If you have been reading this blog over the years you know that I camp in the boondocks often. When I was young I thought boondocking was just for those that were RVing on a limited budget and needed to save a buck or two. As my wife and I have RVed over the years, we found the boondocks have become our preferred place to camp. Here are 14 reasons why:
1. We don’t have to deal with the inconvenience of making reservations and adhering to a rigid travel schedule that comes with them.
2. A boondocking camp spot is typically closer to the activities and places we want to see, as many of the things we enjoy are located on public land.
Lack of manmade things blocking the view – Photos via author (Dave Helgeson)
3. The price is right!
4. We can arrive and leave when we want as there are no check-in or check-out times.
5. We don’t have to deal with other campers who think the rules don’t apply to them as you will often find in a campground.
No neighbors
6. We can orient our RV however we like in the boondocks to take advantage of the wind, sun, or the view, unlike a campground with a predefined space to park in.
7. We don’t look out the window at the neighbor’s slide-out, as our RV neighbors in the boondocks (if we have any) are hundreds of yards away.
8. We are parked in natural surroundings.
Peaceful
9. We don’t have to deal with other RVers roaming or barking dogs.
10. There are no street lights or lights from other RVs to disturb the night sky or our sleep.
Dark skies
11. We are never awakened early in the morning by a garbage truck emptying the campground dumpster.
12. If we choose to travel with others, they can camp with us not five campsites away.
13. The views from our campsite aren’t cluttered up with buildings, other RVs, or manmade obstructions.
Unspoiled sunrises & sunsets
14. While we no longer have a dog, the boondocks are much more dog-friendly than any RV park or campground.
Enjoying the carefree RV lifestyle in the boondocks, just another adventure in RVing!
If you would like to learn more about boondocking, especially how to find a boondock campsite ahead of time, Dave will be presenting his popular Boondocking 101 seminar at the 2020 Seattle RV Show February 6th – 9th.
See also: 15 Reasons Why I Like My RV Better Than A Hotel
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Follow Dave’s RV adventures as he travels the West in search of forgotten and unique places. For Dave, home is where you park it, the more remote the better!
Nice, but my wife is scared being out there. Personally, I love our deserts…especially the BLM’s at Saddle Mountain. I just don’t like the idea of no hook ups, and I’d like to be out there for a week. I like my showers but I could do without every other day…. but the wife? No way. I might be able to coax her into it for a couple of nights some day- followed by a week long stay at a fhu resort with a spa!
Drew, You need to ask her what she is sacred of?
We are more afraid in the city at home than we are even down on BLM land near the AZ border.
I dunno, Dave, what his wife is sacred of, but I have been RVing for almost 40 years and this is what I am scared of when boondocking: https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/rumney-couple-slain-in-texas-had-been-living-an-unconventional/article_f703f3dc-8fac-5443-aa78-675f7faeb4b5.html . My hubby and I do not boondock alone. Period. End of discussion.
People who are afraid that a serial killer is going to go out into the middle of nowhere to find victims should stick to where they feel safe. In a city. Preferably one where no murders have ever been reported. Because crimes so often happen where there are no people.
Those remote locale murders are really piling up.
This was a rare event and I still believe you are statistically safer in the boondocks than a developed campground or RV park. The only time we have experienced police cars roll in on us was in a nice RV park in Nevada. Seems our neighbor decided beating up on his wife was an okay thing to do!
I like the idea of boondocking but I don’t own a gun, never have. So I just try to stay at the more “rustic” campgrounds with full hook ups. no wifi or cell service would be a deal breaker. the pics of wide open country with no neighbors is tempting I have to admit.
I am going to need to boondock as we are traveling the first 2 weeks in July from Indiana to Idaho! So reservations are booked at most places. Any suggestions to find boondocking spots for us? We are traveling in our converted mini bus. Thanks
I agree with Dave on every reason wholeheartedly!
I might also add, that if necessary, I can run our 2 quiet generators in parallel at 7 am to use the electric fireplace, the coffee maker or microwave without disturbing anyone in the “semi-built up” campgrounds (those with gravel parking pads and fire pits but no hookups).
The main downside I see is the fire restrictions we have out west during prime camping season – no fires in undesignated fire areas allowed, must be in fire pits with metal rings, usually only found at designated campgrounds. Then, however, we usually just use a propane lava rock, self-contained unit which provides the heat while camping in the mountains or high deserts when sitting outside is almost always chilly once the sun goes down.
That is great when you aren’t alone. I would boondock more often if I weren’t a woman RVing alone.
Check out “RV Sue and her Canine Crew” She RVed solo for many years and her preferred campsite was in the boondocks.
I can dig it. So, now what’s the bad part about boondocking? …cuz it can’t just be “no wifi”.
Trevis,
Really is no bad part, you just need to learn how to conserve / manage your resources.
We used to boondock a lot in our last 2 rigs. The one we have now has a residential refrigerator and a vacuflush toilet so more than 2 nights is pushing it. Yes, the generator works fine, but the big coach doesn’t take the rough forest and desert side roads much.
Well stated!😊
@Steve Edwards, we don’t have a coffee maker or a microwave. We use a French Press or a pour over and the cooktop or the oven. The boss hates microwaves, at home or in the camper, so the camper was ordered with it deleted for extra overhead cabinet space. I prefer tea, so we need to heat water regardless. In the 5+ years we’ve had the camper I’ve found we didn’t need the generator (it has only been used once) and the air conditioner (also only used once…too noisy). The dual Fantastic Fans are adequate. But we would prefer more grey water storage. It makes no sense to have 50 gals. of fresh and only 24 of grey. We would prefer something like 35/35 or 40/40.
