Organizing camping things

[babr]

I am trying to make going camping easier; less stuff to carry but put together is such a way so that you aren't rummaging through tubs to find the can opener; basically i have two tubs which i carry all the stuff plus paper bags for food; but you have to dig to find the can opener; etc.

plus i would like it to be easy to put away in case of rain when we need to clear out

any suggestions?
:thankyou:

[Rosemary]

I put kitchen utensils, matches, etc in our pot, and I put all that type of gear (pot, stove, sleeping pads) inside a large rolling suitcase that we already had but rarely use for travel anymore because it exceeds the 50# limit when full. I have been able to roll that from parking to the campsites easily. My DH was entertained when I first did this but after one camping trip he was sold. I put all our food in the cooler, even if it doesn't need to go in there. So we have very little to carry - usually those two things, plus our tent and sleeping bags. I keep the camping stuff in the suitcase so it's always in one place, ready to go.

[tgardella]

We keep our plates, cups, utensils, along with a couple of dishtowels in a clear plastic storage bin. Within the bin, the utensils are stored in 2 ziplock bags -- one for eating utensils, the other for things like can opener, corkscrew, etc. The whole bin goes in the car when we load up for a camping trip.

We keep things like propane canisters, matches/lighter, lantern mantels, etc. in a crate that has no lid. This crate also gets loaded straight into the car.

Other camping gear is stored in a very large storage bin in the garage, but we don't take the bin itself with us, just the gear. It's nice because all the gear is in one place and really cuts down on packing time.

My family and I are going on our first camping trip of the season this weekend ... I cannot wait :-)

[babr]

thanks guys this really helps; we were supposed to go camping but it will be raining all three days; but i will be organized for our next trip; i have all the gear out now so i can do it while its already out!

[Merski]

I LOVE zip loc bags of all sizes for camping! 2 gallon sized one holds all our stuff for the dog...and it stays dry in downpours!

[babr]

I have large ziplock bags that have just been sitting around and would be perfect; now i have to sit my butt down to organize the stuff; lots of great ideas but time just flies by! we cancelled our trip this weekend because they were forcasting rain and its beautiful outside; god i am not listening to the weather man again!

[happystuff]

Love the rolling suitcase idea! I'm going to look through all our old suitcases!

[Urchina]

We use a variation on a theme of the plastic totes. Basically, I have two Rubbermaid Roughneck totes. One holds the kitchen stuff -dishes, dish soap, scrubbers, pots and pans, utensils (we use smaller lidded Rubbermaids for utensils as I find them easier to deal with), clothesline and clothespins, thin cotton towels, tablecloth, napkins, and two plastic dishpans. The other holds the foods we take that don't need to be in the cooler -- tea, coffee, cereal, bread, fruit, canned goods, seasonings.

I like these because they're durable, waterproof, and generally critter-proof (though we don't camp in bear country). They're easy to move from the car to the campsite and back, and when we're home the one that holds non-perishable foods stacks neatly under the one with all the gear in it.