In this vlog, host Victor (Speaker A) teams up with survival expert Shawn Hendricks to spend 100 hours living in a canvas “hot tent” in western North Carolina, an area devastated by Hurricane Helene. The video explains what a hot tent is, how it differs from a regular tent, and walks through the step‑by‑step setup, including ridge‑pole placement and knot‑tying techniques. Shawn emphasizes safety, especially fire management inside the tent, and the benefits of a wood‑burning stove for heat, cooking, and water‑boiling. The participants’ motivation is two‑fold: to experience the conditions firsthand for empathy and to raise awareness of ongoing relief needs. Personal anecdotes surface, such as Shawn’s prior participation in MrBeast’s 100‑day challenge and Victor’s four‑day fast to mitigate chronic inflammation from Lyme disease. The group documents interior life—sleeping arrangements, a Starlink internet connection, protein‑bar meals, and a donated hurricane‑relief blanket—while also showing the tent’s eventual donation to a family in Swannanoa affected by the storm. Throughout, the dialogue highlights community coordination via Twitter, the emotional drive to help neighboring regions, and practical survival tips for living in a hot tent under post‑hurricane conditions.
Chapters
Over the next 100 hours, the boys and I are surviving in a hurricane tent. Or what would you call these things, Shawn?
These are like lodge tents. They're called hot tents. Yeah, so it's a heavy canvas tent. A lot of people expanding west lived in these full-time, but you have a wood-burning stove in them and they stay warm in the winter. That's the main point.
Our area here in western North Carolina was destroyed by Hurricane Helene. What's the difference between this and just a regular old tent?
Uh, it holds heat and you can stand up in it. Imagine trying to survive 8 or 9 hours a day, uh, hunched over inside of a tent versus being able to stand up and just actually live inside of a tent. It's like a Lego kit for survivalists. Oh, look at your sandy soil.
That's what we're going to be dealing with, isn't it?
Join the ridge fold and slide it through the sleeve in the center of the roof. You just tie like a Slip knot, and these just lock naturally.
So you can always— starts getting loose as you set it up, nice, a little more tightness on it. When I saw my friend Shawn Hendricks post about people needing tents in this area, I had this idea of, well, let's stay in a tent. One, to get empathy, and two, to raise awareness for the need still here.
So I take that down as far as you can get it. This is the main ridge pole of your tent. Like I said, the first bout of wind will test how well you rig things.
Sean, you live in the middle of North Carolina, so you weren't affected by this. So why do you care?
We're coastal North Carolina. Yeah, so we're about an hour from the beach. Uh, we're hurricane country. Wow, you guys took our hurricane. So the reason I care is because we're usually getting help from everywhere else, and it was our chance to help another part of Carolina with hurricane relief. It is weird to be doing hurricane relief in the mountains.
Right, that was one reason we liked the mountains is because we felt secure.
Of course, yeah, I mean, you can't flood when you're this high.
You guys might recognize Sean from the 100-day circle. Yep, 100 days in the circle challenge from MrBeast. Oh my God, it has officially been 100 days!
7 days on an island, 7 days in a cave, 7 days in New York City. The cave was the worst one by far. The next 7 days will by far be the hardest of our entire lives. It was like living in a refrigerator for 7 days. With wet clothes. They sent me in, uh, to basically just take a look, and I came out and they go, do you think— do you think the guys can do it? I'm like, I don't know if I can do it. And the producers' faces were just like— but it was tough. If you can't do it, I don't think I could have made it one more day.
That's your job.
Yeah, if there was an 8th day, I think I would have tapped out.
Sean's main job is to keep MrBeast and his crew alive. Would you say that's fair, Sean? And those— alive and safe. I always enjoy you in the videos because you're like You're the old guy in the video. You're my age.
That's right, it's the old guy. You're the normal guy, right? I think that's why they, they know I got something to lose. So if I say that's dangerous, they believe me. Yeah, so the trick is also to learn to tie that knot with one hand because then it'll save you. I'm gonna let go of stuff.
