Ramble: Bringing too much stuff on camping trips

We just got back from a 7-day trip, and 5 of those nights we camped. Having a family of 4, plus a large dog, can lead to a huge amount of gear to haul along. As you can see from the photo above, we got to see some amazing places and scenery.

I recently posted a Trip Notes article in which I wrote a handful of thoughts from this recent trip, but I wanted touch a bit more on things I could have done differently to optimize a little better.

One of the most annoying things about camping is getting to your destination and having to remove stuff just to get into the camper. My goal in the next few months is to make camping setup and takedown easier by doing two things:

Taking less stuff.
Making more room for bulky items so they don’t have to come out.

Questionable items depending on the type of trip

Gazelle Gazebo bug screen room. It was our first time using it. Necessary?
Weber Q gas BBQ — necessary for short trips?
Crocs = not a good camping shoe after all.
Microwave — not necessary for this trip. Glad I removed it before we left.
sink/faucet setup or Rinsekit sprayer system?
toilet wasn’t used at all.
permanent fishing rod holder.
recovery gear needs to go on the roof rack.
Wave 3 heater needs to be mounted permanently.
Propane 10lb bottle — mount permanently or keep my current setup with milk crate.
Random books: I have a cubby with a few books I almost never read.
Clothing in cab of truck — didn’t work out, too much walking back and forth.
This trip included a big blow-up paddle board. The bag is relatively large.
Wife’s beach chair. It’s the flat, metal, fold up type. Takes up a lot of room.
Binoculars — just realized I have a set inside the truck and also a big pair in the camper. Unnecessary.

A few optimizations I’ve made that actually worked

Weber Q as my main cook system: It seems bulky, but eliminates the need for pans, creates a huge cook surface (for family of 4). When stowed I can fit under the lid aluminum foil, cooking utensils, paper plates, cooking oil, etc.
Storing kid’s clothes in square-shaped duffle bags that can hang rom the wall on the unistrut. Thinking of installing L-track over that since it seems easier to use.
Vertical hanging storage. I’ve added more of it the last few months and it’s working out great. We got this vertical shoe organizer and some cloth storage cubbies hanging from unistrut. Highly recommended!
Personal storage pouches mounted on the upper walls with velcro. Each family member gets one to hold their small items such as watch, wallet, keys, earbuds, phone, etc.

This list can go on and on. But these are just some of the random thoughts I’ve had after our big 7-day trip to the Eastern Sierra. I might update the list if something pops into mind.

Happy Camping! Travel light 🙂