I Put Off Organizing My Backpacking Gear for 8 YEARS
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- 00:00 Hey Y'all
01:03 Packing For Backpacking Trips Has Always Been A Nightmare
03:24 Reasons To Organize
05:15 My Process of Organizing 8 Years of Gear
08:31 Tour Of My Gear Closet
16:49 Trail Run of Packing For A Backpacking Trip
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Admitting you have a gear problem is the first step. Buying more gear is the second😜
You called it!
😂 I’m a gear fanatic
Isn’t it possible to sell or give away excessive gear?
Just wanted to say thanks for all your videos and advice. I’m 41 and did my first solo overnight. Only got down to 30 degrees and had a relaxing time listening to the coyotes. I was the only one in the entire area camping.
I got a label maker, and labeled all of my bins because I can’t remember where everything is.
I love it when the engineer in you comes out.
I had a disagreement with my husband over tent poles. He wanted all of our multiple tent poles together, not with the tent they came with. It only took one trip (without the correct poles) to convince him. Excellent ideas, thanks.
Some sachets of silica gel here and there in a drawer or bag might be helpful for keeping things dry and mold free. Where I live, we can buy huge bags of it in the form of kitty litter crystals for cheap. Same thing.
😂 I love organizing my gear. It gives me a sense of security lol 😂❤❤❤
It’s like going down memory lane.
haha love it. paraphrase, I was so disorganized that it was less stressful to buy a whole new kit from Walmart than dig through all my current gear.
I'm glad to see the beginnings of a new hike starting to happen. Even if it's just in the thought/prep stage at this point. As an old Arizona boy I'm hoping the AZ trail is on the list. But whatever the next hike is, I'm looking forward to seeing it. Thanks for the video.
For me, the backpack stays hung up with all the stuff that rides on the outside of the pack clipped to it (InReach, phone pouch, etc). Then I have some larger gear hanging on other hooks (ice axe, trekking poles). Then I have two small wire shelving units with 8 small bins (bins: shelter and sleeping pads - water storage/treatment - kitchen - regular clothes - foul weather clothes - electronics and optics - lighting and other miscellaneous gadgets - repair equipment and first aid). All the insulated gear is hung in loose linen bags (down and synth puffies, 3 season quilt, winter quilt)
Food and fuel lives in the garage.
I have a few pieces of trail clothing that live with all my other clothes because they are daily wear favorites for the "real world".
The only other gear I hang on to is a small bin with my hammocking rig and a footlocker full of DIY stuff - shock cord, barrel locks, various cordage and fabric, etc etc). Those live in the garage.
At this point, the storage is pretty full up, so I make a point of finding something to ditch or donate if I want to add new gear, which is rare these days as I'm pretty happy with my load and can adapt it to any conditions other than mountaineering, which I haven't done in years and probably won't go back to, partly because it's so gear intensive my interest is outweighed by the cost and inconvenience.
Feels so satisfying to get the house in order.
As a Scoutmaster, trying to organize the chaos of camps, either backpacking, summer camps, canoeing, or just weekend camping and the aftermath of these was always a challenge. Gear lists, patrol boxes, expendables, and personal gear lists helped minimize the where’s the …….? Problems.
Jessica: I have ADHD {which was not diagnosed until around age 38}.
I _TOTALLY UNDERSTAND_ your _CONUNDRUM._
As I like to say, my _"ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS"_ lack only TWO things:
(1) _ORGANIZATION_
(2) _SKILLS_
😉
I export my Lighterpack list to an Excel spreadsheet. Just add a couple of columns to use as check boxes and you're ready to go.
I didn’t even know this was possible! Thanks!
I do the exact same thing!!!
To organize my backpacking gear, I purchased a shelving unit with 4 shelves that you see in restaurants. Then I gathered various sized boxes, stuck an orange duck tape label on the front and used a marker to label the category of items in the box. Lighter pack helped with the categories. Then I put all my gear and extra gear in those. It works well. I hang up my backpacking clothes like puffy, sun hoodie, fleece, etc. Quilts are in the large cotton sacks that allows them to relax. John
I’m with you on this one. Home base organization leaves a lot to be desired.
Loved this. I had minimal space, so used big rubbermaids and just made sure that as I put anything in the bin, I added it to the list that was affixed in a sheet protector. So every bin has a list of what's in it. I really should alphabetize the list, but at least I know what's in each bin without having to root through it.
Great organizing. In case your mind is like mine, uou might want to label your bins. That's particularly true if time passes between now and when you pack for a trip. Saw a T shirt slogan that might apply: I can forget what I'm doing, even when I'm in the middle of doing it.
