Whom Of Us Boondocks 14-days Or More At A Stretch?

I have found it not as hard as one could think, although I have not done more than single-digit amount of days boondocking:

1: To minimize black water use (especially in winter), I line the toilet with plastic bags (I would recommend mounting a carabiner on a steel cable that is clipped on a handle of the bag so there is zero chance of hitting the flush pedal and having the bag become a major clog issue.) After using the bathroom, the bag get tossed in another plastic bag, and then tossed in a garbage. Said garbage gets packed out and makes its final resting place in a dumpster that I pay for.

2: In warmer weather, a full water tank, and lots of potable water jugs, the size depending on what punishment you choose to unleash on your back. I have found that four, five gallon jugs filled up last me at least a week. Colder weather, just jugs of water filled to about four gallons so if they freeze, they are less likely to burst.

3: Very dense food items to save space. I like taking cereal, dumping it into tight fitting containers, then tossing the boxes at the grocery store before leaving. This saves me a lot of space, as well as need for trash space. I also carry a MRE and a long term food stash as well. This was quite useful when I got stuck in an unexpected ice storm and couldn't break camp for a few days.

4: Plastic water bottles. I like carrying a few around because they can double as thermal mass for the refrigerator should I want to turn the fridge off, and if I do it right, it gives a day or two, even in the Texas heat of keeping food at safe temperatures.

5: Here in Texas, where it is hot and humid, I definitely use a generator and put a lot of hours on it. In cold weather, I mainly need something to offset the 10A draw from the furnace fan. Solar helps, but even then, a generator is a must to get the batteries topped off, otherwise they will be dead after day 2-3. Of course, I could use a Buddy heater which would not draw anything from the house jars... but I don't like the water it throws in the air, so I only use one in case of a real emergency (ran out of propane in the main cylinders, so have to break out the 16 ounce bottles.) Come 90 degree days and 100% humidity where fans don't help much, the A/C is a must. In warmer weather, I try to bring one five gallon container of gasoline for every day I plan to be boondocking.

My real limit for boondocking is time between showers. I can go a few days just using a washcloth on dirty parts, but after more than 4-5 days, I do need to take some type of shower. After that, the limit becomes fuel, either gasoline when it is warm, or gasoline/LP gas when cold.

Wow!
The number sure surprised me.
I was sort of self-conscious to admit the fitting of a home dishwashing/rinse sprayer in the shower...saves a lot of water but temp control is erratic. Dishes get pre-washed in salt water to the utter delight of little fish. Construct outdoor sanitary facilities
I like to live around my rig rather than in it. I sprang for a 20' totally enclosed porch with floor. It's safely stored at a friend's place where the air is dry...all 215 lbs of it. 1983 model. I remember how pricey the first 5mm white LEDs were. 51 watt Kyocera panels cost me $290 each! A shortwave radio for electronic entertainment. I don't believe I could spend time in a trailer park. Too confining and no adventure.

theoldwizard1 wrote:
Boondocking = NO HOOKUPS !

What do you do for fresh water and waste water ?

Be careful...it's not that hard

we boondock almost every weekend.twice a month we go 4 days.all of august we head into the back country and we take off the camper if we need to go into town to restock on food,water ice and booze.we have a 120 watt portable solar setup and i also have a 1000 watt inverter i can plug into my winch connection and run a smart charger from.we never,ever camp in serviced campsites.never had the need for a generator.i really can't stand hearing one run for hours on end.it's worse than country music, and i really hate country music.i will also add that cassette toilets are awesome for boondocking.

We regularly go 2 weeks plus boondocking in the desert in Az. So far just a Honda 2000 for battery charging.

theoldwizard1 wrote:
Boondocking = NO HOOKUPS !

What do you do for fresh water and waste water ?

You make it last like everything else. It's easier to carry a few extra jugs of water than keep fresh food longer than a few weeks.

we've gone 3 or 4 weeks straight, with no hookups.

we have a Honda 2000i, a 6 gallon FW jug, a 15 gallon blue tote tank and a 400w inverter so that we can go that long.

Probably not until I retire. Consecutive 10 days max. No generator.
If I go to an RV park and not plug in does that count?

Boondocking = NO HOOKUPS !

What do you do for fresh water and waste water ?

We boondock or dry camp most of the time. We have 240 watts of solar, no generator. We have to watch our electric usage a bit in December and January but right now we have plenty. We usually drive somewhere everyday but our trips are short-from a few miles to about 50. When we do stay put for 5 or 6 days the solar keeps our batteries fully charged.