All of that camping gear...

[getpower1]

How's it going guys. So, I'm a new member, and I really enjoy checking out all of the setups and rigs that everyone else has! Being new, I hope you guys will forgive me if this post isn't in the correct part of the forum, but from what I can tell, it seems fitting.

Not about one piece of gear in particular, but the headache of all of it. My girlfriend and I love camping, but for the few days ahead of time, and for a couple of hours after we are home, the stress level involved with all of the stuff involved in going camping is crazy. What I am talking about is basically running down the lists of food, ice, cooler or even two, beer, chairs, tent, sleeping bag, food and kitchen boxes, dog supplies, etc...

By now I am sure that you guys are seeing a familiarity to yourselves several years ago, or even recently for some. I have been camping all of my life and this just seems the way that it has to be. You wonder why you end up bringing some of this stuff, but when you get there and are living with it, it all seems necessary.

My long term solution for this is to eventually get a slide in camper. That's not really financially possible right now, and storage will also be an issue. I have a 2006 Dodge Cummins short bed, with a softopper, and all of the bed space is quickly used. This truck will soon be for sale. I also have a 1997 ext. cab cummins with a long bed and this truck will be kept. We have also just bought a Yukon xl that I predict will soon see camping use, but I foresee the same problem as with the 06 dodge. Where is it all going to go?

Now that summer is nearing an end and boating season will be letting up in California soon, it will be time to get ready for dirt bikes and more gear that goes along with that.

We love tent camping for now and I understand that the solution sounds simple...just put everything in Rubbermaid containers and keep it all in one place. Unfortunately there is also storage issues at home and the fact that some things, such as pillows, some blankets, and pots and pans must be repurposed from home to go camping.

May turn into discussion, may be in the wrong part of the forum, but I know many have been here before and I would like to know if you have much of the same issues, or if one day you finally figured it all out, and found a low stress way to pack your gear into the truck, even at a moments notice, and get camping. Let me know.

 

[LilPoppa]

Try adding two kids in the mix.

What we did was slowly replace all our camping gear with light or Ultralight backpacking stuff. So we would buy one quality Thermarest sleeping pad, then get another the next paycheque, but still use the old ones as we needed them. By the time we were done, all our sleeping pads together weight less, and took up way less space, than one of the old ones. By buying stuff one at a time it wasn't such a hit on the wallet. I still need to address the chair situation, but man the prices on those things are killing me. I'm also trying to get the kids used to backpacking meals.

We started out using two big plastic bins as well. Now we're down to one bin and a couple drybags, depending on how long we're going for. Oh and a cooler, but I'm working on that.

I'd also like to get a slide-in camper some day. I figure with the need to watch payload, if you can shave even a hundred pounds off your gear, you're laughing. Even with a big truck, every pound counts, right? It's all really well-made stuff too, which helps.

As far as getting ready goes, I keep my bins packed. The bin I don't take with me now still holds camping stuff, and when it's time to go I just transfer what I need to a dufflebag or drybag (we camp out of canoes a lot, hence the drybags).

 

[freshlikesushi]

Its all about staging. I have everything I need for camping in one area of the garage. When its time to go, the only list I need to go over is toiletries, clothing, and food/snacks. Past that, it's the same loadout every time, so no need to do whatever. If im out and consume something, i always take a note of it and then put it on a to do list app i have (out of milk is what i use) and grab it whenever, put it on the shlef with my camping stuff and good to go. All it takes is one or two camping trips to know what all you need.

 

[Chili]

I have a bunch of Action Packers, which really help speed up the process, but it is still a lot of work. Unfortunately, when we had a lot less stuff, we did a lot more camping and prep was way easier. I would like to get my trailer finished, then start downsizing a bunch of duplicate and / or rarely used gear we have amassed (ground tents, extra / older bags, coolers, lanterns, etc). The whole idea of the trailer is so that we can be virtually ready to go whenever. Just load in clothes and perishables, and go. Of course there will still be a little prep time, in addition to refitting when we get home, but I am hoping the trailer will cut out a good portion of what it takes to put a trip together now.

I do 90% of the planning, prep, loading; 100% of the driving; about 70% of the set up and tear down at camp; and about 70% of the unloading and storage at home. Then my wife and kids wonder why once camp is set, I like to do a lot of lounging, mid day naps, etc. Luckily my wife does recognize the work I do to make the trips more fun for her and the kids, and once in camp she does pick up most of the slack of cooking and cleaning. Of course I maintain fire duty.

I have been starting to build up a backpacking kit (about 70% there), and will actually be testing some of it out later this week on an overnighter with some guy friends (bachelor party camping). If that path seems to go well I might start doing some lightweight weekend trips to supplement larger ones, and drastically cut down the level of work involved with camping right now.

