How to organize camping gear: Tips for putting together a camping supplies box

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When the weather starts getting nicer in Texas, our family starts getting excited for our spring camping trips.  Being in nature is so refreshing.  We find that weekend camping trips are a great way to get away and refresh between our bigger vacations.

Given that we go camping as often as we can, we have built up a decent collection of supplies (you can see our camping packing list in this blog post).  We have found that it is really convenient to store many of them in a box (one that can fit into your car’s trunk) so that you can grab it and go, and don’t risk forgetting key items. Today I’m sharing our camping gear storage ideas and how to create a box to efficiently organize camping gear.

How to organize camping gear:

Once you see how much stuff you have, the first step for organizing camping equipment is to get a box.  You can technically use any old plastic storage box for organizing camping gear, but we felt it was worth investing in these watertight storage boxes from The Container Store (you can also find similar weathertight storage boxes on Amazon). Make sure to look for a size that can go from your garage to your vehicle’s trunk. We like that this type of tote shape makes them easy to stack in the garage for camping gear storage, and of course the watertight factor is great for camping.  You don’t have to worry about this one being left out in the elements.

Related to organizing camping gear:

Here is how we organized our camping equipment box.

Camping gear storage ideas

Here’s a general snapshot of all that goes into the box that we have for organizing camping equipment.  Below, I’m sharing how we organized each part, along with some links for some of the camping supplies we use. Don’t forget to bookmark our full camping packing list in this post.  As you can see in the picture above, we try to find things that can store flat (such as items we can store in narrow mesh bags), or things we can store compact (like our collapsible lantern and mini broom/dustpan set).

Big tools (like the hammer), marshmallow roasting sticks (secured with a rubber band), our pots and pans, plates and cups, paper towels, a cutting board and our coffee percolator, are stored loose inside the box.

Large cooking utensils are held together with rubber bands and carabiners.  We have sets that we purchased just for camping (we usually get them cheap at IKEA) that we can leave in the box (therefore, we never forget to bring them).

We have learned to bring both regular and recyclable trash bags when we go camping (you’d be surprised how much of your camping debris is recyclable).  Tip for organizing camping equipment: When the quantity in a box gets low, you can save space in your camping box by securing the remaining bags with a rubber band instead of keeping them in their cardboard box.

Dish rags/napkins are also kept together with a rubber band.  We keep the other dishwashing supplies in a large ziplock baggie to prevent leaks from the dish soap.

We keep a standard set of spices/seasonings in the camping box in these spice bottles from The Container Store (see a similar plastic set on Amazon). We then keep the spices together with a zippered mesh bag so they don’t bang around in the box of camping gear.

Zippered mesh bags are also a great way to organize smaller camping gear that want to keep together in the box.  For example, we use mesh bags to hold our different insect repellents as well as our small flashlights.  I hated digging around looking for the flashlights in the past!

Camping gear storage idea: We got a small plastic storage box from IKEA to keep our miscellaneous small tools and utensils organized within the larger camping box.  We keep a dedicated pair of scissors, sets of utensils and measuring cups/spoons in the box, and organize them with rubber bands or carabiners.  Other small items include bag clips, a can opener (we’d be screwed if we ever forgot our can opener when going camping), coffee scoops, etc.

We keep other random small items together in a plastic pencil case.

Ta da!  The finished product, with our camping gear organized to store in the garage until we are ready to load it into the car for the next camping trip.

Other camping resources

See more camping resources from Fab Everyday in these articles:

• The Only Camping Packing List You’ll Ever Need
• S’mores Variations – Unique Takes on the Traditional Camping Recipe
• Outdoor Cooking Recipe: Camping Pasta with Clam Sauce
• Cool Camper – Camping Fashion Inspiration
• Fab Everyday Campground Reviews
• Texas campground reviews: The best camping in Texas for families
• Camping in Tombstone, AZ
• Family Camping Trip in Big Bend Ranch State Park, Texas
• Camping in Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend in Page, AZ
• One Day Family Camping Trip in Zion National Park
• Family Camping Trip to Arches National Park
• Camping in Marble Falls, TX – Shaffer Bend Recreation Area
• DIY Kid’s Camping and Outdoor Safety Necklace Craft
• Kid’s camping craft idea: Leaf Rubbing Tree (easy toilet paper roll craft)
• Outdoor Children’s Activity: Go on a Nature Hunt!