The truth about Boondocking

[icanon]

I want to know the truth about Boondocking, the pros and cons.
I don't want it to turn into a 'story telling' thread but a thread about concerns, issues, advantages etc.

Some examples I wonder about are where to boondock, how do you know if you're allowed to camp there, how to know if you're not on private land and not get shot for camping there. What do you do with gray and black water? Do you pee in the woods or behind a rock if in the desert to save tank space? Yeah, seems like silly questions but I wonder what people really do?

How long do people stay in one place, do they move when they run out of water or food etc. Do you leave the TT there to get water or whatever?

Do you worry about theft, people roaming around near or in your campsite? I read somewhere about people being attacked by wild animals at night while letting their pet relieve themselves nearby. Is it the 'wild west' shoot first ask questions later?

I've read on the net lots of honky dory stories about boondockong but never the truth about some of the examples I listed above.

These are just some of the questions I'm asking myself and very interested in hearing from others who do this type of camping.
Please add other examples good and bad I love to hear about it and what to do.
Thanks

[BoonHauler]

highplainsdrifter wrote:
Snip

I cast my vote for trying to find a spot that has been used before. I think there will be less damage overall. Used spots are probably the best spots...best access, flat, have a fire ring, etc. Why make vehicle tracks and build a fire ring in a new area if you don't have to? Most places where we camp, we have been there many times before.

I agree as well, find somewhere that has already been used.

If everyone is out there cutting in new campsites, this will boarder on the whole OHV thing and we all know where that leads ...... more regulation and less acreage. 😞

[dave54]

Gjac wrote:
When I used to backpack in the White Mtn NF in NH there was always a discussion among the rangers about where to set up camp. Some felt that if you chose a new site every time the old sites had a chance to recover, and of course the other argument was using existing sites prevented new sites from being cleared. Either way was fine with the rangers legally as long as you were 1/4 mile from a road, and 200 ft away from a stream, river or lake...

That is the LNT philosophy. In popular areas camp in existing spots. In remote rarely used areas choose new. We almost never build a campfire, so no one will ever find an old fire ring left by us. I tend to dismantle any old fire ring I encounter anyway.

And the 200 foot rule is not the current water edge, it is 200 feet from the high water mark. Many desert washes are a quarter mile wide or more, with only a trickle down the middle most of the year. 200 feet from the high scour mark maybe be a loooonnng ways from the current stream. A lot of folks do not want to hear that.

Many states have little known regulations on the books that prohibit camping near water holes in arid areas if that is the only water source within a defined distance. The reason is your camp may be keeping wildlife from the only water within miles.

[highplainsdrift]

oldtrojan66 wrote:

profdant139 wrote:

If I am wrong about the national forest rules, let me know! Thanks.

That's what we were told. "Try to find an empty place where someone has camped before, to minimize the impact on the forest."

I cast my vote for trying to find a spot that has been used before. I think there will be less damage overall. Used spots are probably the best spots...best access, flat, have a fire ring, etc. Why make vehicle tracks and build a fire ring in a new area if you don't have to? Most places where we camp, we have been there many times before.

[Gjac]

When I used to backpack in the White Mtn NF in NH there was always a discussion among the rangers about where to set up camp. Some felt that if you chose a new site every time the old sites had a chance to recover, and of course the other argument was using existing sites prevented new sites from being cleared. Either way was fine with the rangers legally as long as you were 1/4 mile from a road, and 200 ft away from a stream, river or lake. I preferred existing sites only because the were already cleared with a fire pit.

[icanon]

dave54 wrote:
My definition:

If I can see or hear anyone it is not boondocking.
If there is any sign someone else has ever camped there, it is not boondocking.
If you have to ask yourself "Is this remote enough?" it is not boondocking.

If everyone did that I imagine in a few years there will be no place to boondock as all the places would have been camped! Then you really have to go hike a few miles and go tent camping.

[oldtrojan66]

profdant139 wrote:

If I am wrong about the national forest rules, let me know! Thanks.

That's what we were told. "Try to find an empty place where someone has camped before, to minimize the impact on the forest."

[profdant139]

Well, Dave, I must respectfully disagree with your statement that "if there is any sign someone else has ever camped there, it is not boondocking."

The dispersed camping rules in every national forest, as far as I know, strongly recommends (if not requires) that we camp in places that have already been trampled by other campers -- otherwise, if we all chose to camp on untracked fresh ground, the whole forest would soon be trampled.

I don't know if BLM land follows the same rules.

If I am wrong about the national forest rules, let me know! Thanks.

[dave54]

My definition:

If I can see or hear anyone it is not boondocking.
If there is any sign someone else has ever camped there, it is not boondocking.
If you have to ask yourself "Is this remote enough?" it is not boondocking.

[icanon]

Naio wrote:
If I pull up and I see a lot of broken glass and shotgun shells, I usually move on.

Or trash. What is with people dumping whole piles of trash? Not food scraps, but stuff like old magazines, clothes... I found a great place north of Yreka last year, fantastic view of Shasta -- but it had been used as somebody's trash dump. Gave the place such a creepy vibe, I went on down the road. It felt like some personal tragedy had taken place there.

Same here I'm disgusted when I see trash being left behind! Like to see them do that at some CG or some parking lot.

[Naio]

If I pull up and I see a lot of broken glass and shotgun shells, I usually move on.

Or trash. What is with people dumping whole piles of trash? Not food scraps, but stuff like old magazines, clothes... I found a great place north of Yreka last year, fantastic view of Shasta -- but it had been used as somebody's trash dump. Gave the place such a creepy vibe, I went on down the road. It felt like some personal tragedy had taken place there.

[icanon]

Naio wrote:
Adding to the list:

A place where I feel it is safe to be woman camping alone, if I am.

For me, this mainly means that I avoid places where the locals go to get drunk and party. I'm kind of spooked by groups of drunk guys on their own territory, even though they are usually harmless and nice.

A little dirt spur in the national forest often feels safer than the local reservoir 🙂

Agree there can be some creeps out there and can be worrisome at times.

[icanon]

highplainsdrifter wrote:
As indicated through out this thread, there are many "variations" of boondocking. My style of boondocking does not include a campground, no matter how primitive. To me, boondocking must include:

A location where I can step out of my travel trailer and take a whiz without fear of being seen. This has always been a key element in my definition of boondocking. Obviously, this requires ELBOW ROOM.

A location where I can let my small dog roam the immediate area without fear of a big dog coming along.

A location where I can run my cheap, noisy generator and not bother anyone.

A location where someone else's activities will not disturb me.

Thankfully there are millions of acres in the Rocky Mountains where I can find these conditions. I am so very thankful for our federal lands!

Yep that is a True Boondocking definition to me. love the space not bothering anyone.

[icanon]

Hi to you too bka0721 totally agree with you and well said.

[Naio]

Adding to the list:

A place where I feel it is safe to be woman camping alone, if I am.

For me, this mainly means that I avoid places where the locals go to get drunk and party. I'm kind of spooked by groups of drunk guys on their own territory, even though they are usually harmless and nice.

A little dirt spur in the national forest often feels safer than the local reservoir 🙂