Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #25 – September 17, 2016, 08:20:20 pm We took a ride in the CO mountains last week and came across a sign at a trailhead we had not seen before.It saidTight budgets.Pack out your trash.Keep this area and pit toilet clean.Or the area will be closed to all uses.A sign of the times.
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #26 – September 17, 2016, 08:53:36 pm Quote from: Kent Heckethorn - September 17, 2016, 07:24:10 pmHmmm,In my neck of the woods, there are many folks camped out along the banks of the LA River (enclosed for flood protection) and the adjacent freeway.It seems that the city follows the FS guidelines and moves people along after a period of time. What's left behind is an unpleasant collection of refuse that is eventually bagged and tossed at taxpayers expense.As RVers, we generally take care of our surroundings. This, however, is undoubtedly, not the case with some who overstay the dispersed camping time limit. One can only imagine what our NF & Parks would look like if the FS didn't have time to clean up the inevitable mess left behind by a handful of unkempt campers.Just sayin'KentI'm pretty sure that no one in this group nor anything in this thread would disagree with your comments. However, that isn't what I have talked about in the thread. I won't belabor the point by repeating what has already been said.Jim
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #27 – September 17, 2016, 09:38:55 pm Jim,My apologies for misreading the true heart of your thread. It is shameful that you and many other RVers have been unnecessarily ticketed and or harassed by Rangers, FS employees or the like.After rereading the thread, I realize that this issue goes far beyond the scope of picking up after ourselves or simply overstaying a camping time limit.Clearly the whole barrage of regulations governing public free space and usage is confusing to just about everyone involved. It is beyond me why this has become what it is. It would be great if the governing policies in these regards were consistent across the board, but when has that ever been the case. In your situation and that of others, it comes down to your word against theirs. Without a time stamp or the like, it would appear that you would be fighting a loosing battle. That is most definitely frustrating. I certainly hope a resolution to this situation is at hand. Seems like a very difficult battle.Again, thanks for bringing this issue to light. I will go no further. Kent 1 Likes
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #28 – October 17, 2017, 02:31:21 am To add to a very old thread:I saw this on a YouTube channel I watch from time to time, Carolyn's RV Life.https://youtu.be/4tJJiHnCZDc?t=721I started the video when Carolyn is discussing a Ranger questioning her about her home base when camping in a Georgia NF.Again, Bob Wells is involved. At any rate, the issue is one of Fulltime RV'ers or in Bob's case, a Nomad, needing a Home Base.In my case, I stay in a lot of NF dispersed campsites and while I'm a Fulltimer, I can sort of show I lease an annual space in an RV park, I'm not actually there and it causes me stress being in the NF which is exactly the opposite of why I'm there in the first place. I've never had a problem, but I worry about it a lot. 2 Likes
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #29 – October 17, 2017, 08:39:47 am Bob--Thx for sharing. I'd not come across Carolyn or any of her presentations. She raised so many good points, & things that hadn't crossed my mind due to naivete/lack of experience/ignorance/etc. E.G., I really admire those who are able to detach from stuff & embrace the opportunities they find with full-timing, so the idea of "...homeless bums..." never entered my brain. As a Correctional psychologist for 16 years I certainly can recognize the meth heads/etc., yet don't usually think about that impacting perceptions of our community. I also really appreciated her ability to see from both the Law Enforcement perspective (the uncertainty & caution they must have when approaching any vehicle/situation), coupled with her plea about the importance of seeing the common humanity in those who are different from me (an excellent restating of The Golden Rule & Great Commandment, without any preachiness). Thx, again, for such a great share. Lynne 2 Likes
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #30 – October 17, 2017, 03:13:35 pm This is yet another complex issue that society requires itself to deal with, but is addressed crudely and clumsily. Looking at some of these issues in “the old country” shows the potential for nomads to become serious problems for communities. They don’t have any reasonable solution either. As usual, the LEOs are in the middle, doing the hard job, sometimes well, sometimes not.