The only consideration I can add for those who chose to use transparent or translucent containers, is to be sure and protect them from direct sunlight and UV. My recommendation is if you use that type of container in an open room with a window consider covering your bins with something to block the UV. This was certainly a good review of one way to organize your gear. Having a nice sized walk-in closet makes it a little easier too. Happy New Year 🎉!
the other great thing about staying organized in our personal life is that it makes getting up and moving easier. Same lesson learned on a thru hike.
Looks a great job ! I know you will feel less stress when preparing for a journey - which is worth it's weight in gold.
I have my gear organized similarly, though I don't have quite that much space...or that much gear, for that matter. One thing that I have done is create a complete inventory of all of my gear, in a notebook (which stays with my gear). The list includes brand, description, quantity on hand and weight...of each item. As well, I have specific gear lists in the same notebook, covering various trip scenarios.
Finally, for certain gear items that are always the same for each trip, I keep these things pre-packed in ziploc bags. I refer to things like my "Poop kit", "Eats kit", "Filter kit", etc. When I return from a trip, I always restock these "kits", before storing them away. So, when packing up, grabbing those bits and bobs is easy and quick.
Fancy Mae was looking at you all confused and concerned, like, "Mamma, you're actually organizing stuff, this isn't like you, are you ok???" 😂
i love organizing my gear. it gives me a sense of what more i am allowed to buy. and it makes me look forward to using it!
My To-Do list is in electronic form at some cloud based service. So I can add and look from everywhere and any device. I use it mostly for camping and RV or other hobbies where you need to repair something after each meeting. The checklists for meetings and trips are there, too. This way it is easier to look at it if you are at a shop and don't remember exactly what was on that list again. I also add gear codes or links sometimes to find it faster in the shop or show it to the employees to look up in the computer.
Hi Dixie, How about taking those retired back pacts and making a plaque for each one with the trail and miles hiked on it? You could hang them separately sort of like a trophy, not so much trophy but accomplishment.
What can be helpful is to get a label maker and label the bins with the contents. That way you know exactly what is inside each bin
That or a piece of masking tape
I got lazy and used stickers from gear companies: Packit Gourmet for food/snacks, Western Mountaineering for sleeping bags/pads, etc 😅
Being organized is very beneficial!
*makes note to clean out both packs from last trip*
I adore that you kept your house and have family living there as needed. My space is the smallest bedroom in the house - and it doubles as my office. That might be a good idea next time the power is out and I have nothing else better to do (and thinning out my non-used gear items!)
I sort of do the "leave you pack packed," by putting the ofds and ends into a box.
Bags and down is in storage bags. A bin for food. Like freeze dried food. One for all my water stuff. A big bin of stuff bags. And so forth.
Congratulations! Marriage will be the longest most beautiful hike! There will be mountains and valleys but you two will navigate! Keep strong communication and commitment to each other! With much love from Canada❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Only 8 years?!? I've been putting off organizing my gear since 1995!
Having just renovated the basement, it made for a great opportunity to reorganize all my gear. I have a similar arrangement to your gear closet except that I actually label all the boxes (i.e., First Aid, Hygiene, Stoves, etc.).
I just did mine on Monday! It helped remind me winter doesn't last forever. I love looking at my closet now.
Thanks for another great video. You've motivated me to get my gear better organized. I'm also breaking mine down into 3 distinct sections, backpacking, day hike and trail work.
Hey Dixie, it took me a couple of years to realize that I needed to organize my backpacking stuff. I don't have as much as you do but I basically did the same thing with plastic bins and a "closet organizer" from Walmart. I put the organizer on plywood and added wheels so I can move it around in the basement as needed.
Your closet looks amazing and it will definitely help you prep for your trips. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Hey, post-it have a lined notepad-post-it-thing with glue strong enough to pin the whole stack to a flat surface. I use it for shopping (keeping it on my inbuilt fridge). It's dead practical - just peal off the outer note: take it with you, or stick it to the side.
Just remember that ballpoint pens do not work at vertical surfaces, my solution is using a pencil.
Look for their 'Super Sticky' tag/label. I got mine at Staples' Norwegian franchise.
In case it’s helpful for anyone, considering using the 5S method for your gear organization backbone. 1. Sort 2. Set in order 3. Shine 4. Standardize 5. Sustain
This comes from the Toyota Production System, but also works for backpacking gear storage, it turns out!
Brilliant! Thanks!
I had to do much the same except I did a reality based purge. "Was I going to use the item in the next 18 months?". Disclaimer is I am a full four season packer, so that still is a big spectrum of gear. I like your grouping. Mine was based more on the 60-70s model I came up with, sleeping, kitchen, shelter, health and beauty (grins), toilet and wash, and water handling. One whole tub is stuff sacks. Another is containers and zip locks. Spares and repair stuff takes up a tool box. Since I am in a high wildlife area and recent move by public land agencies to extend food storage rules everywhere (WY &MT) , fleet of canisters and sacks take up a big space. My bike touring and hiking gear is mashed in together in storage because the two activities' for me share much the same swag.
