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RoverOwner · 08-22-2009, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

"This is Us"........Adirondack's NY.

Looks like Lake Eaton in Long Lake.

76sovereign · 08-22-2009, 10:36 AM

We have only boondocked a few times but did enjoy it...

warbler5 · 08-22-2009, 11:54 AM

We do both....although I prefer to camp in national forests, national parks, and state parks, many of which do not include hook-ups. We have a solar set-up (one panel permanently mounted on the roof, and one panel that can be moved around). Although we own a Honda EU2000, we seldom carry it unless we know we will be using it. My husband doesn't like the extra weight, and I don't like the generator noise and smell.

There are certain items that one needs, besides solar panels, to make the boondocking experience work....one is a catalytic heater for those cold nights! There are also certain items we do without when we boondock....when we know we will be hooked into the grid, we use them: microwave, toaster, and AC. We have found that heating up that BBQ'ed chicken & rice from the night before works well using a vegetable steamer on the stove....just not as convenient as the microwave.

Another downside to hook-up sites....they always seem to be so close together!!!

Cheers, Dee

jimmini · 08-22-2009, 11:57 AM

We use our trailer about 165 days per year boondocking.

In the pasted 4 years we have had hookup 5 times and 3 of them here for rallies.

Photo 1.Boondocking with the Asses at the BLM LTV area Impeiral Valley CA.It was windy and cold there.

Photo 2.Boondockining in style Ponderosa Campground AZ.

Photo 3.Boondocking in a Sping snow at Sharps Creek Campgrond AZ,

Photo 4.Boondocking South Fork of the little Colorado River AZ.

cclarkego · 08-23-2009, 06:13 AM

I finally uploaded photos of my ultimate boondocking trip, the Sahara desert in Niger, Africa. I taught myself French so I could hire six Tuareg nomads to take me, by myself, for a thousand miles across the Sahara to visit rock paintings and ancient civilization and dinosaur sites. There is something about that sparseness of landscape that ultimately clears the mind...

mello mike · 08-23-2009, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cclarkego

I finally uploaded photos of my ultimate boondocking trip, the Sahara desert in Niger, Africa. I taught myself French so I could hire six Tuareg nomads to take me, by myself, for a thousand miles across the Sahara to visit rock paintings and ancient civilization and dinosaur sites. There is something about that sparseness of landscape that ultimately clears the mind...

Now that's what you call the Boondocks, LOL!!!

76sovereign · 08-23-2009, 11:02 AM

What an amazing journey! I would like to see more pictures...

Quote:

Originally Posted by cclarkego

I finally uploaded photos of my ultimate boondocking trip, the Sahara desert in Niger, Africa. I taught myself French so I could hire six Tuareg nomads to take me, by myself, for a thousand miles across the Sahara to visit rock paintings and ancient civilization and dinosaur sites. There is something about that sparseness of landscape that ultimately clears the mind...

TBRich · 08-23-2009, 05:34 PM

We do both...well, actually "dry camping" more than "boondocking" in the strictesdst sense ... We like public parks and campgrounds for camping, which usually have water and/or electricity, sometimes sewer, but not usually... But then we just returned from 12 days of dry camping in national forest campgrounds...it was great! We are getting closer and closer to full boondocking experience...it appeals to us. Spreading our aluminum wings I guess...it does open up a whole lot of possibilities...

mello mike · 08-23-2009, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBRich

We do both...well, actually "dry camping" more than "boondocking" in the strictesdst sense ... We like public parks and campgrounds for camping, which usually have water and/or electricity, sometimes sewer, but not usually... But then we just returned from 12 days of dry camping in national forest campgrounds...it was great! We are getting closer and closer to full boondocking experience...it appeals to us. Spreading our aluminum wings I guess...it does open up a whole lot of possibilities...

Where did you go, TB? Which campgrounds did you stay at?

TBRich · 08-23-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mello mike

Where did you go, TB? Which campgrounds did you stay at?

