Thank you Holly! We make it a point to try to not engage in meaningless monologue. This was an unusual episode for us, but typically we try to let our cameras do most of the talking.
You are my new hero. I've spent the week in Coconino National Forest outside of Flagstaff. I've moved campsites a couple of times. Each site had some combination of crushed cans, broken Jack Daniels bottles, dog shit, and other assorted trash. The cars and trucks driving by on the main road in and out mostly drove at excessive speeds, stirring up dust and throwing gravel. Some trucks purposely fish-tailed damaging the dirt/gravel roads. It makes me so sad to see such a beautiful spot being trashed in such a way. Taking care of the land and respecting others using it takes so little effort. So if you are reading this, please like and share with others. I'd like to think the people ruining this forest are just ignorant and not willfully destructive and mean.
Thank you for good videos and articulating common sense....nothing bothers us more than a trashy campsite left by a prior camper with trash and even dirty diapers left. Well done and thank you.
The dogs off leash both in campgrounds and hiking trails is my biggest pet peeve, and I always hear the same thing from the owner, "don't worry, he's friendly". Or "he's never done anything like that before". Last year I had to pull my 10 pound dog out of the mouth of a German Shepherd and get him to a vet for lacerations. That was on the heels of another dog attacking him from a campsite the year prior. A friend of mine put their dog on a cable run near a lake beach last year. The ranger came by and their dog jumped him and he actually fell IN the lake trying to back away! Yes, they were given a soggy ticket. Nobody truly knows what their 'nice' dog is going to do until it's too late.
Ditto. I moved into a spot about a football field or two away from this guy with a lab offleash, who started throwing the dog's ball with a Chuckit towards my campsite. I started to go over in my wheelchair to ask him to put his dog on a leash (LTVA BLM rules) because I had to take my service dog out. The 100-lb lab came running to intercept me, ignoring his owner's call to come back, jumped into my lap and crushed my injured spine into the back of my wheelchair. I lost vision for a few seconds. When I could see again, he was putting the dog in the trailer and asking if I was okay. It put me in the hospital. My friend who was camping down there said the guy never put his dog on a leash, even after that. None of them do. That's one rule that is NEVER enforced on BLM land. Sorry, but I can't risk that again. I'll drop any loose dog running up to me from now on. Even a loose purse dog that is harassing my service dog will rip my spine apart. Just follow public land rules; it isn't rocket science. Get a long-line, if your dog doesn't have PERFECT recall. Thank you.
I'm a dog owner. That being said, I hate owners that allow their mutt to roam. Recently I went off on a woman whose 2 dogs attacked mine (onleash) TWICE. I was screaming at her the second time. LE showed up and GAVE HER A TICKET! Haa! Keep your dog on a leash!
I know you’re a dog person yourself and this doesn’t apply to everyone but... most dog people are selfish assholes. They often don’t think rules apply to them. They want little minions to be at their beck and call and give them all the attention they desire. They are often people who aren’t complete on their own or with their loved ones. Basically, many dog people are “Karen’s.” Ok I’m ready for the hate but if you people are confident in yourselves you will admit I’m partially right and it really doesn’t bother you.
@@wakawaka1976 I assure you I'm not one of those selfish dog assholes. If I'm in a campground (even with my dogs, in the past, that have been super well trained and obedient), they are controlled on a leash or chain. Out in the boonies, I will only let my well-trained and highly obedient dogs (and I've only had two like that in the past 40 years) off the leash...and that has only been when there is not another camper in sight. As for my two current dogs (7 years old and 4 months old), they are always on a leash...campground or boonies.
Welcome to the lifestyle! A few former boy scouts have forgotten some of this stuff, but by and large most folks on the road thankfully still follow these principles. Glad to have you here!
Excellent advice! I separate my paper trash, and put that in the fire. Use gray water to put it out. No excuse for leaving stuff like tin cans in fire pits.
