WomenOnly: Off-Grid Camping for Single Women

[longing4nature]

I seem to come across many stories of older single women living in their cars, as I will be soon.  Would it be beneficial or of interest to anyone to live at a low cost off-grid campsite for single women only.  If there is a need  or interest, I would like to do some more research and look into raising the funds for land, possibly in Northern Arizona.  Any ideas or suggestions.......good idea? Bad idea?

 

[cyndi]

It's something I've heard talked about but haven't seen or heard it brought to fruition.
It's not something I would be interested in.

 

[Moxadox]

I would definitely be on board. NoAZ gets very cold and snows, which is fine by me as I have a trailer, but for those tenting it would be hard in the winter. Of course it's not 120 in the summer either......what are the thoughts going around on this?

I have some special skills to contribute, being a retired physician.

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[LathrenJames]

There actually is something akin to this. I can't recall where, though. Maybe an internet search.

 

[Almost There]

Northern AZ is not someplace where one would choose to stay year round due to the weather conditions, no matter what the vehicle anyone is living in.

Southern AZ is also not someplace where one would want to stay year round for the same reason but opposite temperatures.

Perhaps a group of women would be more inclined to travel together, varying their location by season.

Personally, I wouldn't be interested but that's not to say that others wouldn't.

But why limit it to women only - there are lots of men in the same position - low income, less than ideal vehicles etc.

 

[DesertRose]

I might be interested but Williams, which is beautiful, gets too cold. I camped there for 3-4 days in late April. Very cold but doable. Not doable in winter. When I left Williams and went to Cottonwood (late April) it was already blazing hot and so was Prescott so I hightailed it to Northern New Mexico.

 

[LathrenJames]

Northern NM is one of my favorite places on Earth. I wish I could live there. (And a few other places) We're too far SE, right now. Hot and HUMID! I hear there is a fire in Gila, near Silver City and so we will stay in place a while longer. Maybe join the crowd in CO, next month. Higher ground... :heart:

 

[longing4nature]

I would definitely be on board.  NoAZ gets very cold and snows, which is fine by me as I have a trailer, but for those tenting it would be hard in the winter.  Of course it's not 120 in the summer either......what are the thoughts going around on this?

I have some special skills to contribute, being a retired physician.

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Yes, there seems to be no perfect place and I always prefer cold to heat but living out of a car or tent would be difficult unless some kind of structure was built for living in the winter or another site in another area to move to so that we are switching back and forth during the extreme seasons.  That's great that you have some skills to contribute.  Thank you.  I am still in the mind phase on all of this and don't know if to go non-profit.  Even finding the perfect piece of land can take a lot of research.  My idea was to start with an off grid campsite and then add more structures in the future so if women want to live there permanently or part-time.  I myself would like a place to garden, do my art and bake which I can't do if I am on the road all the time.  I have been looking into ecovillages and don't understand why they have to be so expensive around $700 or more per month.

 

[longing4nature]

Northern NM is one of my favorite places on Earth. I wish I could live there. (And a few other places) We're too far SE, right now. Hot and HUMID! I hear there is a fire in Gila, near Silver City and so we will stay in place a while longer. Maybe join the crowd in CO, next month. Higher ground... :heart:

Thanks, this is good to know.  I will have to check it out.  Is the weather mild year round in northern NM?

 

[longing4nature]

I might be interested but Williams, which is beautiful, gets too cold. I camped there for 3-4 days in late April. Very cold but doable. Not doable in winter. When I left Williams and went to Cottonwood (late April) it was already blazing hot and so was Prescott so I hightailed it to Northern New Mexico.

Yes, the extreme weather makes it difficult to spend the whole year in one place.  There may have to be 2 different campsites to move between during the extreme seasons unless there is a place where the temperatures are mild year round.  I'll check out northern NM land.

 

[longing4nature]

Northern AZ is not someplace where one would choose to stay year round due to the weather conditions, no matter what the vehicle anyone is living in.

Southern AZ is also not someplace where one would want to stay year round for the same reason but opposite temperatures.

Perhaps a group of women would be more inclined to travel together, varying their location by season.

Personally, I wouldn't be interested but that's not to say that others wouldn't.

But why limit it to women only - there are lots of men in the same position - low income, less than ideal vehicles etc.

