What's all the noise about? and really... Why bother worryin' about it in the first place!?
I've gotten some comments/mail recently with folks all fired up about... "Boondocking"... whether I'm doin' it "Right" or talkin' about it "Wrong"...
Sheesh! Ever'body gettin' their shorts... all knotted up tight... over whether this or that is "real" boondocking... or "Proper" Boondocking...
Lighten up folks... 'cause, when that BBW gets to singin'... who really cares? just how much does it really matter?
Ya know, I'm kinda curious, 'cause I've never met him... who ever got set up as the Great RV Boondocking High Priest with the rights to tell ever'body else... What's What... anyhoo?
It was, as sure as God made Cows after he made Cowboys, 'cause he thought there oughta be at least one critter dumber than a cowboy... Not me!
I mean... my purpose is NOT, and never has been, to tell Anyone how they had to live... or how they couldn't...
It's not been to try and live for free... Sure, finding some free sites along the way is nice... makes room in the budget for when the opportunity to use some nice sites... that cost a bit more, present themselves...
What I'm about is NOT trying to eliminate having ANY people around me either...
What sense does that make? How am I gonna learn what I don't know... and why even bother... if there ain't anybody around, to learn from... or share what I've learned with?
So, having a few folks around is good... being buried under a belly to butt crowd of humanity... is bad! :o)
I prefer to travel SLOW... but sometimes... I travel FAST... Why should That be a problem? Where was it said you can ONLY do it this way... or that? When did I sign up for some ridgid... can't do it any other way... way of going? I don't remember that...
Actually... it's just THAT... that I've been struggling against... ain't it? :o) The Idea, the lame IDEA... that there's only one, ridgid way to do anything... and that some folks are gonna try and claim that they've got the authority to dictate that One Way to you...
Do you get the idea that I don't take Dictation very well? :o)
Sometimes... I don't have the slightest sliver of an idea... of what the hell I'm doin'! I don't know what the hell is goin' on sometimes... till I have the time to look back... and see what happened!
What's my point?... My point is... My "Purpose"... is to LIVE... not spend all my time worryin' about how to define it! or even worryin' about where I'm goin'... I'm trying to shed the rules that have been imposed on me... without ever even being asked about it... and get comfortable... with simply enjoying each step of the trip...
I'll get to the end of the journey, soon enough. I just don't need to see where that end is... right now...
That said, what -I- call "RV Boondocking" ... only has one real purpose... to simplify and keep in line with my income... the necessities of stayin' alive! Shelter, food, heat, and my laptop! :o) ... So that I can be left with, the maximum amount of time... away from collecting those necessities... to go out and actually LIVE!
... I'm NOT here, in the way I live now... 'cause tinkering with a rig... doing constant maintenance... thinking about what the newest and most advanced rigs are all the time... is my joy...
RV Boondocking... or whatever YOU want to call it... is just the way... the TOOL I'm trying to use... to make, the process of living, an easier, simpler thing... It just seems that some folks have a need to complicate "things"... and that's an affliction, I've struggled against... pretty much as long as I can remember...
I mean... I'm one of those fellas who can turn pouring water out of a boot... into a major operation! :o) Don't Do It! ... Just stop... take a breath... and don't lose the trees in the "Forest"!
I don't know if that clears up anything for folks or not... likely just adds another log on the fire... Oh Well... 'least we'll be warm!
and as to what RV Boondocking actually is?... folks been argufyin' over that for so long it's... well, all that steam and noise... it's gettin' nigh on to Borrrrrriiiinnnng!
Look... anything I say here... is just... my... opinion. I don't recall ever claiming to be some sort of an expert at much O' Nuthin'... 'cept gettin my butt into one fix after another... with alarming regularity!
This here site/blog was started to tell a story of our journey to the road... all the mistakes we'd make along the way... the victories... the Joys... and hopefully... be useful to anyone who finds it... comin' along behind us...
So... one... more time... My Opinion! ... RV Boondocking is... Living in a rig... an RV... without electric hookup... without water hookup... without sewer hookup... "Self Contained" as much as you can be in this world... somewhere out in some far country...
As far as I'm concerned... whether that be in a Forest Service Camp... a National Park Camp... or hidden out in undeveloped camp sites in dispersed camping areas on National Forest land or BLM... it's ALL Boondocking...
I've Never said, that I remember... and if I did... I was mistaken... that it has to be FREE... Free is good... but I'm not gonna get my shorts in a knot chasing that dog. Talking about Free or Paid... is talking about economics... Not, RV Boondocking...
