Trying to gain an understanding of the variables when doing tentlife is like trying to understand a woman’s mind without using chocolate to help. So many scenarios and stories evolve from the moment the tent is set up that it really is impossible to predict anything that could occur. Except for the constants, which are constant for a reason.

I realize in my last post I didn’t mention any constants and I confess it was purposeful. My “constants” for the tentlife I am living are different by degrees from Sam’s tentlife outside of a tent, a flat place and food. So the what should be consistent is somewhat inconsistent when comparing apples and oranges, but apples to apples everything is the same. My constants are my needs. Backpack, boots, sleeping bag, thermarest, tent (of course) and a few other items that I don’t “need” but they are consistently in my pack and fit the bill as a constant.

Variables in the tentlife are where life truly is lived. It is in the moments of surprise and terror and joy and hate that I find myself really immersed in the tentlife. A few variables that are easy to identify (thankfully) are the weather, the campsite, the views, and for me right now, the group dynamic of the kids on my trip. I can have “ideas” of how all these variables will play out, but to know for certainty… I might as well drink river water and hope not to make friends with Giardia.

There are also variables that I know about, but still have no clue what that means for the tentlife. The best example is the Marmot , or Satan as we refer to these little rodents on trip. There are no guarantees as to whether this demon rodent will eat its way into the tent and then devour $400 worth of gear, or if it will just try to eat a curried rice bombshell, decide it doesn’t life curried rice but it still likes almonds. When I see this obnoxious land beaver bouncing though the woods I can only wonder if his tiny little brain is pondering “I’ve found my next meal… and it is a tent, a camera, a spoon and a pound of butter!”

Even though everyone is familiar with the variability of the weather, it is much worse in the backcountry, due to there being little escape from the elements. When the rain/snow/hail and everything in between falls on us when hiking from point A to B, c’est la vie we walk in the rain. Inside the tent is almost worse but for the fact that I am still dry and warm. When in the tent there is nothing to do but what I brought, and I can only take so many pictures inside a tent before that loses any and all time-passing powers. I could brush my teeth, sleep, or write and that is about all I can do in bad weather.

After mentioning two downers of the variables in my tentlife, I feel it is necessary to share the most incredible and my favorite variable of all when living the packlife/tentlife. Unlike Sam, where I place my tent changes most every night when I am on trip. This variance provides for truly stunning views and moments that steal any hope of breathing with my lungs.  Through out the summer my tent will be in many places, and I feel incredibly blessed that most of the time the views are like this.

While Sam and I do tentlife different, a few things remain the same for us. It is in the variables that make up the experience of a tentlife, and ultimately make the experience worth every incredible minute and worth every second of suffering.