Dry Camping

StarvingHyena · 02-19-2015, 12:07 AM

Hello Everyone, I'd like to start a new thread for dry camping. Anyone interested?

StarvingHyena · 02-19-2015, 12:18 AM

Although I have been "dry docked" for quite a while, I'd like to bring up ideas and solutions that worked very well for me in years past. Hopefully you also will have great ideas too.

My dry camping was done with a 30' sailboat instead of a trailer. You may wish that I refrain from taking up column space and if so I will back out and be a lurker and learn as much as I can from all of you.

My frame of reference was that for most of a decade I sailed from Olympia, Washington (very southern Puget Sound) to Juneau, Alaska (most northern of the famed Inside Passage). My vehicle was a 30' sailboat and not a trailer but I find from reading this site that the parallels are so very similar and I'd like to share with you what I learned and learn from you too. Each Spring I'd leave some port in Puget Sound and boat dry camp for typically 9 months until returning to Puget Sound for another winter.

Learned a lot about living in a small space, meal / food prep and procurement and how to live without refrigeration .... how to live happily and very well on a very small energy budget.

Shall I continue?

LeonardS · 02-19-2015, 12:19 AM

Sure. What's dry camping for someone listed as being in Juneau? Where do you have in mind?

I've been to Sitka a few times, and helped a buddy who is starting to build a tree house on a lot he purchased that is located on an island just outside the harbor. Probably couldn't get a trailer over there, but around Sitka there are some roads that eventually turn into old logging roads that might be fun... Is that what you have in mind around Juneau?

StarvingHyena · 02-19-2015, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeonardS

Sure. What's dry camping for someone listed as being in Juneau? Where do you have in mind?

I've been to Sitka a few times, and helped a buddy who is starting to build a tree house on a lot he purchased that is located on an island just outside the harbor. Probably couldn't get a trailer over there, but around Sitka there are some roads that eventually turn into old logging roads that might be fun... Is that what you have in mind around Juneau?

No, I'm building a new ocean going sailboat but it won't be ready for a couple of years. In the mean time, I'm about ready to pull the trigger on a 17A. I want to take it to an area .... say the Four Corners states in the southwest .... explore and then store TV and trailer in an RV storage. Return to Juneau by air to work and then re-join TV and trailer to explore a new area .... repeat. Want to eventually cover most of US and Canada.

Juneau only has about 45 miles of road.

hotfishtacos · 02-19-2015, 12:37 AM

My wife and I like to dry camp in the Anza Borrego Desert this time of year and in the fall. Effective dry camping takes experience conserving water and bringing just what you need. We can learn a lot from folks that are full timers.

Jim Bennett · 02-19-2015, 12:42 AM

Dry camping, not me. Far from being an alcoholic, but I certainly do enjoy to imbibe every now and then. I have been to a couple dry weddings, and stayed in a dry town. It was fun, but not the same.

BTW, will be up in your neck of the woods in June. We have chartered a yacht for 8 of use and will toodle around the islands there, going from Juneau to Sitka. Soooooo looking forward to it. Not trailers involved, but we are told they have a wonderful stock of wines and craft beer, anything else we want to drink, we need to buy ourselves and bring along.

LeonardS · 02-19-2015, 12:43 AM

Most folks I know that did extensive sailing, like they were away from port a long time, eventually didn't have much in their fridge, and relied on canned food. Right now that seems to be a limiting factor, that is, how long the refrigeration can last while out in the boonies. Some pretty creative solutions have been offered up, i just wish the propane models worked better, at least in the hotter weather.

**Donna D.** · 02-19-2015, 12:47 AM

I'd love to hear what you have to offer. I can filter out the information that wouldn't apply to me. But it may be of interest to others.

LarryandLiz · 02-19-2015, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarvingHyena

Hello Everyone, I'd like to start a new thread for dry camping. Anyone interested?

What in the world is "dry camping?" I'm resisting doing a web-search. Just because I'm stubborn. I've been on this forum for something like two years and don't think I've heard the term.

I suspect Jim is being cute. When I read the first post I thouht it might be something like sleeping in the trailer while it is parked in your driveway or something (which doesn't sound like much fun). On a side note, one of my work associates found a homeless guy sleeping in their fifth wheel which was parked on there home property. They noticed the slideout was opened about 3 inches, the husband went into the trailer and ended up waking the dude up. I guess the homeless dude was "dry camping."

Larry

I think I figured it out. Dry camping =. Not hooking up to water source. But isn't that just boon docking?

