What do you consider 'Boondocking'?

[mike837go]

Hi All,

In another thread (no names, please) the issue of roughing-it vs. taking-it-all-with-us was raised.

Where do each of us stand in the spectrum of possibilities?

0=Forage for food & shelter
1=Tent, shovel instead of toilet
2=Separate, hand carried units for toilet, shower, heat, etc.
.
.
.
10=Stay inside the RV with the generator keeping the A/C running
11=Rent a hotel room

----------------------

We tent camped for several years. I enjoyed cooking over an open fire. But rain and cold would ruin things. A hard-sided travel trailer with a flush toilet, heat and warm shower makes our days and nights in the mountains a truly relaxing experience.

I feel the word 'camping' is a bit strong for what we do now.

Basically, we enjoy our portable house, stocked with all the supplies (food, water, fuel and electricity) for extended weekends.

So put me down with an 8.

[Jagiven]

I am fairly flexible and can live with just about anything for a reasonable amount of time.

I do all kinds of camping.

HTT: I think this year we have about 19 nights of camping in our HTT. So far this year we have done no boondock camping. Just has not happened. The DW really does like her AC. We are setup to boondock for about 5 nights, by changing our lighting. Right now we only have about 9 more nights booked for the season, but I expect we will at least double that. So for this year I expect maybe we will Trailer camp a bit shy of 40 nights.

Tenting: I think I have about 7 nights of tent camping is so far this year. We just got back from a long weekend in the BWCA. We did about three miles of portages, and paddled probably about 15+ miles. Small tent, good sleeping pads, camped on an old Svea camp stove, pumped/filtered our water out of the lakes. Later this summer, I have a week of summer camp tent camping at one of our local Boy Scout camps. Not quite the same as the BWCA, lot more luxuries such as running water, showers, food made for you, and so forth. I expect I to tent camp an additional 4 nights later in the year. The total tent camping this year will be close to 18 nights.

We also tend to take one bigger trip every other year that is more luxurious, this upcoming one I think is 12-14 nights, but I am not in charge, just have to show up (very nice). It is an all-inclusive cruise this time.

I also travel a bit for work which is all hotels, I try to keep it to a minimum, this year it appears to be maybe 15 nights. Last year I was well above 60 nights.

So for this year, I expect to be sleeping somewhere other than my house for 85+ nights. Of that I prefer the solitude of boondocking deep in the woods without any modern technologies (IE cell phone).

[RoyBraddy]

Proper Name of things really doesn't make much difference to us. We camp at both camp areas that have electrical hookups and those that do not.

We actually like the camping off to our self somewhere back off the beaten path. Most often no hookups here... We live off the batteries and enjoy all the same things we enjoy camping at electric sites. Of course some things we don't have enough power with us to use like the Air Conditioner or high wattage Microwave. We do have enough battery power on board to make it until the next morning at around 8Am where we will run the generator for around three hours to recharge our batteries back up to at least their 90% charge state so we can do all of this all over again for the next day/night run off our batteries.

We did the same thing back in the TENT CAMPING days and lived off a bag full of D-CELLS, white gas lanterns, and propane fired cooking stove. Even then we had raised off the floor tent beds with those that had a air mattress on top of the bed frame. Out three room tent had carpets on the floor...

If I was with a bunch of JEEP GUYS it was usually just a small tent with a sleeping bag and an all night camp fire going.

For us it is what want to enjoy doing. It is called camping to us...

Roy Ken

[tjpolsin]

According to my kids and our friends who only have tents, we don't go camping, we go "glamping" as in glamor camping.

I have left the canvas puptent, hand-pump water supply, and USFS pit toilets long behind. 3 days on battery at a state park that has a coin operated hot shower is as roughing it as my wife likes.

[mike837go]

I guess I can live with "glamping".

Let's see...
- Bathing in a mountain stream vs. 102F shower? Glamping wins
- dig a hole, squat, cover hole vs. flush toilet? Glamping wins
- shivering in a cold, wet tent vs. dry and warm in a RV? Glamping wins
- cooking over an open fire vs. gas stove, oven and microwave? This round goes to roughing it by a narrow margin based solely on the taste of the food.
- sweating most of the day vs. plenty of cold drinks and an awning? Glamping wins.
- soggy cold cuts and spoiled meat in the cooler vs. gas fridge? Glamping wins.
- placing the tent any nearly level place you can carry it vs. dropping a small house within a few feet of a drivable surface? Roughing it wins.
- a 10lb roll of nylon or canvas & poles vs. 1,000 to 20,000 lbs of RV? Split decision.

