I’ll start off by saying that our campsite organization due to my wife’s organizational skills and effort. Just giving credit where credit is due.
If you are disorganized when you are camping, there are 3 likely consequences.
Consequence #1 – the pile of items that don’t have a place will migrate to somewhere like the inside of your vehicle, which can lead to having a huge mess in your vehicle. This means when you go to pack up your campsite, you’ll have to straighten out that mess. It also means that you will have to organize your vehicle before you can use it to leave the campsite.
Consequence #2 – it is very likely that you will spend more time walking around trying to find specific items. This takes time and energy to do and builds frustration.
Consequence #3 – rummaging through a box or bag leads to further disorganization because it just jumbles up the items in the box. This makes it increasing more difficult to find the next item.
Use this approach to improve your camping experience:
Step #1 – organize your gear and food and supplies by activity
Examples
- Make a bag for shower items – includes soap, shampoo, washcloth, towel, and shower shoes
- Make a first thing in the morning kit – things like tooth brush, tooth paste, washcloth (to wash your face) and anything you need first thing in the morning. We get spoiled because those things are on the counter at home, but the last thing you want to have to do is search for a personal item when you aren’t awake yet.
- Organize your kitchen utensils
- Organize your kitchen supplies – things like salt, pepper, aluminum foil, paper towels, silverware, spatulas
- Organize your food – segregate foods by meal. Example, keep breakfast foods together.
Step #2 – Keep your gear organized
Because you have a place for much of your gear and supplies, you can keep it organized. When you use an item, put it back in the correct spot after you are finished. It takes a little effort to do that but it helps reduce stress and help you concentrate on the fun stuff, not finding an item you misplaced.
When you break camp
Keeping your campsite organized makes it much easier to break camp and to put your gear away when you get home.
Having a designed place for gear also makes it easier to recognize if you don’t have a piece of gear ready to transport home. You’ll see any empty spot and realize that you need to find that item before you leave. This help prevent leaving gear behind.
Have a great trip!