Brian B-P · 02-19-2015, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LarryandLiz

I think I figured it out. Dry camping =. Not hooking up to water source. But isn't that just boon docking?

I assume that they are two terms for the same thing... and despite the specific reference to water, I'm also assuming that the subject is camping without any services - water, sewage, or power.

Am I on track?

BCnomad · 02-19-2015, 01:53 AM

Hyena, would love to hear your thoughts about water purification, laundry, and meals.

float5 · 02-19-2015, 02:13 AM

You would be winterized if dry camping, to many anyway. There are folks who do that. They take bottled water and maybe a Brita filter or similar, a tub for washing dishes and a porta-potty of some type. So it is not just not being hooked up but not having use of the water lines and possibly having only a small amount of water. A water source, however, to filter could be nearby so it is possible to have unlimited water, just not readily useable.

You can use your Escape that way if in such circumstances.
No problem starting such a thread.

Patandlinda · 02-19-2015, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarvingHyena

Hello Everyone, I'd like to start a new thread for dry camping. Anyone interested?

I am always willing to learn . Would love to learn more .

padlin · 02-19-2015, 07:31 AM

We do mostly dry camping, no hookups in state and federal CG's. Our biggest challenges, if you want to call them such, are keeping the batteries charged, and water.

Batteries: Now have 2-6v'ers so we should be able to do roughly a week without worry.
To help use as little as possible we outfitted with all LED light, and added solar to try and get away from taking the generator. Cold weather means running the furnace which burns a lot of electricity, we're adding a portable solar panel. I've thought of adding Reflectix to some of the windows and the 2 roof vents for night use if I can come up with a way of doing so.

Water: limited to 29 or 30 gallons in the 5.0 TA, past experience says we can go about 5 days with this. When dry camping we use the CG facilities as much as possible, use the shower shutoff when we use the on board shower. We always use bottled water for drinking so that helps. We also carry a 7 gallon water container to use when needed, this is what we use when is below freezing and we camp with the trailer winterized.

We'll be heading out later in the year for long stints of dry camping and trying out some boondocking which is new to us and has real appeal. Being new to boondocking we will need to find sources for water and places to dump the holding tanks. Have been using Google searches and Freecampsites.net to find places to boondock, verifying them with Google Map and marking them on Utah Benchmark maps. Not expecting to have much WiFi so it's all going down on paper.

Has anyone added a water pump expansion tank to their trailer for use when dry camping? pros, cons?

**Donna D.** · 02-19-2015, 08:00 AM

To me, dry camping is anytime I'm camping and it's not raining.

**cpaharley2008** · 02-19-2015, 08:36 AM

I was always under the impression that dry camping means no hook ups? Being in a sail boat automatically makes one dry camping, does it not. But here on land your limits are fresh water and waste. Solar is prevalent both on trailers and boats so power is not an issue. I assume also that boats have the capability to make fresh water from salt water and the ability to eliminate their waste products, as I've heard horror stories of the huge cruise ships leaving a trail of trash for miles as they steam the ocean.
That said, there is a common bond between sailing and camping, that is living in small spaces and making the best use of that small space while enjoying the surroundings. A lot of our ideas and products for modifications come from the marine world.

**cpaharley2008** · 02-19-2015, 08:39 AM

Has anyone added a water pump expansion tank to their trailer for use when dry camping? pros, cons?
I have one in my garage for past 4 years still in the box. I believe Jim Bennett may have installed on. Supposedly they allow the small use of water before the pump is activated.

Jfocallag · 02-19-2015, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donna D.

To me, dry camping is anytime I'm camping and it's not raining.

So, you don't do much dry camping then...

Jim Bennett · 02-19-2015, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donna D.

To me, dry camping is anytime I'm camping and it's not raining.

Yeah, colour me confused. Any dry event to me means no booze, but no rain or water would make sense. I did kinda realize it likely didn't mean no booze, but have no clue what it does mean.

Seriously, I have never heard of the term dry camping before, and camping has been a major part of my entire life, in one form or another.

What is meant by dry? Seriously curious here. If it is the same as boondocking, which is mostly all we do, then I at least understand the concept, but not the terminology.

Mary F · 02-19-2015, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Seriously, I have never heard of the term dry camping before, and camping has been a major part of my entire life, in one form or another.

What is meant by dry? Seriously curious here. If it is the same as boondocking, which is mostly all we do, then I at least understand the concept, but not the terminology.

RV.net has a forum called Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping.

I have always thought the two terms interchangeable, but maybe there's a distinction?

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