 

[goodtimes]

Unfortunately, when we had a lot less stuff, we did a lot more camping and prep was way easier.

That's an important point to make. The more stuff you have, the more complicated every step of the process gets. My personal pendulum has swung to both extremes, and neither is the best. I started with lots of low to mid-level backpacking stuff, went all the way to a slide in camper & lots of creature comforts, only to find that I don't go camping much due to the amount of prep/planning it takes. It only gets worse if you have to share gear between home and camp (as the OP mentioned he would be doing). Now I'm downsizing everything again.

My advise would be to limit (serious) planning to only cover the basics (food, shelter, a chair, a table, etc), but don't sweat the little stuff ("do I need 5 pair of socks, or 6? {neither - you need two pair}). You can't plan for every contingency, and IMO, you shouldn't even try. Cover the big stuff, then go have fun. The world isn't going to end of you only have one pair of hiking boots and they get wet. Go sit by the fire for a bit, have a beer, and let them dry out. If you sweat all the little details, you'll never get out of the driveway. Even if you manage to plan for every little possibility, you'll be so overloaded that you'll look like a traveling circus going down the road.

Keep it simple & enjoy it for what it is.

 

[expedition4x4]

My overland rig is generally ready to go at any moment, just swing by a grocery store and beer store and restock up on cigars and its off to the mountains for a few days it is all about finding the simple necessities and having them ready to go.

 

[KevinsMap]

You have gotten some good advice so far. A few notes, from experience ;-)

First - Avoid built-in packing organization, such as cabinetry and drawers, unless you keep them packed and ready to go at all times. That is when this system works. And then it works very well, but you are (mostly) fully loaded, all the time. Not for everyone. Otherwise, removable storage bins (of your choice, and boy has a lot of ink been spilled on this subject , and with only the essentials. Pack light.

Second - Do not re-purpose anything. Buy dedicated everything; linens, pillows, pots and pans. Ikea is your friend. Only what you need. Keep it all organized, at all times. Pack light.

Third - After each trip, put everything away ready for use, well organized in those bins so that everything can be seen when you open the lid. If you can't see it, your storage bin is too deep for purpose. Don't hide things from yourself. Pack light.

Fourth - Keep a master list, of everything. Include the place you store it, and stick to it. If you do not use it 2 trips in a row, don't bring it. Take it off the list. Pack light

Fifth and last - Label Everything... and pack light.

Enjoy.

Unpacked:



Packing under way:

 

[birdman86]

Basically what's been said already. There's lots of stuff to pack but it doesn't have to be complicated, I try to be more or less ready to go on a moments notice:

Action packer #1 (small one) - Camping basics (flashlights, knife, hatchet, batteries, paracord, fire starter, paper towel, etc etc)
Action packer #2 (small one) - Kitchen stuff (dishes, jet boil, stove, tin foil, etc)
Action packer #3 (small one) - Dry goods (food and condiments basically)
Action packer #4 (the big one) - Camping setup (tent, chairs, thermarest, etc)
Cooler - Obvious use here
Duffel bag - Personal effects

The action packers are basically good to go at any moment so all I need to do is pack a bag and stock the cooler. Other things just stay in the truck all the time anyway (ie. axe). Hardest part is figuring out the meals but I've probably already dreamed that up sitting at the desk 9-5....

 

[OCD Overland]

We're learning that it pays to be lazy - it's a lot easier to pack when you haven't yet unpacked from the last trip.

 

[tarditi]

Focus on one facet at a time (i.e. kitchen [food prep, storage, cooking]) and take notes after your events to find ways to improve your load-out.

My principal goal, for instance, was get my kitchen in order. I got a chuck box all kitted out and it is now packed and ready to load into the jeep at a moment's notice. I have a ARB fridge and couple portable camp tables. Kitchen = done. Now I'm working on shelter - we have a good tent, but need a better awning solution than my EZ-up (not worth the weight or pack space IMHO), so that's the next item on the list... don't try to do it all at once unless you're backed by sponsors or just plum wealthy beyond worrying about expense.

I also whole-heartedly agree with having a load plan. A contents list on every container (list refill/inspection dates if there is anything that expires or needs stock rotation), and diagram of packing configuration is ideal.

 

[Hilldweller]

Trailer.

 

[Herbie]

After each trip, put everything away ready for use, well organized in those bins so that everything can be seen when you open the lid. If you can't see it, your storage bin is too deep for purpose. Don't hide things from yourself.

This is a concept to expand on. A while back I got exposed to a concept that Adam Savage (Mythbusters) calls "First Order Retrievability" - the idea that everything in a system should be directly accessible without having to move something else out of the way. He developed this with regards to his portable toolboxes he built while working at ILM, but it applies in a lot of areas.

