Water Conservation for Boondockers

Know Your Numbers First

Before you can conserve, you need a baseline. Use our water days calculator to find out how long your current tank lasts. Most RVers are surprised — a 40-gallon tank at typical household usage (25 gal/person/day) lasts less than 2 days for a couple.

The goal of conservation is getting that number to 5–7+ days per tank. Here's how.

The Biggest Win: Showers

Showering is by far the largest water use in most RVs — a normal shower uses 8–12 gallons. Cut this and everything else becomes less important.

The Navy Shower

The single most impactful water conservation habit:

1. Turn on water, get wet (20–30 seconds)
2. Turn off water
3. Soap up completely — hair, body, everything
4. Turn on water, rinse (60–90 seconds)
5. Done — 1.5 to 2 gallons used

Compare that to 10 gallons for a 5-minute shower. For two people showering daily, the navy shower saves 16 gallons per day — adding 4–5 days to a 40-gallon tank.

Alternatives to Daily Showering

• Solar shower bag: A black bag heats water in the sun. Hang from an awning arm. Zero tank water used.
• Gym memberships: Planet Fitness ($25/month) has locations nationwide with showers. Many boondockers use this for laundry day showers.
• Baby wipe "shower": For 1–2 day stretches between real showers. Works better than you'd think.
• Every other day: Simply showering less is the easiest conservation win and costs nothing.

Dishes and Cooking

Traditional dishwashing uses 2–4 gallons per session. Boondocking dishwashing should use under half a gallon.

The Pump Sprayer Method

A $10–15 garden pump sprayer (1–2 gallon) is one of the best boondocking investments you can make. Pressurize it, rinse dishes with a thin stream. A full tank of dishes uses less than a quart of water.

Two-Basin Method

Fill one small basin with hot soapy water, one with clean rinse water. Wash all dishes in the soapy basin, rinse in the clean basin. Change water only when necessary. Uses 1–2 gallons for a full sink of dishes.

Other Dish Tips

• Wipe plates with a paper towel before washing — removes most food without water
• Use paper plates for messy meals — worth the waste reduction when water is scarce
• Cook one-pot meals to minimize dishes
• Let dishes air-dry rather than rinse-drying

Toilet and Gray Water

Your black tank fills independently of your fresh tank, but gray tank management affects how long you can stay.

Stretching Your Gray Tank

• Gray tanks fill faster than black tanks for most boondockers — dishwater and showers add up
• Use biodegradable, low-suds soap — easier to manage and more environmentally friendly
• In some areas, it's legal to dump gray water on the ground (check local rules) — never black water
• A portable gray water tank (like a tote) can double your capacity without tank modification

Composting Toilets

A composting toilet eliminates your black tank entirely. You still need to manage the liquid divert. Popular brands: Nature's Head, Air Head. Upfront cost $900–1,200 but eliminates dump station trips for black water completely. Many full-timers consider it one of their best upgrades.

Finding Water While Boondocking

The best way to extend a stay is to refill locally rather than packing out.

Potable Water Sources

• BLM water spigots: Many BLM areas have seasonal potable water. Check iOverlander and FreeCampsites.net — community members mark working spigots.
• National forest water stations: Some forest campgrounds have water available even when campsites are unoccupied. Call the ranger district to ask.
• Small towns: Most towns have a city park or RV dump station with a water fill point. Water is usually free or $5–10 to fill.
• Walmart / truck stops: Many allow water fills. Ask the manager — most are accommodating.
• Campendium: User reviews often note water availability at or near dispersed sites.

Carrying Extra Water

• 5-gallon jugs: The simplest solution. Carry 2–4 extra jugs (10–20 extra gallons) for critical backup.
• Portable bladder tanks (7–30 gal): Roll-up tanks like the WaterPORT or Aquatank fit in a truck bed or storage bay. Gravity-feed into your rig's tank.
• External tank on trailer hitch: Some boondockers mount a dedicated external water tank on a hitch carrier.

Water Filtration on the Road

If you have access to questionable water sources (streams, springs, questionable spigots), filtration lets you use water you'd otherwise skip.

• Inline RV filter: A basic carbon block filter ($20–40) at your city water inlet removes taste, odor, and sediment from unknown sources.
• Berkey filter: Gravity-fed countertop filter that handles bacteria, protozoa, and many chemicals. The gold standard for on-the-road filtration. ~$250–400.
• Sawyer Squeeze: A $30 backpacking filter that can be adapted to filter drinking water in a pinch. Not for full-tank filling.
• Water test strips: $10 at any hardware store. Test questionable sources for basic safety before filtering.

Building Good Habits

The biggest water savings come from habits, not gear:

• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth (saves ~2 gallons/day per person)
• Defrost food in the fridge, not under running water
• Check for drips — a slow faucet drip wastes 1+ gallon/day
• Monitor your tank level daily — awareness changes behavior
• Do a weekly "water audit" — track where your water actually goes for one day

Real Numbers: What's Achievable

With good habits and a few gear upgrades, here's what two people can achieve with a 40-gallon tank:

Behavior	Gal/Day (2 people)	Tank Days
Normal household habits	50	0.8 days
Basic awareness	30	1.3 days
Navy showers + dish conservation	15	2.7 days
Full conservation mode	8–10	4–5 days
Full conservation + composting toilet	6–8	5–7 days