Organizing Your Camping Supplies

Many families love the fun of camping outdoors and roughing it for a few days as part of their vacation time.  Organizing your camping supplies helps you to make this something fun, easy and stress free for everyone. Don't forget to check out the rest of my easy organizing tips!

By taking the time and putting in the effort of organizing your camping supplies ahead of time, you'll make heading out for a fun adventure quick, easy and fun.  Not to mention the fact that an organized camping trip means you'll be able to pack things away easily when you arrive home. Simple steps keep your things together, safe and ready to use at a moments notice.

Tips for Organizing Your Camping Supplies

Store everything in water tight totes.  One of the best inventions of the last few decades are the easy to find plastic storage totes.  The ones with handles make storing everything easier and practical for moving back and forth.  Store all of your camping supplies together in water tight totes.  This makes packing to go camping easy, as well as packing up at camp easy.  You'll need a few totes for different things.  We recommend having a tote for the following: kitchen and cooking supplies, toiletries, first aid, tents and shelter, lanterns and lights.

Use Ziplock bags inside totes for better separation.  Things like toiletries are easy to separate into baggies to hand to each family member when it is time to head to the showers.  Designate one for each family member and pack soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant and toothbrushes.  When you arrive at camp, you only have to grab your labeled baggie to head to the local showers to freshen up.  Putting items back into the Ziplock will keep everything at camp dry, and ensure nobody loses something along the way. These can also be used for inside the kitchen tote to keep utensils for cooking separate from utensils for eating.

Separate summer gear from winter gear.  If you camp year round, you know there are different needs in the summer than the winter.  Things like fans and water misters are needed in the summer months to help with the temperatures.  In winter, space heaters, hand warmers and heavier winter sleeping bags and blankets are necessary.  Sort your supplies out for summer and winter and store separately so you aren't taking unnecessary items with you on your next camping trip.

Label everything.  Label the outside of the totes, the individual baggies and even the sleeping bags for who they belong to.  When you set up camp having everything labeled is the only way to go.  Fast and quick setup happens when you can easily read where something goes instead of digging through a box or bag to find what you need.

Empty fuel from lanterns before storage.  This is an organizing tip that will save you frustration and cleanup in the future.  When camping, there are dozens of types of lanterns you can take with you.  If the one you choose also uses liquid fuel of some kind, go ahead and drain that before putting away in storage.  Not only will you avoid having things get rusty, sticky, oozing or leaking between camping trips, you'll be protecting yourself should something spark near where they are stored.  Lanterns full of fuel can ignite far too easily if not stored properly.  These items should be safely drained, cleaned and put away safely for future use.

Do you camp in tents, an RV, or out in the open when you go camping?

Looking for more organizing tips?  Check out the entire 31 Days to an Organized Home series!

Are you looking for more tips beside what is being shared in the 31 Days of Homeschooling Tips for Moms? I would love to invite you the community inspired by this series, as we strive to inspire, encourage and empower our readers in everything homeschooling.

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