[WrenZ71]

Staying in my TT,off the grid no hookups.Power from my generators,freshwater from my on board tanks.I have a way to refill my fresh water, 2 6 gallon and 3 5 gallon water jugs.I can haul my grey water off with my 42 gallon waste tote.Placed in the back of my truck,using a 110v water pump and hose to pump it in.Trip is over when the black tank is full.

[tjpolsin]

Originally Posted by WrenZ71

...Trip is over when the black tank is full.

I like that kind of camping calendar.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by WrenZ71

Trip is over when the "black tank" is full.

I'll leave the reference to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to those with a lower sense of humor than my own.

[WrenZ71]

Originally Posted by mike837go

I'll leave the reference to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to those with a lower sense of humor than my own.

Hahahaha

[JFlightRisk]

The older I get, the higher up the scale I go. Must be at a 8 or 9 by now!

[Subaru297]

I think "camping" would involve a tent or lesser accommodations.

Staying in our 28' trailer is most certainly "glamping" and not camping.

Boondocking is when you don't have any hookups. No power, no water, no sewer. Self sufficient.

On your scale we would probably be around a 8 or 9 with hookups and maybe a 7 while boondocking. It is all fun though!

[TWP723]

Boondocking???

A lighter, a lettuce leaf and a pack of ketchup.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by TWP723

Boondocking???

A lighter, a lettuce leaf and a pack of ketchup.

You really do like to overpack? The lettuce leaf is a bit much.

[dewey02]

I agree with Roy.
It doesn't matter what you call it. Just enjoy whatever it is you choose to do and how you choose to do it.

[LoveCamping58]

Just to add one little thought on this, we were looking for a place to park our 5w in Idaho and was checking on Forest Service campgrounds, not knowing the area. On the web-site I was on they had a category called "dispersed" camping. So I guess we "disperse camp". Here's how they describe it: "Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds. Dispersed camping means there are no toilets, tables or drinking water."

[Jim-n-Ash]

To our way of thinking, no matter whether you're tenting or trailering (or doing something in between), boondocking is camping where there are no hook-ups, no outhouses, no water supply, no tables, no firepits, no driveways, no prepared tent spaces, etc. Dry camping isn't always boondocking, but boondocking is always dry camping.

[Mach1tosh]

Somewhere in the 6-9 range, we like getting out into the forest & lakeside beyond cell service. Sadly my tenting days are past me as my arthritic lumbar does not do well with sleeping anywhere near the ground.


We use a solar panel to keep the battery up (LED lights and no microwave or A/C while boondocking),

although we have an inverter for using inflator for air mattresses and blow up water gear or charging batteries in laptops, tablets and the like.
We carry a folding table and chairs and can build a fire pit (although the provided ones work well enough)

just about anywhere, don't mind bathing in the lakes and a tree works just as well as an outhouse for #1 for me (not so much for the wife) so we are basically limited to black tank capacity to determine length of stay.
We also did 3 of 10 outings this summer to sites with hook ups but we still prefer to be in the woods.

[Hattie]

IMHO:
Dry camping = no hook-ups (elec, water, sewer) BUT public facilities (potable water faucets, restrooms or some form of toilets, maybe showers, maybe a dump station).
Boon-docking = none of the above; everything you bring in you are responsible for removing (black/gray water, trash, etc.).

[bankr63]

Originally Posted by mike837go

Where do each of us stand in the spectrum of possibilities?

0=Forage for food & shelter
1=Tent, shovel instead of toilet
2=Separate, hand carried units for toilet, shower, heat, etc.
.
.
.
10=Stay inside the RV with the generator keeping the A/C running
11=Rent a hotel room

DW used to canoe in camp in some of our more rustic wilderness areas, so she certainly started as a 1. I started as a car camper in my teens as soon as I had my license - dad wasn't a camper at all, and I was NOT going to join mom and the troop at the GG camp. So I probably started as a 3 or 4. I don't think I've ever pooped where a splash didn't follow; but I have had splinters in my butt from the worn wood seats of the outhouse.

These low level entry points of "camping" are just the gateway drug to the dreaded "glamping"; once you are hooked on glamping, you are beyond redemption. Up to this year, we were pup glampers, and could easily dry camp for a few days - not really boondocking as we were in organized CG's but without any hookups. So that's probably an 8. With our late season purchase of the HTT, I guess we are about to graduate to a 9; we don't have a gennie, so dry camping will still be pretty basic.

[norty1]

Boondocking is when the campground does not have cable! LOL