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
Just got around to reading thro' the thread on this one. All good stuff w/ many of the tips we use ourselves. We have 100 gallon water tank which lasts us (on average) 3 weeks boondocking. Some of the tips we use:
1/ Sponge bath w/ small qty of water heated on the stove instead of using the shower
2/ Capture and re-use grey water in black tank
3/ Use a small cup to brush teeth
4/ Carry an extra water jug & fill it whenever you find a spigot. Use this for drinking water.
5/ Wipe all dishes (or let dog lick them) before washing.
6/ Use hand sanitizer instead of water to wash hands
Another thing which has really helped, esp. for me (I have long hair) is going "no-poo" which means I don't use shampoo anymore. I made the switch almost 2 years ago and it's dramatically improved my hair and the amount of time I can go between washes (on average a week). If you're interested I wrote a post about that process HERE.
Incidentally I've also gone no-deo (HERE in case anyone is curious about that one).
For electricity we installed LED lights (huge improvement) and installed 600 watts of solar which completely covers our needs unless it gets overcast several days in a row.
For mood lighting we use battery-powered LED candles. Really lovely and no need for any electricity at all. The LED candles also serve as a "night light" for the bathroom.
For heat during daylight hours we use Mr.Buddy propane heater (no electricity needed). We don't run it at night for safety issues, but it works great during waking hours -> just make sure you have air-flow through the rig (crack 2 windows). At night we put furnace on low and use a thick duvet/comforter on the bed.
Nina
1/ Sponge bath w/ small qty of water heated on the stove instead of using the shower
2/ Capture and re-use grey water in black tank
3/ Use a small cup to brush teeth
4/ Carry an extra water jug & fill it whenever you find a spigot. Use this for drinking water.
5/ Wipe all dishes (or let dog lick them) before washing.
6/ Use hand sanitizer instead of water to wash hands
Another thing which has really helped, esp. for me (I have long hair) is going "no-poo" which means I don't use shampoo anymore. I made the switch almost 2 years ago and it's dramatically improved my hair and the amount of time I can go between washes (on average a week). If you're interested I wrote a post about that process HERE.
Incidentally I've also gone no-deo (HERE in case anyone is curious about that one).
For electricity we installed LED lights (huge improvement) and installed 600 watts of solar which completely covers our needs unless it gets overcast several days in a row.
For mood lighting we use battery-powered LED candles. Really lovely and no need for any electricity at all. The LED candles also serve as a "night light" for the bathroom.
For heat during daylight hours we use Mr.Buddy propane heater (no electricity needed). We don't run it at night for safety issues, but it works great during waking hours -> just make sure you have air-flow through the rig (crack 2 windows). At night we put furnace on low and use a thick duvet/comforter on the bed.
Nina