Continuing on with my rambling...
I have said... and I'll say it again now... I don't consider stopping at WalMart... or a Casino Lot... or hiding out in a Safeway parking lot... "stealth camping" ... to be Boondocking... To me... that's Stopping. It's Parking.
But, AGAIN... that's just my opinion of it. Ya'll can call it any dang thing you want to! That's YOUR opinion, and you've got a double chromed right to it!
I'm not gonna argue the point. There just ain't no profit in it... just wasted time and effort...
What I am gonna be doin is gettin' out runnin' the roads on my Raider... Pushin' my wore out Ol' butt up steep Colorado Trails.. tryin' like hell... and failing most likely, to keep up with Mark and Bobbie! :o)
I'm gonna get out, and do my best to capture all the LIVIN' possible... of that which My Opinion of what RV Boondocking is, affords me!
Now there was a disjointed, rambling, divertin' off on wild tangents, Cowboy Sermonizing, Tirade iffn I ever heard one!
RV Boondocking, Wally Docking, Casino Camping, Road side parking, and Soap Box Preachin', my way...
through what's left... of the rest of my life!
Brian
Return to the Home page of goin' RV Boondocking or, Visit my "Ribbon of Highway" Blog on the Lil' sister to this site, Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
A broken down Ol' Cowboy goin' RV Boondocking ...
...and Yondering, to the beat of a different Biker Cowboy Drummer
16 comments:
You have it perfectly correct. I don't do "boondocking". I call it camping my way.
It doesn't matter what anyone else calls it or how they do it or how you do it. You're living it YOUR way and that's all that matters.
Hugs to you & Heidi!!! Keep the awesome photos coming...
What happened to the REI tent, small laptop, bike and rain? Same goal, no? Just keep on the trail or follow the compass. Sometimes we at the controls complicate things. Sometimes we let something else complicate things. Either way we become complicated. Boil it down to a campfire, pot of "rough" coffee and admire what you have. You have what you need...when so many don't. Wishing you safe travel. Smitty
Brian, RV Boondocking is like going to a Garden Party, You can't please everyone, so you just gotta please yourself. Froggi Donna said it best. Gummy
We enjoy reading your blog. Live your life your way, and don't pay attention to the people who want to run it for you.
Always putting things into some sort of category, having to put a label on everything and railing at what others do is just plain silly. "A rose by any name...." Frankly, Brian, you don't have to explain anything to anybody. Keep on writin' and ridin'...screw 'em if they take life that seriously!
Stu
Who on earth got your panties in such a wad? Good lord, it's just riding around in a truck towing your living quarters with you.
Every time I pull into an rv park towing my $20K trailer and park next to a $400K motorhome I'm reminded of the essential commonality of our experience. It's the same weather, the same view, the same campfire smoke for us both. Everyone does it a little differently but isn't that the point of freedom? Do it your way!
:-) Good! I was tryin' to "stir the pot" a mite :-) and keep people thinkin' about what really counts ... maybe I succeeded? ... and Don? Mine Ain't in a knot... what you and ever'body else is saying? Bingo! Exactly Right! ...That's ... My point! :-)
rving, camping ,boondocking ,jeez,,do it your own way ...enjoying what ever you ENJOY..way to go brian ,,remember screw em all but six,,you need pallbearers
Whew, I feel like i been to a revival camp meetin'.
Preach it brother Brian.
I enjoy every post, I have all your books, and have seriously lurked your website for ideas. You are doing it and that's what is important. Definitions of some words tend to be opinioned based. Keep up the trip and the posts.
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Go for it Brian--I have my opinion too. I think that any spot I can't put out my slide is a parking spot, not a camping or boondocking. Now, if I can put out my slide, then I am boondocking, or camping.
Lordie, be glad you headed south, it started snowing up here at Candi's house two days ago and is still snowing on and off. Hope it stops soon, didn't come 2,750 miles to sit in the house and watch it snow.
previous post posted by Sharlotte
Well... looks like I got enough left here for the pall bearers...
I'll do my best to not tic off too many others anyhoo... my back has been sore enough lately... it's to uncomfortable to keep on duckin'!
... and I'd just as soon not employ you pall bearers in the near future :-)
Greatwriting,Brian.
I'm lookin'at retiring and getting a fifth wheel toy hauler. In the course of looking for reviews, I came across your blog. I look forward to reading your blog site and ordering your ebooks.
Rafe
There are the same issues about what is a "Fulltimer".
There are those that think Boondocking = Free and think Fulltimer = continuous vacation.
You are what you think you are, forget what others may think.
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