Boondocking & Dry Camping

Before You Leave — Research and Legal Prep

• Confirm dispersed camping is allowedBLM land, National Forest, and some state land allows it; National Parks do not; use the federal agency's website or call the district office; illegally camping on restricted land risks fines and taints access for everyone
• Check the 14-day ruleFederal dispersed camping areas have a 14-day stay limit at any one site; you must move at least 25 miles between stays if you want to stay on the same land block; know the specific rules for the land you're on
• Download area maps offlineYou will not have data; download topo maps (Gaia GPS, onX) and the specific BLM or Forest Service map for the district before leaving cell coverage
• Check fire restrictions"Dispersed camping" does not mean campfires are always allowed; check current fire level and restrictions at the same time you confirm camping access; fire restrictions change seasonally and during drought
• Identify the nearest dump stationKnow where you're going to dump before you leave; Sanidumps.com and the RV LIFE app both have verified locations; plan the route to hit it on the way home
• Identify the nearest propane fill and fuelIf you're running propane for heat or cooking, know where you'll fill on the way back; check fuel for the tow vehicle as well
• Cell and emergency communicationLook up coverage maps for your destination; if there is no signal at your site, tell someone your exact location and expected return date before you go; consider a satellite communicator (Garmin inReach, SPOT) for remote sites

Pre-Trip Trailer Prep

• Fill fresh water tank completelyThis is your only water supply for the entire trip; fill 100% at home or at a water fill station before you reach the site; the extra weight is worth the security
• Black tank empty and treatedStart with a completely empty, clean black tank; add one treatment dose with 1 gallon of water before the trip
• Gray tank emptyStart empty for maximum capacity
• Propane tanks fullWithout shore power, propane carries your heat, hot water, and cooking; two full tanks is the minimum for anything over 2 nights in cool weather
• Battery bank charged to 100%
• Solar panels / charge cables confirmed functionalIf your power plan depends on solar, test the output before you leave the driveway
• Generator fuel or battery plan confirmedKnow exactly how you will recharge; solar only, generator only, or tow vehicle alternator; have a backup

Water Conservation — Daily Practice

• Shorter showersnavy showers as the standard: wet down (30 sec), soap and lather with water off, rinse (30–60 sec); a full rinse-continuous shower uses 2–3 gallons per minute; a navy shower uses under half a gallon total
• Dishes: basin methodFill a small basin with rinse water instead of running the tap; wash all dishes in one basin, rinse in a second; never run the tap while scrubbing
• Bathroom sink: turn off while brushing teethA standard trailer faucet flows at 1.5–2 GPM; 3 minutes of brushing with the tap on wastes 4–6 gallons per person per day
• Keep a collapsible bucket at the kitchen sinkCatch water while waiting for it to warm; use it to flush the toilet or water anything
• Do not run the water pump just to check tank levelCheck the tank monitor panel only; the pump costs nothing but running water wastes what you're trying to conserve
• Consider paper plates for the trip3 days of paper plates is one garbage bag; 3 days of dishes is a significant water draw

Power Management — Daily Budget

• Measure your baseline overnight draw before the tripWatch the battery monitor for a full night; record starting SOC and morning SOC; this gives you your real nightly load
• Refrigerator: switch to propane mode if your fridge supports itan absorption fridge on electric is one of the largest 12V loads; propane mode eliminates it entirely
• Water pumprun only as needed; the pump draws 3–8A when running; a slow drip left running is significant overnight
• Furnacethe hidden draw. The propane furnace uses propane for heat but a 12V blower motor to circulate air; in cold weather, the furnace blower can be your largest overnight electrical draw; budget 5–10A per hour in cold conditions
• Lightingswitch to LED interior lighting if you haven't already; incandescent and fluorescent RV lights are significant loads; modern LED replacements drop the lighting load by 80%
• Charge devices during daylight solar hoursmorning and midday, not evening
• Generator use disciplinerun the generator for defined charge windows (2 hours mid-morning, 1 hour late afternoon) rather than continuously; this also respects other campers in the area

Waste Management Without Hookups

• Black tank practicelet it fill. Unlike a campground with full hookups, you want the black tank to have some liquid and volume before it gets warm; a near-empty black tank in warm weather develops odors much faster; don't dump too early
• Gray tank managementgray fills much faster than black on a dry camping trip because dish water, shower water, and handwashing all go there; monitor gray tank level daily
• Never dump gray on the groundEven in dispersed camping areas, dumping gray water directly on the ground is illegal on all federal land and leaves lasting environmental impact; pack it out to a dump station
• Toilet paper disciplineuse RV-safe TP only; Thetford Aqua-Soft and Camco both dissolve quickly; standard TP does not break down well in tanks that aren't getting regular treatment; this matters more without hookups because you can't just dump and flushBuy ↗
• Solid waste alternativessome experienced boondockers use a composting toilet or portable cassette toilet to extend black tank capacity; this is a significant gear investment but eliminates the black tank constraint entirely on long trips
• Garbagebag everything and store in a sealed bin in a bay; in bear country, this bin goes in the truck, not the bay; no odor attractants left outside overnight

Site Selection and Leave No Trace

• Choose a previously impacted siteLook for evidence of previous camping (fire rings, cleared areas, flattened vegetation); don't create a new impact when one already exists nearby
• Park on rock, gravel, or dry grassnot on living plants or in water drainage paths
• Do not trench around the trailerthis is prohibited on federal land and damages terrain
• Campfire rulesuse existing rings only; never cut live wood; burn everything completely; dead cold before you leave
• Human waste (if toileting outside)WAG bags or dig 6-inch cathole, 200 feet from water sources, trails, and camp; pack out or bury waste paper
• Pack out everything you packed inincluding food scraps, ash from fires, and any materials you brought; leave the site cleaner than you found it

Safety and Emergency Prep for Remote Sites

• Tell someone exactly where you are goingGPS coordinates if possible; expected return date
• Emergency communication plansatellite communicator (Garmin inReach or SPOT) for any site where there is no cell signal
• Know the fastest route to the nearest hospitallook this up before you lose signal
• Tow vehicle fueldo not arrive at a remote site with less than 1/2 tank; know the distance to the nearest fuel; remote areas often have no gas for 50+ miles
• Weather checkdispersed sites offer no shelter from severe weather; have a plan to relocate if conditions deteriorate; download the weather forecast at the last cell coverage point and check the trend
• Carry extra water beyond your tank2–4 gallons in sealed jugs in the tow vehicle as emergency reserve; this is drinking water only, separate from the trailer tank