How to keep and store your camping gear sufficiently before and after your outdoor adventure

How to keep and store your camping gear sufficiently before and after your outdoor adventure

Camping can be a lot of fun. But how do you make camp seem less messy and less inconvenient? Your camping equipment is limited, so make the best of it by coming up with a plan before your trip and keeping everything organized while you’re there. Poorly stored gear will not only become unusable faster than if it had been well-organized, but it smells bad, too.

We’ve all been there: You go to bed after a campfire and stumble over clutter on your way back to your tent. Campgrounds are messy, and that makes life more difficult than it needs to be.

Keep your camping equipment in good shape before, during, and after your trip with these pieces of advice.

Before camping:

Get organized on kitchen utensils intended for camping only:

One thing I learned when I was camping was to pack as if we were going on a desert island. This means we always packed some extra things just in case, and this trick proved to be really helpful with our packing. If you’re going camping a few times a year, it’s best to have items like plates, utensils, and dish soap already packed so that you don’t have to run around the house looking for them. This has saved us time when packing more than once before.

I have compiled a list of essentials that you might want to include in your kit below:

• Plates, cups, and utensils
• Paper products, such as napkins and paper towels
• Pot and pan
• Hand soap

Use clear storage boxes to store camping gear:

Camping trips generally require lots of gear, but that doesn’t mean you need to bring everything. Instead, pack all your camping gear inside clear stackable plastic containers. These containers are weather-resistant and durable, so they’ll help keep you organized. Use a duffle bag for clothing and personal items.

Give each child their own duffle bag

Kids are coming along? Make sure each has their own color duffle bag. Let them bring a few choice belongings. Remember to remind them to put everything back in their bag when they’re done playing that day. Avoid the headache of tracking down everyone’s belongings while on vacation with this simple trick.

Packing with the intention of saving time and space:

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to camping is space. When you’re packing up, there is a lot to consider:

For clothing, roll instead of fold. This technique helps you find clothing more easily, and saves a ton of space.

Load up your car with the things you need for the night first. Put items like tents, flashlights and necessary toiletries like bug repellant and sunscreen within reach in the back.

Create a list of gear instead of throwing items in your suitcase mindlessly.

Make note of what you didn’t use during your last camping trip, and cross them off when you’re packing for next time.

Create enough space for food packaging and kitchen equipment:

Be careful with space and organization when camping, especially in the kitchen where you’ll find a lot of miscellaneous items.

One of the biggest challenges that arises when camping is food prep. One way to organize your kitchen and make it easier to prep dishes is with a shoe organizer or fabric tool belt to hold utensils, dish rags, and other items you’ll need to prepare a meal.

In terms of cooking, use two coolers: one for drinks and the other for food. Place an ice barrier between your melting ice and the food by lining cooling racks with ice and putting bowls on top.

There are many ways to make the camping experience more pleasant. Some of these are simple and cost little effort, and some of them involve more planning:

• Hanging wet clothes on a clothesline around the tent lets you dry your clothes and keep the area tidy.
• Keep toilet paper in a sealed coffee container — it won’t get wet, dirty, or be dropped on the ground.
• An old wire hanger can be used to hang a roll of paper towels for quick access.
• Use an old plastic ketchup bottle for pre-mixed pancake batter.
• Keeping granola bars in an old Coffee-mate container will keep them fresh.

After Camping:

Dry your tent before storing it.

To make sure your tent is as good as new before your next trip, set it up when you get home and let it dry. This will avoid any future issues with mold and mildew. After the tent is dry, clean away any dirt or sand. Do the same for the tent poles, stakes and other equipment too. You might think it’s a little overkill to do this, but making the tent well taken care of will ensure that your next camping adventure gets off to a great start.

Air out sleeping bags and blankets

Shake out your sleeping bag after a camping trip to get the items that stick near the inside folds. Hang the sleeping bag out to air it out, or lay it flat. You want to avoid direct sunlight because UV rays can damage the nylon. Cotton blankets can go in direct sunlight because the light acts as a disinfectant.

Add tennis ball to the dryer with your sleeping bag.

A good tip for drying your sleeping bag is to put towels and tennis balls in the dryer. This will reduce static electricity and speed up the drying process, and it also adds air which fluffs the fill inside the sleeping bag. Once your sleeping bag is dry, take it out of the dryer and shake it out from time to time to keep the insulation from getting altered.

remove batteries from any electronic devices.

To make less problematic camping storage, remove batteries from any electronic devices before placing them in storage. Taking this step is the only way to avoid corrosion and leakage that could happen when storing electronic items with a battery.

Keeping cookware

We’re always doing our best to clean out pots and pans, utensils, and stovetops before placing them in their plastic baggies. We do this to rid our cookware of stray food drippings and crumbs that could attract insects and bacteria. Plus, we keep the bags sealed tight so no dirt or dust can get inside our cookware.

Store camping items in a cool, dry place.

It’s nice to have everything in one spot, but as long as you store things in a cool, dry space away from direct UV light, it’s okay to split things into various locations. If you’re short on space in your house or apartment, consider renting a self storage unit. It can be small and still get the job done.

We hope you have a great trip!