Dispersed camping protocol

I have only been true dispersed camping a couple of times but regularly go to far back off the road off to ourselves. Some folks just like to be close to someone else for security reasons or whatever. It always happens when you get setup way back somewhere someone else will follow suit and setup close to you.

We like our privacy but some of these way far away places it does give you a good secure feeling to see someone else once in a while I guess... I too would not be pleased to have them right next to us... I would most likely move away from them...

I even see this at the Walmart parking lots. One camper will setup and the next morning you will five or six all grouped together haha... Even thou there is plenty of available space for overnite parking...

Human nature I reckon...

Roy Ken

It's called "Dispersed Camping" for a reason. You spread out and have your space. I'd never sit up camp next to anyone. I want at least 100 yards.

Yes, you just can't fix stupid sometimes.

A long time ago several of us went down to Chitna to go salmon dipping. We camped in a spot with no one else in sight. We like to run the dirt bikes when the salmon aren't running and when they are we have several generators going to power the freezers so we can freeze them right after cleaning.

So this guy arrives in a TC and parks within 50' of us. I go over and talk to him and tell him he might want to move a little further away because we'll be making noise - it was a large area. He says he'll stay where he's at. The next day he's complaining about our noise - hey it's daylight all night, so we went riding the dirt bikes after cleaning salmon. And when he let's his dog out to go pot, it kept coming over to our area to pick a fight with out dogs. His dog was no brighter than he was.

We ignored him and continued on with our fun. Went home wore out and several chest freezers full of salmon.

Give other people room when there's lots of it.

Bill

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Just common courtesy but if you see a RV with a roof of solar panels, don't park near him and run the generator all day. :)

We try to find places where there is no one else in sight, and we can't hear anyone's generator. We have never had anyone come park near us, but it's a free country, and it could happen.

And yes, most of the VOG pullouts are designed for one vehicle.

RoyB wrote:
I have only been true dispersed camping a couple of times but regularly go to far back off the road off to ourselves. Some folks just like to be close to someone else for security reasons or whatever. It always happens when you get setup way back somewhere someone else will follow suit and setup close to you.

We like our privacy but some of these way far away places it does give you a good secure feeling to see someone else once in a while I guess... I too would not be pleased to have them right next to us... I would most likely move away from them...

I even see this at the Walmart parking lots. One camper will setup and the next morning you will five or six all grouped together haha... Even thou there is plenty of available space for overnite parking...

Human nature I reckon...

Roy Ken

Grouping together when overnighting at Walmart (which is in NO WAY dispersed camping) is completely proper and even preferable. Walmart is not a campground and RVs should take up as little space in the parking lot as possible, and confine themselves to a specific place in the parking lot.

But when camping in the great wide open, yes it is very rude to camp right next to someone when there is plenty of space available. People who boondock or dispersed camp do so to have a sense of privacy and being away from it all.

Must admit I never heard the term 'dispersed camping' until this thread. Are we not using 'boondocking' any more? To remain on topic, you take your chances when camping away from designated and assigned spaces in regulated RV parks. Campers don't and can't control the spaces around them when boondocking. Sure, decorum would dictate a certain amount of space between campers but it appears there are some campers who don't look at it that way. I guess the offended camper could always move.

If you're in the middle of nowhere and someone parks next to you, just start walking around nekkid. Chances are, they'll leave in a hurry.

Although, I suppose there's an outside chance they might strip down and join you...

;)

azdryheat wrote:
Must admit I never heard the term 'dispersed camping' until this thread. Are we not using 'boondocking' any more....

Ever been to US government websites? "Dispersed camping" is the official terminology used by the government for public lands.