by This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Read full disclosure here
During your search for information you may have come across the word “Boondocking,” when we first started gathering information we saw that word and the first thing that came to mind was a scene from “boondock saints,” and thought “what does this have to do with Rving?” Come to find out boondocking is really a lot of fun!
Definition
Boondocking is a term that is commonly used between RVers, meaning camping without electricity, fresh water, or sewer connections, otherwise known as “dry camping.” Basically what you bring with you is what you get. Just like when you went camping as s kid, except now you have a much larger and cooler tent!
Why would you want to boondock?
When you’re out on the road finding your adventure, you will soon find out that camping at paid campgrounds gets expensive, but trust me there are literally THOUSANDS of completely FREE camping sites all around the US and Canada. After you learn how to find these sites (see the next section for more information), you will actually start to enjoy “living off the grid.” We learned that some of the most spectacular views were found when “dry camping” or “boondocking.” Pictured to the right is a great example of the awesome views you can find when boondocking. This was in a mountain site located just across the valley from Pikes Peak Colorado (I was actually sitting on the step of our RV when I took the top picture). We were originally going to stay overnight but found the beauty of it was just to much to pass up and we stayed 4 nights, best of all it was FREE.
Before finding a site to stay at make sure your black water and grey water tanks are empty and you have a full tank of fresh water. We found a great camp site in South Dakota (top picture of this post) but we forgot to empty the tanks and we had to leave early, major bummer.
Where are Boondocking sites?
Boondocking sites are often found in places like national forests, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and on public land. Your options are pretty much endless when looking for a great site to camp.
Although free camping sites can be found all over the US, we found that the farther west you travel the more sites you can find. We reside in North Carolina just a few miles from the ocean, and unfortunately free sites are very few and far between in our area.
If your a regular reader you know that the two ways I find free places to camp is on an app named “RV Parky” and a website called campendium.com. Both are free to use and join, they have a plethora of information of camp sites, dump sites and reviews. If it is your first time I would recommend taking a look at the reviews for the sites you are looking into staying at, some are only designed for smaller vehicles and may be difficult if you have a larger RV.
Things that you will need before boondocking
Like all your adventures on the road, there are a few things that you will need to be properly prepared for this exciting adventure. When camping “off the grid” you will not have any normal facilities such as water, sewer or trash cans on site. Here is a short list of the things I would recommend having before venturing out to go boondocking.
- Fresh water. I always try to fill the fresh water tank before heading to a site, when boondocking we try to ration out water as much as possible, this means not taking long showers, and using as little water to clean dishes ect. Also you never know when a storm may roll up on you and the dirt roads are un-passable for a day or two (Ask me how I know).
- Toilet paper. If you remember my Top 10 must haves list. Toilet paper was the first item that you will need to have, you wouldn’t want to get a a gorgeous site, level the RV, get your outdoor furniture all set up then find out you’re out of TP. Always have more than you think.
- Garbage bags. Make sure you can clean up your area before you leave, so the next family out on their vacation can enjoy the same views you did “Always leave it, better than you found it.”
Go out and explore!
Rving is all about the adventure, about seeing new things and expanding your knowledge of the country that we love. Boondocking is a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, a great place for you to go and relax. As I sit here writing this I can actually close my eyes and picture the snow capped mountains, the crisp smell of air at high elevation, and the sound of the wind flowing through trees. These are the things that make all the planning, all the preparations and honestly the money to get all these things worth it!
Get out and find YOUR adventure!
Have you found some great spots boondocking? Do you know some great ways to find free campling? let us know in the comment section below.
Join our mailing list to be the first to know when new information comes out!
