Gray water: tenters dump it, so why can't I?
First, we don't dump anything on the ground. Period. It is illegal, and that settles it for me.
But -- here is the issue -- SHOULD it be illegal in all settings? Tent campers certainly do dump gray water. And I don't think that there are any rules about it. There are surely no rules while backpacking -- and only in a very few crowded places (like Mt. Whitney) do backpackers have to carry out human waste. (That has to be an unpleasant chore, I would think.)
So here is my thought -- why is it impermissible for RVs to dump gray water into a deep hole while boondocking? What is the difference? We actually have less of a total impact than backpackers, who do not have black tanks.
If we could dump gray water while boondocking, that would extend our ability to camp for several additional days. Fresh water can easily be carried in with our truck, on an as-needed basis with jerry cans, whenever we go out for the day to a trailhead or whatever. And the black water tank takes a long time to fill. The gray water tank is usually the limiting factor.
In any event, the Forest Service is not likely to change the rules, so I suppose I should just give up. (Insert mildly grumpy face at this point.)
But -- here is the issue -- SHOULD it be illegal in all settings? Tent campers certainly do dump gray water. And I don't think that there are any rules about it. There are surely no rules while backpacking -- and only in a very few crowded places (like Mt. Whitney) do backpackers have to carry out human waste. (That has to be an unpleasant chore, I would think.)
So here is my thought -- why is it impermissible for RVs to dump gray water into a deep hole while boondocking? What is the difference? We actually have less of a total impact than backpackers, who do not have black tanks.
If we could dump gray water while boondocking, that would extend our ability to camp for several additional days. Fresh water can easily be carried in with our truck, on an as-needed basis with jerry cans, whenever we go out for the day to a trailhead or whatever. And the black water tank takes a long time to fill. The gray water tank is usually the limiting factor.
In any event, the Forest Service is not likely to change the rules, so I suppose I should just give up. (Insert mildly grumpy face at this point.)
