Your power supply is more than a few hours of charging your phone. You’ll want to be able to do most of the things you can in your home—cook, clean, bathe, have climate control, etc. This can be done by harvesting power from the sun, storing it in batteries, utilizing a generator, or a combination of these. 

The ultimate sustainer of life is obviously essential. Having enough water to enjoy life without constantly worrying is a definite perk. After all, you aren’t on a backpacking trip. Most RVs have a large water reservoir on board. You can complement that storage by bringing extra jugs of drinking water, adding a secondary reservoir, reducing water usage, or a combination of these.

One thing we simply do not think about when living in our traditional homes is wastewater—a.k.a. sewage. While we are used to considering trash, we typically do not think about where our bodily waste goes—the black water tank—or where our dirty dish water goes—the gray water tank. These are things people need to think through when staying off grid for an extended period of time.

This is the easiest way to get started. It is setting up your campervan at a friend or family member's house, and mooching off of them. “Moochdocking” is typically considered mooching because you are borrowing power and/or water, but it is a great way to get started with boondocking. Simply set up your van—without hookups—and see how long you can last while knowing you are only a short walk to a hot shower. 

This is traditionally considered overnighting in your van at a Walmart, but it applies for any retail space that permits free overnight parking. Some of the best retail spaces to “Wallydock” at are Walmart, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop, and Cracker Barrel. 

BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and USFS (United States Forest Service) lands are some of the most popular free spots to boondock in the western United States. If you aren’t familiar with these lands, they are often very remote and offer seclusion for people looking to just get away. 

It isn’t uncommon to pull into a rest area in the middle of the night and see a line of RVs and vans parked in the lot. This is common for travelers going from here to there—but only if they haven’t heard of Harvest Hosts... 

These are by far the two most innovative, fun, cost-effective and widely available solutions.

Harvest Hosts partners with local businesses to open up their properties for self-contained RVs to park overnight in hopes of gaining business from that individual or family. These locations are all very unique places like farms, wineries, breweries, golf courses, and more. 

When boondocking in the remote areas, people are there to get away. Unless you are traveling with some friends, you will want to make sure you don’t take the site right next door to someone who is already enjoying their space. 

There are always going to be knuckleheads who don’t know when to quiet down at night—just make sure you are not that person. Observe reasonable quiet hours. And be aware that a lot of people go out to see the stars—maybe to see the Northern Lights, or catch a glimpse of the Milky Way. If you have outdoor lights on at night, you are contributing to light pollution that ruins that experience for others.

Most USFS and BLM lands have established sites. Do your best to not create new sites that are crammed together. And of course, only camp in designated areas.

This is a rule for camping, hiking, and any other outdoor adventures. Do not leave signs that you were there besides some tire tracks. If you take something into nature, make sure to take it back out with you. There are fewer and fewer USFS and BLM lands that are permitting boondocking because people are misusing that land. 

Being aware of where you are and the fire restrictions in place is of the utmost importance. Year after year wildfires breakout because human beings neglect to observe proper fire safety.

Conserve power by not using lights and other electrical components unnecessarily. Conserve water with short showers, quick washing of hands—or maybe just use hand sanitizer. And conserve gray water by pre-rinsing fruits, vegetables, and other items before heading out to go boondocking. 

Before you drag your fifth wheel, A or B Class motorhome down some dirt roads, you might consider unhooking and going on a scouting mission. The last thing you want to do is find out there isn’t a spot to boondock—or even worse turn around. 

Having the right frame of mind when going boondocking is imperative. If you head out to a remote boondocking site and expect to have all the amenities of home—without limitations—you will be disappointed. However, if you go boondocking with the understanding that it is about being out in nature, enjoying peace and quiet, or having some drinks with friends—it’s a totally different story!

Going from a FHU (full hookups) campground to boondocking on some remote BLM land in Arizona isn’t the best idea. There are steps you can take along the way to ease yourself into it. Start at your home, your parents’ home, or your kids’ homes, and work your way toward your end goal.

Your Campervan has some limitations. Know how big your fresh water, gray water, and black water tanks are before you get too far away from hookups. Another piece of information you’ll need to know is the size of your batteries.

Depending on where you are going, there could be poor—or no—cell reception. Having routes identified and downloaded ahead of time is always a good idea. 

You don’t need to go from nothing to month-long—or even week-long—trips. Go out for a few days and see what you think. Pick a place you are familiar with and excited to check out. Having spaces to look forward to will help you forget about anxieties or worries.