Organization and planning
No one likes to pack, and unpacking is even worse. So I do my best to keep my gear organized. I may be a bit of a slob about some things, but when it comes to my camping gear and fishing equipment, I am meticulous.
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| My already packed first aid kit on the left. Hygiene Box on the right |
The beginning of my packing actually starts at the end of my last trip. When I pull into the driveway, the first thing I do is take out my tent usually wet from dew the night before and dry it out. If my sleeping bag is moist I dry that too. I'll hang them outside on a rope. If it is raining like it was on Sunday last week, I will dry them in front of a fan in my room.
The second thing I take out is my dirty clothes. I wash them right away. The faster they get washed and dried, the faster they get put away. From there, I just clean out my car asap. I hate doing it, but hate having to clean later even more. I know exactly where I put my gear whether in my spare room or the shed so it is easy to find next time
Clothes
When I pack for a camping trip, the majority of the stuff is ready to go before hand. I keep a bag of clothes in a duffel bag. You probably think it is crazy to keep clothes in a bag or it is a waste of money, but in reality, it makes perfect sense. For hiking clothes I keep a pair of shorts, 2 polyester shirts, and two pairs of hiking socks. I am only wearing this stuff while hiking anyway so it may as well stay packed. Next up is under clothes. I keep a couple pairs of white socks and 2 pairs of boxers. Is it really a big deal to take them out of your top drawer anyway? Of course not.
I keep specialty items packed such as a towel (which I use as a pillow), bathing suit, dish cloth, bandannas, knee brace, and sweatpants for cold nights. Again, are you going to miss having one less towel or bathing suit in your closet?
This leaves real clothes. I never wear pants, so I keep one pair of shorts two tee shirts, and one nice white t-shirt for when I am actually clean. That covers it all. The only other clothing I need (from spring-fall) are a sweatshirt and my raincoat which is always in the car anyway.
When the clothes are dry from a washing after a trip, I put them back in the duffel, and I'm ready to go.
Big Stuff
The majority of my space in my car is taken up by the few biggest items. In my shed are my two tents, sleeping bags, and pads.They go directly behind the passenger seat in the car. As they are the first things I'll take out, I want to make them the easiest to get to. I put my backpack under all of this stuff on the seat, that way when camp is set up, it is the next easiest thing to get to. They go in the same place every time. The backpack always has a raincoat along with most of the "ten essentials" such as matches, space blanket, etc)
Little stuff
This would be the time consuming stuff that wastes the most time. When I was a kid, my mom would make up a list before every trip and it would be so long, but it would be little annoying stuff. Now I keep most of it packed but have it broken down by groups.
Hygiene and first aid kits.
At the beginning of the school year Walmart was selling big pencil boxes for a dollar. I bought one and use it as my hygiene box. In it I carry my toothbrush, paste, soap, etc. It stays packed and actually stays in my car for those times you forgot to put on deodorant after a shower.
My first aid kit also stays in the car because I am much more likely to get hurt hiking/fishing than I am watching tv at my house.
Camping gear/ Food-
There are other small essentials for camping that stay in a cardboard box year round. They might all be needed on a trip, but they come for the ride anyway. To start, I need to eat, so I having a camp stove, fuel canister, sauce pan, bowls,
plates, and silverware. Yes, I went out and spent two dollars on plastic bowls, well worth not having to pack dishware every time out.
I have a water filter, some rope, lantern, toilet paper, shovel all packed in the box. I would have sunscreen and bug spray in the box also, but keep them in my car at all times anyway.
Of course food is an issue camping. I try not to make a special trip to the grocery store for camp food. I'm a guy and hate shopping. So if I go to the store on Sunday for weekly groceries, I buy my camp food then. I put it in a box and it is ready to go (sometimes I do have to make a trip closer to departure day to buy fruit)
On trips that I plan on fishing, I take my kayak which includes accessories of backrest, life jacket, and paddle. I take my fishing rod and box for the species I'm targeting, usually trout in NH
Following these steps allowed me to be fully packed in less than twenty minutes when I got home from work last Thursday. I was with Laurie so I wasn't going to be fishing.
1. I went to the shed and grabbed tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads and camping box
2. I went into my spare room and got my duffel full of clothes.
3. I put the food box in the car.
4. In my car at all times are my camera, battery charger, hygiene and first aid boxes, sunscreen, and bug spray.
5. I grabbed my sandals and hiking boots. Because I thought I might be birding, I grabbed my binoculars also.
Pulled out of the yard
I completely understand that my gear is not your gear. You may want to take a small grill. You may actually want to bring a real pillow instead of using a towel. If you have kids, you obviously need much more clothes. Still, having the clothes already to go is great. How much would it cost to buy an extra shirt or two from a thrift store. Having spare toothbrushes paste and soap is nice. I assume, if you have enough money to go on a camping trip no matter how small your budget, you can afford a spare toothbrush (or use the old one you were going to throw out anyway).
I hope these tips help. Any time saved when packing can be time spent doing something more fun or for getting an earlier start
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