If you are a traveler or an adventurous person who wants to venture beyond a developed campsite to experience living in the forests without amenities, then dispersed camping is perfect for you. Dispersed camping is not for the faint of heart because it requires discipline and patience.
What is Dispersed Camping?
People have different reasons to love camping, whether it is being cut off from technology or connecting with their inner selves in the presence of nature. Camping comes with its joys and obstacles. It’s a great way of bonding with your friends or family in the outdoors under a starry sky to make some unforgettable memories. It is a form of outdoor therapy; it helps clear your mind and gives you a new perspective on life. In a fast-paced urban life, camping provides a relief for our minds to be in harmony with nature to just disconnect from the entire world.
But, that’s a developed campsite that you stick with. There is another type known as dispersed camping.
So what is the difference?
Differences Between Developed Camping and Dispersed Camping?
Developed camping is the most common way of camping that most people opt for, especially families with little children and teenagers. Developed camping is usually a great option for families with little children or big groups or beginners because it comes with nearly all amenities, such as washrooms, sinks, laundry, and even convenience stores. So in retrospect, it doesn’t give you a taste of camping without any hurdles.
On the other hand, dispersed camping occurs in a site that is outside the perimeter of a designated campsite. In dispersed camping, you are unlikely to find any other campers and it is free of cost with no such process of making reservations. So in other words, it does not come with any type of amenities such as washrooms, convenience stores, or laundry places. This means you have to find your way of answering Nature’s call hygienically and carry enough to not require convenience stores.
Dispersed camping does not necessarily need to be in the forest. It could also be just you parking your RV on an abandoned roadside, it could also be on top of a hill, or you could be backpacking into the mountains. The options are endless!
So who should go for dispersed camping?
Who Should Opt For Dispersed Camping?
Dispersed camping should be the choice of individuals who are used to cleaning up after themselves and can survive without the amenities that they’re used to having in their daily lives. People who are adventurous and have adapted themselves to living in natural settings without any fuss or drama can go for dispersed camping. However, people who have families or children should not opt for this because it is incredibly hectic and challenging.
So now that we have it cleared up who dispersed camping is for, let’s get into where and how to look for a dispersed camping site.
Where and How to Look for Dispersed Camping Sites?
Dispersed camping takes place in free-of-cost areas, so you can go anywhere you’d like to camp. But if you are looking for solid options, then you can opt for natural and national forests. However, do ensure that these forests are safe for camping at night and do not contain any animals that may attack you once your fire is out. Other options include national parks, mountains, and hills.
Looking for a dispersed camping site does not mean just camping a few feet away from a developed camping area. You need to be at least one mile away from the developed camping area, and 100 feet away from any water stream and any type of road. This prevents you from having easy access to amenities. On the other hand, camping near a roadside is considered illegal in many countries. However, your dispersed campsite should be within a 150-feet radius to prevent your resources from getting damaged. It also enables you to find your way to a road instead of being completely lost in the wilderness.
So the next time you want to go dispersed camping, make sure you have already had a look at the place you will be camping at – be it visiting the national forest to get a feel or watching videos of what mountain backpacking is like. This precautionary measure helps to keep you safe in an area that may be quite remote and most likely not monitored or maintained.
What Should You Pack for Dispersed Camping?
So now that you have made up your mind to go for dispersed camping, you may be wondering what additional items you may need to carry besides your regular camping kit. Here is what you will need:
Toilet Paper
Camping tent
Camping Pillow
Sleeping bag
LED Camping Lantern
Outdoor portable fire pit
Water Bottle
Our Final Thoughts
Dispersed camping is once in a lifetime experience that you should go for because it helps you hone your survival skills. It makes you appreciate all the amenities and facilities you have in your urban lifestyle. Not just that, but it makes you self-reliant and strong enough to survive in the wilderness with others while taking care and cleaning up after yourself.
However, once you are wrapping up your campsite, be sure to not leave any trash bags around or any kind of mess that may harm the environment or deteriorate the area conditions.