Some people don't approve of burning any trash at all, as it still can attract insects and animals with residual smells; dumping grey water can have the same effect, which is why it's called 'grey' and not 'clear'. Around an established fire pit it's not a big deal, but in a more boondocks scenario it is.
I appreciate your cautions about keeping dogs on a leash when others are around. As someone who is allergic to dogs, I have found that many people don't think about this aspect of responsible dog ownership. A "friendly" dog romping near someone with allergies can shed a lot of allergens into the air and breathing these in could cause a dangerous asthma attack. JSYK.
I appreciate that you educate us all, especially the rookies that may think it is just a party. Your comments on dogs are great. You might want to add kids and teens that may lack that common sense. I'd say "Leash your kids" or "Move far far away so your teens cannot cause a disturbance."
👍👍👍👍👍 To the noise & light pollution part. Leave your boombox at home. People go to the woods to get away from that noise! And light!!! If you're scared of the dark, camp at Holiday Inn! Some of us love to set up a telescope, & see every star in the sky! 👍X 100 about cleaning your campsite before you leave! I carry extra trash bag's because I am always cleaning up other people's trash. If they could hear what I'm saying as I do.... I have to add.... I cannot believe someone did this... Do NOT dump your BLACK WATER TANK at the campsite before you leave!!! Take a pick of the reason's why! And if you think I was talking bad about the people leaving trash everywhere, you really don't want to know what I said about these "people"!!!
We enjoy your videos! Thanks! Just a note though............ Enjoy our Public Lands while they are still available. My wife and I have spent 3-6 months a year boondocking on our wonderful Public Lands for the past 48 years. It's been a wonderful life. We just hung up our keys and with no children or grandchildren, we have no ax to grind. Just beware that there are some very powerful people who are working very hard to either directly sell off our Public Lands or turn over our Public Lands to each individual state to control. If the latter happens, every year when the state has a budget deficit, they will just sell off some of their Public Lands to supplement their budget. It won't be long before all those great boondocking spots will be posted with NO TRESPASSING - PRIVATE PROPERTY signs! Read for yourself by Goggling 'Privatization of our Public lands'. It is already happening. VOTE against the folks who want to take this wonderful heritage given to us by our forefathers. No other country in the world has large tracts of land owned by their citizens and available for their use. Let's keep it that way! PROTECT OUR PUBLIC LANDS
P Schneider Right on! People think that their vote doesn't count, but if these issues are important to you, just remember - NOT voting means you did nothing at all, so at least by voting you are publicly expressing your opinion. And in the long run, it does matter.
Yes! I like how you think.. 'If you can't camp several hundred yards away from another RVer you need to keep looking." I never understood why someone would want to park right out my front door. Great video. Thanks for sharing!
Here in Michigan I wish we had more spots where you can camp without seeing your neighbor, most "boondocking" sites now are pretty much organized campgrounds with no utilities, some forest roads have you spaced out and others have you in groups of 4-6 sites in one spot with the closest place to camp elsewhere being an hour away. Then your back to the crowded campground feel.
Interesting. So are those spots along forest roads cleared by the USFS, or have they developed naturally from prior use? I'd be interested in a backchannel conversation about Michigan, if you're willing, because it's been on our radar possibly for this spring. If so, please shoot me a message through our FB page, Twitter or IG DM, or the contact form at www.GrandAdventure.tv. Thanks in advance!
Good tips. I wish everyone simply understood these things intuitively as these are common sense items. Yet there are so many disrespectful & uninformed individuals. Thanks Mark.
Great basic courtesy and beautiful scenery! I would add, be mindful not to block any access points with your rig and/or toys, especially in areas where roads are narrow and there are lots of trees.
Excellent delivery of common sense practices. Just the kind of folks we love have as campsite neighbors! We’re cruisers and about the only camping we do is a few times a year, transiting back and forth to our boat but we love those trips and meeting people like you. Thanks for your channel and happy trails!
