This is definitely NOT the time for a camp fire at Fish Lake! Just sayin'. #AsBrianHeadBurns
No campfire lit by me, but I would note that there are no current restrictions in place here and many are lit in the CG in the FS fire pits (despite the High Fire Danger warning when you enter the basin.) Heck, the camp host and all the resorts are selling $6 bundles of firewood. Have seen the FS ban fires in past years here, but obviously not yet.
Can see the smoke from Brian Head south of here but the air here remains perfectly clear. That's gonna get very expensive for the owner who torched it all off with a weed burner...
Daytime highs in the 70s here dry camping (not boondocks)... nice.
Ray
Its not just the physical aspects/conveniences that determine what "boondocking" means for folks, its what they are used to and their comfort levels. I know of one family that, if they don't get a clear Wi-Fi signal.....THAT's boondocking for them. If they have to drive more than a mile to buy beer/groceries....well...its beer mostly...that's boondocking. What I'm saying is that there will never be a clear, agreed-to definition...but here is my definition: If you walk around all day looking like you just stepped out of bed with a hangover....and your wife forgot her hair brush...THAT's boondocking. It was fun reading. Safe travels. jon
I dunno, I always thought if it's outside of an actual 'campground', but it's still in nature, it's boondocking. If it's on a street or in a city, it's stealth camping. Like I would consider a State Park, National Forest or BLM campground with actual sites but no hookups, dry campin. But if I'm just heading down a random forest road or BLM road and pull off a spur, that's boondocking. And if I just park for the night on a side street, that's stealth campin. But, really it's all just campin. Or livin.
I agree with the general definition given by travelin man. And there are pull off camping spots in national an state forests east of Colorado, some really nice ones. But in general less in number, harder to find, and different from the great western open lands. Some Corps of Eng. campsites are truely boondocking, many not so much.
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Camped along a creek and Parked in a Lot... Boondocking
As I said... location, location and location changes the definition of Boondocking.
The Hotel (Nevada) and Gambling Hall at Ely, Nevada has a parking lot in back for RVs, Trailers and Truckers and 24 hour restaurant. Check the Season you plan to park... Fall, Spring and Summer are best. July's averages 87F. January's low averages 40F.
- I have Boondocked at Costco in Tucson, AZ. You always can use a tire check for Nitrogen early in the morning before... the crowds.
- I have Boondocked at Walmart, Goodland, Kansas. Blizzards close I-70 and you will not go hungry.
- ALL large Truck Stops have room to spare. Buy fuel... you are now a Homesteader!
- I have Boondocked on Mine Tailings in western Montana. One of the few places there is no brush, and no bears eating berries at night... or... you.
- I have found pullouts on lumbering roads in Idaho that are wonderful... especially if no lumbering is going on, as the dust is a bit thick. Finding something flat to park your trailer in Idaho's mountains is not skill... but luck.
- Lumbering roads that are not used are great in Montana and Idaho. Just remember that usually the trees along side these mountain roads are just a Buffer... the clear cut is maybe 20 to 100 feet off the road. (Word to the Wise.)
- Camped along the Yellowstone River. Camped along the Missouri River.... both in Montana with wonderful beaches and COLD water if you want to jump into a shallow spot.
I admit, as you go East of the 100th Meridian... public land and open space gets more difficult to slide into a spot for a rest. The first explorers referred to this region as the 'Great American Desert' good for... nothing.
I had neighbors who said that a Holiday Inn was Boondocking. That expands on my and Lucius's & Danielle's definitions.
Nevada has thousands of square miles of vacant public land. Nevada has few roads for access. Utah is a bit better. Colorado... good luck finding access anywhere near popular towns.
I have driven up the Appalachians. I saw trees, trees and tops of trees.
We wanted to visit a mining district in northern Nevada pulling our trailer. Calculating the distance, round trip and leaving fuel to look around... we would have had to carry Jerry Cans of fuel for a comfort zone. One way in... and one way out.
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Tasmanian Boondocking... Down Under
Tasmanian Boondocking... most from Australia. They tow their trailers onboard and drive them off when they arrive. (February 2009) You would think this was taken in the 1970's! The Australians know how to Boondock and make the best of awnings, tents and accessories.
In our part of the country most of what I would call true boondocking is on National Forest land. Usually in a dispersed camping designated area. You can camp most anywhere in the forest in a tent, but the forests are so dense it's difficult to pull an RV off the forest roads. There are some designated fee off grid campgrounds with vault toilets. Usually about $4.00/night with a pass. However, we usually find a dispersed camping area next to a stream. Free, too.
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Tn Traveler... Thank You. The first Airstream owner to Post about Tennessee! How about... a photo or two?
So... some of you want to come out and beat the crowds in Colorado? You have better be careful... April 18, 2009, Castle Rock, Colorado on the east side of the Rockies. Looking for where we parked the trailer...
... Or go south, March 27th, 2009, and camp in sunny New Mexico.
.... Or find an open spot in Arizona north of Payson, AZ (August 17, 2009). Just enough open space for two Blue Heelers. (Orange vests... Coyotes do not wear Orange Vests in the back country.)
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Lumaic... Post 29... I believe we have settled everything we need to know about Living in the Boondocks... and with a little of that 'foot work' we can all find the trailer, the tow vehicle and move out of that 'ol shack'.
Thank you. Looks like my hair cut when that one came out.
