Stress-Free Camping Storage Ideas for Organizing Your Camping Gear
If you camp more than a few times a year, you’re going to want to spend a little extra time upfront thinking through camping storage ideas that’ll help keep things streamlined and organized.
Because when it takes you too long or it’s too difficult to get ready to go camping, you’re more likely to talk yourself out of going at all.
That’s why this post is all about making the process of going camping as easy and stress-free as possible using some great camping storage ideas and a few camping organization hacks, so you don’t have to think twice about packing up to go camping!
Let’s start with the big picture.
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How to Organize Your Camping Gear
First, you’re going to need to organize some permanent camping storage boxes for your camping gear and equipment. This is one of the best ways to organize your camping gear and improve your overall camping experience, and we’ll walk you through the process in 5 easy steps:
1. Gather Camping Gear
If you’re wondering what to take camping, you can download our free camping supplies list by clicking below!
2. Sort Your Camping Gear Into Categories
While this varies depending on group or family size and what type of camping you’ll be doing, these 8 categories of camping gear and equipment should cover most campers:
Camping Kitchen Gear
Cold Foods
Dry Foods
General Camping Gear
Large, Cumbersome, or Frequently Dirty Camping Gear
Clothing
Toiletry & Hygiene Items
Recreational Gear & Activities
3. Select the Best Camping Storage Boxes for Your Gear
4. Organize Your Gear Into Your Camping Storage Boxes
5. Find a Place to Store Your Nicely Organized Camping Boxes
Now let’s dig into some camping storage ideas and camping organization hacks for each of the 8 categories of camping gear and equipment.
Camping Storage Ideas for Camp Kitchen Items
We suggest setting up a dedicated camp kitchen rather than borrowing utensils and pans from your house kitchen each time you camp. And this doesn’t have to cost much!
Don’t buy your entire camping kitchen setup from a camping supply store. We recommend rummaging through your overflowing kitchen drawers first and then moving on to a thrift store or two for most of your camp kitchen gear.
However, there are a few camp kitchen items we do think are worth the extra spend, like nesting pots/pans*, a dependable stove, and a nice cast iron dutch oven*.
Our post - How to Set Up A Portable Camping Kitchen Box Today - has a great list of everything you need in your camp kitchen as well as some money saving tips.
Camping Kitchen Organization Hacks
Bring extra plastic storage bags - Pack extra sandwich bags, ziplock bags, grocery store bags, trash bags, large black trash bags, etc. - they have ALL KINDS of uses! Storing leftovers, a deck of cards whose box got ripped, garbage you find along the trail, if you have to clean up a campsite that was left trashed by the previous occupant 😡, transporting dirty shoes or a wet swimsuit, the list goes on and on!
Have a plan for garbage - There are several easy ways to store trash while camping - a pop-up camping trash can* is great for families, a spare-tire trash bag* is great for vehicle camping, even plastic grocery bags will do the trick.
Have a collection of extra twist ties, bag clips, rubber bands, etc.
Use plastic storage dividers (like this one* pictured above that we use) to organize utensils and other loose camp kitchen items that are accessed regularly
Spending a little extra on some compact nesting or collapsible camp kitchen gear will save space and hassle while packing
Bring less stuff, and think multipurpose - Unless you cook gourmet meals when camping, you don’t need to create an exact copy of your house kitchen. Most of those things will sit in the bottom of your camp kitchen box getting dirty and taking up space.
Attach a note to your camping kitchen box listing the things you need to grab from your house kitchen. For us, this is our cast iron set* and our favorite camping mugs. Having the reminder list takes all the thinking out of ensuring your camp kitchen is complete, organized, and ready to go!
Camping Storage Ideas For Dry Foods
This camping food storage box may sit mostly empty while stored in your house, but organizing a few ready-to-go items will make things much easier when you’re packing up and when you’re at camp.
Camping Food Storage Hacks
Use a camping storage box or bin instead of bags of food so you can set your dry food box on the ground or picnic table without worrying about it dumping or about bugs finding it.
A camping storage box with a lid that latches securely will help keep critters out (specific recommendations below).
Leave some shelf stable items in the box while in storage. This can be almost like a camping pantry to pull meal ideas from, and if you leave a few extra dry food items in the box while camping you can have flexibility with your meal planning. We often leave tuna and chicken packets, tea or hot chocolate packets, a can of beans, pancake mix, and this easy and delicious lentil soup*.
Leave cooking spray, individual condiment packets, and spices in your camp kitchen box.
Either transfer some of your most commonly used spices into small camping containers (like old tic tac containers), or get a dedicated camping spice container*.
When loading up your camping food storage box, let air out of bags of chips, etc to save space, and go ahead and attach a bag clip to each bag ahead of time so they’re easier to put away.
