Tips for TC Boondocking

sleepy wrote:

Cadillac Jack wrote:
While its true that the west has many more acres of National Forest and BLM lands the east is still literally packed with hundreds of dispersed camping areas where you can camp in organized pullouts with fire rings or pullouts with nothing at all.

I have been in KY for the last 8 years since moving here from California. I have never camped in an rv park in all that time.

I have camped all over Tennessee North Carolina West Virginia Virginia Kentucky New Hampshire Maine and never once stayed in a an organized campground with hook ups or Ranger Rick.

New Hampshire has fantastic dispersed camping areas with no fees of any kind. North Carolina also has many of these areas. Ditto all the rest that I have mentioned.

I would only stay in an organized campground as an utter last resort.

If you are in the west the choices are mind boggling.

Urban camping is not boondocking, and I would only do it if I was desperate.

Welcome to the Truck camper forum.

Tell us a little about yourself. How much camping are you doing... and some of your favorite spots... what kind of TC you have (It makes a difference in where you stay overnight) When you are using these eastern boondocking sites what do you do for water and dump stations.

Janet and I have been doing truck camper adventures for more than 40 years... and I've been very open about our experiences. We learned a lot from Tioga George. One of his favorite tricks was what he calls "Day Camping/Night Camping" This is where he parks in a residential area or even an industrial area overnight, wakes up early, and moves to the best spot at the beach or where ever... and sets up for the day... enjoys the best spot all day and then moves back to his night "camp"... he has the best of both worlds... and we do it often.

BTW, I read your 5 posts cadalic jack...

I noticed that your profile says that you are in the midwest... then I read in the quote that you have lived in Kentucky for the last 8 years ( confused me...I have always been taught that Kentucky was in the eastern part of the country)

Jack... You call Kentucky midwest... I call what I do Boondocking.

Sleepy

Hey Sleepy, yeah I guess what people consider Midwest can be a little different depending on who you talk to. I am in the extreme northern part of the state just south of Cincinnati Ohio. Ky really isn't anywhere when you think about it. Its not north or south or east .

I spent the first 40 years of my life in California. Born in SO Cal, but lived in Northern CA for 6 years as well. While in California I camped in a TT and Fifth Wheel. Sold the TT before we moved to KY. For the past 8 years here in KY I have tent camped only. I like to trout fish so I usually seek out mountainous locations with good cold water trout streams.

North Carolina is my favorite destination so far. Spent many a night on Santeetlah creek in the Nanthala NF. I have camped all over the smokies. Beautiful place, and it is the closest thing to the western mountains that I have seen out here with the possible exception of the White MTS in NH. Love that place as well.

I have also spent considerable time in West Virginia camping and fishing on the Cranberry and Williams river. Also camp and fish in the BIG SOUTH FORK right on the Tenn line.

I just bought my first truck camper :) I am driving to Colorado next Saturday to pick it up. Its an S&S camper. I will post pics as soon as I get back. I am very exited.

As for my comment on boondocking I guess I should be more specific. I do not foresee the wife and I parking at walmarts or other urban locales not because I am afraid or frown on it, but rather because my time is limited and I want to be in the woods mts etc. Even in the eastern part of the country the National Forests are numerous and vast and I have always been able to find a quiet spot somewhere.

Good luck to you and happy camping.