Saving Water While Boondocking

Saving water while boondocking is always a concern. With camping season arriving, you likely have plenty of amazing camping plans on the horizon. For many, at least some of those plans will consist of some nights spent boondocking in the wilderness. If your plans don’t include boondocking, you might want to consider changing them up a bit.

Boondocking is a truly unique experience that all RVers should take advantage of. It allows campers to get off the grid and really steep themselves in the beauty of nature. It is healing, relaxing, and beyond peaceful.

That said, there are some things you’ll want to prepare for when planning a boondocking excursion. For one thing, you won't have any hookups of any kind. This means you’ll need to find ways to conserve water, electricity, and tank space. Luckily, there are plenty of tricks that can help with this.

Below are our top tips for conserving water (and waste-tank space) while dry camping.

Related Read: The Best Practices for Boondocking with Your RV

Change Soaps and Use Less

Washing dishes uses a lot of water, with a large amount of that water being used for rinsing. You can cut back on the amount of rinsing you have to do by switching to a biodegradable soap, making rinsing less important. You can also cut back on rinse water by using less soap so there’s less to rinse at all.

Wash Dishes into a Tub

When washing your dishes, place a small tub in the bottom of the sink to catch the water. If you’re using a biodegradable soap, you can then toss the water outside to save tank space. Alternatively, you can hold onto that dish water in a plastic jug (or other container) to be used for flushing the toilet.

This keeps you from using perfectly good freshwater for flushing and helps conserve space in your gray tank, which tends to fill up quickly.

Don’t Flush Toilet Paper

To save both water and tank space, you may want to skip flushing toilet paper. Instead, keep a small lined trash can with a lid in the restroom and throw your used tissues away.

By doing this, you can avoid using water when flushing liquids and reduce the amount of water needed when flushing solids. It also cuts back on the amount of chemicals you need to put in your black tank, not to mention helping prevent clogs.

Skip Some Showers

Showering every single day when boondocking is a quick way to run out of fresh water and fill your gray tank. Don’t do this. Instead, use wipes such as these to clean up each morning and evening. Alternatively, you could use a wet washcloth or a sponge, but any of these things will give you the same result: a relatively clean body with little to no water usage.

If dirty hair is a big problem for you, consider using a dry shampoo. This tends to work very well for most people. Another option is to pick up some of these shampoo caps, which provide an even cleaner feeling.

Take Navy Showers

Of course, you will eventually need a real shower. When this time comes, you will want to stick to “navy showers”. This means wetting down as quickly as possible, turning the water off while lathering up, and rinsing as quickly as you can.

If possible, use a biodegradable soap like the one mentioned above, and shower outdoors. This will save tank space.

Change Your Shower Head

Believe it or not, your shower head can make a difference when it comes to how much water each shower uses. A pressurized shower head such as this one by Oxygenics uses much less water without reducing your water pressure.

Obviously, this is an excellent choice for anyone trying to conserve water while camping. However, it’s also nice even when you have plenty of water to work with, because it makes the water in your hot water tank last longer. Therefore, this is an upgrade everyone should make.

Cut Your Hair

Short hair requires less water to wet and rinse. Additionally, it’s easier to style, and easier to keep looking clean even when you can’t shower every day. Therefore, going with a shorter style is definitely best if you plan on camping off-grid on a regular basis.

Catch Unused Water

If you let the water run for a bit before a shower—or before washing dishes—as the warm water reaches the faucet, catch that extra water in a jug. You can then use the water you caught to rinse dishes, give to pets, or even cook with.

Drink Bottled Water

Instead of using your fresh tank water for drinking and cooking, bring bottles or jugs of water along. You’ll be able to stay hydrated without draining your tank, so you have plenty left over for showering and washing dishes.

Related Read: Best Boondocking Destinations

Think Before Cooking

While making your boondocking meal plan, carefully consider what you’ll be cooking and how it might affect your water usage.

Meals that use less water to prepare are always preferred. For instance, it takes much less water to steam veggies than it does to boil them. Pasta dishes require an awful lot of water to make, so keep that in mind. A set of plastic, refreezable ice cubes will remove the need to refill ice trays.

On top of that, cleanup should be considered. A meal made on the outdoor grill requires less water to clean up afterward than a messy chili made in a stock pot. Thinking of these things in advance can be a lifesaver when it comes to conserving water.

Always Carry Containers

Always carry large water containers with you when you go on outings. You never know when you may find a place to refill your water, and having jugs on hand means you can grab some water wherever that spigot happens to be. This water can then be transferred to your freshwater tank to extend your wilderness camping experience that much longer.

Hopefully these tips help make boondocking possible for you and your family. As we said before, there is nothing quite like the experience of off-grid camping, and we think everyone should have the opportunity to fully connect with nature.