Camping Packing Hacks: Stay Organized with the Bin System

No one wants to rummage through duffel bags at camp, desperately searching for sunscreen so you can head to the beach or a headlamp as darkness falls. We used to pack our gear in laundry baskets but things would fall out and get lost, they were hard to keep organized, and our stuff wasn’t protected from the elements.

Our ideal solution needed to:

• Stack (for the car and the closet/garage at home)
• Offer weather protection
• Keep out sand, dirt, bugs, and raccoons
• Allow us to see what’s inside

Enter the bin system, the secret weapon of organized campers everywhere.

Why Bins are a Camping Game-Changer

The bin system isn't just about tidiness (although that's a major perk). It's about transforming your entire camping experience:

• Effortless Organization: No more rummaging! Everything has its designated bin, so you can grab what you need without unpacking your entire car.
• Weatherproof Protection: Your gear stays dry and dust/sand/dirt free, even if the weather turns.
• Easy Loading and Unloading: Stacked bins make car Tetris a breeze, and allow you to easily pack and unpack the car and your storage space at home.
• Campsite Zen: A tidy camp is a happy camp. Keep things organized so you can focus on relaxing and enjoying the outdoors.

Picking Your Perfect Bins

Not all bins are created equal. We love the Iris 62.8 QuartWatertight Plastic Bins. Here's what to consider when picking out bins:

Sneak peek at our camping bins using Iris 62.8 QuartWatertight Plastic Bins

• Size: Measure your car to see how many bins you can safely stack across and high.
• Material: Plastic bins with lids that have weatherstripping work best for durability and waterproofness. Clear bins let you see exactly what’s inside.
• Features: Look for handholds for easy carrying, stackability to maximize space, and secure lids to keep things
  contained.
  
  

How to Organize Your Bins

Ready to get organizing but not sure what goes where? Two tips:

• Keep alike things together. Walk through a normal day at camp and imagine what things would be easiest to have together. If you’ve never camped, or don’t camp very often, then think about it like rooms in your home - kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc. Things you expect to find together should be stored together.
• Separate out the scented items. Once you have your ‘room’ categories (kitchen, bathroom, etc.) put scented items from each category in a separate bin. This makes it easy to place the bins into the bear-proof storage lockers some campgrounds grounds provide or place them in your car (if there are no bears), without having to reorganize your bins at camp.

Curious how we organize our gear? Here’s a quick video:

To recap, our bins are divided up this way:

• Bin #1 - Scented toiletry items: e.g.soaps, lotions, toothpaste, medicines, first aid kit, baby wipes, enzyme tablets (if bringing in your own cassette toilet/porta pottie), etc.
• Bin #2 - Unscented toiletry items: e.g. toilet paper, solid waste bags, camp towels, etc.
• Bin #3 - Scented kitchen items (pantry): e.g.pasta, sauces, snacks, s’more materials, etc.
• Bin #4 - Unscented kitchen items: e.g. plates, bowls, utensils, cups, pot sets, aluminum foil, apron, cooking utensils, and more

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Bins aren’t for everything!

For some things, we love a good duffel bag! We find that for squishy items, duffel bags still work great. They allow you to fit them into storage space gaps in your car and work well in utility trailers. Here’s what we bring:

• 1 XL coat duffel (for the whole family; switch out coats depending on expected weather)
• 1 XL shoe duffel (for the whole family; switch out shoes depending on expected weather)
• 1 XL bedding duffel for bedding (e.g inflatable pillows & Rumpl blankets).
• 1 medium clothing duffel per family member
• Tool bag (e.g. hammer, multitools, locks, straps, clothing/gear line, etc.)
• Electronics bag (a smaller version of our tool bag used for string lights, rechargeable sleeping pad inflator, walkie talkies, headlamps, etc.).

Ready to Give Camping Bins a Try?

Using the Iris 62.8 QuartWatertight Plastic Bins has revolutionized the way we pack for camping trips. We're convinced it can do the same for you. So, move beyond just duffels, grab some bins, and get ready for your most organized camping adventure yet!