Rid your dry food of any extra packaging while loading up your food - like the box your cereal or granola bars came in.
Organize some food into reusable camping storage bags* - for example: all s’mores stuff together, or all packets of kid snack choices together - before dropping them into their camping storage box.
Camping Storage Ideas for Cold Foods
You’ll probably want a 12-volt camping fridge or a decent cooler for your cold camping food storage. And if you use some of the below camping storage ideas to keep them organized you can minimize the amount of time they’re left open - saving you time, energy, and ice!
Camping Fridge or Cooler Storage Tips
Beverages are accessed more frequently than foods, so if you’re bringing a lot of drinks consider using a second cooler dedicated only to drinks to free up space. This will generally decrease the amount of ice you go through and help keep your cooler of food more temperature-stable.
Use these protective camping egg cases* to ensure your eggs make it to camp intact. Alternatively, you can crack your eggs into a bottle or jar before leaving and simply pour them into the pan as needed each morning.
You can use reusable food storage bags* to keep similar food items together within your fridge or cooler - this is great for things like yogurts, kid snacks, or sandwich making stuff.
If you plan to eat salad while camping, splurging on a pre-packaged salad kit is the way to go, because all the components are conveniently together in one bag - including dressing!
Smaller camping food containers with latching lids* are nice for storing similar things together that you don’t want to get smashed, and they can be stacked in the fridge or cooler. We always have one without its lid sitting at the top to contain small random things like a stick of butter, a small bottle of syrup, or fruit that needed to be kept cold (things that would otherwise get lost in the fridge or cooler).
Meal plan and meal prep at home to avoid over-packing food. This will also help streamline your cooking process at camp and decrease the amount of time you spend cooking so you can focus on enjoying your time outdoors more! And we’ve got a whole post about camping food organization and meal prep to help you!
Camping Storage Ideas for General Camping Gear
This is the more difficult category to get dialed in, because these items vary depending on what type of camping you’re doing! You’ll also likely continue to add and take away gear throughout your camping trips.
These are things like headlamps, a hand broom to clean your tailgate or tent floor, a camping air mattress repair kit, a tarp, a water purifier, hand warmers, etc.
General Camping Gear Storage Hacks
Have a designated place for your fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and bear spray! Everyone at camp should know where these things are in case of an emergency, so don’t leave them in the bottom of this camping box once you're established at camp!
Separate those stinky things (like bug repellant or fire starter sticks) into odor proof bags* so they don’t stink up your other camping gear.
Pack extra batteries for the electronics you have - like your head lamps or your baby’s sound machine.
Again! Keep a small stockpile of bags - grocery bags, ziplock bags, trash bags. You’ll use them!
Always think multi-purpose! Fewer items floating around camp means less to keep track of - for example, your sturdy storage boxes could double as chairs or table surfaces for the kiddos.
Just as with the camp kitchen box, list the last minute items that need to be collected and added to this gear organizer. Maybe it’s sunglasses, your favorite pillow, or a fresh package of baby wipes.
Camping Storage Ideas for Large, Bulky, or Frequently-Dirty Camping Gear
For some larger, cumbersome, or routinely dirty camping gear it just isn’t practical to try to contain them in a camping storage box, whether you’re at home or at camp. These are things like tents, camping mattresses, camp chairs, hiking boots, and sleeping bags.
Because most larger camping equipment will come with its own dedicated storage bags or compression sacks, while in storage at home, these things can simply be stacked together in a closet, or contained in a large open-top bin in a garage.
We do find smaller bins helpful in containing some of this gear while at camp - otherwise it would be spread throughout your vehicle rather than contained.
Camping Storage Ideas for Clothing
Duffle bags are one of the best ways we’ve found to pack and organize clothing for camping. Here are some camping storage ideas and organizing tips for streamlining your camping duffle bags:
Camping Clothing Organization and Storage Ideas
Each person should have their own dedicated duffle bag
Purchase different colored duffles to easily tell them apart OR if you use matching duffles you can hook multi-colored carabiners* around the handles to differentiate them.
Organize each duffle bag using smaller mesh bags* inside for different clothing categories. For example: one for socks & underwear, one for swimming suits, one for t-shirts, etc.
If you’re camping as a family, you may want to keep some items together in a separate camping storage bag - for instance, storing everyones’ swimsuits and water shoes together if you’ll likely be swimming at the same time.
For extended camping trips where you need to bring cold weather clothing, use compression sacks to minimize the amount of space they take up, and consider a dedicated camping storage box to store these items if you don’t anticipate needing them frequently.
