How To Conserve Water While Boondocking

 It is important to learn how to conserve water while boondocking 

By Viktoria
From Small RV Lifestyle

More than 70% of the human body is made up of water, making it necessary in our everyday lives. Research shows that the human body can survive for even a month without food, but surpassing three days without water is a problem. Fortunately, access to clean water in first-world countries isn’t an issue.

But what happens when you are boondocking?

Boondocking in the middle of nowhere comes with its own challenges. You need to make sure you have food, propane, an electric source like a well designed solar system, and water. 

Boondocking outside designated camping grounds means that you aren’t close to any water sources. The only water source is the tank in your RV, which leaves you to survive with the bare minimum. Most of us who boondock often want to make sure our freshwater tank will last for at least 10-14 days.

It’s inevitable for water to run out while boondocking because you are continually using it to clean, drink, cook, and flush the toilet, among other functions.  If possible, you should carry a water holding bladder with you with extra water. I usually take at least 15 extra gallons of water in my water bladder, and when I need it, I use a 12V pump to fill up my freshwater tank. But there are other things you can do to change your water usage habits so that you won’t run out too soon.

1. Collect and Store Used Water. Some of the water disposed of after use isn’t entirely dirty. For instance, water used to clean the dishes can be collected, stored, and later used to flush down the toilet, perhaps. You’ll save gallons of water every day with this hack. Similarly, you shouldn’t waste the water from your bathroom faucet as you wait for it to warm before showering. You could use a small bucket to gather such clean water and re-use it in many other ways.

2. Keep the Water Sources Turned Off. One of the most water draining activities while boondocking is letting the water run. This happens when brushing your teeth, lathering up in the bathroom, or the sink while washing the dishes. All these are unnecessary and can easily be avoided. Turn off the shower while you lather up, and keep your taps closed while brushing your teeth or cleaning the dishes. It is very common for people to waste water in such avoidable ways. This act will ensure you reasonably save on your water supply. All showers should be navy showers. In  between shower days, you can use baby wipes to keep yourself clean.

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3. Minimize Water Use in the Kitchen. The kitchen in your RV consumes plenty of water in a single day, which is expected because of cooking and cleaning.  One hack you can do is prepare one-pot meals, which ensures that you only have little to wash after cooking, saving you even more water. And because you are out camping, you can also use disposable plates. This way, you’ll be able to minimize the amount of water used in your RV kitchen. What I do is wipe plates until they are almost clean and only use some water and soap to rinse them off. This way, your food particles are not going into your greywater tank, which can make it stinky.

4. Bring drinking water. Some people drink from their freshwater tank. I usually carry drinking water with me; I only use the freshwater in my tank for showering, washing my hands, brushing my teeth, and washing dishes.

Bottomline

As far as boondocking goes, the above water conservation tips are the leading solutions to help you conserve water. They are all easily achievable, and following them will help you enjoy your camping experience. You will not have to cut your trip short because you ran out of water.

About The Author

Viktoria has been a full-time RVer and traveler for over four years. She has been running her blog at SmallRVlifestyle.com with its new RV Solar section, where they give solar setup advice for people who are thinking of DIY Solar Installation on their RV.

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