Enthusiast III
Went on a little camping trip as soon as there was no rain haha. Tried out some new gear. It was very much needed. Cleaning up was a hassle. Does anyone have any tips on setting up and cleaning up base camp quickly?
First trip of the year
- Thread starter cody92595
- Start date
Traveler III
What part of the process felt most inefficient? Packing everything back into the vehicle or deconstructing everything (chair, tent, awning,etc.), or collecting trash, or maybe something else?
Generally I try to keep as much as I possibly can in the vehicle. that means finding containers that can open up without me having to drag it out and set it on the ground. Drawer systems are awesome for this.
also looks fun, am jealous.
Generally I try to keep as much as I possibly can in the vehicle. that means finding containers that can open up without me having to drag it out and set it on the ground. Drawer systems are awesome for this.
also looks fun, am jealous.
We did our first trip of the year this weekend as well...in an environment a little different than yours.
To keep our camp organized we use a system of keeping items packed in specific containers for camp living and the kitchen and lots of practice loading, unloading and reloading the trailer.
My wife can pack up the kitchen in about 20 minutes while I breakdown the RTT and the rest of camp.
To keep our camp organized we use a system of keeping items packed in specific containers for camp living and the kitchen and lots of practice loading, unloading and reloading the trailer.
My wife can pack up the kitchen in about 20 minutes while I breakdown the RTT and the rest of camp.
This past summer I spent about 40 days driving across the country and back in my Subaru Outback...camping every night, minus the 5-or-so hotel stays for hygiene purposes or to escape severe weather. What I found is, with that much repetition of setting up and tearing down, your gear and your preferences will shape your system.
Don’t get too carried away with all the extras, because half just end up getting in the way and adding excess weight.
Most of my smallish items I organized in milk crates...they’re cheap and modular. I had a “kitchen” crate, clothing crates organized by garment type, a hygiene crate, and then a kind of catch-all.
All my camping gear is in a single Rubbermaid tub.
From your picture, my first suggestion would be updating your tent. While I absolutely love the Eureka Timberline tents, there are so many newer options that are extremely light, compact, and a breeze to set up and take down. Also, use a footprint (if you don’t already)...even it’s just a tarp. Then you’ll always be certain you’re packing up a clean tent. Then just fold the tarp with the mess on the inside.
I don’t mean for anything to sound like I’m insulting your intelligence! I guess my main point is that through patience and repetition, it’ll all come together. A thousand people will have a thousand ideas about a thousand ways to best organize gear. Yours will eventually be what works for you.
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Don’t get too carried away with all the extras, because half just end up getting in the way and adding excess weight.
Most of my smallish items I organized in milk crates...they’re cheap and modular. I had a “kitchen” crate, clothing crates organized by garment type, a hygiene crate, and then a kind of catch-all.
All my camping gear is in a single Rubbermaid tub.
From your picture, my first suggestion would be updating your tent. While I absolutely love the Eureka Timberline tents, there are so many newer options that are extremely light, compact, and a breeze to set up and take down. Also, use a footprint (if you don’t already)...even it’s just a tarp. Then you’ll always be certain you’re packing up a clean tent. Then just fold the tarp with the mess on the inside.
I don’t mean for anything to sound like I’m insulting your intelligence! I guess my main point is that through patience and repetition, it’ll all come together. A thousand people will have a thousand ideas about a thousand ways to best organize gear. Yours will eventually be what works for you.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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After about a week on the road, my “system” worked into something like this...
Inside the rear driver’s side door, I kept a backpack (the black one) that kind of acted as a “go bag” for most activities. It had some toiletries, a change of clothes, an extra phone charger, etc. I kept the other pack (the green one) for hikes, or times where more gear was required. That’s also where I kept my extra layers and rain gear for variable weather.
Looking in the rear hatch, food items stayed to the left, with the cooler most accessible for ice refills and easy access. Behind the cooler was most of the food items. To the right was my camping gear tub, with the milk crates behind it. With area up the center I kept a decent gap for random items, like beer you can only buy in Wisconsin...or for an area to make lunch along the road in Yellowstone...
Inside the rear passenger’s side door was my collection of milk crates, and anything I didn’t really need to immediately access. I don’t think I have any pictures of this spot.
Then some general things that came in handy...
I have a waterproof rooftop cargo bag that fits inside the roof rack. If I was stuck in terrible weather, I’d take gear out of the car, put it in the rooftop bag, then sleep in the car. Also, I fashioned some bug netting and magnets to make custom window covers for, well, keeping the bugs out when windows were open at camp.
I understand my system is tailored pretty much solely for car camping and road tripping, but I can see that I’d use a similar system if I were camping for longer durations.
At any rate...got see the country from some pretty cool campsites...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Inside the rear driver’s side door, I kept a backpack (the black one) that kind of acted as a “go bag” for most activities. It had some toiletries, a change of clothes, an extra phone charger, etc. I kept the other pack (the green one) for hikes, or times where more gear was required. That’s also where I kept my extra layers and rain gear for variable weather.
Looking in the rear hatch, food items stayed to the left, with the cooler most accessible for ice refills and easy access. Behind the cooler was most of the food items. To the right was my camping gear tub, with the milk crates behind it. With area up the center I kept a decent gap for random items, like beer you can only buy in Wisconsin...or for an area to make lunch along the road in Yellowstone...
Inside the rear passenger’s side door was my collection of milk crates, and anything I didn’t really need to immediately access. I don’t think I have any pictures of this spot.
Then some general things that came in handy...
I have a waterproof rooftop cargo bag that fits inside the roof rack. If I was stuck in terrible weather, I’d take gear out of the car, put it in the rooftop bag, then sleep in the car. Also, I fashioned some bug netting and magnets to make custom window covers for, well, keeping the bugs out when windows were open at camp.
I understand my system is tailored pretty much solely for car camping and road tripping, but I can see that I’d use a similar system if I were camping for longer durations.
At any rate...got see the country from some pretty cool campsites...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
