An eastern Illinois mom is documenting her journey of living in a tent on TikTok. Christine Blue (@appaloosamama), her 12-year-old son Britton, and their dog and cat, are all testing out off-grid life for 90 days on their own property. They're also clearing up some questions for TikTok commenters along the way.
At least one of her tent life TikTok videos has gone viral. Blue commented: "I'm doing a 90-day experiment to see if this is something I can do for two years so I can save money to build a tiny cabin."
Her tent tour video has been viewed well over 6 million times.
The Journey Begins
On June 1, she announced on TikTok her plan to test out off-grid living by spending three months in a tent. The first of 90 days began on June 6.
We reached out to Blue about the family adventure. "I figure I’d like to make all the mistakes now and work through all the kinks now, while I am still on my own property," she said.
"Watching people live this way on the internet and the reality of this lifestyle are very different things. I wanted to be able to work through everything and fall into a routine first before heading out and going cold turkey. And it kind of eases my son into this type of living as well."
In order to support her family (in addition to possible TikTok revenue) she runs the Etsy shop Spotted Horse Design Co. She offers crochet patterns, scarves, mason jar cozies, and more.
Food, Charging Devices, and Challenges
Blue explained for TikTok commenters that spending 90 days in a tent and being off the grid comes with several challenges. She answered a number of questions viewers asked.
She's posted videos about showering, living in a tent, feminine hygiene, coyotes, and what she did when severe thunderstorms and a possible tornado were headed their way. Speaking of weather, she said she plans to upgrade to a better tent before it gets cold later in the year.
As for meals cooked over a fire, Blue has posted videos showing her making pancakes, popcorn, potatoes, rice cereal, and other foods.
When it comes to insects, she said: "I use the Off foggers and they work pretty well. The bugs aren't actually too bad though."
For now, she's using only her mobile phone's data plan since there's no Wi-Fi. She said she charges her devices in her car.
Addressing Concerns and Rumors
Some TikTok commenters expressed worry over her son living in a tent with her. He responded with his own video.
TikTok users also posited that they believed Blue was actually living in her house and only pretending to live in the tent. Blue addressed this rumor in a new video.
'The Feeling of Freedom'
We asked Blue about why she thinks more Americans may be choosing to live in custom-made vans, often hashtagged on social media as "#vanlife," as well as tiny cabins and other smaller living spaces.
"My opinion of why this is becoming a trend is that more and more people are able to work remotely," she said. "Also, I think most people realize they don’t want the responsibility of a house. They don’t want to feel tied down. This lifestyle is giving people the feeling of freedom."
For now, this mom's journey of living off the grid in a tent with her son, dog, cat, and even some horses, can all be followed on her TikTok account.