Joe,
I too have more fresh water capacity than grey water. Here are some tips to manage your grey water. http://rvlife.com/gray-water-tank-tips/
Unfortunately not mentioned is how more and more boondockers are found dead or injured from illegals and other idiots in our Southwestern deserts. Here in Texas a retired Navy family was recently found days after they had been murdered. Boondocking is getting dangerous for individuals. These seem to only be local newsworthy.
I am not a fan of deserts… I like trees, creeks, etc. I live in the state of washington. Doesn’t seem like there are many boondocking opportunities on the west coast unless they involve bad roads or are so isolated it is scary. If any one knows of any in the PNW with trees and not too far out, decent roads, I would love to hear about them. Thank you
I too am from Washington and there are plenty of boondocking opportunities. Here is one example
http://rvlife.com/recreation-abounds-at-buck-creek/?fbclid=IwAR3MPPiRlm4msgMz_9cOaWFVh3gAjMpJwRhjQ86Q88m_Ug8jJEh1BuiiJCw
Always check out the road to the public land. Sometimes it’s great, sometimes not. At one spot in Colorado I didn’t and got stuck on a 4×4 road that was not marked. Most of the others I had seen were marked and it looked fine starting out.
Also, make sure to arrive with plenty of daylight to set up.
I absolutely love boondocking, about 80% of my camping nights are boondocking.
Agree 1000%
Which is why I bought an ORV. Made to be off grid.
Only boondocked by accident. Guess tent camping is about the same. The upside in a RV, you could run generator if needed. Hot water is available by propane or electric. May need a remote holding tank installed in bed of a truck with pump to empty holding tanks. That alone would probably be the deal-breaker for most campers.
What do you do with your sewage?
Larry,
Many associate boondocking with long term camping, but that isn’t always the case. I seldom stay any where more than 2 or 3 days before moving to the next camp. I search out dump stations as needed when between camps.
Flying J to empty and fill. Only $15.
I have never been a fan of the deserts but would love to have a dark evening sky. That said, my biggest concern is we have a very curious dog and I am afraid of her getting bit by a rattelsnake.
Don’t feel like boondocking is DP friendly. I’ll stick to my full hookups unless we “boondock” in a roadside rest on our way somewhere.
To each his own.
No all boondocking is in the desert. I live in Washington State which has the least amount of federal land compared to the other western states and mostly boondock in the forest or on fish and game land in eastern Washington,
We want to try camping in the desert. We also have experience boondocking but have no desert experience.
Lots of horror stories abound on the internet re: packrats, chewed wires in engines etc., rattlesnakes and scorpions and finally the fear of being robbed or worse.
Have you ever had call to deal with any of these situations?
Michau, you have got to be kidding? I live in eastern Washington and know of several places on the west side and go there several times a year but I really prefer to stay on my side as there are a few less trees so visibility is better. One place is bty Shelton and and its where the high bridge is there is even a camp ground there. As far as showers go my 5th wheel carries 75 gal of potable water and if my wife and I shower everyday and take quick showers we can go 5 days then need to dump and add water so we go to a rv spot pay for a night dump/fill take a warm shower on there dime (nice long one) load up with groceries and head back to the woods. She is retiring this April (yeah) and I can’t wait to do that in the desert so I can rock collect and metal detect for gold.
That’s all fine and dandy if you happen to live out west where there are huge tracts of public land. But try to boondock east of the Mississippi river and your appreciation of campgrounds will probably change. Boondocking in the east usually involves some kind of parking lot.
We have been motorhome camping since the mid 50’s and have had unwelcome “guests” in primitive camping venues, decide to join us and share our food, etc. Some looked like harmless vagrants who just wanted to “share” , others appeared to be recently out of jail , hard to tell! I do not carry a gun and am 5’6″, now 81 years old. We feel much safer in a camp area where rangers or police periodically drive through or are quickly available.
The private campgrounds including national forest campgrounds are run now like the motels, all reservations only, and if you would like a space when you pull in for the night, all reserved, most of them empty, but reserved, that is why I only boondock all summer.
Any tips on having power for CPAP machines besides using a generator or a marine battery with converter?
Energy and resource conservation is the key to off-grid camping. Our truck camper carries two 100-watt solar panels for portable use; we have one deep-cycle 12v battery with a solar charge controller. We carry two 5-gal propane tanks, a 25-gallon fresh water tank, plus several 1/2-gal jugs for drinking. We installed a composting (AirHead) toilet. We use a propane refrigerator, and a diesel air heater.
Our water consumption averages 1.5 gallons a day for two of us; propane lasts several weeks; food ditto; our battery stays charged by solar even during cloudy winter days. Diesel air heating uses 2 quarts/day on cold days. The compost toilet last 2 weeks between empties. Grey sink water can be emptied via long garden hose to safe areas. “Navy” showers are the rule.
Personal safety is in one’s mind. Some never worry; others will always be in fear. Many thousands boon-dock every year with little concern and no problems.
Outdoor safety comes with experience; I grew up in the rural West in remote areas, deserts and mountains, and am more comfortable there than in any US city. Your mileage may vary. Most fears are hugely exaggerated. I prefer rattlesnakes to human snakes; rattlesnakes warn you. Human snakes prefer the anonymity of urban jungles and strike without warning.
Stick to your comfort zone; the fewer folks who dare to boondock leaves more open space for the rest of us.
My husband and I are interested in Boondocking but he uses a CPAP machine. Can you suggest options we may have, to power the machine other than by using a generator?
Debi & Larry,
We RV with friends that utilize a CPAP while boondocking. He uses his with the humidifier turn off and on a 12 volt adapter (which most CPAP machines offer) hooked to a dedicated 12 volt battery. He can go days without charging the dedicated battery.