Thank you so much! We're former sailors ourselves, who transitioned to RV life when we found ourselves landlocked. In our past life, "boondocking" meant gunkholing in the mangroves along the Gulf Coast. We love both worlds!
All great advice. Loved seeing all the beautiful remote places you've boondocked as well 👌 A clarification about grey water: it's illegal in most states, maybe all states, to dump your grey tank on the ground (and definitely never the black tank), so it would only be ok to use grey water on a fire if it's water you've collected before it goes in the tank. 👍 I'm sure you know that, just putting it out there for others who read the comments!✌️
Hi Grand.. Oregon is where I live and work. I leave my campsites spotless. Wether it's public land or Pvt land I am working on. The job I am working on now has some sketchy people around. They come. I just make sure they leave before they, well, do what they do.
As always, great comments! It is amazing that people think they need to cluster camp. I've moved my camp on occasion and wound up having people actually move their's again to be where I was. I gave up. I always carry out more trash than I created, just to help keep things clean. Some people are pigs. Makes you wonder what their home looks like, right?
I was once at a campsite where someone had dug large holes - like 4'x4' and 6' deep - and just left them. Not only a nuisance but quite the hazzard. Maybe they were trying to find their buried treasure or move a body but seriously, putting the dirt back is so much easier than taking it out! Thanks for the great tips!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL. Great video. The only thing I might add to your great list is. Pick up after your dog. This is especially true in campsites and on trails. I am not as worried way out in the field or woods but in what may be called common areas PLEASE pick up.
So sorry to hear that happened to your child. While we appreciate the freedom with our dogs that boondocking affords, we also have to be conscious of where our neighbors are, and make sure that our dogs wandering into their camp is beyond possibility.
Great video Marc! It IS all common sense. I most appreciate the tips about the dogs. I love dogs I’ve owned several in my life. But I absolutely do not want someone else’s dog walking up to me I don’t care how friendly they are. If I wanted a dog I would have a dog. And people letting their dogs come to my camp spot to leave their dog roses infuriates me. I’ve been known to pick it up and return it to the owner of the dog. I’m glad you’re going to do a video just on dogs. If I ever had the room I would love to have a golden retriever puppy to raise.
Thanks Jesi! You won't find any bigger dog nuts than us; yet, we also understand that not everyone shares our passion, and it's necessary to be respectful. We're not perfect -- we still make mistakes with them, of course -- but we try to learn from those mistakes. And that dog episode? It's already done: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OtGAkXXryk8.html
From what we are reading online and on this forum , we see a need for a safe quiet place to stay overnight or even a couple of days while visiting an area . Anyway we have 16 acres in Upstate South Carolina that has woods and pasture available for Boondockers passing through our area. We have no idea how to set up travelers knowing there's a safe place while passing through. Thinking we would need Boondockers to call not only to see if there is still space for them but also for combination lock on our gate. We'd also ask then to give us their license plate number (just to protect us in case someone isn't honest). It's free but we are going to ask that everyone leave a donation for the use of the land. We wont be charging just only asking that our guest donate something to help us keep up the land (We plan to installing a drop box with envelopes in hopes that all our guest will help us in some way). One day we hope to be able to offer water and power and even that will be offered in hopes of donations and gifts to help offset our expense. For now if someone must have power or water, we can come offer it on a limited bases in cases of emergencies , like with generator problems or what have you. Mainly we have our pasture empty and wont be using for a few more years. And even when cows are on on the land, we only raise 2 each time, still leaving so many places to park on the pasture not being grazed. The land is very nice and no dung remains in the pasture. It's all composted. So anyway if anyone has ideas on how to go about this please let us know. We won't be offer this on craigs list or the like. We only want to offer it on good RV community forums. We want to keep our soon to be fellow Campers, RVers and even tent dwellers safe, where they can get a good nights sleep without worry but we also want our property respected. So however we do this we will need plate numbers , so we know who is who and if anyone