One thing nobody has spoken to is security. To me, any campground, USFS, BLM, etc., without hook-ups, is not boondocking. In those situations, part of what you pay for is security, be it a locked gate at night, an occasional ranger patrol or a campground host with a radio. When you boondock, you are in a natural setting and pretty much on your own. Perhaps that is part of the reason some boondockers camp in small clusters. I'm not necessarily speaking of avoiding "meanness" when I speak of security. Many of us are at an age when medical emergencies occur more often than we would like, and even Travlin' Man could get a severe burn, break a bone or stick an axe in his leg!
Ok, question.. Does it make any difference how many nights you stay? We camped along side the road in MN near the Canadian border. No room in any campgrounds. I knew we could camp free in the Natl Forest, so we just drive gravel roads back into the trees. Just stayed the one night though. I thinks that's still boondocking. However, the night before, we had pulled into the parking lot of a Cabelas store. Pretty much the same time spent in the trailer, never unhooked from the truck. Are both boondocking, or not?
Now, if we found a camping spot back in the national forest, and stayed for a few days, that would for sure be boondocking.
Also, if the forest service has numbered the site you are in, and has a metal fire ring down for campfires, I'm not sure that's boondocking. That's camping, although dry. Haha!
I think if cattle can freely roam through where you have your trailer parked, that's boondocking.
For me, it's just easier to call it all boondocking. As long as I'm not in a numbered campsite, I'm boondocking. If I've got a picnic table and fire ring, Im dry camping.
Too many variables. It's all dry camping, but it's not all boondocking.
Campsite in the bighorns. (Boondocking, but only for one night)
Great thread. Whatever your definition get out. To me, it's being somewhere I feel free and in land that has not been developed with the exception of a dirt road or other non-paved access. Oh, and no wifi, TV signal, etc.
First picture, boondocking on national forest land in Colorado. Just me, two kids, and a dog, oh and plenty of hungry brook trout less than 1 minute from camp.
Second photo, campsite next to lake, in between a section of the Colorado river, close to town, and I am posting now as we are within cell range. We are here for the fish and to be close to 4th of July fireworks for the kids (they begged me).
The bonus is that to my right, I have a guy that runs a construction generator all day, and across from us we have the obnoxious young couple with 6 other couple in the giant 5th wheel that came in at 11pm and decided to have a party until 3-am. And their gigantic trailer blocks a spectacular view. Sigh.......
Give me boondocking any time. It will be awhile before I pick a "non-boondocking" site again. I hope the fish are hitting like never before.
So it doesn't matter how I orientate a picture. The system flips it upside down no matter what I do.
BTW, I heard that resizing the images just a little will cure the flip.
I'd love to test the boon docking water a bit by having three or four units together. "Circle the Trailers!"
Going miles from anywhere is a bit daunting. My experience with boon docking was:
1. A RV rally, where we were all parked on an old airport runway, hundreds of RV's, and we had no facilities. (Not boon docking, dry camping)
2. I pulled into Flaming Gorge Recreation Area in the MH, and entered one of the Park Service camps. It was organized, but the other tenants looked a bit shady. I was afraid I'd get broken into while gone, so I moved on. I was probably overly cautious.
But those pictures are stunning!
Reflecting on my "camping" I travel from private campground to another until I get to my destination, then park in a nice campground with facilities and drive to explore scenic areas by day.
Until now, I thought "roughing it" was when the ice maker was balky.
We are full-timers who make a point of boondocking two or three nights a week when we are on the move. For us, boondocking is any parking spot without hookups - everything from a Walmart parking lot to a roadside pullout on Big Sur and all the flavors of boondocking inbetween. We call it 'living off the land.' Most nights it's very seat of the pants and spontaneous. It also requires some real creativity at times. Google Earth is often very helpful when we are unfamiliar with the area which is our most common scenario. We have a.blast doing it.
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We each find a comfort zone when we are away from home in our trailer. Airstream, Some other Brand... tent.
I discovered quickly, that on the Wyoming 2016 Adventure that my idea of camped in a remote location and exploring the area on my own... was not what others had in mind. A lesson well learned. You must know the expectations of those that want to travel as a group and that they share the same, or similar, ideas like your own.
The further away your Boondocking Experience is from others, the safer. The closer to a major city you are, less safe. To me it is obvious, but no doubt not to everyone. I have never had anything taken from our Boondocking campsites, nor felt endangered when finding ourselves... alone.
There were more bicycles stolen at a 'six foot walled' RV Park at a Las Vegas Casino... where there now is security on a bicycle peddling around at night.
Not all people are experienced campers. It is not for everyone and many feel comfortable among a group of travelers. Some believe that now that they have a trailer, they can go anywhere. Again, that is not even wise as there is risk in being solo in unknown areas that are remote, or even just not on the 'beaten path'. Thus... the cluster camps that you find.
Our Boondocking Off the Grid is exactly that. Everything we may possibly need is what we have on board. Need some rope... you better have brought some, even if you do not need it again. Need a bandaid, tweezers to pull out cacti quills from your paw or your dog's paw, tools for on the spot repairs... and the list goes on. After a year or two, you will have everything you need, until a 'New Need' is discovered to add...where space may still exist.
Many love large groups. Great.
We enjoy our solitude and isolation as much as some may love having company to socialize day and night. Ourselves... Nancy and I talk about things we would like to do in the future and enjoy our two Blue Heelers as we explore everyone else's... discomfort zones. Do not confuse your vision of camping with someone else's vision. Nothing wrong with having different likes and dislikes. It does not make you right or wrong. An opinion is only as good as the company you keep.
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