Need better storage/organization within my storage bins

[wahoowad]

I keep my smaller camping gear in 2 Actionpacker boxes - a large one for miscellaneous gear and the smaller one for kitchen/cooking gear. But the last few trips these boxes become junk drawers of disorganized stuff as we dig around or replace items. This leads to making it harder to find things and/or disorganization back home when I have to essentially remove everything and repack it more neatly.

For certain things I do have neat little ways to keep them organized and I'm hoping to learn of some other similar bags and such to further help me group and organize stuff. Here is a picture of some of what I have so far. Gallon zip lock bags are good for some things but aren't good for long term storage and use. Glad/Rubbermaid/Tupperware can be good too but also waste space unless your gear fills it up well. A few of those zippered bags are Tom Binh brand and handy, I need to see what else they have. I could use a source for mesh bags like what my cookware is in. My favoire is the clear/white looking bag in the center - that was a dollar store find and perfect for larger cooking utensils.

Any recommended sources for shopping for various storage pouches/sacks/containers or even ways to further compartmentalize within those Actionpackers?

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

REI has a good selection of smaller “packing cube” type bags. There’s lots of different types and sizes but that’s where I’d start shopping.

I’ve also found that a few deeper containers are less versatile than a greater number of shallow containers. I use the same system as you as I’m currently building my new rig and have not yet built the storage solution, but I had shallow boxes and drawers in my last rig that made a significant difference. Being able to look in and see the contents of the box, rather than having to dig through layers of stuff, is a real game changer. The action packers are great for their ruggedness, but they are definitely for storage — not for packing things you need to access frequently and easily.

As for organizational concepts, there are some really good ideas that can translate to Overlanding that I’ve stolen from the Netflix show “tidying up” with Marie Kondo. I honestly don’t really enjoy the show, but the principles are sound when it comes to organizing small spaces.

 

[Craig M]

There's also a bunch of options on Amazon, especially if you're creative! For example, a few years ago I bought a 4 pack of 'shoe' bags, and they work great as ditty-style bags, and they were super cheap.. But they havd a ton of different packing cubes from their "Amazon Basics" brand..

 

[1Louder]

My 2 cents:

Storage Solutions - 4X Overland Adventures

Updated May 2020 - We are all about being organized. It makes trips more enjoyable and it makes last-minute getaways even easier. Knowing where your stuff is and that it is easily accessible is very important. Here are some of our favorite storage solutions for gear, food, and water. This...

www.4xoverlandadventures.com

 

[Billiebob]

How do you organize at home, work.

So much of the overlanding community is all about packing to avoid the weather or give us boxes to hold stuff we can throw into, out of our campers. Basically we end up hiding everything from plain sight.

I use a shelf with open containers.
And I travel real light.

 

[wahoowad]

I drive a full size pickup with no camper/cover so everything needs a secure lid to keep the wind from blowing things out. At camp I also like a quick snap lid like I have on my Action Packers and MTM crates to keep rain and critters out of them. It's just inside the boxes where I'd like to be better organized.

 

[MidOH]

I use 55 gallon Stanley roll containers. I have two stacked in my truck right now. One with camp gear, one with recovery gear and tools.

Can be double stacked and ratchet strapped down. I use 2.5" straps, and there's chain going down the length of my bed between the camper hooks, for the straps to attach to.

This will be it for a while. If I get into this more, and more regular camping, I'll get a slide in camper. Old pic of two totes with a kayak on top:

 

[Gary Stevens]

My 2 cents:

Storage Solutions - 4X Overland Adventures

Updated May 2020 - We are all about being organized. It makes trips more enjoyable and it makes last-minute getaways even easier. Knowing where your stuff is and that it is easily accessible is very important. Here are some of our favorite storage solutions for gear, food, and water. This...

www.4xoverlandadventures.com

This is really close to my setup. I ended up using Frontrunner Cubpacks instead of the Wolfpacks. I also use those cubed water and food storage containers. I do not like the Action Packer as they do not utilize space well and do not stack well. I found square containers with straight sides is the ticket. I do like for smaller stuff those Container Store Totes. They work well also, and are somewhat efficient for space.