Survey of camping habits: where do you camp?

[Technomad]

I’m pretty experienced in living in small spaces but I’ve always had a place to be. I’m a little worried about whether finding a new place each night will be a drag. Mainly I see no reason to spend a lot of time in urban areas, but Luther than RV parks and campgrounds not sure where to stop.

So I want to get an idea how much time people who have been full time for awhile spend where.

I see three categories:
1. stealth/urban camping
2. Campground, park, RV resort, National Park
3. BLM/national forest

What percentage of time have you spent the last year in?

And if you’re driving in Interstate and want to stop for the night but there’s no dispersed camping nearby what do you do?

In Alaska this was easy for me- just camp on the side of the road. Never had a problem though once I had a nice chat with the Alaskan pipeline security folks who seemed more concerned for my wellbeing than anything else.

So are y’all mostly staying in campgrounds and occasionally doing BLM? Stealthing in cities full time? I’m curious.

I know the answers will vary widely but I could really use some perspectives based on experience— and understanding what percentage in which category would help!


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[MrNoodly]

1. stealth/urban camping -- ABOUT THREE WEEKS IN THE PAST YEAR
2. Campground, park, RV resort, National Park -- ABOUT TEN WEEKS IN THE PAST YEAR
3. BLM/national forest -- THE REST OF THE TIME

And if you’re driving in Interstate and want to stop for the night but there’s no dispersed camping nearby what do you do?
I USUALLY PLAN AHEAD AND HAVE A SPOT IN MIND LESS THAN A FEW HOURS AWAY. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME LONG HAULS WHERE I STAYED AT A REST AREA, IN A VACANT LOT WHERE TRUCKERS STAYED, OR AT A WALMART.

 

[Technomad]

1. stealth/urban camping -- ABOUT THREE WEEKS IN THE PAST YEAR
2. Campground, park, RV resort, National Park -- ABOUT TEN WEEKS IN THE PAST YEAR
3. BLM/national forest -- THE REST OF THE TIME

So, dispersed about %80 of the time. Interesting. One thing about dispersed camping is I think rig length is less of an issue. If I can spend %80 of my time on BLM/national forest land, a 30 or 35 foot rig would be better equipped with larger tanks for more time off grid.


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[VanKitten]

So far it has been BLM and State forest land only.

I just can’t bring myself to pay $30-$50 a nite in a comp ground.

I try to avoid cities.

 

[lenny flank]

I am almost exclusively urban---mostly Walmart or Cracker Barrel. Probably 90% of the time.

I stop in National or State Parks sometimes on the way from one city to another.

Since I spend most of my time in the East, there's hardly any BLM land out here.

 

[DLTooley]

I'm in the west, in a less developed region. I spend the vast majority of my time on free public lands. The State Topographic Atlases are a good way to identify this, either DeLorme or Benchmark, about $20 per state. This is also available on line, but I prefer the privacy of my own maps. Spots aren't always ideal, but are usually legal.

Freecampsites.net has many great spots. Asking for advice from rangers, visitor center folks will usually get great suggestions.

Going into, or through, a bigger city takes more planning, and possibly, dollars. Always leave yourself plenty of time to hunt around a little bit.

I don't normally stay for the typical two week limit, but usually always more than a night or two. You can cover a lot of ground moving like this, stocking up between spots.

 

[rvwandering]

We travel widely and don't stay in one spot long but we also travel slowly. A 100 mile day is long, most are 30 - 50 miles. Each area of the country is different so our camping choices are different too.

 In the east we stay mostly at Walmart because it's easy and RVs are welcome at the majority of the stores. Home Depot, Lowes and Cracker Barrel are good backups. We sometimes stay in public campgrounds - Corp of Engineers, state, county or city.  It's a bit difficult to find good boondocking spots in the forests but we do that too when we have the opportunity.

 In the mid west we stay in city parks, Dept of Wildlife lakes, and casino lots.

 In the west we stay on BLM land, national forests either in primitive campgrounds or boondock, and casino lots.

 In the northwest we boondock in the forests or stay in a Dept of Natural Resources campground (about $30.00 for a pass good for a year) and casino lots.

