The truth about Boondocking

Some pros: quiet, beautiful scenery, free

Some cons: bumpy roads with the possibility of getting stuck, far away from supplies, requires a bit of research to find good spots

Given a choice we would always chose boondocking over a campground but it's not always practical.

One of the best places to try it out in in Quartzsite. http://www.ci.quartzsite.az.us/That experience is not the same as boondocking in a less populated and remote area but it'll still give you a good idea of whether you'll like it or not.

We have never had anything stolen or any problems with strangers or wild animals. Do NOT shoot first and ask questions later. If you are that afraid you should not be boondocking.

In many places it's illegal to dump your gray water tank on the ground. Gray water stinks and may attract animals. If you wash dishes in a pan it may be okay to disperse that water away from your camp. We can stay put for five days before we need to fill our fresh water and dump our holding tanks. The legal limit in most places is 14 days.

I like this site for determining who owns the land - http://publiclands.org/
National forest service information centers are a good place to find where you can boondock too.

Boondocking for me means I can survive in places where other campers cannot, and that equals fewer campers, and that equals quiet.

What do you do with gray and black water? Do you pee in the woods or behind a rock if in the desert to save tank space? Yeah, seems like silly questions but I wonder what people really do?

Some people dump gray water on the ground, some don't. It always causes a firestorm of arguments on here.

boondocking is no different than many other life experiences. There are both positives & negatives, but for most of us the positives far outweigh the negatives.
How you know if boondocking is allowed, somewhat depends on where you are, what country, what area of the country, out in the woods or near the city. Here in the US on all Federal lands, both National Forests and BLM, boondocking is allowed unless there are signs prohibiting it.
How long you stay in one place varies a lot, and how you deal with the water & waste varies a lot depending on your situation. Many fulltime RV'ers, long term travelers or retirees in RV's may stay in the same boondocking spot for months. Many others are short term travelers who's stay will be only a few days. Many of the public lands limit your dispersed camping to 14 days in the same spot, so sometimes you change sites just to comply with that 14 day limit. Obviously the month long stay will deal with water & waste different than the ones only staying out a few days. As a long term boondocker I had the choice of either taking my rig to a nearby dump station every 2 weeks, or draning my tank into a "blue boy" and hauling that to the closest dump and bringing back drinking water in 5 gal jugs to replenish my tanks. If I was boondocking while traveling from point A to B, I would just dump and refill the tanks as I moved on down the road.
Yes there are wild animals out in the wild areas where we boondock. Very rarely do those wild animals attack adults, but I have seen & heard of hungry coyotes occasionally snacking on a small dog or cat. In the SW desert at certain times of the year our western diamondback rattle snakes will strike at both humans and pets who cross their path.
Safety in the wilds is not much different than safety in the city, you have to use some common sense, but bad things can happen anywhere. Just as with choosing where to park your car or where to go walking in the big city; you should be comfortable with where you choose to camp and take basic precautions. If your surroundings don't feel right, move. I've never felt threatened out in the woods, even when I walked up on a black bear on the hiking trail. But I frequently get uneasy walking or driving through sections of a big city.
So my version of the truth is that I can't imagine being a happy RV'er without a big dose of wilderness boondocking. It takes some planning, preperation and learning from experience. But well worth the effort.

I know you are looking for specific answers, but there is a basic flaw in your quest. I mean no disrespect, just so you know what to expect.

There are as many answers to your quest as there are campers! Even the same question's answer will depend on one's degree of expertise in figuring stuff out on the fly. That will probably be your best basic answer. How good are you at winging it? Off the beaten path, anything can happen. The less prepared you are, the more likely it is to happen. If you can figure out a fix or work around, you'll do fine. Also, very likely, no two campers will have exactly the same thing happen under the same circumstances.
For example, there is a lot less foot traffic when out in the boonies, but you never know who is roaming around or if they mean mischief. Depends on your level of trust or preparedness as to how you react.

I know this may not be the kind of reply you were hoping for, but hope this helps.

David

Thanks for the info everyone.

Just to add a comment I'm not talking about Walmart or any commercial establishments. I like to know more about camping in forest or desert environment.

dewey02 wrote:
Great Answers, AH64ID!

Agree they are Great answers.

