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

[TooTall2]

For maintaining batteries and checking charge/discharge, I've found this little $60 ammeter (I paid $49 on sale) to be one of those things I don't want to leave home without.

https://youtu.be/ZWshTRjsqHY

[thkquartett]

ShoeStringingIt wrote:
One question I do have, what are the gun laws in other states? I was already thinking about carrying a small hand gun just for safety but was unsure of the laws of carrying it across state line.

Try this site http://www.handgunlaw.us/

[Black95]

When traveling through the Plains states like SD, ND, Nebraska, etc. to save some money you can always camp in some of our small towns. Many, like my home town, have city parks with free camping. Many like our even supply free electricity. On my way back from Agate Fossil Beds National Monument last year I camped in Harrison, Nebraska at their free city park campground. Ours in Roscoe, SD offers three nights of free camping with electricity. We don't have showers as some do but we do have flush bathrooms available.

[ShoeStringingIt]

Thanks to everyone for all of the great info! Sadly I have nothing to share of my own yet but I will after the summer of 2016. I plan to take my 2 teenagers on a cross country trip (from PA, to the west coast, and back) over about a 6 week time span. (Our gear includes a tent! 🙂 )We will be working with a shoe-string budget and boondocking seems likt the best option for us (considering both our budget and our love of the great outdoors.) All of the tips here (I read all 17 pages!) have been compiled into a packing list, tips and resourses documents. I'll keep checking back so would love to hear if anyone has any other info they think would be important. One question I do have, what are the gun laws in other states? I was already thinking about carrying a small hand gun just for safety but was unsure of the laws of carrying it across state line.

[bbaley]

reed cundiff wrote:

Don't have a chainsaw (wish I did) for the same reason given on previous page by PRodacy. Trees can fall down. We have a collapsible bow saw and that has proven useful the one time we had to use it for a 10" or 12" log going in to a nice dispersed site. We were scouting area in our pickup. Also have a nice Swedish axe that will probably lead to physical collapse if I ever had to cut through a large downfall. At 75, moderation is no longer an option.

I now keep a "truck box" in my truck bed whether I am boondocking/camping or not.

While it does not carry every essential boondocking item, I spend a lot of time in the woods even not camping, and I could get stuck at any time.

It usually has the following:
- small axe
- small hatchet
- extra knife
- extra cheapo multi-tool
- a tool bag with a few screwdrivers, wrenches, etc
- various wire, bailing wire, coat hanger, etc
- zip ties
- hose clamps
- 5lb fire extinguisher
- pit shovel
- garbage bags
- tarp
- various ropes, para cord, string
- work gloves
- fire starters, matches, lighters in zip lock bags
- newspaper
- flashlight and LED head-lamp
- small bowsaw
- a few dehydrated bag meals tucked in

I throw this box in truck whenever I go up mountain/forest/logging roads, or when I camp and figure I can live a week, fix some stuff, not get stuck.

It's basically a wooden crate with rope handles and a hinged top

[reed_cundiff]

profdant139

If I were to use a bicycle pump to fill a few tires, my blood pressure would go up a few psi (and one psi = 51.7149326 mm of Hg).

My Dad had a foot operated pump for the auto that worked fairly well 60 years ago as I remember. And I remember that it was red. It worked great on bicycles.

We have a Sears pump that does work well. A better one weighs a lot more and lighter ones take forever to fill.

Reed and Elaine

[profdant139]

Reed, I am going to break down and get a decent compressor someday soon -- I had one of those Harbor Freight things that essentially melted the first time we used it. (And this was not their cheapest model -- this cost almost a hundred dollars.)

So since then I have always traveled with a really good (wait for it . . . . ) bicycle pump! And guess what -- it really works. I had a slow leak in one of my truck tires a few years ago -- the bike pump did the job. It took ten minutes every morning to raise the tire pressure from 45 to 50.

But I am the first to admit that this is not a viable solution -- it's a band-aid. Great exercise, though.

[reed_cundiff]

Someone early in thread had sidearms in three or four calibers. If you feel you have to have a weapon(s), it is probably best to have one caliber for all e.g. .357 pistol and rifle. Otherwise, you may be like Captain Bluntschli in Shaw's "Arms and the Man" where his unit winds up with the wrong ammunition at the start of a battle and have to run away (I mean retreat)

Don't have a chainsaw (wish I did) for the same reason given on previous page by PRodacy. Trees can fall down. We have a collapsible bow saw and that has proven useful the one time we had to use it for a 10" or 12" log going in to a nice dispersed site. We were scouting area in our pickup. Also have a nice Swedish axe that will probably lead to physical collapse if I ever had to cut through a large downfall. At 75, moderation is no longer an option.

I read through most posts on this thread and a compressor must have been noted but I did not see this. Consider this an absolute necessity. Our 1 kW generator will not operate it (should have gotten the 2 kW) but we have sufficient battery power to run the compressor. We trialed the PSWI and battery suite at almost 4 kW once (AC, hot wter heater and microwave simultaneously. Not something to do while camping.
Reed and Elaine

[johngg]

100 watt solar panel should be able to charge lighting and cell phones.
Plenty to maintain a battery. If in full sun.

[rehoppe]

Yeah, we had a couple of nasty hail storms here in Nathrop Co last year. Lots of the older campers lost their vent covers.

It's a tough life, but somebody's got to live it. : * )

[reed_cundiff]

Under the bridge is good with hail. They had 10" or so of up to fist sized hail in Santa Rosa, NM last year. There was some really hard hail around Fort Collins, CO. We were at an RV repair shop to have some minor warranty work done and one guy came in because all of his plastic vents on roof had been smashed. Solar panels are supposed to handle fairly good sized hail but fist-sized would probably be a bit much.
Reed and Elaine

[rehoppe]

Reed & Elaine

It's true, the 'Establishment' really doesn't respond well to the 'Migratory Masses'.

Smiles everyone..... We promise Not to be found sleeping under the bridge..... with any luck at all.

edit; Unless it starts to hail!

[reed_cundiff]

rehoppe

Otherwise, they would just be hanging out in the backyard.

Reed and Elaine
(among the semi-affluent homeless - as the census bureau apparently calls full time RV'ers)

[rehoppe]

reed cundiff wrote:
I believe MagillaGorilla has the basics expressed as succinctly as possible.

However, I would add vehicle and RV (or motorhome)

Reed and Elaine

Yeah... that too! LMAO

[reed_cundiff]

I believe MagillaGorilla has the basics expressed as succinctly as possible.

However, I would add vehicle and RV (or motorhome)

Reed and Elaine