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FRIDAY 27 October 2023 — NTNP 10 of 14 — A Boondockers Welcome stop
We relocated to our next stopping spot today, a Boondockers Welcome (BW) host location named “The HatchPad Off The Trace” in the Farmhaven/Canton area of Monroe County, Mississippi. We have been an active BW host site for some years now (whenever we are home), but have rarely used the program as a Guest. In the search for places to stay along the NTNP, this one looked good, both for location and for the site itself. And, indeed, it was.
The address was on a road that intersects the NTNP, and the site was not very far down the road. It was wooded (see photos from Sunday 29 October), and the hosts were very nice. In fact, we were vaguely acquainted, as it turned out, having both worked the Escapees RV Club Escapade (rally) in Essex Junction, Vermont in the summer of 2016. They were part of the parking crew, while Linda worked in the office and I (Bruce) was the head photographer and put together the evening slide shows. With fellow RVers, sometimes very experienced and sometimes brand new, there is always a lot to talk about.
Indeed, most BW hosts are (or were) active RVers, and all guests in this program must have a self-contained RV. Self-contained means they can “boondock,” as indicated by the name of the program. And this means they can carry, and arrive with, enough freshwater for their needs during their stay and have built-in tanks for capturing gray- (sinks, shower) and black- (toilet) waste water, with enough unused capacity to see them through their stay. It also means they can camp without an electrical shorepower connection, either by using house batteries (with or without solar panels) and/or running a genset. The reality, however, is that most BW hosts offer some level of electricity (which might entail a very modest donation if used) and many also have fresh water available, as well as Wi-Fi for connecting to the Internet. A sewer connection or dump station, however, is relatively rare.
The Boondockers Welcome program shares a website and common ownership with the Harvest Hosts (HH) program. HH and BW are similar in many ways, but different in a few important aspects. BW host locations are almost exclusively private/residential properties (not condominium or apartment complexes). Hosts configure their BW host profile on the website in terms of number of nights allowed (1 – 5 max), how far in advance a stay request can be made (ours is set to 60 days max), and how far in advance a request must be made, from same day to a week or more (ours is set to one day). Each host also has a host calendar, and hosts can block out any dates for which they do not want to receive stay requests. For instance, we do not accept stay requests unless we are home, but some BW hosts do. Hosts also provide details about their site(s) (length, access, etc.), available amenities (if any) and donation amount (if asked for) to use electricity.
A “stay request” system is used as opposed to a “reservation” system. The difference is that a BW guest submits a stay request to a specific host for a starting date and number of nights. The host receives/reviews the request and then accepts or declines it. If there are questions, communication is handled through a very good messaging feature of the website/app, but the host does not have to give a reason or explanation for not approving a stay request. The host’s address, phone number, and other details are hidden from the guest until the request is approved.
The original idea behind the BW program was to allow RVers with a home base and some space, to provide a place for other RVers traveling through or visiting an area for a short time. Basically, to get off the road without having to pay for a commercial or government campground, and meet some interesting RVers in the process. The program has been a great success, and we continue to enjoy being a host when we are home.
Harvests Hosts locations, by comparison, are mostly business properties, but with the same basic idea of having someplace interesting to get off the road and “camp” for free for a night. The thinking was that a lot of businesses have parking space large enough for one or more RVs, which would be available after business hours. It is not unusual with HH that guests are asked to not arrive before a certain time, and to leave by a certain time the next morning so as not to interfere with normal business operations. Originally, the program only allowed a one-night stay and lacked a system for making a stay request or reservation. Under the new/second owners, a reservation system was added, and I think HH hosts can now allow a stay of more than one night.
Another difference from BW is that some of the host locations have things to sell; think wineries, breweries, distilleries, bakeries, orchards, museums, animal rescue facilities, etc. Indeed, most of the original host locations were wineries and some vineyards (which are lovely places to spend a quiet night) followed by breweries and distilleries, but the program has expanded quite a bit as it is also very successful. It even offers an add-on package for golf courses. Because the hosts are businesses, there was always an “expectation” that guests would patronize the establishment. Indeed, we have stayed at several HH locations that were wineries. They were all wonderful, but proved to be the most expensive “free” camping we’ve ever done. <<smile>> But then, we got lots of bottles of really nice, interesting, local wines and met interesting people.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but while the terms “boondocking” and “dry-camping” are often used interchangeably, some folks insist that there is an important distinction, and the difference has to do with where you are camped. In both cases your RV does not have any hookups (utilities like electric, water, and sewer, phone, cable, etc.) but when boondocking, i.e., camping in the “boonies”, if you run out of anything (water, propane, food, etc.) or need to dump your waste tanks, it might be a very long trip to get to someplace where you can take care of those things (appropriately and legally). This is also sometimes referred to as “wild camping” (especially in Europe).
While BW can be, and HH usually is, dry-camping, this is sometimes also referred to as “driveway surfing,” a term that derives from “couch-surfing,” which is finding short-term overnight accommodations on someone’s sofa. Indeed, the CouchSurfing.com platform is the “Air B&B” of couch surfers. That’s not to say that a BW or HH host location might not be remote—they can be—but they are generally close to civilization with relatively easy access to products and services. We have, for instance, had BW guests choose our location because of its relatively convenient access to medical facilities, shopping, and/or family/friends.
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