Great Answers, AH64ID!
I would also suggest that before you boondock camp on NF lands, stop by the Ranger Station and specifically ask them about their boondocking policy. Those MVUM maps are sometimes a nightmare to read or understand or navigate with. The policy on what info can be on those maps was dictated by Wash DC, and the local Forest Officers would have liked to make them much more user friendly, but weren't allowed to. They may even give you some excellent suggestions about great places to boondock. (I know this, because I had to put these maps together and was frustrated by what info could go on them - now I'm retired).

In my younger days boon docked a lot. Never seemed like rocket science. Things have changed a lot over the years. In this day of crazy people I understand questions about it. Never know who might wander into your camp site. I think being observant is really important. If you feel uncomfortable don't camp there. BLM land is a great place to boon dock. Their office has maps etc. for places to camp. Also U.S. forest office for their maps. In the western US probably more remote places to camp. In the 60 years I have been camping there have only been a few occassions where I moved on be because I had any concerns. Having a dog that barks to warn you of problems helps. Most of the problems I have had is the people that will steal stuff when you are away or sleeping. A barking dog scares sneaky thieves away. Fortunately 99% of people you meet boon docking are good people. Being a retired LEO my first course of action is to avoid situations by being observant.

icanon wrote:

Some examples I wonder about are where to boondock, how do you know if you're allowed to camp there, how to know if you're not on private land and not get shot for camping there.

Most of the National Forests I have been to have MVUM (Motor Vehicle Use Maps) that show where dispersed camping is allowed. In a disperced camping area you can camp just about anywhere the camper will fit, thou they do prefer you use existing "trails" and such to get there. BLM and State lands often do something similar. Check out the website for the public land where you intend to go.

http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ohv_maps.shtml

icanon wrote:
What do you do with gray and black water?

You will get plenty of opinions on this one. We use biodegradable soap and our grey water stays at the campsite. I generally dig a small hole under the drain and open the grey water valve upon ariving. I have found that it is very neat, and doesn't stink, if you let it drip out at the rate you use it, just like the tent campers with a 7 gal jug on their table. Dumping it at the end of the trip does stink and make a mess.

Black water stays in the tank until we dump on the way home. Even on 10 day trips we have never ran out of black space with 5 people.

icanon wrote:
Do you pee in the woods or behind a rock if in the desert to save tank space?

Yes.. which is part of the reason our black tank can last for 10 days, or more if we had to.

This includes my wife and 3 daughters.

icanon wrote:
Yeah, seems like silly questions but I wonder what people really do?

Not really silly. IMHO campgrounds (not including the primitave ones miles from pavement) isn't camping. Dispersed/Boondocking IS camping. So ask all the questions you want and get into the woods away from everybody.

icanon wrote:
How long do people stay in one place, do they move when they run out of water or food etc.

As long as my trip is, which is generally 3 or 4 days and as many as 10 days a couple times a year.

We take enough food and water for the duration of the trip. Sometimes the onboard 50 gallons is enough and sometimes we take extra. I will find out if there are any nearby water sources. I have driven 45 minutes before with empty water jugs to get potable water. For a 10 day trip it takes a potable water source and taking water, but these are both easy enough.

icanon wrote:
Do you leave the TT there to get water or whatever?

Yes.

icanon wrote:
Do you worry about theft, people roaming around near or in your campsite?

Only if I have to camp in a campground near civilization. Generally people that leave the city and head into the woods are not the kind of people you have to worry about. They also realize that most people that recreate in the woods are armed, at least out here anyways.

icanon wrote:
I read somewhere about people being attacked by wild animals at night while letting their pet relieve themselves nearby. Is it the 'wild west' shoot first ask questions later?

I have never heard of this happening.

We have had foxes, coyotes, raccoons, etc roam thru camp but never anything happen from it.

I am armed fairly well, but generally don't worry about anything.

Be sure you have a way to recharge your camper batteries.

Camping is so much better when your off the gird, off the pavement, can't hear the highway and just enjoy the stream/river/lake with friends and family.

The term boon docking can mean different things to different people.
Parking at WalMart is not my idea of boon docking for instance. My idea is a nice quiet NF camp ground with no hookups on a peaceful stream or lake.
Some think their ideal place is along side a forest service road in the woods where you cannot even have a fire.