Hey Mike...we haven't updated our travel log for our last trip yet, but we spent 12 days in NoAZ (5-16 Aug)...Pine Grove campground in the Coconino National Forest SE of Flagstaff off Lake Mary road near Mormon Lake...we've been there before...check out our travel log link below for details.... Then Bonito Campground at the entrance to the Sunset Crater Valcano and Waputki National Monuments about 15 mi NE of Flag on 89 towards Page (interesting place), also in the Coconino Forest...from there we went to Kaibab Campground on Kaibab Lake about 4 miles north of Williams on highway 64 to the Grand Canyon (Kaibab Forest). We checked out a number of other campgrounds along the way for future reference... Each place we stayed had it's own draw...had a great time...80s days and 40s/50s nights.

**azflycaster** · 08-23-2009, 07:45 PM

Terry, Greg and Mike- Jim and Min are going to be boondocking in a dispersed camping area 3 miles south of AZ 260 on the road to Young. They should be up there on the 30th and will be staying until Labor Day or maybe longer. Jan and I should be joining them as well. You have not lived until you have had one of Min breakfasts in the morning. Jan tells me that the Bloody Marys are pretty good too.

TBRich · 08-23-2009, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Terry, Greg and Mike- Jim and Min are going to be boondocking in a dispersed camping area 3 miles south of AZ 260 on the road to Young. They should be up there on the 30th and will be staying until Labor Day or maybe longer. Jan and I should be joining them as well. You have not lived until you have had one of Min breakfasts in the morning. Jan tells me that the Bloody Marys are pretty good too.

Thanks Richard...I saw that you were all gathering up there... and we are eye-balling it, for sure... I'll let you know if we can make it... sounds fun! And Jim & Min's legendary Bloody Marys may just be what the doctor ordered!

cclarkego · 08-24-2009, 06:21 AM

I dreamed of wide open spaces,
the Tuareg were my guides in distilling life
down to it's essence...

Carol

GettinAway · 08-24-2009, 07:06 AM

We plan on boondocking almost exclusively.. We always did with our pop-up, staying in Natl FS campgrounds for up to 2 weeks.
I have just found a little more peace and quiet in the more remote campgrounds.
I do have one question.. How come the battery power runs out so fast. We had refrig, hot water (lp) shower, furnace, in our pop-up. With just one battery it would last close to 10 days. Of course we did not shower every day, but we did run the furnace every night (got snowed on in the Bighorns) I saw a post about running out of power in three days.....

I hope we can do at least a week on 2 batteries..

(BTW, we are still planning our first trip!! just a rookie airstreamer..

)

**Janet H** · 08-24-2009, 07:44 AM

The culprit is most likely the furnace. It has an electric fan that will flatten a battery in fairly short order. It's possible that your popup had a Catalytic heater that used no power?

HeadnOut · 08-24-2009, 08:00 AM

Most of our summer trips are to state parks with hook-ups, mostly because they have them and I do enjoy the AC in the heat of the summer. But I have to say that all of my fall and winter trips are done in the national forest where I hunt and they have NO hook ups where I stay....I love the solitude of boonedocking. I carry a Honda eu2000 and it handles all my needs. I can last a week on 5 gallons of gas and 35 gallons of fresh water. I have yet to run short on propane. Most of my cooking is done outside with dutch ovens. I only use the genorator to charge the batteries or I may run it at night time if its very cold to keep the batteries good if the furnace is running alot.
I find that I enjoy the boondocking better than with hook-ups, it allows you to get back to basics and in most cases you are the only one around. VERY PEACEFUL.
Dave

SilverRanger · 08-24-2009, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cclarkego

I dreamed of wide open spaces,
the Tuareg were my guides in distilling life
down to it's essence...

Carol

What an amazing journey, Carol. I'd love to see more pictures.

76sovereign · 08-24-2009, 09:16 AM

Amazing photos!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cclarkego

I dreamed of wide open spaces,
the Tuareg were my guides in distilling life
down to it's essence...

Carol

Goin camping · 08-26-2009, 09:41 AM

Interesting read. I've noticed that depending on where you are alters your definition of boondocking.

Our friends in the East where there does not seem to be vast tracks of BLM or other unregulated Gov. land generally call boondocking camping in FS sites.

While our friends out West who have millions and millions of acres of desert and mountain land spreading across the Western states. Have a different take on boondocking.

I'd bet the level of enjoyment is the same no matter where or what boondocking is to you.