Boondocking where?

[Jim Schings]

I have had RV's for 20 years but they were mainly utilitarian for my use as a race engineer. I always stayed at the track, RV campground, or Wal-Mart. I have now retired (mostly) and we purchased another RV. Ok, so where do you boondock legally. National Parks? Define "boondocking". Thanks

Jim

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by Jim Schings

I have had RV's for 20 years but they were mainly utilitarian for my use as a race engineer. I always stayed at the track, RV campground, or Wal-Mart. I have now retired (mostly) and we purchased another RV. Ok, so where do you boondock legally. National Parks? Define "boondocking". Thanks

Jim

Look, Mom, We're Camping!

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...D/16528723.cfm

Look over this info This is Boon Docking at it's BEST.

Send him a PM or post on his blog - he knows where and When.

For me Boondocking is camping with Out Hook-ups - Anywhere including Wal*Mart - so really not a problem as we do it when we can.

Hope this Helps,

[MisterT]

boondocking - parked out in the middle of 'nowhere' with nothing(no hook ups)

drycamping - parked anywhere, with nothing

off-gridding - parked anywhere, especially away from most other folks, with nothing, but making the best of keeping away from 'the man'

walmart-ing - overnighting at walmart, or any similar 'parking lot' at a big box store

cabela-ing - same, except at Cabela's - they like us rv'rs and make special room for us, nice! : )

camping - nobody agrees on this one, sorry

rv-ing - staying in your rv, though some will say that you must be 'traveling'

full-timing - living in your rv, at least most of the time

part-timing - same as above, but just slightly less : /

snow-birding - same as above, except somewhere else with 'better' weather


.... and more - just make up a good name that fits where you are and how you're doing it nobody will agree with you, but that's ok.

[4x4van]

Yup, the definitions are a bit "fluid", but for me;

-Boondocking is camping where there are no improvements at all; no hookups, no water, no restrooms, no designated camp sites...out in the middle of nowhere.

-Drycamping is camping in an improved campground/area but still with no RV hookups at all. Similar to boondocking, but there is at least some sort of camping improvements; designated sites, maybe a few faucets here & there for all campground use, restrooms...

-Camping includes both (boondocking & drycamping) as well as anytime you are set-up in any campground/area, using anything from a tent to a class A DP.

-Walmart/Cabella's...that's not camping, it's overnighting (don't "set-up" camp).

-Parked on the street, avoiding the man...that's "squatting" (again, NOT camping) and usually illegal!

[Reed Cundiff]

Real camping is sleeping in the mud with no poncho or poncho liner amongst unfriendly people. Last did that 50 years and 5 months ago (who is counting?). Each year brings further gentrification.

National Parks have beautiful places to visit but CGs are often booked far ahead of time. But undeveloped sites are usually first come-first served.

National Forest/BLM/Bureau of Reclamation have sites from dispersed camping to developed CGs. Dispersed is just that, no one else around and no "facilities" (you pack out what you pack in). The "developed" CGs (table, site, vault toilets) can be found (with GPS usually) by googling the appropriate National Forest. The dispersed sites are usually obtained by asking the folks at the local HQ. One of the best where we have spent time was Buenas Aires National Wildlife Refuge. It is adjacent to Mexican border.

"FREE" is, or was, as book that has been quite helpful. Written by Don Wright

Just found
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...vernight&hl=en

We have found ioverlander.com to be extremely useful in Canada and Mexico.

Reed and Elaine

[computerguy]

Originally Posted by MisterT

boondocking - parked out in the middle of 'nowhere' with nothing(no hook ups)

drycamping - parked anywhere, with nothing

off-gridding - parked anywhere, especially away from most other folks, with nothing, but making the best of keeping away from 'the man'

walmart-ing - overnighting at walmart, or any similar 'parking lot' at a big box store

cabela-ing - same, except at Cabela's - they like us rv'rs and make special room for us, nice! : )

camping - nobody agrees on this one, sorry

rv-ing - staying in your rv, though some will say that you must be 'traveling'

full-timing - living in your rv, at least most of the time

part-timing - same as above, but just slightly less : /

snow-birding - same as above, except somewhere else with 'better' weather


.... and more - just make up a good name that fits where you are and how you're doing it nobody will agree with you, but that's ok.

I like this one (see you were wrong about someone agreeing!). They are all distinctly different things.

[windtrader]

With a fully self contained RV, boondocking means parking and staying without any service connections, fully self reliant on energy, water, sewer, phone, etc. Could be in a Walmart lot or out in the middle of BLM land, where does not influence my definition.

[DC8Captain]

My idea of camping, for a lot of my life, was backpacking in 5 to 10+ miles with tent, food etc. In most cases add on some caving, climbing, or mountaineering gear. The idea that RVers would call what they do camping was beyond comprehension. Then in the early 80's along came kids and the definition of camping was car camping with tents. Then around 2000 we got a PUP. The two youngest kids still camped with us into adulthood. Then our adult children had kids and they still all wanted to camp together with my DW and I. Enter onto the scene was a new bunkhouse TT. While the grandkids will never experience my outdoors exploits they will learn to be comfortable being outdoors and get an education about nature and how it works. Now that's what I call camping...

Dale

[Frantz]

Originally Posted by Jim Schings

I have had RV's for 20 years but they were mainly utilitarian for my use as a race engineer. I always stayed at the track, RV campground, or Wal-Mart. I have now retired (mostly) and we purchased another RV. Ok, so where do you boondock legally. National Parks? Define "boondocking". Thanks

Jim

Here's an excellent site for out-of-the-way camping:

https://www.campendium.com

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by fdhealy4

My idea of camping, for a lot of my life, was backpacking in 5 to 10+ miles with tent, food etc. In most cases add on some caving, climbing, or mountaineering gear. The idea that RVers would call what they do camping was beyond comprehension. Then in the early 80's along came kids and the definition of camping was car camping with tents. Then around 2000 we got a PUP. The two youngest kids still camped with us into adulthood. Then our adult children had kids and they still all wanted to camp together with my DW and I. Enter onto the scene was a new bunkhouse TT. While the grandkids will never experience my outdoors exploits they will learn to be comfortable being outdoors and get an education about nature and how it works. Now that's what I call camping...

Dale

Think the definition is an ever evolving thing - My son and his DW and 4 girls - love the tent, but as they are now 11 - 9 - and 5 YO twins they have started to look at a TT - IMHO it's just getting out and having FUN - this next summer I think I'll have all 6 Granddaughter on a few trips - now that will be Camping.

I can't wait,

......

......

...........

[MTK46]

Here is a site to check out. www.freecampsites.net

A bunch of good definitions for the way we RV. Still haven't heard of one for us.
That is us that live in the desert & get away from the summer heat & go where snow-birds are from.

[Dan McMartin]

If you've been out west, you can boondock just this side of everywhere. It's pretty wide open save for near cities or on the coast. Back east it's a little harder but with some research you can find places.

Boondocking is a fluid term but generally it means, as others have said, camping with no hookups in the "wilderness." I could also mean at a campground, state park or wildlife refuge for free or on the cheap, defined campsites or not.

IMHO, finding these spots can be easy or hard but finding the really good ones part science and part magic. Lot's of time scouting ahead, looking on Google Earth, combing the various websites, blogs and forums that list some of the spots, etc. The more you do it, the better you get at it.

[Duoglide1]

Find some DeLorme atlas & gazetteers and look at all the public lands (BLM) in AZ, NV, UT for a good start.

[ByeTheWay]

I use Days End which is part of The Escapees. https://www.escapees.com/
Days End: www.daysenddirectory.com/

800+ pdf covering 49 US states, Canada, Maritimes.