 If a national park campground is available we will almost aways stay there because the experience of being surrounded by beauty is so great and we get half price camping.  We rarely stay in private campgrounds and never in RV resorts.

 I'm not sure of the percentages but I'd say 90% is free or very inexpensive.

 We rarely drive on the interstate but if you can't find dispersed camping check for Walmarts and other big box stores, truck stops, and rest areas. Decide where you'd like to stop before starting for the day and check for good overnight spots.

 After you've traveled like this for a while you'll have a better sense of where to camp. It's pretty easy with some experience. Always have a backup plan or two if you're really unsure of the first one.  Always leave enough time to get settled before nightfall.

 

[Txjaybird]

So, dispersed about %80 of the time.  Interesting.  One thing about dispersed camping is I think rig length is less of an issue.  If I can spend %80 of my time on BLM/national forest land, a 30 or 35 foot rig would be better equipped with larger tanks for more time off grid.


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:huh:  I've had two 28ft TT and one 35ft.   I don't know what type of tow vehicle you have.  I've never boondocked or done dispersed camping.  From what I've learned here in the past 2yrs and from watching stuff on You Tube I'd be afraid of getting too far off of the  road and then not be able to turn around, or go around a curve, or backup a long distance.

Once in western KS I was driving a 1 ton dually pickup & pulling a 40ft flatbed trailer.  Following the directions I was given some of turns were so sharp a truck with a boom had to lift the back of the trailer and swing it around to line it up with my truck.  Some brush had to be cut back too.  Though not a TT the trailer was to long for the road with very little clearance on the sides.

If you get directions that say " When you see the red refrigerator chained to the big tree turn right "
     I suggest you TURN RIGHT...... AROUND!   I never went back even though the pay was good.

  I prefer to keep all my wheels on the ground whenever possible

What type of camping do you want to do?

Jewellann

 

[Technomad]

Current plan is a custom box truck, but I’m considering getting an RV to avoid the time in building out the interior. DIY would give me exactly what I want but since I’m working full the me, something “move in ready” might be more ideal.

I’d love to spend extended periods in national forests, state parks and national parks— at least the first couple of years— but being cheap and not paying camping fees most of the time is how this works best financially. I want to save as nearly all of my income from the job.

Alas one of my challenges is the job will require me to have cell service... I need to be online to work. So I may be doing a bunch of Walmart camping until i quit the job.


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[speedhighway46]

Like Lenny Flank, I am a confirmed Walmart user for both shopping and overnight stays. However, I do not consider myself an Urban Camper because I avoid Walmart’s in city centers. Walmarts located in small towns and rural communities are my most favorite. 

I also enjoy my time on the road and seldom am in a hurry; although I fixate on pre-planning and sticking to an established route. I consider that an enjoyable challenge. I also follow the 1-2-3 Rule: never stay more than 1 night; never drive more than two hours; arrive at my new location no later than 3:00. I travel mostly Michigan, Indiana, Ohio; occasionally Illinois, Iowa, and Kentucky.

I’m not a full timer, but spent 60-70 nights a year on the road in my little truck. My goal this year is 100 nights.

Thanks for listening!

 

[bonnieE350van]

I have been on the road for 5 years now...started with a chevy venture van, 9x12 Kodiak canvas tent and all the apparatus needed for that.
stayed in State Parks, corp of engineer parks and did some blm land when in AZ...I am now on my own, living in a Ford E350 van, no tent etc.
I have very limited income so most of my time is spent at corp parks as I am not set up for boondocking in any form...I occasionally spend a night or two in a State Park and maybe once a month in a Motel...since I am disabled I have the Federal Access Pass which gets me 1/2 price
camping fees at corp parks, and reduced fees at National parks across the U.S. I also have TX state park pass which waives the entrance fee
at all parks in TX...am finding that more and more corp parks are either shutting down completely from October to March or April, or require advanced reservations which means needing access to wifi and a credit card neither of which I have available to me on a regular basis...so it's getting harder for me to have secure places for me to stay...I may give up this adventure and go back to the dull way of life which I know will be the death of me...

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

I just can’t bring myself to pay $30-$50 a nite in a comp ground.    