The thing that I absolutely HATED about my first camp kitchens was when everything was in a rubbermaid tub and nested. It was very compact, but it took FOREVER to get to a single small item that was buried in the bin. The same thing happened with my food tub: Everything gets buried or falls down when you move something.

Since then, I've worked towards that "First Order Retrievable" concept. I've de-nested some of the kitchen kit. Some things take up a little more volume, but the items I use the most can be grabbed directly, instead of being buried. I boil water for coffee first thing every morning, so having to take the kettle out of two nested GSI pots (with lids), then remove the nested bowls that were inside that, before I can do so was a huge pain in the ***. I added cardboard dividers to my food box (think of the dividers in a case of wine or a 6-pack), so that the bin is divided into "compartments" and stuff doesn't just get buried. The chips are isolated from the canned goods so I don't get crumbs, the oatmeal packets are bagged with the other breakfast items so they can be easily found when the kiddo is hungry.

The side effect of all of this, is that things end up in "kits", and stay organized. There's less and less activity associated with making sure I have all the needed items as the list/kit is refined and I know everything is sorted. These days I throw the chuckbox into the van (assuming it isn't there already, where it's normally kept unless I'm hauling cargo), pack the food into the fridge and the compartmented bin, and we go!

 

[freshlikesushi]

You have gotten some good advice so far. A few notes, from experience ;-)

First - Avoid built-in packing organization, such as cabinetry and drawers, unless you keep them packed and ready to go at all times.

Second - Do not re-purpose anything. Buy dedicated everything; linens, pillows, pots and pans. Ikea is your friend. Only what you need. Keep it all organized, at all times. Pack light.

Third - After each trip, put everything away ready for use, well organized in those bins so that everything can be seen when you open the lid. If you can't see it, your storage bin is too deep for purpose. Don't hide things from yourself. Pack light.

Fourth - Keep a master list, of everything. Include the place you store it, and stick to it. If you do not use it 2 trips in a row, don't bring it. Take it off the list. Pack light

Fifth and last - Label Everything... and pack light.

the first I don't really agree with. I have drawers, but I have containers that go in the drawers to pack it (plates, bowls, ammo can for lights and batteries etc etc etc) so its a minute to pack them.

its all about organization

the rest I agree with lol

 

[1leglance]

Goodwill or other thrift stores along with garage sales are a great way to setup dedicated camping items.
I keep my Suburban pretty much half loaded all the time as after a trip the camp kitchen pelican, chairs, tables and a bit more go right back under the sleep platform.

Sleep pads, sheets, sleeping bags, pillows, water jugs, dry goods box all go in standard places in the house so they are easy to load in 15min.

In other words dry food, fridge and water along with a 15 min load area all we need to hit the road.

All that said every trip is an evolvution, looking at what we are actualy using and wanting. Unpacking at home is when we switch out or remove the things that didn't work and replace with the next idea.

The important thing is to remember to have fun, that is the point of it all.

 

[PlacidWaters]

I've struggled with being overwhelmed by the logistics and mounds of gear for car camping, kayaking, biking, hiking, backpacking, and skiing for years. The problem got worse as I got more committed to these sports and more interested in good gear (meaning became a gear head). At some point I realized that the effort that I put into these activities was way more than the pleasure I got out of them. I needed a change in attitude and in strategies. My tips:

1) Bring a large tent only if you will be spending several days in the same place. A big tent means bigger everything else, especially cots, mattresses, pillows, and even "tent furniture."

2) For shorter trips I downscaled to a three-person tent, Helinox Cot, and smaller mattress. Camp setup now takes 15 minutes, which is a blessing, and it takes 1/3 the space in my vehicle.

3) Pay attention to how much time you're spending on each phase of a trip. I decided that what I get out of a trip has to at least equal the effort I put in. I was literally spending four days preparing for a three-day kayak camping trip and then three days unpacking when I got home. That's seven days of effort for three days of kayaking. That makes no sense. By the same token, it makes no sense to take three hours to set up camp and then move the next day.

4) Learn to just sit and relax at a campsite, instead of running around doing stuff all the time. Simplifying meals helps here.

5) When I get home I immediately go over my packing list and remove anything that didn't get used and add anything that I really missed. So try to learn from each trip.

6) Avoid the temptation to overpack food.

7) To simplify logistics at your campsite, park conveniently with respect to the rear of your vehicle, tent, picnic table, and fireplace. Arrange things in your car so you're not constantly running around the car to get things. Keep the windows down so you don't have to open and close the doors all the time.

8) Unpack quickly when you get home and get back to normal life as soon as you can. I actually lose quite a bit of paid work time due to inefficient unpacking. One thing that helps is to tidy up your house before you leave for your trip.