Live Simple Live Free: BLM camping and the GPS
73
In my travels, I normal stick to the simple method to accomplish any task. The more electronic equipment I have on my trip, the more power it uses and the more likely I will have something fail. So I live according the the law of parsimony. The best solution is the simple solution. IF you like those hard to find, wonderful BLM spots, one of the devices you should consider is a GPS.
Passing along BLM by GPS
You will find that other RV travelers have a GPS. When they find a really good campsite on BLM land, it is often marked by just longitude and latitude coordinates. This is because a lot of BLM land isn't really a campsite but a place to park for boondocking. So instead of giving you directions where you have to look for a dirt road, they will give you the longitude and latitude coordinates. At this point, you have two options: Go online for a google map or put them in your GPS.
 | Amazon Price: Too low to display List Price: $199.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $375.00 List Price: $349.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $639.99 |
GPS options
There are a lot of GPS receiver options from a smartphone GPS like the Motorola Droid to a hiking GPS like the Magellan eXplorist GC. If you have a laptop, you can even buy a GPS add on for it with maps. I like the Magellan eXplorist GC because it is waterproof and can be easily taken on a hike. If you want to spend a little bit more then try the DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 Handheld GPS which has topo maps. If you have more money than I do, the elite Garmin Oregon 400T will be to you liking.
Hard to find great spots
If you only have the longitude and latitude coordinates and no GPS, find the closest library. For those that have a laptop and no GPS, find the closest MacDonalds, buy a cup of coffee, log ont o their WiFi and go to google maps. Put in the address of your current location then click Search Maps. Click on get directions and enter the longitude and latitude of your destination campsite in this format: ( 33.67N 114.2W). Save or print your directions right to the campsite.
- Wild Edible Mushrooms and Truffles of Oregon
As this years morel mushroom season comes to an end here in the Pacific Northwest new hunting opportunities begin in a month as chanterelles begin to pop up from the ground in late July. So I thought, why... - Live Simple Live Free: Free camping on BLM land and in low cost LTVAs
The Bureau of Land Management or BLM maintains land mostly in the western US. This land is available for camping unless specifically marked with no camping signs. Maps are available from the BLM site. You may... - How to Find Gold
Prospecting for Gold In order to find gold the first thing you have to know is where to look for it. Youll never find gold in your back yard or on the city streets....
Here is a starting point: 390 Mockingbord St., Quartzsite, AZ 85346(33.67N 114.21W). Your destination is a BLM campsite in New Mexico that can be found on a dirt road north of Nageezi. The coordinates are: 36.54N 107.866W. The campsite is a very scenic one near Angel Peak in the Angel Peak National Recreation Area. It has 9 sites that have picnic tables and fire grates. No services are available except a pit toilet which is known to always be missing toiler paper. Three of the sites have a shelter over the picnic table. You will find a nature trail there that winds along the canyon rim to an overlook that has a view you do not want to miss. Try out Google maps to get directions.
Either way you go, you will often need a GPS to find some of the BLM sites. If you have it, you can save any BLM or other site you find for a return trip in the future. You might want to keep a travel diary of where you have been. There are advantages to the GOS so it may just be worth adding this one more item to your simple vagabond life.
