Sometimes, you make plans, things don't pan out the way you want, other anomalies happen, and all of a sudden, you find yourself moving on. This is what occurred with our most recent boondocking adventure. The original plan was for two weeks, and we made it all of six days before heading out.
We had a couple lessons learned on this one. First and foremost is to make sure everyone stays in good healthy shape. Packing (since we're still in transition), and rushing to do so at that, in the hot and muggy summer did not bode well. Although we don't anticipate this step when we're on the road because we'll already have everything with us, it's still important when it comes to picking up supplies and re-organizing storage. Tack on trying to keep the RV at a reasonable temperature with a generator while you're consuming double the water you were expecting, as well as some immune responses to flying insects, and you may just have a bad time.
Secondly, over-anticipating supplies will still bring you short. As mentioned before, water consumption went up on the hot and muggy days. However, the potable water tank was running low after only a few days, even with bringing drinking water separately. Thankfully, there was a good amount of rainfall to replenish the latter, although you have to be careful about where you collect rainwater, as some states and municipalities have strict regulations, or have even made it illegal. Water isn't the only supply, though, as fuel can also be a concern. This isn't limited to gasoline and propane, as dry wood can be a problem, especially if it rains. Even with the RV, a campfire is a very good heat source, as well as a way to keep insects away.
This isn't to say that boondocking is coming off the internal compass, though. It's still very enjoyable to "get away from it all" for a while and go back to primitive ways and means. We've figured out that trying to do it for two weeks isn't going to work, but a couple nights is easily doable. It could also work well if we're ahead of schedule for our next destination. Plus, the beauty of the full-time RV lifestyle is that we aren't as easily tied to one place. Sure, we might reserve a campground site for a longer period to lock in a better rate, but if we want to pack it all up and go somewhere else, we can do that. A number of people our age don't want to feel tied to a location, so why not exercise this freedom?
After all of what we experienced, we're still looking forward to the full-time RV lifestyle, but our internal compass tells us to try to keep the boondocking to a minimum and enjoy the RV parks. Needless to say, once we're back on the road, we will certainly follow our internal compass.
Before selling off the house and going completely full time on our RV adventure, there is one more trip we need to make to give ourselves full information on what we can handle. Enter our first boondock adventure. After about four days or so on the road for this one, here's what we've found.
Boondocking is a term those in the business use to describe what most would consider actual camping. We're in the wilderness, typically a national forest or state preserve. There are no amenities such as electric, plumbed water, or sewer. We'd be lucky to have a fire pit, picnic table, and natural body of water. We still have the RV with us, so it's not the "pure" experience one would think with a tent, like one of our adventures before the RV. It is, however, a true test of our ability to survive both the environment and each other. Think similar to the show "Survivor", except we're not voting each other out (as much as the urge may pop up once in a while), there aren't any reward challenges, and no one's giving us a million dollars, at least not today.
The biggest thing we've figured out thus far is to ensure we have a boondock pack list. Even though the non-consumables are always going to be with us, and is something we are trying to emulate with this trip, there is much more. There are plenty of tools that are needed. Your typical rake and shovel are important. So are buckets and totes, because you never know what you might need to collect or carry. Insect repellents are also something to keep in mind. Maybe you'll want a few tarps in reserve as well. Unlike many RV campgrounds and resorts, you aren't as easily able to send out for supplies, and they're more expensive than an urban big box store if you do find them.
In speaking of preparation, along with food supply, you can never have enough drinking water. Although the rig comes with a potable water tank, we still prefer drinking something filtered, so our drinking water is carried separately. Commercial pitchers and dispensers are nice for a plumbed supply, but when you are limited to what you're carrying, we're trying to conserve the potable for kitchen and bathroom use. Drinking out of a river isn't the best option because you have to boil the water before it's potable, but it's not a bad option for bathing. If you've ever seen documentaries on people trying to save a buck by reusing water, although parts of what they do are extreme, you begin to recognize that some of their odd ways make sense in the woods.
Food and water is important, but fuel supply is a big concern. Do you have enough propane and/or gasoline? We picked up a dual fuel generator to bring with us for times like these, but how often is that going to be run, and for what would it be used? Are you simply charging your rig's battery, or do you want to use it on a central air system? Can you spare propane for the generator, or is that needed for a reliable cooking system such as a portable grill? Wood is something you must either find or purchase locally; are you wanting to build a campfire, and what is its use?
These are some of the lessons we've learned thus far on our boondocking adventure. Check back for more about how we've been living on this trip. Will boondocking remain on our internal compass?
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