I have short checklists just for day packs. Backpacking checklists have evolved as I shamelessly have stolen from everybody from Andrew Skurka to Colin Fletcher and watched Dixie since the AT.
1st Congratulations again on finding your life partner! Have stored some things in bins with blue construction tape for labels- found over time that aging plastics imbued scent(food fresh/ silica packs help)sleeping bags in storage sacks adding scent satchel for freshness - thank you for your continued encouragement as once again the engineer in you shows forth in the simplified methods - great content!
I have put all devices which contain a rechargeable battery in one box, similar to your's at 16:25, but also with my power banks. And try not forget to check their state of charge every few months!
I was just about to start going through my gear and doing something about it.... Perfect timing on putting out this video!
I like that you used see-through totes, so you don't have to wonder what is in them.
I use a hammock hung up high in my room in one corner with apples to store my lofty stuff so there's no hanger creases
Trekking pole tips are super useful on the Oregon Coast Trail due to going through many towns and a fair bit of road walking; I wore through a pair on my hike this summer, and they were surprisingly hard to find (I had to hit like four pharmacies before I found the right size).
Im a backpacker and my boyfriend is into overlanding, car camping and hunting. I tell him our "outdoor room" looks like an outfitters 😂
I too acquired a bunch of stuff for my "bikepacking" set up. Before each of my trips, I had to scramble with putting the stuff on to one of my mountain bikes to get it ready for a trip. So after getting back from a trip, I clean and dry all the gear and then organize and store them in labeled storage containers. Now when I need to get ready for an outing, I have everything organized and ready to be loaded up on the bike minus the food and water.
Also saw where you can create a QR code that can be taped to a bin so that you can have "pictures" associated to what's in the bin. That way you can just scan the QR code to see what's in there instead of having to move bins around just to access and open a bin.
Great video as always. Your husband as usual must be so amazing and supportive when moving in to a new place from your old place.
I love EDC belly band!
this looks super awesome! i wish i had a whole room for this!
when you first said you go through your lighter pack list when packing, i already had the same thought of laminating it! i would give it its own spot on top of the shelf. and i wanted to add "get whiteboard" to the to do list! :D
I keep everything in one location. backpack has everything I'll bring during a hike. a duffle bag has the tent and everything for trips and a drybag has the rest. would be difficult for me to forget the main hiking and camping stuff
I have a small whiteboard on my fridge for groceries. I take a pic of it on my phone as my shopping list and edit the pic and mark through as I buy them. I use an index card I keep in my pocket for notes and daily chores. I have a spare room I call my play room. My coats, toys, camp gear, etc all stay in there. One day my second spare room will house my fishing gear. EVERY coat hanger left in the house are the white HD wal mart hangers like you have. Hundreds but they are great. I finally found my titanium tent stakes after 3 years of looking, so back to organizing I went.
That must feel great to have it all organized! Congrats!
Outdoor Vitals sent an essentials list with a purchase and i held onto it for reference.
How do you manage a belly band along with a backpack ? The only solution I could come up with was a fanny pack designed specifically for CC. It's not very pretty ☹️ I wish someone would design something for women backpackers.
I hope you got a label maker for Christmas, that would come in very handy I think!
I live on 600ft² so I have a very small closet that I named "the place where the equipment lives" Luckily we don't have built in closets, so I was able do find the perfect cabinet. On the other hand, a walk in equipment closet would be sweet. I could even put my kayaks in there 😅
For each trip I decide what I'm taking from my Lighterpack and download that to Excel. I add a column for checking it off when I pack it and print it out. Just an idea.
Hope you're feeling better these days, and back on the trail soon. (It's very possible I missed a status video. I'm not a very good sub.)
Having an organized house means a less stressful life too! You’ll definitely still be stressed but at least the house won’t be a contributing factor haha
I’m kind of weird but I love organizing closets and cabinets… but I especially love organizing my backpacking and camping gear.
I ordered a 6' high 3' wide by 1.5' deep chrome plated metal shelving unit, the kind you see in restaurants from Amazon that holds most of my gear. Keep my down what nots all loosely shelved, not compressed. Rest fits inside translucent tubs with lids.
Great timing. I’ve got all my gear in my living room and have to pack it up. Two packs- one for short and one for long term is how I was thinking. Your idea is better.
I use Notepad on my phone with notes from each trip. Lists. Missing items. Things I can leave home next trip. Etc...
