Where do you put what when you pack your rig for a trip?

[hikingff77]

I'm ever so envious about every build here. The talent of the people here blows me away. When I get the time, I'm planning on building something small, like a small platform in my Silverado Crew, with long bins on either side for stuff and maybe a platform. My real question is this, where do you put what? For example, clothes. Every trip I've been on, camping related, my wife and two young kids pack all our clothes in two duffles and throw them in the truck. My older daughter has her bag(s) with miscellaneous stuff and then there are the pillows and sleeping bags, etc.

Do you pack clothes in compartment? Pillows in another compartment? Etc.? What about clothes near chuck boxes or coolers, mainly thinking concerns with regards to going into bear country.

This is more for those of us with just a SUV or pick up with cap, vehicles that are more DD's than full time play toys.

Thanks, I look forward to hearing your comments.

 

[lqdchkn]

3 simple considerations for me:

1. Hazardous? Fuels, etc. - Outside
2. Is is really big? - Outside (roof rack)
3. If it doesn't seem to be fitting and can get wet (or can swap for something else that can) - Outside.

Everything else inside. How often I think I'll need to get to it determines how close at hand it stays.

 

[redthies]

Beer goes in the fridge. Everything else is a toss up!

 

[bftank]

lol! ditto

 

[bfdiesel]

Granny on the roof in her rocking chair

 

[modernbeat]

I'm in a pickup with a bed topper. I do more bad-road driving and less rockcrawling. I'm in urban areas a lot, so I try to keep everything inside and off the bumper and roof.

Four duffel bags for clothes. #1 has seasonal clothes I'm not wearing and is compressed and stowed. #2 has clothes that get worn once before washing - t-shirts, socks, underwear. #3 has shoes (each in their own cotton flour sack) and clothes that get worn a couple time before washing - sweaters, jeans. #4 is dirty clothes. I might substitute a backpack for one of the bags if I expect to do any hiking.

A soft sided square bag for dry food. A cooler for cold food. Another square-ish duffel for the stove and cooking supplies. A smaller square duffel for spare truck parts and a medium sized soft bag for tools with some smaller bags inside for organization. I've got all the phone/laptop/gps/music crap in a multi-compartment soft laptop shoulder bag.

Water and propane go on the rear bumper rack. If I needed additional fuel, it would go on the rear rack also.

I avoid hard sided cases. The only hard container I carry is the cooler. I also carry a small folding table and chairs.

 

[modernbeat]

On bedding. The comforter and pillows get stuffed in a large duffel bag. The mattress (memory foam topper) and sheets get rolled up inside a cordura ground sheet with compression straps. This keeps it mostly dust free. I mostly sleep in the bed of the truck, but with the cordura sheet I can feel free to lay it on the ground under the stars if the weather is accommodating.

 

[Rot Box]

There's a few threads in the storage solutions forum that crack me up. Everyone has their gear all packed away nicely and everything is organized.... Not me, it looks like a tornado hit inside my rig lol.

Food, clothes, vehicle stuff, cooking, sleeping bags/pillows, navigation/electronics all stay separate. I try my best to make the things I need the most the most accessible. Tools/recovery = least accessible. Beer cooler/food = most accessible :bike_rider: I never share a duffle bag with my wife. Been there before trying to find a pair of skivvies amongst all her stuff was impossible. Wife, kid and me all get their own bags for clothes and I throw them on last wherever they fit. I have a few of the smaller action packer totes and they're nice because no matter the weather you can throw them outside to make room. I recommend the smaller sized ones along with some dry / compression sacks as well. I put all my pillows and some clothes in the sacks as well because they keep the water out and help organize.

Whatever you choose to store food make sure you can attach rope to it somehow. In bear country you'll want to hang all food in trees away from camp. The smell of food is going to be everywhere around you (there's no way around that) however you want to avoid having them get into something--get a taste and decide they want more. Use the bear boxes if you stay in a designated campground.

Granny on the roof in her rocking chair

No granny but for a long time I had one of those yard owls and a bunch of yard gnomes riding on my roof rack. It was awesome.

 

[bftank]

:coffeedrink: lol

 

[Hill Bill E.]

I built a platform for my XJ, under it I kept my spare parts, recovery stuff, and tools. The heavy stuff I didn't want flying around in case of a roll/accident.

As the others, the stuff that doesn't get used often, goes in the hardest to get to places. If you need to replace an axle shaft, then spending 10-15 minutes digging out the tools isn't a big deal.

You don't want to spend 10-15 minutes digging out your rain gear!

I use duffel bags and compression sacks for clothing, I have one really large one that fits all the pillows/blankets/sleeping bags, and can be strapped to the roof if needed.

Food I keep in action packers and the cooler.


After a few trips, you will figure out what works best for you and yours. I know I pack a lot different if it's just me, vs. the wife and kid coming with.

 

[tuckernielson]

With three kids it seems we bring a ton of clothes; even if we're just going for a weekend. For every pound of kid, three pounds of kid stuff (clothes, boots, jackets) needs to go in the back of the Burban. I'm hoping Santa will bring me a new trailer.

As the kids get older they're better about knowing what they want and need to bring, but my little one's bag is as big as mine!
Clothes and perishables go in the back - Roof tent and the rest of the camping gear on top - Tire, fuel, tools on the back bumper.