Each summer season it takes me a number of weeks to get my van packed and actually dialed. Relying on the place we’re going and the actions we’ve deliberate, we’ve completely different gear that should come alongside. This yr posed some new challenges with our new child added to the combo.
We needed to swap out a few of our out of doors gear to make room for our stroller and different child objects, however thanks to those camper van group concepts that I’ve developed over time (and a little bit of Tetris), the whole lot match within the van completely.
I think about an organized van to be important to my sanity on the highway. With two adults, two canines, and now a child, the whole lot HAS to have a spot….in any other case it shortly turns into chaos.
Listed below are some suggestions that will help you take your van group to the subsequent degree and make life on the highway simpler.
Camper Van Group Concepts
1) Measure Each Inch of Area & Use Bins to Compartmentalize
Earlier than you begin packing your van, measure the within of each cupboard, drawer, and flooring space the place you intend to retailer your stuff. Begin to visualize what must go the place.
Then buy bins that completely slot in these areas in an effort to compartmentalize your stuff and forestall it from sliding round whilst you drive. Bins additionally make it straightforward to drag issues out and in of the van if you find yourself loading and unloading.
For smaller objects that must go in your overhead cupboards and drawers, like toiletries, meals, and kitchen utensils, The Container Retailer has nearly each form and dimension of bin you may think about.
For bigger objects, get some stackable plastic bins with lids which might be the best dimension on your van storage. I wish to lump objects of the identical class in my van’s gear storage bins. For example, backpacks and climbing gear are multi functional bin. Sneakers are in one other. Pet food in a 3rd. This camper van group concept will allow you to maintain monitor of what goes the place so that you by no means should seek for issues once more!
For those who’re on the lookout for a light-weight and compact storage answer on your Starlink, try the gear containers made by Radius Outfitters. I lately obtained the Radius Outfitters Starlink Storage Case which is their 5500 Gear Field with a foam insert that’s completely reduce for the Starlink Dishy and Modem.
Beforehand I had an Alubox that was tailored for the Starlink. The field itself was very top quality, however you actually needed to wrestle to get the Starlink out and in. This Radius Outfitters Starlink Storage Case makes it a lot simpler to retailer and defend my Starlink which is fairly necessary contemplating it’s how I work and entry the web on the highway.
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2) Don’t Overpack
Appears easy, however I guess 90% of us do it anyhow. I do know I’m nonetheless responsible of this even in spite of everything these years. Though I’ve my garments pared right down to what’s going to slot in 5 packing cubes, as soon as we’re on the highway, I notice that I nonetheless have an excessive amount of.
For instance, we left Salt Lake Metropolis 10 days in the past, and I’m solely on my second shirt. For those who select fast dry, athletic-type materials and strong colours which might be simply matched, you may get away with a minimal variety of outfits. Having fewer garments that you could put on many occasions earlier than needing to clean them makes it simpler to maintain your van garments folded and tidy. Plus, it’s good to not have an amazing quantity of garments within the van to should maintain organized.
The identical goes for the remainder of your belongings. You don’t must carry each toiletry you may use over the subsequent six months. Until you’re driving to Alaska, you should not have any drawback getting what you want on the highway. You may even get Amazon packages in most locations as you journey if you actually need to restock one thing.
Pare down your out of doors gear so that you’re packing stuff on your favourite actions that you realize with confidence you’ll use. That paddleboard that’s been amassing mud for two years in your storage? That may in all probability keep house.
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Van Life Packing Guidelines
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3) Use Packing Cubes for Clothes
Packing cubes are a genius approach to retailer your garments in your van. You simply want one for shirts, one for pants/shorts, one for socks, one for underwear, and one for miscellaneous objects like a beanie, gloves, and a swimsuit. This helps maintain your clothes organized so that you aren’t looking by means of a duffel bag or a cupboard for a pair of socks.
4) Make the most of the Again of Your Seats
This can be a pretty new hack for me. I lately realized that using the again of your seats is a superb camper van group concept, because it supplies a spot to retailer small issues that might in any other case get simply misplaced within the van.
On the again of my driver’s seat, I’ve the Overland Gear Man Sprinter III Seat Organizer. It’s an amazing place to retailer charging cords, canine poop baggage, enterprise playing cards, our child monitor, and different issues that we use frequently. It additionally has a secret laptop computer compartment which isn’t solely good for safety, but in addition makes it straightforward for me to succeed in my laptop if I wish to get somewhat work completed whereas Ryan’s driving.
On my passenger seat, I’ve the Radius Outfitters Small Trash Tube. I’m not utilizing it for trash although. As an alternative, I’m utilizing this for my canine gear (leashes, harness, chuck it, frisbee, and so on) – which we use each single day. It’s so useful having the whole lot multi functional place proper by the door.
5) Don’t Overlook About Your Trash Storage
The place to retailer your trash is an afterthought for many individuals when they’re constructing out their vans. In my first Sprinter Van, I had nowhere to retailer my trash as a result of I didn’t assume to plan for it. I ended up hanging my trash bag on a hook on my again door. I hated that it was all the time seen, and once I obtained a canine, it grew to become an enormous no-go.
In my latest Sprinter Van, I cover away my trash cans in a cupboard so my canines can’t get to them. Nonetheless with a brand new child, I didn’t wish to be placing soiled diapers in my kitchen trash, so I picked up the Overland Gear Man Spare Tire Trash Bag.
Made of industrial quality vinyl, it’s water-proof and can be utilized for trash, transporting firewood, instruments, or the rest that you simply don’t have room for inside your van. And because it sits outdoors the van, you don’t have to fret about any funky smells in your residing area.
6) Make the most of Outdoors Storage
For those who’ve run out of area in your van or issues are getting cluttered, think about storing some issues outdoors your van. I’ve the Owl Vans Medium Expedition field on the again of my passenger facet door, and I really like the added storage it supplies (try my Owl Vans evaluation for extra particulars).
Inside our Owl Vans storage field, we maintain our hose, electrical hookups, instruments, trekking poles, and even our transportable gasoline Lavabox transportable firepit (pictured under).
It’s so good not having to retailer that stuff that tends to get dusty and soiled contained in the van, and it actually helps scale back the litter.
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7) Have a Designated Meals Bin
It’s good to have some additional pantry items available for straightforward meal planning, however meals can shortly eat up area in your residing space. As an alternative of attempting to cram canned items, pasta, bread, cereal, chips, and different meals into your cupboards, think about having a delegated meals bin.
Now we have an enormous bin in our van storage that has all of our meals. It’s simply reachable from our van’s residing space so every time we’d like a snack or are prepping dinner, I simply attain below there, open the lid and seize what I want.
In your meals bin, I’d counsel one thing clear so you may see what’s in there and one thing that latches closed. This manner in case your canine will get sneaky OR a mouse ever makes its method into your van (it occurs!), your meals might be protected.
8) Tidy Up Usually
Irrespective of how organized you might be, you actually have to remain on prime of the litter when residing and touring out of a small area. Whenever you’re in a rush (ie operating out the door to hit the path), it’s really easy to not put one thing again “the place it goes.”
For those who get lazy, earlier than you realize it, the van is a multitude.
With a purpose to forestall our entire organizational system from getting out of whack, we attempt to tidy up frequently. Then each couple of days we make an even bigger effort to place issues again the place they belong and do some cleanup.
I hope these sensible camper van group hacks will allow you to preserve order in your van, so you may give attention to having fun with the journey.
Obtained your personal van group suggestions? Share them within the feedback under!
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