Dry camping is basically camping out in the “boondocks” with no hookups to water, electric, or sewer, and with it comes the fun of living off the grid and experiencing the simple life, enjoying the little moments, listening to the cicadas buzz in the evening, spending time off the beaten track and enjoying nature. For our family, it meant less time spent using our electronics and more time sitting out in our camp chairs and chatting, playing games, and even just enjoying the silence. It meant simple meals and only worrying about the basic of life: food, water, staying warm, and basically taking care of the necessities. The busy-ness of life fades away for a bit. What you sacrifice in modern convenience, you gain in experiences!
Challenges
Of course, there are challenges that go along with dry camping and it takes a bit of preparation and planning. You have to ensure you have enough water stored for both drinking and cleaning messes/dishes and bathing (assuming you’re going to bathe while camping, though you could just wait it out!) There is always the worry of having enough water and electricity. Obviously, the size of your RV or camper has an impact on how long you can dry camp – the larger size will provide more supplies and for a longer time. However, the larger the RV, the more difficult to find a good space for your vehicle!
We tried dry camping in Duck Creek, Utah with our Wildwood trailer. The campsite was nice; we just had to run the Suburban a few times to keep the trailer battery charged. We and our fellow camper friends had lots of camp fires to cook our food, and we gathered around the fire at night to visit and tell stories, laugh and sing. We even played some music and did some line dancing out in the dirt and had a good time! We conserved water by keeping a basin of water for washing dishes instead of running the sink. We avoided using too much water when flushing the toilet instead of holding that lever down too long.
Dry Camping Ideas
On the Way Out
On the way out of the camp, we dumped tanks and kept some fresh water for pit stops. That’s another consideration of dry camping; make sure to find a dumping station to dump the black tank – you can’t just do it anywhere. While dry camping, you just have to make sure to think ahead and be prepared! While it can be extra work and take a little more planning, nothing beats the opportunity to truly camp underneath the stars. Plus, you’ll be all the more appreciative of all the modern conveniences when you return home!
