Boondocking (aka “dry camping”) is one of the best ways we have to save money. We’ve been staying in the western half of the United States because public lands there are plentiful, and today I’m going to tell you all about how we do it.
I know I’ve said this many times before, but we boondock almost exclusively. Why? Because it’s cheaper (almost always free!) and we are not party people. If you’ve ever stayed in a busy campground you know what I’m talking about. We just don’t appreciate the neighbors staying up late and making a lot of noise while we are trying to enjoy the nature sounds around us and get some sleep (although we have encountered those kinds of people in the wilderness, too!).
Dry camping does come with challenges, though. We have to be sure we have enough water on board, an RV dump somewhere within driving distance, a power supply, enough fuel, and a workable cell signal. Finding a great spot to park for a night, or three, or fourteen also takes some research and experience.
Where do we usually set up camp?
Our favorite places to stay are on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands and United States Forest Service (USFS) lands. Both have 14 day stay limits, with some exceptions.
Once we decide which area we would like to be in, I pull up one of the camping websites or apps such as All Stays, Campendium, or The Dyrt (and there are many others) and read through the reviews on previously discovered dry camping locations. While doing so, I note how busy or popular they are, which amenities are nearby, and what other users have reported for cell signal strength. I use the Campendium app for most of my research, combined with satellite view on Maps, Google Maps, or Google Earth.
While checking out sites through satellite view on your favorite mapping app, don’t forget to notice things like low areas where water may accumulate and gravel roads that don’t look well maintained. And when you get there, don’t hesitate to drop your trailer in a safe spot and drive up the road to check things out. Or you can always get your bicycle out and do the same.
One other thing: Don’t forget to check the weather! Has it rained recently? Will it rain or storm while you are there? What about wind speeds? Will it be hot or cold? These are all important factors when considering a place to set up camp.
What do we do about fresh water and wastewater?
If we are in one spot for only a night or two, all we need is a full tank of water (and empty gray and black tanks). Longer stays, though, take a bit more planning.
If you are new to boondocking you’ll need to figure out how long you can camp without filling water or dumping gray and black tanks. I suggest you camp in your driveway (or current full hookups campsite) without being plugged into anything and see how long your water and battery(ies) lasts. We can camp up to 10 days before we run out of water if we use it wisely. We carry three 7-gallon jugs for extra water (so we don’t have to pack up our whole rig) and most gas stations haven’t had an issue with us filling them from an outside spigot. Always double check that the water is potable, though, and always use a water filter.
Need some ideas on how to conserve water? Check out my post on 14 Water Saving Tips for RV Living.
As far as wastewater and sewer goes, we can last around a month on our black tank (since liquid is the only thing that goes in there) and up to 10 days on the two gray tanks. Never empty your gray tanks onto the ground. As inconvenient as it may be, always take your rig to the nearest dump station to empty your tanks. If we are staying in one spot for more than a week, we’ll usually venture out (usually on a Sunday) to dump our gray tanks and take on more fresh water.
Fuel is so important!
The last thing you want is to run out of fuel in your tow vehicle. If you cannot get to your campsite and back from the nearest fueling station on a full tank of gas or diesel, either find another place to camp or bring extra fuel with you. And don’t forget the extra gas or propane for your generator!
Speaking of propane, if it’s going to be cool outside where you’re going you’ll want to make sure you have a full tank or two of propane before you get to your campsite. We have two 30lb tanks of propane in our rig, and we carry an extra one in the bed of our truck.
What do we do for power?
When we first started out, we ran our generator for all of our power needs. Before the end of our first year, though, we had purchased a few solar panels and a 1500w inverter to supply most of the power we need. Now we only run the generator when we need to run our higher power appliances (such as the vacuum and the air conditioner) or if we’ve had several cloudy days in a row. If you want to see our solar setup, check out this post.
What about work?
I work remotely full time drafting for an engineering company. I also run this blog and I’m a financial coach. I need to have a good cellular signal to connect to my company’s servers, either through my phone’s hotspot or from our Mifi hotspot from Verizon. Since we’ve only traveled the central and western states so far, I’ve found that Verizon’s service has been all we need. Once we start going east we’ll look at getting a separate AT&T plan as well.
My laptop is powered by our inverter (or the generator) so I never have to worry about it dying in the middle of a command. And my hours are flexible, so we can always pack up and move down the road in the middle of the week if I find that the signal is just too weak to work from.
So what are the most important things to consider when boondocking?
- Only set up camp in established camping spots. These are usually marked by fire rings, but can also be cleared areas that show obvious signs of someone camping there before.
- Pack it in, pack it out! Whatever you bring into your campsite you must bring back out. Please do not leave trash. It’s the main reason we are losing access to hundreds of acres of public lands. Remember, leave no trace!
- Bring plenty of food and water. Seriously, leaving your camping spot a day or two early because you run out of food or water is irritating.
- Don’t forget about fuel!
- Don’t park right next to another camper if you can help it. If our neighbors can hear us then we are too close.
- Wherever you park, make sure you can get back out, even if it rains.
We love camping in remote areas (as long as we can get internet access of course) and we’re really looking forward to exploring more of the U.S. this way. Do you have any questions for us? We’d love to hear from you! Don’t forget to drop a comment below. And before you leave, be sure to check us out on Facebook and Pinterest, and subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page. Have a great week!