Have a plan for dirty clothes - we like to dual-purpose one of our sleeping bag’s compression sacks to store our dirty clothes while camping, and just throw it in with the laundry when it’s time to use the camping washing machine.
Camping Storage Ideas for Toiletry and Hygiene Items
How you store and organize your toiletry and hygiene items for camping will depend on how and where you intend to camp. If you’re wild camping near a river in the middle of a national forest, you’ll take care of personal hygiene differently than if you’re camping at a state park campground with a bathroom and shower house. Below you’ll find some camping storage ideas for both developed and primitive camping to make things easier.
Camping Bathroom Storage and Organization Hacks
Keeping each camper’s personal hygiene items in his or her own toiletry bag allows for flexibility. We recommend even having the kids’ camping toiletries in their own dedicated bag as well - rather than packed in with mom or dad’s - so either parent (or maybe an aunt or grandparent!) can easily grab the overnight case to help with the kiddos.
We love these overnight cases* for camping. They come in multiple colors and sizes so they’re easy to tell apart, and can have a carabiner attached to hang them in a dedicated space when not in use.
For long camping trips, have an extra toiletry bag tucked away that’s filled with infrequently used items - like feminine products or an electric razor. There’s no reason to paw around these things multiple times a day as you look for your toothbrush!
Store your toilet paper in something to keep it dry and clean. An old bread bag works well and we prefer that over the much-recommended empty coffee can, because who cares if toilet paper gets a little smooshed! Plus it’s nice for it to take up less room as the roll gets smaller.
Don’t forget flip flops for that shower house, or water shoes for bathing in a river.
Storing your bar of soap in a length of panty hose lessens the likelihood of losing it in the river, or, heaven forbid, dropping it on the showerhouse floor.
Invest in small quick dry towels*, color coordinated per person in your family, for a space saving and super effective way to dry off.
For wild camping, create an outdoor bathroom kit, and store all the things you’ll need together in a caddy or camping storage container.
And be sure to check out our posts on Using the Bathroom While Camping, and Bathing While Camping for more detailed help, tips, and ideas.
Camping Storage Ideas for Recreational Gear & Activities
Recreational Gear: Bringing bulkier recreational gear items like bikes, inner tubes, kayaks, or canoes can add a ton of fun to your camping trip, but storing them can be a challenge. A simple set of load bars* with some canoe, kayak, or bike carrier attachments can be one of the easiest ways to store and transport these bulkier items to and from camp.
Adding a roof rack cargo basket* or a hitch mount cargo carrier* are also great ways to add storage space for recreational gear to your vehicle while camping. Plus they can be used for storing all kinds of bulkier items like coolers, firewood, or even your camping storage boxes when properly secured. We’ve even stored our camping fridge on a swing-out hitch mount to maximize interior space in our vehicle while camping and traveling.
Kids Toys & Activities: Before packing up every toy in the house, find out what entertainment is already provided at camp (river, creek, nearby playground, short hikes) and select items that could extend that play (toy dump truck, small bucket, floating toys, net).
If you’re camping with several children, you may find it helpful for each kid to have their own small backpack or bag to fill with their own unique activities/toys. Depending on the age and interests of your kids, just relaxing in nature (like you’re hoping to do!) might not be their jam, and you’ll be happy you brought a few extra activities to entertain them so you can relax!
Family Activities: It’s nice to have one large family/group container or dedicated storage space for larger things like fishing poles, guitars, hiking poles, balls, frisbees, bike helmets, life jackets, and water toys while camping. That way these things aren’t floating around your vehicle or camp - they’ll have a designated storage bin or location.
Pet Supplies: Similar to keeping kids’ stuff organized while camping, keep your pets’ supplies together too. If grabbing the leash, treats, bowl, toys, etc for your pup is an afterthought, those items will likely be shoved into random spots as you pack up to leave. But if you have a dedicated storage bag for your pet supplies it will make them quick and easy to find when needed!
Select Camping Storage Boxes for Your Gear
Now that you’ve gathered and sorted your gear into categories, it's time to find camping storage boxes for each pile! Start by checking out our post on How to Choose the Best Camping Storage Boxes, Bins, and Containers for pros and cons of our favorite camping storage boxes - you’ll find some great options no matter your needs!
Here’s a few tips and things to keep in mind when you’re choosing which camping storage boxes you’ll use for each of the camping gear categories we discussed above:
Containers slightly larger than necessary are nice so you don’t have to work a puzzle each time you need to remove or return something.
If you’re building a truck bed sleeping platform, you’ll appreciate having under-bed storage bins that can slide under the raised sleeping platform, so measure accordingly before you build.
Larger camping storage containers can double as a low table surface at camp.
Sturdy camping storage boxes can be used as an additional camp chair too.
Clear containers can make finding loose items easier.
