As Occupy Wall Street reaches the two-month mark, many (1, 2, 3) are wondering if the protests can last through the winter.  Some protesters I spoke to said they were anxious that at the first sign of cold, a large chunk of the group would give up their protests and go home.  But after several recent frigid nights, it seems like the protests have enough momentum to continue.

That’s partially because at the core of the Occupy Wall Street protests is a smaller group who are prepared to weather the storm.  They spend their days spend nights in tents, and their days organizing, cooking, cleaning, and battling boredom.  Here are three of their stories.