Boondocking safety

ReneeG wrote:
We boondock a lot and have always been safe. With that said, you should always plan for your safety. Once while boon docking way back on a FS road in the Idaho Sawtooths, we were playing cards at night. We saw a car come in, circle around, then stop. DH told me to stay inside, he got his pistol and went out and talked to them. They just wanted to spend the night in the back of their Explorer on the way through. Next morning, DH took them breakfast and we visited. After they left, the "neighbors", another family camping together down from us, came over and said that he got out his shotgun and was watching them too as DH talked to them the night before. Well, we chuckled. These neighbors respected our space and we theirs but they were watching over us too. Same spot, fast forward the following year, and a group of 4 RV's came up and circled in a spot. They partied loud into the night. Jeesh! That's not what we went up there for. They had kids and didn't pay any attention to their kids floating the creek, which is ice cold, deep and swift. I was worried for them and watched them till they left. We boondock and have always been safe but we are cautious too. It never hurts to be aware and prepared. When you are, nothing happens!

So you saw a car and this made your husband think he needed to approach it with a gun? I don't get it.

If the people in the car were armed themselves and looking for trouble, your husband could easily have been shot. Possibly by the other camper with the shotgun that he didn't even know about. Why take the chance? How about remaining in your trailer and waiting to see what develops? If anything. Usually, just like in your case, it's nothing.

Carrying a gun for defense is one thing. Carrying a gun while confronting total strangers is another thing entirely. What if the guy in the car saw your husband approaching and thought he was the one in danger? Things could go south for all concerned in a hurry.