The Big Meander

Packing pains

I’m pretty sure Marla and I are not divergent in our views on packing.  She is 100% accurate that not a day passes where both of us realize at some point that the one thing that we need is definitely packed at the bottom of a box on the bottom of boxes.  That alone is a frustrating problem.  But to have it happen everyday is a bit maddening.  At this point, we now have at least 2-3 boxes we haven’t opened in 2 weeks because they are so challenging to get to.

What I want is at the bottom of a stack of boxes.
Behind the front passenger side
Rear packed view of the Subaru

To add to the chaos, I have not yet decided on good system to organize what goes in which bag.  I thought I was so clever to divide up my in-town clothes in one bag and my camping clothes in a plastic drawer I could access in the car.  This way I just take whatever I want to wear the next day into the tent with me the night before so I can put it on the next morning.  I also have a laundry bag for my dirty clothes that I keep in the tent.  

This sounds like it should work, right?

Erin’s in-town clothes, camping clothes, plus laundry bag

Where it all goes to shit is when I do laundry.  We do laundry when we’re in town so I bring in my bag of dirty camping clothes, and I bring in my bag of in-town clothes to our in-town site (usually the home of friends or family, or an AirBnb).  Then I do laundry, which eventually ends up being a mix of in-town clothes and camping clothes.

The problem is more with my camp clothes.  If, after washing, I return them to the dirty clothes bag (which usually smells like campfire smoke), I leave them in the bag for transport to the next destination.  For some reason, I never remember to transfer them to the plastic drawer in the car (fail-proof system??) so I just keep using the clothes in the dirty clothes bag and no longer have a bag for my dirty laundry and all of a sudden, I am in clothing chaos all over again.

Reading through that last paragraph, I realize that one possible solution to my problem is clearly to put my camp clothes in the plastic drawer once they’re cleaned.  However, I am open to input.  Anyone have any good suggestions on how to keep my stuff organized?

Erin McDermott

, ,
, ,

7 responses to “Packing pains”

  1. Dad Avatar
    Dad

    Post -it notes on the dashboard to remind you of things to be reminded about. (This is what you’ll do when you get old and reminding is a way of life.) Also, do a once-and-for-all chart-where-everything-is-loaded plan. Loadmasters for big
    cargo planes do this in the Air Force and they generally find things.

    Reply
  2. Mom Avatar
    Mom

    Shouldn’t you just throw your dirty clothes bag into the wash with the dirty clothes? That way you’d have a fresh clothes bag to restart the cycle.

    Reply
    1. Erin & Marla Avatar
      Erin & Marla

      Good point—definitely something to consider for the next load!

      Reply
  3. Ira Avatar
    Ira

    I say contact The Container Store. Get them to design and implement a system in exchange for advertising. It MIGHT work and would be a plastic sight to behold.

    Reply
  4. M Avatar
    M

    Sounds like cloths in a bag works for you, so maybe just 2 laundry bags (always washing the dirty one with the dirty clothes) then when you a pack them in the bag, it’s a clean bag and the “other” bag becomes the dirty clothes bag. Sounds like the plastic drawer was an experiment that isn’t quite doing the trick. I like that you are paying attention to what works for you.

    Reply
  5. Margot Avatar
    Margot

    I say just screw it and go with no clothes!

    Reply
  6. Meladye Avatar
    Meladye

    OMG – LMAO! I like the idea of washing the dirty clothes bag w/ the dirty clothes (in the 1st load obviously), so it’s clean/dry and ready for use. I also like the “load plan” idea. I remember years ago – a houseboat vacation on Lake Powell (before moving to Moab, acquiring an “education” and subsequently becoming horrified that Glen Canyon had been flooded) and a friend who made a habit of standing in front of the fridge w/ her arm on the top of the open door, surveying the contents and lacking a clear sense of urgency about her selection. Those houseboat refrigerators run on propane and do a pretty good job of keeping contents “lukecool” at best, especially in 100 degree temp’s. After catching said individual in the act many times, the idea was hatched (by none other than Nikki Horino) to create a load plan and tape it to the front of the fridge. It worked splendidly! Based on the load plan, the door remained shut while the decision was made about what and where to find it – drastically reducing the amount of time that ding dang door was open. I do understand you’re not concerned about keeping things cool, but perhaps limiting the amount of time you’re looking for shit? Of course the catch is that you absolutely have to adhere to the load plan when putting the shit back too! BTW – that packing job is impressive. 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Discover more from The Big Meander

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading