Spring is a time for cleaning and de-junking. Your camping gear is no exception. If you take the time now to evaluate and organize your gear, it can help you get outdoors sooner and make summer adventures a breeze in regards to packing up your gear.
Take an assessment of what you have
The best place to start is knowing what you have. Gather your gear from all the corners of your house and place it in one central location. Once you have it all together, sort it into piles. Tent camping gear in one pile, climbing gear in one pile, water sports gear in one pile, etc.
Get rid of unused gear
Once you have your gear in piles, go through each pile to see what you use, what items need to be replaced or repaired and what needs to be thrown away. There is no need to keep stuff that you never use or that is worn out.
Gather necessary storage bins and supplies
After you have evaluated your gear, weeded out the unused and unwanted, now it is time to find a way to keep your gear clean and accessible. There are so many storage options out there today that the ceiling is the limit when it comes to organization.
- Storage totes
- This is my favorite way to store gear. Leaving is as simple as throwing the designated tote into the back of the vehicle. Just remember to label what is in each tote!
- Pack smaller totes, to go inside the larger tote, with kitchen cookware, eat-ware, first aid, miscellaneous items (bug spray, sunscreen), and games.
- Floor organizers
- Shelves help you maximize the side and front space of your garage. They also make grabbing totes very easy. If you are looking for a cheaper option, build your own.
- Mounted Ceiling shelves
- Get bikes, totes and gear off the ground and out of the way of cars.
- Wall-mounted storage
- Utilize the walls to hang backpacks, fishing poles, bikes, and sporting gear. There are different types of hanging systems. Do an internet search and find a solution that fits your gear and budget. Making your own hanging racks and shelves can save money.
Put everything away
With all your gear sorted and in bins, the best part is putting away everything in its place. We have a special place to hang our backpacks, a place for our tent gear, a place for our hammock gear, bags for our climbing gear, a place for our sleeping bags, etc.
Organizing always takes a little time. Take even an hour if you can, to go through your gear, sort, then sell or donate unused items. Organize everything according to your desires and put everything away in its place. We have three little girls so we know life can be hectic when trying to leave the house to go camping and we definitely do not want to be away from home and forget anything. Having a place for everything helps us to remember the needed items for our adventures and helps us get out the door quickly.