disrespects us or our property , we will be able to leave feedback on forums. Please let us know what you think and give us any advice. I received a message to go to boondockers welcome. The problem I see with that web site and others like it is that they are all paid sites. We wanted to help those who don't subscribe to these clubs and sites just so they can find a safe place to park. Not to mention we want to offer our property free with the hopes that each of our guests would offer something to help offset our costs. I don't think the paid boondocker sites allow that from their registered hosts. For us a kindness should be blessed with like kindness. Nothing in life is free but if we all work together , life can be grand. So naw boondockers welcome is not for us as hosts. We want to bless others with a safe place to stay and hopefully they leave behind a little something to help with our costs. We have to mow, weed it all , maintain fences and pay taxes each year and so if we offer our property as a safe harbor we would hope each guest understands that and helps us in someway. Maybe they help my husband stack lumber , or trim the fence line or leave a donation in the drop box but all in all we help them and they return the favor. Everyone is blessed that way. A leach never feels good after draining someone, it just feels stuffed and goes on always searching for another free ride. We don't care for leaches , we are looking for real people with real dreams in a real world. And so how we go about offering our land to like minded people is still a mystery but hopefully word of mouth will work just as it has for hundreds of years. And if our property never sees a camper, RV or tent, all is well it will see a couple of cows again and those cows use are land and then pay us back with a full freezer. ahaha So anyway if someone has ideas how to get the word out throw them our way or hey just pass along the info and soon word of mouth will do it's thing.
Sam, we think that your proposal is fantastic!! How very kind of you to extend that courtesy to your fellow travelers. If I may offer a suggestion, why not submit it to online directories like @Campendium? You can lay out all of your conditions in your listing. That way folks will know about it, but you're not tied in any way to a paid program. If things go south you can always have the directory listing deleted. Shoot Campendium an email and tell Brian that Grand Adventure suggested you contact them, let's see how he can help you help others.
I hope to someday experience Boon Docking, however now I fear someone 1/2 mile away might be offended by my patio lights. It is nice that you are putting out content for others to be aware of, so thank you for that man. Happy Camping...
😄 Unless you're in some place where you're forced to be atop one another, or you have aircraft searchlights for patio lights, I wouldn't worry about it. Thanks for watching, Donald!
Many years ago, I and several other young airmen were camped up near Veedawoo outside Cheyenne Wyoming. Another truck pulled up not 30 yards from us, letting their dogs out to run, which they did, right into our camp. There was plenty of space, we asked them to move further away. They got belligerent, told us to move. We asked they at least keep their dogs leashed so as to keep them out of our camp. The dogs weren’t very friendly, and we didn’t want to have to deal with them. Somewhere in the conversation it was suggested that if we had a problem with a dog in our camp, it might get shot. One of the men replied to the possibility that if we shot a dog, we in turn might get shot. Faced with belligerence, uncontrollable large dogs, alcohol, and guns, we decided trying to continue camping there was just not worth the risk. We left.
Hoo boy. Sounds like your and your fellow airmen discovered the worst of the worst. All the more reason that we advocate maintaining as much space as possible. Glad to hear that didn't escalate further than it did.
Thanks for the advice. Nice video. As a former ranger, I know most people follow these unwritten rules. I am security for a logging company now. You need to be careful out there chain everything down, and lock it. There are some bad people out there looking for your stuff.
There are places to go camp and party… if that’s what you want camp there. Seems like boondocking is a learning experience. Thanks for the common sense tips!
@@GrandAdventure your videos are awesome! Thank you! January 1 2024 will be my first day of retirement. We plan on hitting the road on January 2nd. I’ve marked several of your video locations on my map. Especially the ones in Idaho. We’ll be taking our senior Labradors too. Think about it everyday. Thanks!
@@aaronchandler2380 thank you so very much! Zoe says "woof" 🐾 to your labs. We truly appreciate your kind words, and wish you the best for your upcoming retirement and travels. FYI if it helps your planning there's an interactive travel episode map available at grandadventure.tv.
