Best System for Packing Clothes

[LargoLori]

We are new to pop-up life and I realize I can't take the suitcases I usually take to WDW. I'm curious how others pack their clothing. I'm going back and forth between using duffle bags and Rubbermaid bins. We are a family of 3 and will be there for 4 nights/5 days. Thanks for any advice you can give.

Lori

 

[trlrboy]

We had a popup for many years and packed in everything from suitcases to cardboard boxes. We found that if you pack your suitcase in layers for day by day... shorts, shirts, underwear, socks... it makes it pretty easy to keep things neat and organized. We either kept them on the bunk ends or in the tow vehicle to keep the clutter to a minimum.

We used to put dirty laundry in a doubled up trashbag tied closed and would leave it in the back of the tow vehicle or under one of the bunkends outside.

 

[fanofmickey]

Yes, like trlrboy we have packed many different ways. I find the rubbermaid containers to be good for common items - bathtowels, washcloths, kitchen linens, etc. Then, when we return home, these items are washed and returned to the tub to wait for our next camping trip - grab the tub and go!

For clothes, we usually used duffle bags as two of our kids are older and did their own packing. I also tried to "layer" in the bag for DH and I and two younger kids.

The more you camp, the more refined your own system will be come and you will eventually be very proficient at it!

 

[pammypooh]

When we had a pop up, my dh and I both used the hanging sweater bag organizer. We would use each pocket for one entire outfit. (sometimes could even fit two outfits in. These laid flat when we were traveling and we hung them beside our bed. For my DD's I pack their outfits in ziplock baggies and put them in a duffle bag/soft suitcase.

Happy packing!

Pam

 

[campingcorgi]

I'm a roller--I roll up an outfit into an eclair shape and put them in those short folding mesh baskets. One basket per person and they fold up when empty. Got the baskets at WalMart--they are in the toy department. I put the kiddo's clothes in ziploc bags. We use that system at home for her, too, so she can have matching outfits. That is very important to her!

 

[We4mickey]

Plastic totes for our family. Each person has there own and there clothes have to fit into it for each trip. We keep each tote at the foot of the bed and then move them if needed at night.

 

[Mac and Us]

We started out in a tent, then had a popup, a 5th wheel, a couple of truck campers and 2 motorhomes.

We still use the rubbermaid totes we had when we tent camped. I have also added to my collection along the way and use them for just about everything.

We currently have a 30' motorhome and have plenty of room but still use totes for laundry. The clean clothes are stored inside as we have room for them now but ALL dirty laundry is stored in the totes outside and out of the way.

The totes are great because you can put the lid on them and leave them outside without worrying about everything getting wet or bugs getting into it. When we stay for more than 5 days I usually do laundry at the campground. I put the tote in our daughters Radio Flyer wagon and off I go. I also store the laundry det and dryer sheets in with the dirty laundry as it keeps them from getting smelly!

 

[Tricializ]

We have used the collapsable laundry baskets for clothes and it seems to work well. We load up the RV, and unpack in it; just like a hotel. Then we use the laundry baskets for the dirty laundry as well as for a shoe bin and a toy bin. The good thing about the collapsable ones is that if you need them, they are there, but if you don't, they fold up really small.

 

[rbork]

We camped in FW a year ago for a week in a Pop Up. I have a family of four and hate being cluttered inside. I used the space under the dining seat for all of our clothes. I usually keep heavy blankets and spare stuff for cold weather in there - but I took only the bare essentials this trip knowing I wouldn't be in the Pop Up much. One word of caution - beware! On the last day of our trip we drove to SW. I didn't want dirty clothes in the back of the SUV so I left them on our door step. We returned and found NO CLOTHES. They were stolen! I had bought alot of disney shirts etc. for the kids and they were gone! I was angry at first, but figure some person must really need them to steal "dirty clothes" off our door step! On the bright side - I had less laudry to do when I got home!

 

[camperhappy]

Thanks for the info on using the tubs. We have storage under out bed and I put a few laundry baskets in there, but I can see that tubs would work much better.

 

[VAN]

Everyone gets one duffle bag. But I agree about the plastic totes. My DH used one for his clothes this last trip and it worked well for him. When everyone is up and about, we just roll our bedding and push it off to the side (we have a pop-up) ... then our bag/tote goes on our bed and out of the way for cooking, lounging, etc.

At night, if someone has a bed to themselves, they have to have their bag/tote in the bed with them. If 2 are sharing a bed, the bags/totes are stacked on the side area.

 

[sandieb]

We put bulky clothes under the seats in our pop-up. However, we have 2 sets of storage drawers - the type with 3 drawers. The small one we keep next to the kitchen area, and it holds odds and ends. It is low enough that we place a small lamp on it to provide light for reading in bed!

We have a larger unit that we use for underwear, socks, and a few pair of tee shirts and shorts. This works very well - we don't need to root around for something everytime we need it. The large drawer under a bunk is used for toys, movies, etc. We also keep a couple rubbermaid tubs outside for shoes, toys, and dirty clothes. We also have a 13" TV/DVD player that we enjoy. It goes in our "Teddybear Room" - grandchildren's guest room - when we are at home.

We bought the Coleman Mesa as it has the most storage space. It takes a while to develp a system, but I agree that being organized really makes camping in a pop-up much more enjoyable. Sandie

 

[Memph1s]

We have a popup and use the same 4 drawer Rubbermaid type cabinet that we used in the tent. The top 2 drawers are small and hold odds and ends keys, wallet, small flashlights, cell phones, card games and tons of other stuff. The bottom 2 big drawers hold underwear, socks, shorts, and swimsuits. We put long pants and shirts on hangers and hang them in their place. You can put several shirts on one hanger. This works well for the 3 of us but would be hard for larger families. The drawers are great for keeping things organized and not having to dig through a large box or stacking and unstacking several boxes.

 

[leprechaun]

We have a truck camper where space is at a premium as well. We have one duffle bag per person rule. As the clothes dwindle they are replaced with souvenirs to keep everything of theirs together.
The problem is once it is cluttered it becomes more and more difficult to keep clean and organized. But who cares when your at Disney!!

Let's go!

 

[LargoLori]

Thanks for all the great input. I'm going to try the plastic bins.

Lori

 

[Ellen aka Snow White]

We have camped in a pop up for over 13 years - mostly a week at a time. I have bought the stackable tray baskets. We do not have any drawers or hanging space in our camper just one long counter that would be all cluttered up. We stack these baskets on that counter. Everyone gets 2 each then I have one for beach towels, one for bath towels, and one as a catch all It really works well for our family of 4. The only downside to them is they do not fold down and can take up a good amount of space when packing. We do pack them in the pop up. They stack about 4 together and we use the top one for some smaller items.

 

[tinksnana]

We also bought the stackable drawers they have always worked out well for us. Each person has one drawer each and its amazing how much you can get into these drawers ..................karen