Must Have Boondocking Items?

[Mello_Mike]

Let's have a little fun. What do you consider to be "must have" items when you go boondocking?

I'll start:

1. Two AGM 6v or Group 27 12v batteries
2. Solar power (100 watts)
3. Propane (2x5 gal tanks)
4. Seven gallon portable water tank
5. First Aid Kit
6. Water Purification Kit
7. Saw Zaw (for cutting firewood)
8. Firestarter
9. Camera
10. Altimeter App
11. Dump Station Location App
12. GPS/Maps
13. GPS locator

[Aurabbit79er]

ilv2laff wrote:
Aurabbit,

The mining club sounds like a fun hobby and you've set up your rig appropriately. "Freeing" is one of the best words to describe boondocking. Great post.

Thanks for the comment. This web site has lots of good people with helpful advice and experience.
Let me some pics of my last PCSC Club Outing.




The banjo player just came over and stared playing along with what ever Tim and I played. I was so drunk by the end I can't remember what his name was. Hope he makes it to this next outing.

[ilv2laff]

Aurabbit,

The mining club sounds like a fun hobby and you've set up your rig appropriately. "Freeing" is one of the best words to describe boondocking. Great post.

[Aurabbit79er]

This Thread is a wonderful exercise in prepping and survival. We have listed general and personal boondocking preferences. I have gotten several good ideas, and I hope have shared some good info as well. I decided that the whole concept of boondocking is to be free from, and independent of, the need of support while at your destination. The only limitation to any stay is the time between restocking, and mandatory maintenance. Water, food, fuel, and holding tanks, the basic 4. So the time spent on your own is dictated by how many people and how far the destination is from the last chance for service. As a gold miner I do several solo runs. My little 24' 79 Class C will take me there for a week and bring me back from any destination in a 3 hr., one way drive distance. I have a mining outing Friday 04/26 for 2 days. I'm bringing 65 gal. of extra water, over the 40 gal in the Fresh tank. I unload it at the camp site when I get there. I don't have a shower in the coach yet so I bathe outside with that water. It is mostly for mining though. I run a desert mining wash plant.
I use a dry washer for most of my mining, but the last step always needs water, plus it's good to have utility water in the desert. This is a boondock outing with anywhere from 20 to 100+ miners. It's a big and rich club owned gold claim out near Red Rock Canyon CA. It's at least 30 miles from any public services. Even cel phones don't work.
I love it. Best club I ever joined.

[moose888]

IDman wrote:
We always have a .357 Magnum and a 12 gauge, and not just when boondocking.

Yea we carry Judge 410/45 long colt also 12 gauge marine pump shotgun. Makes me sleep better.

[ilv2laff]

I agree Korbe. With the advancement of "camping" and camper technology, boondocking has indeed become a relative term. I'm a hybrid camper myself. I spent my youth as a MN Boundary Waters Canoe Guide and self-proclaimed purest in the camping world. It included canoeing and portaging into a campsite, assembling camp and sleeping on the ground under the skies or in a tent. Now, with my middleaged aches and pains, I boondock simply in my small camper completely set up for energy production with most weather and a generator for redudancy, but I try to use those things only when I really need them. The interesting thing for me is that I KNOW that I have the backup, so roughing it doesn't seem to be as "rough" as it was. I know there is always that switch to turn on if it gets too bad.

[WoodGlue]

An extra water bladder (45 gallon) for the back of the truck and a SteriPen!



WoodGlue

[Puttin]

Thanks, I'll give them another look.

[bullmastifflove]

We are on our second one over the past 8 or 9 years. We've picked up both from CostCo. The first one lost it's ability to charge because we left it in the garage...the heat ruined it. So, now we are sure to bring it inside. Yup, our batteries have been totally dead. The first one we owned was Battery Buddy and the new one we have doesn't have a name on it, but it's pretty hefty and it's lime green.

[Puttin]

bullmastifflover wrote:
We boondock a lot and we never leave home without our Battery Buddy. We've had to jump start our drained batteries on the truck or toy hauler several times. Really helpful when you are in the middle of nowhere.

Just be sure to charge it before you leave.

Just curious- I have used three of these things over the past several years to try jumping a dead battery in my boat but mostly using it at work to start our dead trucks. I've had no luck with any of them. All they've done is make the engine starter turn a half revolution and then die! How long have you used yours and when you do- is your rv battery totally dead? I'd really like to find a dependable unit so in case of emergency, I don't need jumper cables and another vehicle to get going again.

Thanks-

[Aurabbit79er]

I'm not sure if it counts as a survival item but I added extended range towing for the RV to my AAA roadside assistance coverage. They won't tow me home but at least back to civilization to an RV service center. Sorry to say I had to use it last month. The starter and the ring gear failed in-front of my own driveway. They sent a flat bed and after it was loaded it was only 4" under the height limit. I followed them and watched it go under a freeway and it was close, like 1' clearance. Much money later everything is back to normal and all running good.

[RVTT1]

A boondocker needs to know what type of people, animals, insects, and reptiles are in the area they are camping in. Also if they are active, or not. This can be especially helpful for pets, as well as humans. The survival item here is "knowlege of your surroundings". Of the list above, I pay more attention to knowing what kind of snakes might be in the area.

[buta4]

If boondocking, and in case of generator or RV motor failure, or out of fuel, and dead batteries, I would suggest a a BIOLITE stove/charger.

Small stove burns sticks of wood and has a battery pack attached to one side. Burning wood charges the battery which in turns feeds a USB port that can then charge cell phones, etc. It's a neat little thing to have. You can also cook on the stovetop too.

I feel most are not aware of it's benefits.

Regards,
Ray

[Foy_R__Smith]

:S We always have a first aide kit, chain saw, 3/8"x16' log chain and a 38, 270, 22, ammo, reading material & Fishing equpment. Our Yellow Lab guard dog! :C

[Foy_R__Smith]

We have a old 23.5 Hitchhiker 5th wheel. We pull a small trailer with Honda 4 wheeler and Champion 3500/4000generater on it. We have 56 gal fresh water tank and 2 -35 gal holding tanks. We take a satellite dish and a Cowboy grill, that I made. I bake cakes, home made biscuits and etc in a Camp Dutch Oven. We Love our coffee made in a pour through 8 Cup Melitta coffee pot. We have a laptop with aircard.We run the gen everynight, to charge batterys and watch TV for a couple of hours.We take a shower everyday and we can boon dock for 2 weeks with this set up. It works for us. You need to use what works best for your family.:C

[SuzzeeeQ2012]

teejaywhy wrote:
Must haves would be water and food (including coffee). A shovel and some TP.

A battery is nice but not a must have. Less so a generator.

Unless a person has apnea and needspower for that (me)

need the battery charged so I can use an inverter at night for my CPAP