more storage on a teardrop.

[jonw]

I don't find I need more storage. I just store most of the stuff I need to go camping (stove, fuel, dishes, bedding, fold-up chairs, etc.) in the teardrop. I keep a fabric grocery bag in the house with leftover canned and dry food from the last trip - all I need to do is add to it for whatever I want for the current trip.

Packing up is mostly loading up the 12v refrigerator, and putting it, the folding solar panel, and the the EZup in the car.

Remember: the more storage you have the more stuff you'll pack that you don't need, and the heavier the trailer will get.

[kayakdlk]

More storage won't help you pack faster. I find a check list works best. I list everything that stays in the trailer and its location and what I need to pull out for each trip works best. I pull everything out a few days before the trip cross it off my list . I also check what I used didn't use, and forgot after a trip and update my list. After you have done this a few times you know what is optional what is seasonal and mark it as such on the list. I also find that once I return I clean and repack everything so it is ready to go the next time. If it is just me going I can pack and be ready to go in 30 minutes.

The only times I forgot something was when I didn't use my checklist. I also make sure what is suppose to be in the teardrop ready to go is still there. Many time someone else took out a chair, cooler, etc.

Dan

[doug hodder]

I usually have 1 trailer that is pretty much ready to go. Pots and pans, kitchen ware etc...already loaded. It's a matter of coolers and food, clothes isn't a big deal. In the summer I keep most all the "tow vehicle" stuff in a pile so it's just a matter of throwing it in. Things like the EZ up, which I only take with the tear, outside table, Coleman stove etc... One thing I do is once I get back from a trip, wash the bedding and make the bed so it's ready to go on the next one, not necessary if you are using a sleeping bag, but I like the bed. For galley stuff, I nest all the pans with plates, dishes and bowls in them so I get a lot of stuff crammed into a small space. Boxed or canned stuff including 1 quick and easy type dinner in the galley, all other eats in a tub in tow vehicle. If you don't have a separate set of kitchenware for the trailer and have to take it out of the house everytime, hit the thrift stores, it's cheap. My issue is with a tear and standies, it's swapping stuff back and forth between trailers that's a hassle. I also make up my own blocks of ice in advance of the next trip so I can just throw it in and empty the fridge/freezer into the cooler. If it's a quick trip, just grab what's there for eats.

I also don't put anything in the tear itself, so when I get there, I can open the door and lay down if I want, but that's the advantage of a pick up. At a recent camp out, we had to load up someone in a hurry as they became ill. They were very overloaded in items they didn't use. Trim down your load, it's only for a few days, you'll manage. That's kinda what camping is about, making do without extras at times. Just imagine if the pioneers coming across the Oregon Trail back in the 1850's hauled all the crap that many of us do. They probably wouldn't have made it. "Honey, did you bring both EZ-ups and all 4 chairs?"

[mkitchen]

Packing is part of the fun of the trip for me. Taking a few days to set the trailer up for a specific trip heightens the excitement of the trip. Also, I can't afford to stock the two trailers with their own gear plus I have a Ford F 250 4X4 with a camper so the camp gear travels between all three. I have a spot for all the gear and a check list so packing goes pretty easy. And as Doug said, if you do forget something, it is not the end of the world, we can deal with it.
Mikey

[rainjer]

I keep everything I need in the teardrop. I also have another set of kitchen camping gear in a rubbermaid tote for tent camping. That way I am not taking stuff back and forth.

Jeremy