Straying from your Boondocking Site

[katet78]

What do all of you who boondock in motorhomes do when you stray from your site? How do you keep new boondockers from driving in and taking your site while your rig is gone? For example, say you wanted to drive down to the lake to fish, or sightsee, or run to the dump station, etc., your rig is obviously away from your boondocking site (unless you have the luxury of a TOAD) and so how do you "mark" that you will be returning so no one else takes your spot?

[bucky]

We don't need no stinking targets. And it would be Jimbob not Jim and Bob.

[avoidcrowds]

We were camping way off the beaten path, but still in a network of Forest Service roads about 20 miles from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this August. Dark, campfire going, and here comes a car up the "lane" back to where we were camped. They drove to the end of the "lane", about 50' away from us, and proceeded to set up their tent.

I wanted to go ask why they couldn't have stopped closer to the FS road, instead of setting up by us, but DW didn't want me to confront them. It turned out to be a couple in their 20s, based on the walking in front of their headlights while they set up the tent. I attributed their presence to either being young and oblivious, or they had a long, tough day, and were through driving.

But, they left before I finished cooking breakfast in the morning, so it wasn't too bad. Irritating, but short-lived.

[dave54]

DownTheAvenue wrote:
I bought yellow "caution" tape that I string up at the entrance to the site. It appears as though the site has been closed, and people just go on to another site.

How about 'Crime Scene Do Not Enter' tape? Or 'Hazardous Material' with a radiation symbol?

[jefe_4x4]

I'm still partial to leaving a sousaphone installed on an old lawn chair.
jefe

[DownTheAvenue]

I bought yellow "caution" tape that I string up at the entrance to the site. It appears as though the site has been closed, and people just go on to another site.

[Muddydogs]

rexlion wrote:
Leave a sign that says, "Hey Jim and Bob, we just went to buy more ammo and targets. See you by suppertime."

Well that was nice of you, I'm Jim but he's not Bob and we brought plenty of my own bullets and lots of beer so once we empty the beer cans we will have targets. See ya when you get back.

[BoonHauler]

Tom N wrote:
If you leave the free site it is up for grabs.

I would tend to support this kind of thinking and act accordingly.

[BoonHauler]

rexlion wrote:
Leave a sign that says, "Hey Jim and Bob, we just went to buy more ammo and targets. See you by suppertime."

Now that's FUNNY!! .... LOL!!

[rexlion]

Leave a sign that says, "Hey Jim and Bob, we just went to buy more ammo and targets. See you by suppertime."

[B_GAGE]

We have an inexpensive tent that we set up to get stuff out of the back seat of the truck or off the floor of the camper. If we leave to dump or get water, we leave the tent set up so it looks like the area is occupied.

[Naio]

GordonThree wrote:

Naio wrote:
Since pioneer times, the rule of thumb in the west has been that you keep moving until you cannot see the neighbor's woodsmoke.

I'm not sure where you boondock, but smoke can be seen for tens of miles around here. Out west, it's probably even further given the terrain. I'd run out of public land before finding another spot using smoke visibility as a ruler.

Yeah, you kind of need trees for that rule B) Didn't Michigan used to have trees?

[Tiger4x4RV]

I never leave anything. If I return and the space is open, then it is my lucky day. Usually, I do not even try to return.

[GordonThree]

Naio wrote:
Since pioneer times, the rule of thumb in the west has been that you keep moving until you cannot see the neighbor's woodsmoke.

I'm not sure where you boondock, but smoke can be seen for tens of miles around here. Out west, it's probably even further given the terrain. I'd run out of public land before finding another spot using smoke visibility as a ruler.

[Naio]

Since pioneer times, the rule of thumb in the west has been that you keep moving until you cannot see the neighbor's woodsmoke.

Nowdays we get annoyed by tourists who don't know the rule. I'm sure Indian people felt the same way when the pioneers broke THEIR traditional rules.

I think the modern version is that you should either 1) Go where you cannot see their rig, or 2) Stop and ask if they mind. Give them a chance to tell you about the better spot just up the road, or that they are about to be joined by 50 close, rowdy friends B)