Things I Can’t Camp Without – Packing Storage Edition

So I’m sitting here thinking about our spring break trip at the end of March/beginning of April.

Let the planning begin.

I’m a big planner.  When I go away, I don’t want to forget anything. I have lists.  My lists have lists.  It’s crazy. There’s a list of things that get packed in the car, a list of things that get packed in the camper, a list of clothes and special items that come with us (depending on where we are visiting) and of course a list of food that gets packed.

There’s also a list of meals that we will have while away.  I prep them all before we leave so that I have more time to relax and have fun and less time chopping and prepping at the campsite.

I’ll do a post on some delicious camping meals soon.

But back to planning.

There are a few things that help us with space in the camper.  Our camper is not big, and I don’t like “stuff” out when we travel.  Not only does it jam up our flow around the space, but the damn dogs get into EVERYTHING and so I have to consider that too.  (like the time I came back to the camper to find one dog miraculously got into a zipped up The North Face Jester Backpack and proceeded to eat granola bars on my bedspread…leaving me no choice but to find an open washer and dryer in the middle of the night.)

We have a space over our bed with cabinets.  I put a ClosetMaid Fabric Drawersideways (so the opening faces out towards me) in the cabinets (2 per space) and use Packing Cubes to pack and store my clothes in there.  The easiest way I’ve found is to use one cube per item type.  For example, one for tops, one for bottoms, one for bathing suits and cover-ups, etc.  I’m cube obsessed though.  This is the only way I travel.  My suitcase looks like a Tetris game when you open it up.

This method of storage is fine for me because I have no problem climbing on my bed to get my own stuff.  For my kids, however, that’s gonna be a no.

I’m also a bit of a germaphobe, so there’s no need for little camping feet to be climbing on my bed.

So before I leave, we pack all their clothes in an under bed storage tote. I put these under the bunk beds and the kids can easily slide them out when they need their clothes.  I made sure that I measured the space that was available (height, width, and depth) before purchasing.  I knew that I wanted to fit several under that space and didn’t want them sticking out either.  I used a paint marker to write names on the outside so that there is no tote confusion.

I also needed a hamper to keep the dirty clothes.  With limited space, I found this Ikea hamper and I’m obsessed.  It fits SO MUCH in the small space we have.  When we are in the camper, it easily slides into the bathroom for storage.  It also has handles which make it easy to transport to the laundry room or into the house when we get home from a short trip.

I also couldn’t survive without Command hooks. I have one on almost every wall; some high, some low.  I hang wet towels, hats, book bags, hand towels and jackets on them.  I have Command bathroom hooks in the bathroom for loofahs, towels, etc.  I also have some Command outdoor hooks on the outside of the camper.  We hang string lights on them for extra lighting, recycling bags (keep them off the ground from the stinker dogs), and a small broom for sweeping the outdoor mat (I love this one! It’s been 3 years and it still looks great!).

So as I sit here and plan, I know that I at least have my storage all figured out.

Now I need to start planning our activities and making more lists of things I need to bring.

Do you have favorite camping storage solutions? Let me know by adding a comment below!

Happy Camping!

~Michelle