boondockerswelcome

Very early on I had a short discussion with the originators of Boondockers Welcome. They were well aware that it is not true boondocking. The thought behind it was that those that would use the service should be prepared to be completely self contained. The reason for the name is that they tried several, and this one had the nicest sound to it. I have to agree.

We have years of credits for hosting, but we just haven't been able to use any yet. Hope this year changes that.

Matt

There is a difference between not having hook ups and boondocking. When I boondock I am looking for a great, scenic location with a place to stay without a lot of other people. Otherwise, I can stay in a Walmart parking lot and call it boondocking.

JimK-NY wrote:
There is a difference between not having hook ups and boondocking. When I boondock I am looking for a great, scenic location with a place to stay without a lot of other people. Otherwise, I can stay in a Walmart parking lot and call it boondocking.

Jim,

I kind of hate to tell you this, but there are a lot of newer people that refer to any kind of dry camping as boondocking. As with so much else these days, the meaning of many words seems to be whatever whoever wants it to mean at that moment. (It seems this can change during the discussion - too.)

An acquaintance contacted me and asked if there were any places to "boondock" in my area. There are none. Then he asked if there were Walmart or other places? To which I replied sure, more than a few. He was incensed that I did not understand that he could "boondock" at Walmart.....

We have really boondocked. It wasn't paved. There was no traffic to be heard.

Matt

I kind of hate to tell you this, but there are a lot of newer people that refer to any kind of dry camping as boondocking. As with so much else these days, the meaning of many words seems to be whatever whoever wants it to mean at that moment. (It seems this can change during the discussion - too.)

There is nothing new about this, there have always been folks who call Walmart camping: boondocking. And other who insist that boondocking means camping in the backcountry.
Frankly I'm happy to lets the Walmart group alone, there are way too many newbies flooding real boondocking spots. And many of them have no conception of boondocking behavior. They leave trash behind, camp too close to others and generally ruin the camping experience.
That is why you find people refusing to disclose their unpublished boondocking spots. Once it's on the internet that spot is ruined.
And thus people asking for a boondocking spot near some area get zero responses. I have adopted a policy of give one to get one, you tell me of a good spot and I will reciprocate, off line of course.

This photo is of us boondock camping. It was also drycamping because we didn't have any hookups out there. If there had been hookups there we would have used them, but we would have still been camping in the boondocks: