storage when camping

[SmileAndNod]

Ok so we are just back from our first proper weeks camping. All a bit exhausted, achey but it wasn't a complete disaster and we may even consider going again as long as I can take gin

What did annoy me (apart from not having MN and coming home to find its all gone and changed) was the scrabbling around trying to find people's clothes and not having any kind of system. So what do you do about clothes storage?

So far tonight I've thought of buying each of us a drona box from ikea in different colours, packing our stuff separately in bags and just tipping them in appropriate box at the other end. Do you think that would work? Any easier, better ideas? Dh had been looking at wardrobes but I really do think we would need a van as we already took loads of stuff!

Well done for surviving (even without the gin this time??)

We use the round "flexitubs" (a couple of pounds from most supermarkets) when camping - cheap, cheerful, waterproof and indestructible; and they stack together taking up hardly any space in the car (and you can pack stuff in them).

We have a different colour one each for clothes, and then one for the kid's toys/books, one for shoes, and one for waterproofs. Works great for us. So, if I am picking up stuff belong to DS1 from floor, then I can just put it in his tub.

Being waterproof also means they work well for taking all your showerstuff/toiletries over to the showerblock, and if you are on a basic site like we usually are (ie with no hooks on the shower door, or no chair) then you have somewhere dry to put your stuff while you shower.

The Drona ones look ok, but possibly a bit flimsy for my lot (and about the same price as the flexitubs).

I have just bought some pop up laundry baskets from Primark (on special offer at the moment for less than £3) and plan to store all of our bits and pieces in these.

We just have a holdall each and keep our clean clothes in there. I use a large plastic box for shoes just inside the tent. Those large yellow 'elephant' bags from Sainsbury's are great for other stuff and I have a cupboard for books, games, etc.

Our new wardrobe ('hi gear' I think) was lovely this trip.

We get our shopping delivered from Tesco which results in us having lots of different coloured plastic bags - the DC each had their own colour bag, needed 3 of each (warmer clothes, cooler clothes, PJs & underwear) & DH & I just have our own sides in the suitcase.

As above, pop up baskets. I got smallish ones from ebay, they were only a couple of quid each. Pop them open and lined them up inside the door; first one was for wellies, second for shoes, third for balls, frisbees and toys, fourth was for dry outdoor fleeces. Next to that I put an open ikea bag which all dirty laundry went it, which means on return the bag goes straight to the washing machine. Non-perishable food goes in a fold down crate and I put a tray on top which makes another surface and having the tray has randomly come in quite handy...

I have some fabric IKEA under bed zip storage boxes which I use when we camp for longer than a weekend. Use them like a suitcase but they look much better.

Goodness there are some very organised people here. I need to be like you. Have bought some ikea bags for washing, shoes and a pop up basket for toys so far. Don't have a primark nearby sadly but will investigate the home section next time I'm near one.

So was the wardrobe good? Dh looked at that one the other day but I think it will take up too much space in the car (we barely squashed everything in as it was). He's also looking into trailers ..

Food storage I also need to sort out before next year. A lot of rummaging went on this time, everything seemed to take FOREVER to do on a campsite from making a cup of tea to washing up. Even pouring a gin and tonic and keeping it out of small people's reach was a challenge

Wardrobe was great. 2 small DC and 2 adults for 12 nights so quite a lot of stuff! It didn't take take up much room in the car and provided a useful high up surface away from DC.

We're getting a trailer next year.

I use folding fabric boxes from Argos for "stuff" books games toiletries etc.
folding crates for food and one to chick washing up into (outside tent)
I bought the biggest bag in the world and we put all our clothes n towels in it for 4 of us and in the summer for four weeks. We just live out of that although I spend time each day tidying it up when kids and dh have ransacked it!

It sounds a bit daft, but at home we have stacks (and I mean stacks, they stack very nicely thank you) of the Really Useful Boxes. Given we carry all the camping stuff in the car, and have a large boot, having a variety of these boxes was, well, really useful. I had a large one for the cooking equipment (cooking pot, frying pan, plates etc), which doubled as a good height for putting things on/cutting things up; we had smaller ones (coloured) for the kids toys, one box each. Food was in another box (dried food, some tins). Stacking meant that we could shift the boxes over to one side, or put them out of the way, or take them outside (they have lids) without fear of rain being a problem. Never would have thought of it before, guess DS (who is the one with more camping experience) was just fed up with the whole 'guess what's in the black plastic bag' malarky .

Doh, not DS. DH!

We bought two of the folding up camping cupboards: www.tauntonleisure.com/outwell-domingo-wardrobe/p11216?source=froogle&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=comparison_shopping_feeds&utm_nooverride=1&gclid=Cj0KEQjwpvufBRCwzp_zyqfkhrcBEiQA8b-SHGVhcyQDJfe2CR3kIi5pqOcLqhjUyOwuCGQweZeSTfIaAiL68P8HAQ

one is for clothes, one for food. Got them cheaper in lidl though. Shoes in those plastic foldy trug things. Waterproofs stay in one bag (unless it is raining). Large shopping bags from tesco for books etc...