Storage ideas

[dinesh75]

Hello guys,

I just came back from a week long camping trip in the smoky mountains and it was awesome.

I drive a compact hatchback (honda civic 2d dx hatchback). I love this car and it is very space efficient.

However, once out in the field, the organization of my clothes food etc became pretty messy and annoying. Everything was spread out and accessing individual items became kind of annoying. Note that if all the stuff is piled up, I have more than enough space for everything. So the solution is vertical storage and not just horizontal storage.

Any solutions? I am currently thinking of buying a cheap plastic chest of drawers or something that can be pushed into the back. Each level will have things like clothing, food, cooking stuff etc. The tent and other things can be stored separately. Anything better than this?

Thanks.

[Midwest Michael]

I've found plastic rubbermade-style totes work really well for storing and organizing roadtrip gear. I've got one for food (canned foods/plates/utensils/etc) and another for camping gear (propane, ax, lantern, various small tools). I use suitcases for clothes, but they would work well for that too.

Another nice thing is that they come in a bunch of different shapes/sizes, so you can find ones that will maximize space depending upon your gear and your trunk space.

[dinesh75]

Thanks Michael.

I am currently thinking of having the sticker hooks for hanging things in the back of my car.

I also plan to buy a plastic storage from the container store, put velcro tape on in it and then with my seats down, it should hold firmly. Let me see how that goes.

[Mass Tim]

I too have had good experiences using plastic containers to hold everything, using a similar approach as Michael. They're especially useful when camping to keep everything dry, if you have to leave them outside for any reason.

As far as using velcro to keep the box secured, you may have mixed results. A long time ago, I tried this similar tactic to keep a bass speaker box secured in my trunk, but with all the shifting around, the velcro eventually wouldn't hold. Hopefully you'll have better results than I did.

[dinesh75]

Thanks Tim. I installed a 10 cd changer and secured it fast using industrial velcro and it works perfectly fine, hence the idea to do the same with the storage. Of course, storage is big so I guess I shall just use more tape and see how it works. I am also toying with the idea of sticker hooks and removable shelves for the car. So once I reach the campground and have set up my tent etc. I can put on the shelves (for toilteries etc.). They can be removed when I am on the road.

Also, as an aside, I have these magazines brochures etc that are overflowing from the door storages (the "holes" below the door windows to put stuff in). I was thinking if there is way to secure them to the roof of the car from the inside, like maybe a mesh? Any ideas about this?

Thanks.

[PNW Judy]

I also drive a 2-door hatchback and camp from it.

I have one plastic container with a lid for my food that doesn't need cooling. Another for things like my cooking supplies, smaller camping gear, games, lanterns, etc.

I keep sleeping bags/pillows, clothes, etc. in duffle bags as I find them easier to fit in my car and move around than more plastic containers. Of course, the bag of my car is probably more rounded than yours (I drive a New Beetle) so you might have more luck with more square containers than I would.

I keep food needing refrigeration in a soft-sided cooler bag. And drinks in another soft-sided cooler bag. This way I don't have to open the food one as often to keep things like meats cooler.

Brochures, travel guides, etc. go in tote bags so I can easily "paw" through them. This fits just fine on the floor of the passenger seat (if I have a passenger). If driving solo, it sits on the passenger sit itself.

While I can fit everything in the car itself, it does get pretty packed. So I really appreciate the luggage rack on my trunk. The big duffle with sleeping bags/pillows/sleeping pads goes on that and is strapped to the trunk. If it's raining, it's easy to put the big duffle into a couple of big lawn-size trash bags to keep things dry.

If you need more room, I would suggest trying to find a similar trunk rack for your car instead of using a roof rack because you won't get the wind drag.

[dinesh75]

Thanks Judy.

I have almost decided on what I am going to do.

a) Buy a bunch of suction cup hooks
b) buy a few mesh containers or ones that can be hung from hooks
c) Buy something like this . Put velcro on bottom and load things in it and put it in the car with the seats down. Also buy bungee cords and fasten it using the suction cup hooks.
d) Once out in the field, will hang the containers from the hooks and put different things in different containers e.g matches etc in one, toothpaste etc in another, soaps etc in another etc etc.

This arrangement should make my life a lot easier out in the field. I am kind of excited now :). Again, this will be a learning experience (like my last camping trip) and I will possibly make minor tweaks to this.

[Mark Sedenquist]

I have almost decided on what I am going to do.

One of the articles that is scheduled for publication in August will be chock-full of trunk packing tips.

I like the look of that container (above) but I prefer Banker's Boxes -- they are tough and inexpensive and they won't crack when they shift and/or get smashed in the normal wear and toil (tear) of road travel.

Mark

[BuzzBlaster]

I'm recently retired, new to the forums, road-tripping and camping a lot, mostly on my motorcycle these days . . .

I came across Bin Buddies in Seattle at a weekly market we have here. After years of ziploc bags, I invested some of the pension in a couple of Bin Buddies and it was money well spent. Pockets for all the little stuff and then lots of room for the big stuff as well. One for my kitchen stuff and one for personal stuff. The lid snaps on just fine and I now need one fewer bin in the car. No need to do anything except take the bins out of the car and put them somewhere handy--everything's in reach when I take the lid off. I think I successfully attached a pic of one of my bins.

[MrsPete]

I've found plastic rubbermade-style totes work really well for storing and organizing roadtrip gear. I've got one for food (canned foods/plates/utensils/etc) and another for camping gear (propane, ax, lantern, various small tools). I use suitcases for clothes, but they would work well for that too.

Another nice thing is that they come in a bunch of different shapes/sizes, so you can find ones that will maximize space depending upon your gear and your trunk space.

Another vote for plastic rubbermade-style totes. Most of our camping gear is organized in this type of thing, and it's very convenient, especially for foodstuffs -- your bread and chips aren't crushed, etc. We had a nice set-up when we were driving our SUV, and I suppose I need to put my mind to what sizes'll fit in our new, small car.