New Mexico State Parks--A Boondocking Bargain

Mountains. Forests. Lakes. Deserts. Ancient cultures. Modern cities. Wow! With all that who wouldn’t want to go explore "The Land of Enchantment," as the NewMex tourist promotion folks call it. For boondockers, the state makes it possible by providing reasonably priced accommodations.

Roll your RV into any one of the state’s 28 parks that offer camping and boondockers pay $10 a night to "stay on." It’ll take far more than one or two nights to explore this vast state with all its nuances. Let’s say it take you two months, my pencil’s ready, ahhhhhh, lessee that’s $600 to stay those two months. Or would you rather pay $225 and be able to stay any time, for a whole year?

That’s the gist of the New Mexico State Park annual camping permit. The permit, which you can pick up at any New Mexico state park, allows for free camping in a "developed" site. You can (if you need) add an electrical hookup or sewage hookup for an additional $4 a night, or (perish the thought) add both for $8 a night.

In any event, the annual camping permit is a bargain--and it "starts" the day you purchase it, and runs for a full year. Some "annual permits" are sold on the calendar yearbasis, so if you went out and got one tomorrow, you’d have paid a full year’s money for 7 months of use. Check out the pass system on the New Mexico state park web site.

Photo courtesy of the New Mexico Tourism Department.

Blacktop Boondocking Boo-Boos

A lot of us travel the "Camp Walmart" way--stopping overnight at Walmart or other store parking lots. It's something we've come to appreciate--it saves money, frustration, and often proves to be a major safety factor when the going gets tough.

You don't need to have been out from under a rock very long to know that "blacktop boondocking" as some call it has proved a major controversy, particularly when RV park owners get involved. Many feel they're being short-changed by 'stingy RV owners who are only looking for a free ride.' We won't go into the "Park Owners v Walmart Campers" story here--we'll save it for another time. Nevertheless, some who take advantage of Walmart hospitality really do make a bad name for us.

You've probably seen it: These guys roll into Wally-World, put out the slide-outs, unpack and fire up the BBQ, and hang out for days on end. Once they finally leave, the memory is not quickly forgotten, perhaps they've piled up trash, dog doolies, or heaven forbid, actually dumped their tanks down a storm drain. It's like the nightmare RV neighbors from hell.

The Escapees, an RV club for fulltimers, has taken the issue up and put together a "Code of Parking Etiquette" which we reproduce here:

ESCAPEES CODE OF PARKING ETIQUETTE

1. Obtain permission from a qualified individual.

2. Park out of the way.

3. No awnings, chairs, or barbecue grill.

4. Avoid using slide-outs if at all possible.

5. Do not use your leveling jacks on asphalt.

6. Limit your stay - one night maximum!

7. Purchase gas, food, or supplies as a form of thank -you when feasible.

8. Always leave an area cleaner than you found it.

9. Practice safety precautions.

It's not much to ask--and following these simple 'Golden Rule' basics will go a long way to keeping up a good reputation for those of us who do "blacktop boondock."

Photo courtesy, Brave New Films, on Flickr.com

New to Solar? You Need a Regulator

If you want to safely use solar panels on your rig, they need to have a system to stop them from charging when your house batteries are full. At night, without a regulator system, the solar panels will turn into a "load" and actually cause your batteries to discharge.

There are "self regulated" panels available, the trouble is, their output is so small it's hardly practical for an RVer. Commercially built solar panel regulators are like a visit to Starbucks. You can get plain (OK, with creme and sugar) or you can add everything in the way of bells and whistles. What do you get with your cappuccino? Some fancy regulators have built in meters that show battery voltage and charge current--that's a great bonus--and even those that track your battery "bank account" by showing how much power you've used, verses how much you've stored. Of course, the more you get, the more you pay.

A plain-brown-wrapper regulator that simply that stops charging when the battery is full, and restarts charging when the battery needs it is great if you're on a budget. Just make sure you always buy a regulator that has more capacity than you need now. Later if you expand your solar power "farm" on the roof, you won't need to invest in another regulator.

Boondocking Timber Company Lands

With US timber companies owning millions of acres of land across the country (Plum Creek Timber, the second largest private owner says it holds nearly 8 million acres) that's a lot of land with potential for recreational use. In some cases its a bonus for boondockers. Much of the recreational use of these lands is managed by the companies themselves; in other cases local governments handle recreation while the companies tend to the timber.

Many timber companies recognize the "recreational aspects" of their holdings and make their lands available for public use. With that hospitality comes responsibility to those of us who use the land. Most things are pretty straight-forward and simple:

Leave gates as you find them--or as posted, be it open or closed.

Don't leave litter or dump your tanks.

Be careful with campfires where permitted, and where they aren't DON'T have one.

Follow any rules or requests the company makes.

What about costs? Some timber outfits welcome recreationists with open arms, and no fees. Others are "discovering" that charging a fee can help them out--the policies vary by company. Recently, Potlach Corporation decided to begin charging fees in some of its Idaho forest holdings--to the tune of nearly $100 a year. Depending on your use, that may actually be a bargain.

How do you find out about boondocking opportunities? We'll list a few of the big company's web sites in a second, otherwise, you'll need to do a little detective work on your own. You could check out local phone books under "Timber" for possible leads. Many outfits post signs on their holdings (which may or may not include phone numbers) which at least give you an idea of who owns the property.

