What is boondocking ?
Sat, 04/04/2009 - 07:38
As a resident of Europe the term boondocking was new to me until very recently. However after much Googling I reckon I have it pinned down. It seems to originate from the term "boondocks" which is a North American term for backcountry or rural and undeveloped areas, that is claimed to have been first used by the US military in the Philippines. Nowadays the term boondocking has been co-opted by the large American RVing community ( recreational vehicle of course ! ) for staying overnight in a free camping area with no facilities. Presumably the best boondocking, like the best wild camping, is in picturesque and scenic locations, but from I gather a lot of North American RVers spend plenty of time in Wal-Mart car parks where they are actually welcomed. I suspect that boondocking doesn't exclude camping by hikers or non-motorised travellers, its just that in America anyone without a vehicle is regarded as mildly insane.
A little further searching reveals that boondocking is also a word that is understood in Australia and New Zealand, although it probably involves a few more slabs of 4X than in the States.
Dave
Footnote : I always like to squeeze more than one national stereotype into a post, as I am a pedantic nitpicking Brit ;-)
Fri, 04/17/2009 - 17:02
#2
Date format
Ederland
Despite my best efforts my time travelling abilities are limited. I think you may have been the first to spot a "feature" of forum posts which I need to address. Whoops.
I'm sure there are some great wild camping sites in Ireland so I look foward to seeing some contributions.
Cheers
Dave
Webmaster
As a Yank living in Ireland, it's good to see the American date format has rubbed off on you (date joined?). Alternately you could have a format issue or are a time traveller from the future.
Just found your site - it looks good. We're new to motorhomes and looking forward to lots of tips from the community.
Good Luck!
Ederland