02/13/13, 03:28 PM

keep an eye open used camper trailors with shower and or stove are cheep and much more livable than a tent .living in a tent will get old and cold or hot fast

sisterpine · #13 02/13/13, 04:38 PM

Welcome west Tx! I am in South east AZ near the NM border so we will almost be neighbors. I here west texas is good prepper country as well.

Dreadlox · #14 02/18/13, 09:44 AM

Thanks everybody for your replies! Ya and to be more clear- I won't be makin the move till the end of march- so the weather will be a little milder. And I've lived here in west Texas for about 12 years so I'm comfortable and familiar with the climate. Since I'm on a friend property, I will still have access to indoor plumbing. So it's kind of a transition period. I'm trying to figure out now the best way to build a platform to set the tent on and then the best way to have a tarp over the whole tent and platform. So I would especially like advice on those two things. Also I can't wait to find my own land. So any ideas on that??
Thank ya!

Dreadlox · #15 02/18/13, 09:47 AM

Oh and thanks for the warm welcome sisterpine! Ya we will be close, feel free to come over anytime and borrow a cup a sugar or whatever! ��

motdaugrnds · #16 02/18/13, 03:21 PM

Ok, now I'm wondering how long you are planning on living in that tent (or under that tarp) on a platform.....what type of land you're looking for and how much money you have available to spend on property.

Building a plantform is easy..just stick a few 4x4s into the ground (2-3 ft deep) and stabilize them well with either rock well balanced in several places all around each or with concrete. Then add your top plates (2x6 should work) all around near the top of those 4x4s to connect all together. (I would support all those by placing a piece of 2x4 "under" each onto the 4x4; unless you want to use 6x6s instead of 4x4s and set the top plates "inside" those studs.) Then place some 2x4s about 16" apart on top of those 2x6s, which will hold your flooring. Now don't scrimp on your flooring. Use "treated" plywood and make sure what you've done to this point is the right measurements for your plywood so you're not wasting money. (Plywood comes in 4'x8' pieces.)

Another way, which might actually be better for those strong Texas winds is to let your initial studs (either your 4x4s or 6x6s whichever you decide to use) come up farther than your plywood flooring so you can tie your tent to them.

Then get yourself some type of "quality" rubber matting to put on top of your plywood large enough to put your sleeping bag on. It will keep a lot of cold off.

As for the "tarp": If you're not going to use a regular, ready-made camping tent, then I would construct a roof over the platform and make sure the tarp goes over the entire thing right down past the flooring.

What an adventure you're going to have!!