The truth about Boondocking
I want to know the truth about Boondocking, the pros and cons. I don't want it to turn into a 'story telling' thread but a thread about concerns, issues, advantages etc. Some examples I wonder abo...
Forum Discussion
Gjac wrote:
When I used to backpack in the White Mtn NF in NH there was always a discussion among the rangers about where to set up camp. Some felt that if you chose a new site every time the old sites had a chance to recover, and of course the other argument was using existing sites prevented new sites from being cleared. Either way was fine with the rangers legally as long as you were 1/4 mile from a road, and 200 ft away from a stream, river or lake...
That is the LNT philosophy. In popular areas camp in existing spots. In remote rarely used areas choose new. We almost never build a campfire, so no one will ever find an old fire ring left by us. I tend to dismantle any old fire ring I encounter anyway.
And the 200 foot rule is not the current water edge, it is 200 feet from the high water mark. Many desert washes are a quarter mile wide or more, with only a trickle down the middle most of the year. 200 feet from the high scour mark maybe be a loooonnng ways from the current stream. A lot of folks do not want to hear that.
Many states have little known regulations on the books that prohibit camping near water holes in arid areas if that is the only water source within a defined distance. The reason is your camp may be keeping wildlife from the only water within miles.