Pay attention to these knots, boys. It's one of 3 things I learned in college. Had a canoeing class and learned, learned these knots. You guys can save a lot of money by just paying attention to Shawn right now. I couldn't think of anybody better to be be our guide during this challenge. Rebecca and the little kids are out of town for several days. You was trying to go with Mom to Alabama and get out of this. Why?
I don't know. Well, she told me I couldn't go to Alabama, and then, and then she was like, do you want to come and drive? And I was like, well, I already planned something else.
What is your biggest concern about sleeping in this tent for 7 days?
I don't know if I have a concern.
No concern? No, it's What are you most excited about?
It's fun. It's gonna be fun to camp out.
What should they be most concerned about?
Um, they should be concerned about managing a fire inside of a tent.
First impressions, take shoes off. If this were home for the next year, what's this, Sean?
This is what makes it all work. It's a wood-burning stove that you can cook on the top of, heat water, and just the quality of life is way different when you have Warmth and a way to boil water.
Wow, that is so cool.
Hey, good to meet you. Thanks for coming up, guys.
How did you guys know about this situation? I literally direct messaged him on Twitter. And you do know Sean? No, personally, I just saw his post on Twitter, and then I said, hey man, I got a camper if it would help.
He's like, yeah, absolutely.
How did you find this? Person who's in need.
This is again just through Twitter.
What?
People message out to me and say, they say, hey, I got a family in need. I'm like, give me a phone number and a location, cuz I don't do anything without talking to people and getting ground truth.
How high'd water get up there? Oh, it got 3 inches up into the house. Were you in the house? Oh no, I got out 11:30 that night.
Would you like to see it? Come on!
There's a bed here, and look, Mommy has her own little bedroom. Check this out.
Check out Mommy's. That is cool.
Bedroom. And if you're having guests, that makes a bed and that makes a bed.
Wow.
It's not much of a pantry, but It's better than nothing.
So I like this because you got like— you want to— oh, you got a window down there too.
I know, you have like your own.
Look at this, watch. That's a tent.
This is gonna be my hangout area.
That's what I was thinking too.
Yeah, where me and Ty would hang out there, sleep there every day.
Protein bar and a Starlink. That's what I've lived on for 5 weeks.
Well, how do you stay so jacked?
Protein bars. Okay, we're getting away. I think this is number 71 or 72.
Yeah, we totally bought one after the storm. Never going to be in the dark again. That's it. Bye-bye, guys. Very nice to see you all.
Bye, thank you.
You're welcome.
Following, maybe tiring.
After the RV place, we were able to find a recipient for the tent over in Swannanoa. Just got some text photos from Lily. The girls are having a good time. I don't know if hurricane victims can come inside and watch YouTube at night. Huh? Homeless hurricane victims? Well, why, it's still early. We got to get out there. Did I mention I'm gonna fast while the rest of the family is gone? 4 days fast to address the inflammation in my body, chronic inflammation from my, from my Lyme disease. I will say it's easier when the beautiful one, or Lily, is not prepping a meal and I'm not having to help with that or clean up, and I can go to bed at 7:40. Fasts are a lot easier when you're asleep. Well, what the heck? The sleeping bag is busted. I guess you guys are going to have to do it by yourselves.
No, we have you a sleeping bag we can get.
What's this? Is all your camping stuff?
Yeah, they're closed.
Okay. You guys taking a nap today? No. No? You're probably pretty tired, huh? They stayed up till 2:00 a.m. last night. You got me a bag?
Yep.
Okay, what if it's not warm enough? You're gonna get in there with me? No. What's going on? My sleeping bag is broken. Welcome to the club. So it won't zip up? Yeah. Okay, you want to get that other broken one and use that as a bottom and the other one as a top?
I guess.
Here, can you just add that to your protection? This is actually a donated hurricane relief blanket. Can you imagine being put into this suddenly? It wasn't— it wasn't even like you could plan for it. Y'all ready to go to sleep? Yep. All right, sure. Day 1 in the hurricane tent. Tomorrow, what, see about a campfire and a grill? Some way to cook out here? Getting that stove in, that actually might be nice, huh? Especially with broken zippers.
Yes.
Okay, tomorrow, lighting up this Colorado cook stove.