Lockable storage boxes or containers with latching lids will help keep critters out overnight.
Plastic storage drawers*, like you find in the office supply section, can help keep things organized while camping, especially if you have a flat raised space to set up (back of a vehicle, picnic table, etc.).
Color code or label your camping storage boxes so everyone can easily learn where things are and where they go when it’s time to make or break camp.
Use ziplock bags, plastic storage organizers, translucent camping containers, or even old coffee containers to keep things separated and organized inside your camping storage boxes.
Don’t forget straps for securing* the boxes in your camping vehicle.
Car Camping Storage Ideas & Tips
Camping from a car, truck, or SUV can present unique challenges for staying organized, especially if you tend to move around during your camping trips to explore new areas.
Get your Vehicle Camp-Ready
Clean It Out Before You Pack - If you’re camping out of a car, truck, or SUV, clean and organize it before you pack for your camping trip, and remove any extra unnecessary items.
Check Your Other Vehicle - Be sure to grab anything out of Family Vehicle #2 you may need, such as your spouse’s sunglasses, kid’s car seats, etc.
Hide a Spare Vehicle Key - If multiple people will be in and out of the vehicle you’re camping out of multiple times per day, someone is bound to lock the keys inside (we’ve been there). Be sure you have a spare key on your person (Patrick keeps one in his wallet at all times) or hidden somewhere outside of the vehicle!
Be Prepared - We always recommend storing the below emergency items in your vehicle, especially while car camping:
Jumper cables
A small portable air compressor*
Packing Your Vehicle For Camp
Pack the things you’ll want quick access to when you get to camp last (tent, tarp, camping mattress, sleeping pads, chairs, table) so you can quickly get setup at your site without the extra hassle of juggling things around.
If you routinely camp out of your vehicle, you might enjoy reading about some of the camping organization hacks we’ve done in our DIY truck camper to keep the interior space organized. Here’s some things you might be able to make use of:
Carabiners
Hanging shoe racks
Hooks*, adhesive velcro*, or command strips*
Keep coins for showers easily accessible
Staying Organized While at Camp
Once you arrive at your long-awaited destination, keep those camping storage ideas and camping organization hacks working for you!
Take Note of Missing Items While You’re Camping
Have a piece of paper and pencil on hand during your camping trip. Jot down the things you find you still need in your camping storage boxes, and once home, add them. Otherwise you’ll forget!
Use a Hanging Shoe Rack
If you want to take the time to get really established at camp, turn a hanging shoe organizer* into a camping organizer! Be sure you have some lengths of string attached so that you can hang it from something (a low tree branch, your roof rack, your canopy frame, etc).
This camping organization hack can contain tons of smaller items like sunscreen, bug spray, headlamps, camp kitchen supplies, etc. You can even add small labels to each compartment once you get your system dialed in!
Recruit Helpers
If you’re camping with kiddos, enlist them to help! If they help set up camp, they’ll know where many things go, lowering the number of times you hear, “Mooooom…..Daaaaad, where’s the ____!?” Make sure they know their ‘color’ if you’re using a color coding system for toiletry bags, duffels, and towels. Parents need time to chill while camping too!
Staying Organized While Breaking Camp & Unpacking at Home
When it’s time to break camp, or while unpacking once you’re home, avoid the temptation to mindlessly shove your gear away! It takes a little extra effort, but you’ll be thanking yourself next time you’re getting ready to camp if you take the time to repack your camping storage boxes and follow the tips below:
Clean and Dry Your Camping Gear
Before tucking your camping gear away, make sure it’s clean and dry. If you packed up earlier in the day, you likely trapped condensation in your tent. Your camping chairs, sleeping bags, etc might be a little moist too. Open these things up and let them dry before packing them away into camping storage boxes for the next trip.
Perform a Gear Audit
As you’re breaking camp and putting your camping gear into storage, do a quick scan of items you didn’t use. If you’ve got stuff you realize is impractical or not useful, take it out of the box!
Restock Needed Items
Once home, restock any necessary consumable camping supplies as you’re putting away your camping storage boxes, or at least add a sticky note reminder to the top of your box. These might be things like sandwich bags, batteries, hand sanitizer, or wet wipes.
Do Your Camping Laundry Soon
Don’t procrastinate doing your camping laundry for too long! If your camp kitchen towels, pillowcases, etc match those in your house, they’ll soon be mixed together and you’ll have to think through where each goes again. So throw that laundry in soon, that way the whole load can just be put back into the camping storage area in one sweep.
We hope these camping storage ideas and camping organization hacks can help simplify your trip! Getting a stress-free camping system in place takes more effort up front, but you’ll appreciate the time and headache it saves when you’re done!
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