Boondocking, also known as dry camping or free camping or several other names has become very popular in the past few years; especially with Covid keeping everyone inside. It seems that everyone is into RVing lately and trying to avoid overbooked RV parks and campgrounds. However, boondocking does require considerably more thought than camping in the traditional method. There are few to no amenities when camping off grid, therefore you must take your own.
What will you need when camping off grid?
Food and water are your most critical requirements.
What about power?
What about a means for cooking your food?
What about connectivity?
More and more people are working remotely today and as a result are becoming RVers. The Internet provides them a means of working from anywhere as long as they have a good Internet connection. Camping in an RV resort or traditional campground will usually have all these amenities, but off grid, you’re on your own. Boondocking will require more canned and packaged food and snacks, so you’ll have to think about how long you plan on being off grid then plan accordingly.
You’ll also need to carry plenty of water. Again, depending on how many days you plan on being out and how many people in your party. You’ll not only need water for drinking but washing dishes and showering. If your RV, travel trailer or van has water tanks, insure they are full and consider carrying more jugs, bottles or jerry cans full of water. It’s a good idea to also have a filtering system for your water.
With the speed that cell towers are being erected today, it’s really tough to get so far off grid that you lose your cell signal. But if you really must maintain a good signal, it might be wise to research and invest in a good signal booster to strengthen weak signals. You might also consider a hotspot from an alternative carrier so as to insure you are covered.
Power requirement is something else to seriously consider. Most RVers and van lifers will have some sort of off grid power; if not when they start out, they will quickly learn that solar, extra batteries and or a generator is necessary. If your RV or van is equipped with solar, make sure your needs are adequate. Don’t forget to keep your solar panels clean. If you choose to use a generator, make sure you carry enough fuel to run it as your needs dictate.
Make sure your solar panels are not covered in dirt.
Air conditioning to keep you and your family comfortable is a primary challenge of boondockers. A small generator like a Yamaha or Honda 2000 is normally adequate for most boondocking needs unless you’re trying to cool a huge travel trailer or Class A motorhome with more than one A/C unit. If that’s the case the small generator is not going to work.
Now more than ever the appeal of going to the mountains or desert to boondock is growing fast. If you’ve been thinking of hitting the road and boondocking, now is an excellent time. Find a great place such as some BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Land or National Forest Land and try it. There are plenty of apps to guide you to some awesome off-grid places to camp for free.
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Until next time – Happy Boondocking
