How do you keep all those loose items sorted?

[gjackson]

One continual frustration I have when overlanding is containing all of those items you need ready access to. Jackets, camera, water bottles, all seem to end up on the floor or in a huge pile where I can't get at anything.

We've tried a net close to the ceiling to some success and a special rack, but there have to be other solutions.

What do you do to keep things tidy?

cheers

[Scott Brady]

Hey Graham, you and I are on the same wavelength.

I am working on this very problem right now, by looking to simplify and create some equipment systems and storage solutions. As of now, the Storm Case units and various HD cordura bags store everything.

I look forward to other folks ideas

[RobinP]

No matter what great storage system you have there are two key things to managing your stuff on the road.

1) Pair down. Simplify, and get used to less. Focus on the trip, the life, the lifestyle. Your gear is secondary.

2) Though your gear is secondary, you have to keep it in its place. As well as the literal (put it away after you use it), I also mean that you cannot let your technology and your stuff run your life. Therefore, a strict discipline is required to manage it all. Think like a sailor: everything has a place, everything gets accounted for, and everyone takes part in that effort.

With those 2 points in mind, here are the practical things we do:

- Eliminate cables. Mount stereos, XM radio, GPS, VHF, internally in dash, centre console, or on the ceiling. Have nothing portable and temporary. Combine units into one where possible. We have nothing plugged into a 12V socket. Convert your gps to bluetooth if you use a laptop to navigate.

- Have two drinking bottles (nalgene or whatever), one for driver, one for passenger. Choose between cold drinks or hot drinks. Don't try to have 2 insulated mugs and 2 water bottles. They have to fit in the centre console.

- Utilize space under the front seats. We keep binoculars, garbage bags, flip flops/runners and my wife's purse.

- Toilet paper belongs on a gear shift.

- Have a garbage bag (just a plastic grocery store bag) hung from the other gear shift.

- The area between but behind the front seats gets a custom box/shelf system for papers, books, maps, laptop, jackets, cameras.

- Use a docking station for the laptop. Keep a decent battery in it. The laptop stays behind you while you're driving, and when it's required for navigation the navigator unclips it from the docking station and it sits on a lap. Ram mounts are neat, but they take way too much real estate. I've rarely needed the navigation while driving for longer than 10 minute stints at a time. Once we used it for a few hours straight navigating through the forest in Belize, but then it wasn't a problem - sitting on the passenger lap was ideal.

If you have any more stuff required while you're driving, you've got too much.

[Nullifier]

I used some of my door panel pocket space to dedicate to my camera and binocs. I got some of the pelican case foam and formed it to fill the door pocket then I trimed it to hold my Binocs and point to shoot camera.

For sun screen, bug dope, map of area, sunglasses, frs radio,sharpe paper, and quick access documents I use this. http://www.michellessacs.com.au/defa...ctedcatid=1169

I really want to do something to my glove box. Make something to work as an organiser but have not put the time into it. Using the pelican foam in the center console is another easy project for for delicate items like slr camera's etc.

[Nullifier]

THese are also great I am using the seat organiser as well.

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.as...id=15&sku=7032

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.as...id=15&sku=7031

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.as...id=15&sku=7033

[Andrew Walcker]

THese are also great I am using the seat organiser as well.

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.as...id=15&sku=7032

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.as...id=15&sku=7031

http://www.thuleracks.com/product.as...id=15&sku=7033

X2! I am using the litter bag for non-litter items and also one of their collapsable "boxes" as shown in the first issue of the O.J.

[Grim Reaper]

I'm in a Reorg as well. I HATE stuff on the floor. Around here it is a quick way to get it wet. I have been caught in a sucker hole that was not much more then 6 feet longer then the truck and I sunk the truck up to the headlight and the brake peddle was under water. The truck was on 35's.Thankfully I had everything up and stored so nothing important was soaked.

Everything up and in something that will hopefully save it from water.

I often travel alone and in a small truck so as much room as it takes up I had to put my laptop on a stand up front when I could operate it from the driver seat when pulled off the road.

I'm running nRoute for on road navigation and it has talking directions that I can repeat by hitting the space bar so I don't have to look at it when driving. Camera is center console. I have a back pack I hang on the back of the passenger seat when out alone that holds First aid and other items like gloves, spare socks and bag of Beef Jerky and anything I might need in reach from the driver seat.

Another critical thing here is this is as much about safety as organization. Anything "hard" or "heavy" needs to be secured so that it doesn't become the item that "kills" you in a roll over. A camera in a roll and make you look like you got popped by Evander Holyfield.

[60seriesguy]

I've always used seat organizers to hold stuff like binocs, extra film (in the days before digital), batteries, maps, two-way radios, etc...I'm constantly trying to pair down and consolidate gear, and be very organized. There's nothing worse than being on a long stretch of lonely highway at dusk and not being able to quickly (and safely) access the gear you want. I also make it a point that all gear *should* be accessible to both pilot and copilot, and I try to shoot for logical placement.

I like a cargo net mounted high for clothes and hats, to keep them out of the way but easily accessible. I am also a huge fan of Plano tackle boxes to keep small items organized. Any tackle box will work, but Plano in particular offers dozens of different sizes. I just recently found some at Cabela's that fit snugly in the long skinny compartment of the cargo area of the 100 series (copilot side on a LHD vehicle), two of them lengthwise. Perfect to keep extra bulbs, fuses, relays, connectors, ARB mend kit and pin tool, etc. Tackle boxes are cheap and light and can be stacked, kept inside the center console, in the door pockets, in the glovebox. If carefully packed, they won't rattle and it's easy to customize the compartments or even cut out the fixed ones to adapt to your needs. Some of them are even waterproof.

[Harald Hansen]

I'm with Robin on the dicipline bit: Everything that comes out of a bag (or pocket, net, nook or cranny) has to go back again, the second you don't use it longer. It's essential both for camping and long car trips. Otherwise all the fancy racks and other systems won't do yo a bit of good.

BTW: I found that a mounted rubbish bin did wonders in the Caravelle (Vanagon for USAnians).

[articulate]

I'm dying to try one of those smittybilt GEAR seat covers. As seen in Overland Journal Winter 07 :