Ditto. However, if I was loaded with money, I might because it is more convenient.

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

corp of engineer parks

What are corp of engineer parks? Do you have to be a member of something to use them?

 

[rm.w/aview]

https://www.recreation.gov is where you'll find yourself after a search for COE parks. US Army Corps of Engineers have tasks and the public can benefit from them, and these tasks usually involve water so waterfront camping is available at times. That's a very brief outline.

 

[Technomad]

I have very limited income so most of my time is spent at corp parks as I am not set up for boondocking in any form......so it's getting harder for me to have secure places for me to stay...I may give up this adventure and go back to the dull way of life which I know will be the death of me...

Corps of engineer parks aren’t boondocking? Maybe I am misunderstanding but I would expect they wouldn’t have hookups?



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[rm.w/aview]

Some COE campgrounds have sites with electric and can be found through the website in the "fees and cancellations" portion, which brings up what Bonnie said on internet service. Definitely have to plan ahead when electricity is wanted. From the homepage I'll just choose a state and then filter for campgrounds to show all potential overnights state wide, then focus on an area I might be in. Pad & pen is generally what I'll use in prep for no internet service. My overnight stays are varied and will be chosen by what my wants are at a given time, preferring a natural setting, and having a trailer means the only urban parking is in parking lots that allow it.

 

[jimindenver]

I like to see just how far out I can get. National forest service and BLM are the mainstays, a Arizona state land permit is a new thing to explore. As I recently told one friend that said that they were at the end of the road, that's where my road begins. I have camped with many friends in the last year but honestly the best times I had last year were not only when I was utterly alone but also knew I would be alone for a extended time.

I did spend a nights in a Walmart in Hurricane, Utah. There I could spend a few weeks in the bush, come out for water, fresh food/water, dump trash and do laundry. The trailer is set up to provide for a month at a time except fresh veggies but time limits make that a rare occurrence.

I did spend more time and money in RV parks than I would have liked last year. I was going to follow the concept many RV's do of using a park for fresh water, dumping, laundry and trash for a day as it can cost little more to stay a night than it does for the water and dump. The problem was my physical condition makes it so hard to unhitch and hitch up the truck again that I stayed a week in San Antone, NM reorganizing the trailer. I stayed a week at the Split rail in Quartzsite recovering from the RTR. Six weeks in Yuma receiving mail and packages and two months in Denver trying to get medical stuff done. There is the upside that the trailer becomes a really nice one bedroom with a fully functional bathroom with long hot showers and anytime electric heat and A/C, the cost and stress is more than I can bare.

So this year there will be no parks unless I can find something cheap like Coyote howls to use as a address, otherwise I just prefer my solitude deep in a dessert or forest.

 

[moorejames]

I just can’t bring myself to pay $30-$50 a nite in a camp ground. 

If you commit to staying a month, you can find a lot of private campgrounds/RV Parks that are $300 a month, plus electricity (at least in the South - more expensive up north/east), which usually works out to about $12 a night for me. 

A month gives me enough time to truly explore the area and get to know the local community a little. I've stayed longer at a few, but I get really itchy feet after two months in any one place. 

If I'm staying in National Forest or State Campgrounds, I usually try to max out the 14 day stay rules, but it usually ends up being more per night.

(this is in a Class C RV. Most places won't give you a monthly rate if you're tent camping. Many would probably look down on a van as well, unless it was a nice Class B)

 

[DLTooley]

I did spend a nights in a Walmart in Hurricane, Utah. There I could spend a few weeks in the bush, come out for water, fresh food/water, dump trash and do laundry. The trailer is set up to provide for a month at a time except fresh veggies but time limits make that a rare occurrence.

I too like the deep spots.  The market for frozen organic vegetables is developing, and can also be done yourself with many items.  Buy it fresh, and freeze it yourself.

Canned organics are getting pretty good at the Kroger's outlets - mostly tomatoes and beans so far, still good.  $3.49 for a 4 pack of black beans or garbanzos.

 

[Technomad]

For those of you staying 14 days and a month somewhere without hookups, how big are your tanks? Do you have to watch your propane use?


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