Camping has always been a favourite entertainment of families to reconnect with nature and relax from their hectic lives. If you love camping, you know how much fun it can be and you also know how challenging it can be to stay organized because you just don’t have storage as you do at home. It doesn’t take long for things to get out of control and then you get frustrated because you can’t find your stuff.

Since camping equipment is expensive, it’s important to keep it properly maintained and stored. If you have a suitable storage option, your equipment will remain in good condition and will be easily available for your next trip.

Sometimes you just have to think a little differently. You can save some space and keep your sanity by organizing by category instead of by person.

For example, instead of everyone packing their own shoes, use a tote or bin for everyone’s shoes.

In addition to keeping shoes out of your camper or tent, a shoe bin will also keep them dry and pest-free if you use a waterproof container. Another bin could even be perfect for hats, bike helmets, rain gear etc.

Check out these storage tips to store your camping equipment properly and stay organized.

Prepare Your Gear for Storage

• It is important to get your gear ready for storage.
• Before storing, ensure it is clean and in good condition.
• If your camping equipment is damaged or broken, packing it away into storage may make it worse.

Use See-Through Storage Bins

If you adopt the idea of using storage bins, you will find it much easier to put things in storage when you’re not camping. If you use see-through storage bins you will be able to easily find things, not only when you are camping but when they are in storage.

The use of see-through storage bins is an excellent camping storage idea. It will also keep your gear from rolling around in the trunk of your car with every twist and turn of the road. At the campsite, you don’t even need to remove the lid to see what’s on the inside – instead, you can simply peek around the sides of the different containers to see if you have the bin you want.

Categorize Your Camping Gear

The things you take on your camping trip will, of course, depend on your family’s interests and various needs but most campers will need equipment in the categories listed below:

• Camping Kitchen Gear
• Cold and Dry Foods
• General Camping Gear
• Toiletry & Hygiene Items
• Recreational Gear & Activities
• Toys, Games & Books for the Kids

Keep Gear Clean and Protected

• After you’ve categorized your things, ensure they’re secured and protected while they’re in storage.
• Also, ensure that breakable objects are well-protected.
• Make sure any stored glass is secure, as it might break during packing or in storage.

Adopt a Bin System for Camping

Get organized and you will have more time to enjoy fun camping activities like kayaking, hiking and swimming. Adopting a bin system is the perfect way to do just that. At the very least create a Kitchen Bin, Food bins, Utility Bin, Kids Bin. And, put clearly visible labels on them. This will reduce the time you spend answering questions like, “where’s the bug spray?”, “where’s the flashlight?”… you get the idea.

Kitchen Bins will be the place for all your plates, bowls, utensils, pots and pans etc. Essentially everything related to meal preparation.

Food Bins to keep all your food dry and bug-free.

Utility Bins are where you should keep first aid kits, bug spray, sunscreen, flashlights & batteries, tools, dustpan. You can probably think of a lot of things to keep in here but try not to let it become a mobile junk drawer.

Kids Bins are for all the fun and entertaining items for the kids. Use them to store games, toys, crafting stuff etc.

Large clear plastic bins with tight-fitting lids are ideal for all these items.

Store Camping Items in Self Storage

There are several advantages to storing your camping gear and supplies in a storage unit.

Between camping trips, you need a storage space to keep all of this equipment and a storage unit is the best option. Along with storing the items year-round, you can access the equipment easily whenever you need it.

Choose a Cool, Dry Place to Store All Your Camping Gear

A place where you can keep all your camping gear together is ideal. You should store your items in a cool, dry place away from UV light. When you have limited space in your home, you may want to consider renting a self-storage unit to make sure all of your gear is safe, dry and out of the way.

Get Organized So You Can Focus on the Fun Stuff

Camping is a time to enjoy and relax. Use your valuable time to organize your camping equipment into better camping storage solutions. If you get organized you will have more time to enjoy the fun camping activities with these final tips.

Dry Your Tent Before Storing it

Before you put your tent into storage, make sure it’s completely dry. You will be dealing with mould, mildew and possibly rot if you fold up and store a wet tent. You can also ensure a fresh start to your next camping trip with a clean tent.

Air Out Sleeping Bags and Blankets

Air out sleeping bags after your camping trip by laying them out flat or hanging them. Machine-wash your sleeping bag if possible.

Remove Batteries

To avoid future problems that come from battery corrosion or leakage, remove the batteries from flashlights and any other battery-operated devices that are going into storage.

Re-sealable Bags for Your Cookware

Give all your kitchen utensils a good cleaning before storing them and place them in resealable bags to protect them.

You will usually have a limited amount of storage space at a campsite, so get creative with what you have. By planning ahead, you’ll be able to not only spend more time enjoying the great outdoors while camping but putting your things into storage and preparing for future camping trips will be a breeze.

Our best wishes for a wonderful trip!