Enjoyed your video and it’s nice to see others who are sharing my common opinions. Small suggestion would be to make your videos without the sunglasses. Makes it pleasant to see your face.
Two things. If you are going to let your dogs off-leash, they must be visually monitored and be well trained. That is, always respond immediately to any and all commands. This is for their safety. Nothing like them running into a porcupine, skunk, or rattlesnake to ruin a boondocking adventure. In the past 40 years, I've only had two dogs (a Golden Retriever and an Aussie/Lab mix) well trained enough to let off the leash while in the boonies. Right now I have a 7-year old Rotty/Chow-Chow mix who loves everyone and every animal (he stays on the leash or chain) and a 4-month old Aussie/Lab mix in training (always on the leash). As for feeling secure, personal protection is something I take seriously. I always have a .357 magnum on my hip and a 12 gauge shotgun in the RV. I've run across a few sketchy individuals in the boonies over the years (but have never had to resort to a firearm...thank goodness). Also, if hiking, the shotgun, loaded with slugs, goes with me, as we boondock in grizzly country. For those who would like a less than lethal means for protection (from 2 or 4-legged critters) bear spray is very effective. Just my additional input to your great video!
I had one of the worst experiences tent camping, there was a dog barking all night long, I left early the next day because I couldn't stand it. How did the owners sleep my god!?
I would like to encourage people to use fire pans rather than building fire rings. A simple $10 metal galvanized pan from the hardware store set on 3 rocks works great and also allows you to put your fire anywhere, keeps the fire small, uses less wood to keep you warm and with an added grille you can cook, make coffee etc. clean up is easy- just bury your ashes- do a little raking and it's tidy for the next guy.
These constant bonfires surprised me. I was a long distance hiker all my life. You don't need a fire that big for anything, unless you are signaling a plane.
Don't be a weekend boondocker who leaves his rig for 2 or more weeks in a great site but only visits it on weekends. The rest of the time some of us would like a chance at that spot.
Mark, love this video... One thing that you didn't mention, that SHOULD be obvious... Don't dump even your grey tank! I have heard way too many folks thinking that's okay... Leave No Trace means LEAVE NOTHING! Keep sharing your wonderful travels!
Thank you so much! Like we said in the video, we're all about boondocking, for the tranquility and freedom that boondocking affords is truly unmatched in the RV camping world.
Great tips. An abundance of common sense, respect for others and for the natural environment are at the top of the list. I'm often puzzled by people need a generator at all whilst "camping". If you need to watch TV, play loud music, or use all of your modern conveniences from home, then just stay there!
@@l8trh4ter Very true. It seems reasonable to expect people who know they will need to run a generator more than a few minutes once in a while, to get a quiet inverter genset -- Honda, Yamaha, Champion, or similar.
I agree with everything except the light outside. I have MS and need light because the smallest of bumpy ground or rock could cause me to fall. I wouldn't use it all night but while outside at night, it is a must.
All I ever do, is Boondock. I Appreciate my Privacy. Having lived in The Biggest Noisiest Cities in the World for Half my life, or more, it's time to be Alone with Nature. If I see you out here, I will move-on to a more quiet and private location. If I need some 'interaction' I'll make a two day trip to Vegas.😎 Be Safe & Stay Warm. 👍
The trash thing is without question my greatest annoyance. Why anyone would leave some of the stuff I have seen is beyond me. How hard is it to clean up after yourself and protect the environment? Thanks for the video.
When I drink excessively, I have always felt it was my right to run around nekkid, and bark at the moon. Other nearby campers have vehemently disagreed with my take on the matter, and some rather interesting debates have arisen on the subject.
One theory I have is that thieves will never travel to higher elevations since climbing is work. The whole point of stealing is to avoid work. Most crime happens at sea level. The higher you go, the less thievery.