On to the list:

Weyerhaeuser: This company owns land in both the south, midwest, and northwest. While lands in the south are typically "leased" for recreation, in the northwest much land is open to the public. In Oklahoma, some is managed by the state's Department of Wildlife Conservation (with fees ranging from $16 to $25). Check out the company website for more information.

Plum Creek Timber: A BIG concern as we mentioned. Their website mentions recreational opportunities, but is short on details. Their toll free number is (800) 858-5347, and they may be able to direct you to an appropriate local number for more information on recreational opps.

Out in New Hampshire, the state manages the recreational use of land owned by the Connecticut Lakes Timber Company. Some "boondocking" opportunities there are truly boondocking in primitive campgrounds. Other RV recreation is in more developed campgrounds, and of course, fees apply. Check out the state's website for more details.

Map: Courtesy Weyerhaeuser. Photo: State of New Hampshire

Idaho Free Camping--with Great Fishing

On some of those forever long stretches of highway, we're always on the lookout for great places to overnight. Idaho is one of our favorites for giving us a lot what we look for. If northern Idaho is the panhandle, then for us, it's 'Out of the fire and into the fryin' pan.' Smack down in the lower left hand corner of that frying pan rolls the Snake River, filling up the C.J. Strike Reservoir, an oddly shaped body of fresh water appealing to fishers and RVers who love quiet and economy.

Strike Reservoir is a part of one of Idaho's 20 wildlife management areas. While the principal purpose of the management area is to provide bird and waterfowl habitat, recreationists will find a great place to nest themselves.

Imagine waking up to the sounds of water lapping just outside your door, perhaps punctuated by an occasional quack of a passing duck. Or casting out your fishing line, then sitting in the shaded comfort of your awning? It's all possible, as in several places along the management area, camping is allowed. Shsh! Don't say it too loud, but another great thing about is that the camping's free! How's that again? Yes, as part of Idaho's Sportsman's Access Area program, the "fee" for camping is nada, zip, er--priceless.

How can all this be true? How can a government entity offer free camping? "Idaho sportsmen have provided the funding to obtain and manage these access sites through their purchase of hunting and fishing licenses," says Stephen Measley, the State's Fish and Game Director. Other funding comes from federal excise tax collections on the sales of sporting goods.

Sounds good to us. We've tried camping in many of Idaho's Sportsman's Access areas in our travels, and while the amenities vary, we could never argue with the price.

One of our favorite freebie areas along the reservoir is Jack's Creek. While less than 25 miles from Interstate 84, it may as well be on the other side of the planet. The solitude of the area is profound--you might not see anyone for days. Bring along your fishing pole and expect to find perch, bass, even lake sturgeon. If you'd prefer to "bag" your catch on film, bird watchers will find a network of trails and roads that will take you to areas where birds live, work, and play. A boat ramp and dock isn't far, and the reservoir is huge and great for exploration.

Come nightfall, pull out the camp chairs and the kindling. Camp fires are allowed in the area. Since the nearest town of any size to the south is nearly 200 miles away, star gazing in the direction of Nevada may be worth bringing a blanket and telescope.

Getting there can be a bit challenging. Here's the easiest routing: From Interstate 84, take exit 112 to Hammett. Travel south on State Route 78--and it's easy for us to say "Just go 25.4 miles." One look at a detail map of the area will make you question our sanity. Go ahead, lot's of folks do! Take our word for it--travel 'mostly' south on Highway 78. Be aware that along the way 78 may try and masquerade as State Route 51--but really, even under that mask, it's still Highway 78. When you get to Bruneau, much of the battle is over.

Where the highway crosses Belle Street, you have 3.9 miles to go to the turnoff to the camp area. The highway here travels east, then northeast. Yes, you're doing fine. Keep your eyes peeled for the "Sportsman's Access" sign that will take you off to the right of the highway. It's an easily missed spot, the road is rather nondescript, and will take you upcountry about a half mile to the edge of the reservoir. Look for a spot "out of the way," and set up your camp.

For GPS users, life is easier by entering these coordinates: N42.54.155, W115.51.90. For information on licensing requirements for fishing, call Idaho Fish and Game at 208-334-3700.

Power Inverters--Take Shore Power With You

In our traveling tool box, battery powered portable tools have a favored place. What would you do without that drill? But when time comes to recharge that drill, where you gonna find power in the boonies? If you have a generator, yes, you could fire it up for a few hours to recharge your favorite Makita, but that's a lot of waste and noise. Here's where an inverter can help.

An inverter converts 12-volt RV battery power into "shore power," that many other shore power-loving devices can work with. We'll keep this entry simple and expand into more detail in the future. For small power applications, say your blender and battery charger applications for portable power tools, a small, "plug it in the cigarette lighter" inverter is ideal.

Where do you find such a beast? RVers spend a lot of time on the road, and there's always a truck stop close at hand. "Trucker stores," have plenty of inverters for sale, and the price is usually fairly competitive. You can also find scads of them on e-Bay.

How much inverter do you need? Read the manufacturer's plate on the device you want to power up. Usually battery operated tools need very little juice to operate. Since inverters are rated in "watts" for power output, match or exceed the number of watts required by the device. Mind you, when you get into larger loads, your cigarette lighter socket won't be able to put out enough juice to keep up with the inverter--and a blown fuse or even worse could result. NEVER exceed the rating of your "power plug." Yes, you can hard wire an inverter to your system for increased capacity, but that's a subject we'll take up later.

Always turn off your inverter when not in use--even when not actively "inverting" power, they do use a small amount of "standby current."