Great topic, you're not alone, Organization skills are key, Order supplies Before you need them, no wasted time going to the store
Laminated list is great BUT I use a plastic page protector and wipe-off marker. Works great!
Thanks for the update.
My appt. is organized but my camping gear is not. I get all embarrassed looking around my storage room/clutter room but I know myself well enough to know I won't be going through it tonight, it's 23:28 here. I will have forgotten all about it in the morning.
Great organizing.
Thank you for sharing !
Nice job in organizing your gear I particularly like the test run idea. Thank you for all the great videos you have done and I would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you and Family!
good to see you again. stay safe.
I love organizing my gear
I recently organized my gear with a big closet organizer in our basement; it works pretty well, though I could use more storage bins for sure.
Thanks Dixie, another great video.
I really like how you Organized your gear. definitely something that I need to do.
If I had a whole walk-in closet for my camping gear storage that would be great.
Super awesome as always!
Thank you for good vid. and have a happy Xmas 😊
well, you mentioned your concealed carry belt... would tour us threw the armory? 😊
Woo hoo! Ahead of the New Year's resolution. Inspiring me to take action.
I enjoy watching your channel and learned a lot. My hiking and camping days are over. I stopped camping about 30 years ago and hiking about 6 years ago. I have hiked and camped many places. I would start again if it wasn't for my health. I though Sleep Apnia took me out of the game, but you showed me it didn't.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your husband.
Can’t wait for your next adventure.
Bill
I saved myself a lot of grief by making a list of everything needed for a trip and keep it on my phone. No more expensive buys because I forgot something. I have two lists: one for camping and one for vacations not in a tent.
11:00 I had an Osprey pack that I sent to them for repair. One of the questions on the form asked whether the pack had sentimental value for me. When I read it I thought it was an odd question, but clearly people do get sentimental attachments to their packs. At the time, I just thought, "no, it's not sentimental ...because it's a backpack." Haha. But I guess I can see how that might happen, especially for people who have done monumental trips over the course of months.
I love that i came across this video to watch while digging through piles of gear, LOL
Definitely need to organize/ get rid of gear, I have too much at this point!
This is great. I wasn't aware I need to hang my tents. Thanks !! I use a auto clothes rod to hang all my hats on. They slip on the rod and several can fit while not getting mashed. Amazon has some nice ones for under $20.
I've always liked your videos but the belly-band for CCW earned you a couple extra points! Keep up the good work.
@@lindahikes2760 Is this sarcasm?
Hi
I have an abundance of sun hoodies. Some not warm enough, some that did not ventilate at all. BUT, the rei brand sun hoodies has worked perfect. Only 40 bucks❤
loved the video, It is great to see how to organize all the stuff. One thing i did not see is if you had oranized a bug out bag in case of an emergency.do you do that?
I'm sure the second watch will have some awesome organizational tips but the "gun show"💪was distracting on the first run thru😁. Miss Dixie doesn't skip arm day!
One of my favorite things is to learn to make do with what I discovered that I forgot!
Thanks for the video
What a beautiful job of organization and closet love! Wow! Im am motivated! WWDD? Now I know!
Most synthetic tents and clothing have a shelf life, I have tents and jackets from the late 90s and have not held up the best. Tents get sticky, waterproofing fails and elastic falls apart in the poles. If you have gear you don’t use or have replaced, get rid of it. Gear does not get better with age! Keep your most used gear together as much as possible. Everything else I sort by categories for when I may need to search for something. Dixie you have a nice gear closet and puts a reasonable limit on your gear. If it starts overflowing the space you have too much stuff!
Good job
It's got to feel great. Have you resolved things with Garmin about the chopper ride?
Haha, I think we all have a place where we just dump our stuff. Funny when you keep buying stuff and then a year later realising that you already had 2 of them
I haven't heard you mention microgreens in a LOOOONG time.
Organized mind ! Where'd all the microgreens go ? The saw the 🌋 on tv
My problem is that from time to time I will take gargantuan task to put all my hiking stuff in order, but then I go hiking again... I will select new setup and mess up all my system again. Sisyphean labor 🙂
omg girl i have a ton to cpap questions. what battery bank do you use for yours and how long does it last. i have been using the Jackery explorer 100 and ( thanks to a guy i met on trail) i can now get 21 hours of run time since i don't have to use the house plug. how do you recharge your bank. i have not done this yet. my hikes and camps are normally just 2 days. i am going to set up a car battery jump box( one of those really small ones) to run my cpap hoping to get 1 night our of it. so much smaller than the jackery.
Hello 👋 Dixie, greetings from Northern California. It's good to see you again. Congratulations on your Marriage. Your ring is dazzling. You've got me motivated to organize my gear. You have an excellent assortment of camping 🏕️ gear. All the best to you. Stay safe and healthy out there.