Just picked up a 5th wheel this year, first time ever camping. Can't wait for spring to take the kids out camping. I have learned alot from your channel thank you so much. I'm also in Utah hopefully we meet you one day.
Welcome to the camping world, and congratulations on your purchase! We hope to meet you some day as well, we occasionally host meet-ups, often in the greater SLC area. We're thrilled that the channel has been able to help you out!
Some wonderful points for sure BUT Solo travelers sometimes will park within sight of others for security and use lights for safety. As you know the available public lands are a bit more scarce due to popularity of nomad life (so many more out there) and SHARING is necessary so play nice and share.
As mentioned in the video, there are times when by necessity rigs are parked more closely together. However, campers should realize that if there is space, utilize it.
I am so frustrated by others dogs. It's the people who can't control their dogs. They yell and yell and the dogs don't respond. I do not appreciate dogs peeing on my campsite.
Thank you! Not Silverthorne, CO, but Silverton. And not entirely boondocking either, as it's a designated Forest Service camping area (depends on how you define "boondocking"). Anyway, it's the Sultan and Anvil Camping Areas in Silverton.
I do like what you are putting out, from what I've seen so far. This video was nicely informative, even though I have practiced these standards for a couple of decades. It's the way I was raised ... And yes, my beard is white now. You do a good job of explaining some of the most/more pragmatic practices to the overall existence, which we would hope to include some of our younger brothers and sisters.
People carrying dogs everywhere has spread blacklegged ticks and the lime disease they carry over a huge area..Please be aware of this and take appropriate measures.
That’s funny. Twin Lakes Colorado. I spent most of the summer of 2018 up there in that area. I camped right there where you guys were. Did you get infested with mice while you were there? The second night we parked there we had dozens of mice attempt or get inside the motorhome. We had a horrible time trying to get them out. But what a beautiful area.
I stayed at Twin Lakes this summer. I wanted to stay longer but someone started a brushfire. Here's the video if you are interested: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XJm9u7khMGo.html
Mark, Do you have a recommendation on a generator for our travel trailer for all.uses but especially for boondocking? We have a 27.5ft Jayco 30 amp. It would seem the newer ones have the propane hookup as well as gas. I would think the access propane would be great out in the middle of no where. Love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Also have you upgraded the bathroom fan in you trailer to pull more air threw of so what brand and what size solar panels and battery do you have? Sorry for so many questions.
No worries. We're actually covering our solar panels and battery bank this Wednesday, so stay tuned. We use a 3100W Champion inverter generator, and opted for remote start over dual fuel (model 73357i) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lVUWBNagPvI.html . Remote start is the bomb! Generators produce less power on propane, and we'd rather carry a 5-gallon gas can than burn through our house propane. Gas is easier to find and less of a pain to fill. We've also been impressed by the value of Predator inverter generators, but as far as I know they don't yet have remote start.
tip 5 sound REALLY carries a long way over water. if your at the lake front campground, people can hear you talking half a mile or more away. for real !
I don't do any of this, but I watch the videos because it looks like a great pastime. Seems to me that the space given should vary proportionally with the space available. The video shows some WIDE open spaces where giving a couple football fields of space would be easy, and considerate. In areas with less available space, half a football field may do it. Sadly though, some people (those here who fit shall remain un-named) just see the world as centering around them, and relish confrontation. There are also those who feel the rules are made for everyone else, and if cleaning their site is inconvenient, then they certainly shouldn't have to do it. These are the people, I imagine RVers are trying to escape. Sadly, they impose themselves on others everywhere.
Question: Dumping of the black tank out in the boonies tank is of course out of the question but what about the grey tanks. It would seem to me that dumping the shower or dish water away from camping spots may be acceptable. Opinions?
I will say this: in many other countries, dumping of grey water is not only expected, it's considered normal. There are many areas, however, that are environmentally sensitive to the dumping of waste water, and that should clearly be avoided. In between there's something else.