Yes, I think you're right regarding changing locations in the different seasons.  My thoughts to limiting it to women at first is because I feel that there are more women who live at poverty levels than men and I was also thinking of a non-profit rather than a for profit site or business.  Also space would be limited at the beginning stages.  Perhaps, if in the future, more land could be purchased or donated to provide more space for off-grid camping and possibly part-time or full-time off-grid living then opportunities would be available for all who were interested at that time.

 

[Grim Beret]

Longing4nature: Like the idea of an Amazon camp women only. Maybe just have one guy for hired muscle we can keep him in a pen and feed him cookies occasionally, and if we need that jar of pickles or whatever opened wa la! He will get er done. Seriously your idea seems great!

 

[DesertRose]

Northern NM is one of my favorite places on Earth. I wish I could live there. (And a few other places) We're too far SE, right now. Hot and HUMID! I hear there is a fire in Gila, near Silver City and so we will stay in place a while longer. Maybe join the crowd in CO, next month. Higher ground... :heart:

It's really beautiful. I'd never been here before, except to visit The Lama Foundation a few times many years ago. (I am not near Lama now.) There is a severe drought going on here right now, and two forests are closed: Santa Fe and Carson. Illegal campfires.

I'm surprised at the amount of water here, of course I'm at 7000 ft in the forest. Rivers are low, but still running. Still, the humidity can get down to 2% and even minus from what I've heard.

There is not a lot of free camping here. My computer guy says there is, so I've got to ask him about that and maybe post something if he gives me enough info worth posting.

 

[Moxadox]

"There is not a lot of free camping here. My computer guy says there is, so I've got to ask him about that and maybe post something if he gives me enough info worth posting."


I was there in April, already fires burning....I found lots of gorgeous free camping on freecampsites.net, which is my go-to for finding free campsites! Of those that I tried, Cebolla Campground near Arroyo Hondo blew me away. It's right on the rim of the Rio Grande gorge. Gorge-ous!!!

I'm bummed to hear there's fire in the Gila. Such beautiful country...I camped early in April at Gila Hot Springs, rode out some crazy storms there. The Gila Wilderness is just mind-blowing, and I sure wouldn't want to be fighting fire in that rough country.



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[DesertRose]

Hi Moxadox, In this particular area, there is very, very little free camping. I am not near the Gorge (it's about 100 miles west).

I had checked freecampsites.net. I also checked with the Forest Service (there's an office right in the town I've been staying near). Now that the Santa Fe National Forest and the Carson National Forest are closed to camping, fishing etc. I mean Closed!, and with the heat, people need to go where it is cooler. It can't be too far for me due to budgetary concerns. I figure it's going to take about 2-3 tankfuls of gas to get to a more comfortable spot where hopefully there is more free camping as well. Cebolla looks wonderful; probably too hot right now.

Carolyn's RV Life posted something last November and December about boondocking outside Albuquerque while she was purchasing her newest RV but it is too hot now, pretty much everywhere here in NM. I'm at 7000 feet and it was 95 degrees last week. We got some hard rain for a day (July 5) which was very welcome, but the heat will be back soon.

 

[DesertRose]

Apologies for going off topic in this thread. I AM interested in off-grid camping with other women. I'm not a pure introvert and have found that solo vandwelling, even with my 2 dogs, is not my first choice.

 

[longing4nature]

^
No problem.  I'll have to put some more thought into this and hopefully run into you and others this fall and do some more brainstorming and get even more ideas.  I'm thinking the way to go would be a non-profit and would be a camp specifically for women although I noticed that Bob is starting a non-profit so I had suggested something to him that is similar but would include all CRVL members.  I suggested a low cost year round campsite.  Thinking it would be nice to have a private campground just for those who are CRVL members.  Make it a non-profit and let people stay in the campground for a donation and/or a yearly membership fee.  It's more likely that he would be able to raise money more easily than I since he has been in the community much longer and I am just starting out and know very little about RVing, camping or living in a car but I will be learning very soon.  I am the same, DesertRose, I am an introvert but don't like being alone all the time.  I will be venturing out in my car this October and think I will be staying at Coyote Howls long term.  It seems to be the lowest cost campground with the most facilities.

 

[DesertRose]

That sounds great longing4nature. I think you have some great ideas! A campground is something where people could come and go and not necessarily be with people all the time. I find that I need some human contact once or twice a week.

Making it just for women could get a little dicey if some of the women want visitors, etc. but of course all of that could be worked out in the guidelines and rules.