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #31 – October 17, 2017, 05:01:11 pm Disbursed camping has become a real local issue.Camping crisis: Some western Boulder County sites under siege - Boulder...From the referenced article.“Fearday, sporting 2-inch ornamental spikes driven through both earlobes, spoke as he stood by a smoldering campfire at the center of a site still littered with the detritus of hard living on the land. “The article didn’t say what model LD Fearday was camping in. 😉From the FS perspective.Reid Armstrong, spokeswoman for the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Boulder Ranger District, said the agency is fully aware of the growing problem — and also said a significant challenge is that it must be solved within the broader context of the public at large and its right to enjoy the national forests."Nothing has floated to the surface as the magic bullet, or a perfect solution," Armstrong said. "Right now, our focus is on community involvement and changing the behavior, and looking at the facts."We're talking about 2 million people on the Front Range who are using 160,000 acres, and the impact that that is having on the landscape is significant. And it is more than just what is happening with the campers in this one area."Probably best to remove the 2” ornamental ear spikes while boondocking. 😱
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #32 – October 17, 2017, 05:27:37 pm Not new, not limited to any particular region or national forest, and numbers are increasing. Not making a judgement, just providing a link to what seems to be a well-researched and objective study on the topic of 'homeless in national forests'.http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1079&context=nerr
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #33 – October 17, 2017, 06:44:00 pm Thanks Joan, that is interesting. Also worrisome in that the report states that there are 3 typologies of people living full time nomadic lifestyles. Those don’t seem to include people like the many RVers we all know. And all three typologies are negative. I wonder if that is research bias or actually reflects the majority of full time campers. From what I see as part of the RV and the Van Living community, full timing is a fast growing choice. Increased pressure will likely be seen on all facilities that support us.
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #34 – October 17, 2017, 09:56:54 pm We did some NF camping around Flagstaff about a year ago. We stopped at the ranger's office beforehand to get maps and suggestions on the best areas to camp and got good advice including which areas to avoid (e.g., close to town and full of tweakers). I've also heard that some (not all) rangers in the Flagstaff area are jerks who will bust you for "establishing residence" if they feel like it, whether or not you've done anything egregious such as turning off your engine or putting a camp chair outside. These rangers routed the last "summer RTR" before it even got started. It's a whole different ambiance than Quartzsite for sure. As long as camping and especially vandwelling remain trendy, this will be a problem. It is my fervent hope that the RV fad will pass as soon as enough people buying cheaply built crummy RVs with 120-month "easy financing" get tired of the experience and go on to something else.
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #35 – October 18, 2017, 09:11:59 am A quick read of the article referenced above shows it's a study of "non-recreational campers", not recreational ones. Even full-timers here fall into the recreational camper category that's not the subject of the article. I'm not sure Breaking Bad did a lot for the average RV owner...The whole 'stealth van' thing is interesting. Probably the best stealth camper would be a used U-Haul box truck. I think they remove the graphics when sold, but if you replace them, you could park/camp for free (after hours in/out) at any U-Haul lot in the country, and no-one would be the wiser. Plus, stop overnight in pretty much any neighborhood and it would look like you're just getting ready for moving day. Putting an air conditioner on the roof might give you away. That, and windows... Ironically, about the only place it would stand out would be a campground. I have read of recreational campers being asked to leave due to duration of stay, even when they just got there a day ago. I feel it's a case of "mistaken identity", with rangers tracking down "the blue camper about 7 miles down the access road", which is a pretty non-specific way to identify a camper. Were I boondocking in a place with a 14-day limit, I'd make sure to stop somewhere on the way in and buy something, and make sure both you and the rig show up on a security camera or two. Buying gas is the easiest choice; get a receipt. That way, you can prove a date-certain when you weren't there (yet) to either the ranger or a judge, depending on how things go...Chip 2 Likes
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #36 – October 18, 2017, 10:13:45 am We have noticed a marked increase in live in the woods campers in the last two years, both in established campgrounds and out in the boonies. Some don't have vehicles - true walk-ins. It's going to get worse. Just like there are more boomers camping, a subset of that, my, generation will be homeless.We use Forest Service campgrounds less now than in years past, just because they are no so popular. And now almost always run by an officious concession employee. Stopped counting the number of times we have been asked if we tow the Jeep. Well, we do have to unhook it to back in! They are always looking to get the extra vehicle fee.More and more we favor BLM sites where we have nothing but horizon. They are out there, you just have look to find them. 2 Likes
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #37 – October 18, 2017, 11:08:48 am "...we favor BLM sites where we have nothing but horizon. They are out there, you just have look to find them."The BLM website has improved enough to offer some useful information, but check each listing carefully for location, facility type, and accessibility for your vehicle(s).Visit | BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Re: Dispersed Camping Warning Reply #38 – October 18, 2017, 01:47:15 pm That's a good resource Joan, but when I say nothing but horizon, I mean just that. No other RV's. Utah may be the best state for boondocking as most of it is public land. And a lot of it is BLM land. All good for parking, unless it's posted. I look at the map for area's that are coded BLM and see if there is a road into it. Now if we could just find the control to turn down the wind speed.
Topic: Dispersed Camping Warning (Read 1014 times)
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