Ridiculously extreme boondocking tips
If you have both unlimited power and water, stop reading -- you don’t need these tips. And if you are still reading, you already know the obvious things -- switch to LED lights, use paper plates ...
Forum Discussion
Some extreme (yes, extreme) tips I've learned when boondocking:
1: Stick smelly clothes in a plastic bag, place bag in freezer overnight. The smell will be gone in the morning. I learned this trick in college from a European foreign exchange student who was proud of the fact that he went two complete semesters without ever washing his jeans. When they stank, he just tossed them in the freezer.
2: The plastic grocery store bags? Line the toilet with them. Then use a Zip-Tie to close and then toss in a garbage bag. This allowed me to run weeks without using the black tank for other than #1 (which helped with evaporation.) Since one grocery store bag can hold a lot of poop bags, this all fits into any garbage can, and is no more dangerous than a bag of dog poop in the garbage.
3: Showering? Get a Coleman propane water heater, a five gallon bladder, and a shower tent. This will last at least 3-4 showers with luck without having to dip into your FW tank or fill your GW tank. To boot, while the water heater warms up, you can use a bucket to collect what comes out and pour it back in, so nothing is wasted.
4: If dumping of grey water is completely forbidden, one can always use a 5 gallon bucket to empty the tank into the black water tank.
5: An electric razor is useful for shaving when water is prized.
6: If one has on board propane tanks, creating a tee (with a valve on the extension to be 100% sure that when disconnected, there is no gas on that line) off the main propane system to use a Mr. Buddy heater can help things. The heater uses a lot less fuel than the RV furnace (and no electricity), but there are caveats that go along with it. Humidity, ventilation, and clearance are the main issues. However, if one is willing to vent air, it might just be a way to go.
7: I keep a set of keys in a hardened strongbox welded to the frame. This way, no matter what, I still have access to my rig and tow vehicle.
8: There are $8 "rocket stoves" that one can buy that screw on top of a fuel can. These Chinese cheapies work pretty well, and are shipped at no charge. I generally despise buying overseas, but these work wonders, and this is extreme camping, so worth mentioning.
9: I've found my RV's freezer works quite well. So, I use it with frozen gel packs and rotate them out into a few ice chests every half-day or so. This way, I can keep a lot of drinks cold for a pretty long time.
10: Gel alcohol makes for a good fire-starter. It won't soak into a material, but it will get kindling lit fairly quickly.
1: Stick smelly clothes in a plastic bag, place bag in freezer overnight. The smell will be gone in the morning. I learned this trick in college from a European foreign exchange student who was proud of the fact that he went two complete semesters without ever washing his jeans. When they stank, he just tossed them in the freezer.
2: The plastic grocery store bags? Line the toilet with them. Then use a Zip-Tie to close and then toss in a garbage bag. This allowed me to run weeks without using the black tank for other than #1 (which helped with evaporation.) Since one grocery store bag can hold a lot of poop bags, this all fits into any garbage can, and is no more dangerous than a bag of dog poop in the garbage.
3: Showering? Get a Coleman propane water heater, a five gallon bladder, and a shower tent. This will last at least 3-4 showers with luck without having to dip into your FW tank or fill your GW tank. To boot, while the water heater warms up, you can use a bucket to collect what comes out and pour it back in, so nothing is wasted.
4: If dumping of grey water is completely forbidden, one can always use a 5 gallon bucket to empty the tank into the black water tank.
5: An electric razor is useful for shaving when water is prized.
6: If one has on board propane tanks, creating a tee (with a valve on the extension to be 100% sure that when disconnected, there is no gas on that line) off the main propane system to use a Mr. Buddy heater can help things. The heater uses a lot less fuel than the RV furnace (and no electricity), but there are caveats that go along with it. Humidity, ventilation, and clearance are the main issues. However, if one is willing to vent air, it might just be a way to go.
7: I keep a set of keys in a hardened strongbox welded to the frame. This way, no matter what, I still have access to my rig and tow vehicle.
8: There are $8 "rocket stoves" that one can buy that screw on top of a fuel can. These Chinese cheapies work pretty well, and are shipped at no charge. I generally despise buying overseas, but these work wonders, and this is extreme camping, so worth mentioning.
9: I've found my RV's freezer works quite well. So, I use it with frozen gel packs and rotate them out into a few ice chests every half-day or so. This way, I can keep a lot of drinks cold for a pretty long time.
10: Gel alcohol makes for a good fire-starter. It won't soak into a material, but it will get kindling lit fairly quickly.
