boondocking vs inexpensive state campground
I am boondocking outside Alamogordo, NM at the moment. I noticed in this pic that the NM state park up the road is visible in the background of the pic. Look for the white spots that appear to be at the base of the telephone pole.
NM state park pricing is generally inexpensive so I thought I’d run the numbers for a 14d stay on BLM vs the state park.
assumptions
This comparison is from my POV with my rig:
- power independence
- water storage for ~30d
- willingness to cathole appropriately or otherwise dispose of solids
boondocking
I brought my own water (free at local gas station spigot) and make my own power. Bucket w/sawdust for solids, will cathole in a more remote spot on the way out at the end of the stay.
Total cost for 14d: $0.
state park
- $10/night for a spot
- $14/night for a spot with water and ≥15A shore power
- plus $4/night reservation fee
Toilets and water spigots available in the park for the base $10 fee. Day use is available for $5.
Total cost for 14d: $140.
conclusions
In general I (and my skinny budget) choose the free option. Having said that, there are some situations in which I would be glad to pay:
- sudden severe cold weather and poor insolation - it would abso-farking-lutely be worth $14 to run an electric space heater overnight
- since my water storage is on the larger size (49gal) it could likely be cheaper to buy a day pass than water by the gallon somewhere. The break-even for a complete fill would be $0.10/gal. I have seen that price for water in AZ before, and once even got water at $0.05/gal at a kiosk in that state.
- if day use included showers that service could be cheaper than commercial or community showers