Layout of personal camp space

[Elines]

See post 52 for a summary of stuff up to post 51

When I’m camping out in the woods I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time looking for things I need eg the other glove, the cocoa, my fork etc.

Each time I start off intending to be organised but - as a person of little will power – I soon degenerate into the normal mess.

I’ve searched this thread under ‘organisation’ and ‘layout’ and not found anything so …..

Does anyone have any references I can look at for good camp layout – I am thinking of a weekend’s setup, not permanent or semi-permanent ones.
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The kind of thing I mean (and which I have already thought of) are:
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• Tripod for rucksack (already have this and it is so simple to make) EDIT - the version I use I got from Mesquite who got it from Wayland - you 'drill' holes in the top of the tripod sticks and thread the cord through - makes it easier to get a secure fix. Plus it has a horizontal support bar

• A cloth shelving system - something like

This particular one (Skubb) is from IKEA (no connection etc) and is £3.99

• A ground sheet with corners turned up and held in place with ?clothes pegs. EDIT Got this idea from PeterH who had something like this at a meet. The turned up edges make it less likely to get wet in the rain (from run off) and overall purpose is if you drop something it is easier to find. Eg see 'Generic tub floor' on http://www.ddhammocks.com/tips/tarp-tutorial which says:

"Generic Tub Floor.

Turn a groundsheet into a Tub Floor, by folding the corners in a certain way.
The reinforced grommets in the corners will interfere with the folding plan, but there should be enough flex in the tarp to make the folds 'near enough'.

About 6 inches (15 cm) in from all 4 sides of the tarp, make a crease line. This will become the line at which the groundsheet ceases to be the 'floor', and becomes the 'wall' of the tub floor.
In the 4 corners of the tarp, the crease lines will overlap, making corner squares.

Make diagonal folds in the corner squares, with the fold line coming in from the outermost corner.
Fold up the 'walls' of the Tub floor. The diagonal creases in the corner squares will allow spare material to fold 'bellows' style, into flaps that can point inside or outside of the walls of the Tub floor.

Secure folded material to one side of the Tub floor 'wall'. This will help to 'square up' wall corners.

Note Grommets will stop the fold being perfect."

But in addition to more kit I was also wondering if there was good practice guidance on layout of personal camp area, be it hammock under a tarp, camp bed under a tarp or tent plus tarp?

 

[Bushwhacker]

Take less stuff.

 

[Mark W]

The trick to being organised is self-discipline, developing a routine and sticking to it. Make sure you put things down in sensible places, don't just leave things loafing.

 

[lou1661]

If im not using an item of kit it gets packed up and put back in its place in my pack.

 

[Retired Member southey]

If im not using an item of kit it gets packed up and put back in its place in my pack.

100% with this, even if making a brew, inky the bits for the brew come out, then go away as soon as they have been used. Just don't be lazy.

 

[Elines]

You are all so much more disciplined than me .......

 

[The Ratcatcher]

Same here, when I'm using a pack. If I'm travelling heavy, then the kit sort of organises itsself, sleeping kit on the bed, cooking kit near the cooker, etc.

Alan

 

[lou1661]

You are all so much more disciplined than me .......

surely its just as easy to pop it away as to pop it in a camp storage system?

 

[vizsla]

If there are three of us and were going for a few days i usualy take a 99p sleeping bag liner with two sticks inside to make it rigid just for keeping food off the ground and tidy

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[Man of Tanith]

thats a good idea
i try to repack everything un needed in the pack, at bed time everything i have in pockets gets put in one boot and my pecs and phone go in the other so i know where they are in the morning when i wake bleary eyed and confused

 

[Prawnster]

I pack stuff away exactly where I got it from as soon as I'm done with it too. If you don't do that then you'll spend most of your time out looking for stuff. Not much fun and certainly not very relaxing.
For the little bits and bobs that you need around camp I use a maxpedition pocket organiser but I used to use one of those snugpak waist pack things (can't remember what they're called) and that worked well too. I find this a better way of organising small items than putting them in pockets. Using pockets I invariably end up putting things away in a different pocket than the one it came from. This results in constant self frisking!


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[shaggystu]

i sometimes take a little little day sack or a shoulder bag so that as i'm pottering about during the day i can just drop things into the bag so as not to lose them. when i get up in a morning i have a little bit of a sort out and put things back where they belong

stuart

 

[johnboy]

100% with this, even if making a brew, inky the bits for the brew come out, then go away as soon as they have been used. Just don't be lazy.

I also agree 100% a set of Ikea shelves is not going sort things out for you.. You have ample storage with your pack and other kit. You just need to use what you have already and apply more effort to keeping organised... There is a finite amount of stuff you actually need for a weekend in UK woodland..

Kit's not the answer attitude is in this case IMHO..

If you pack your kit the same way each time and have definative places you put things and you get out enough then things become second nature.

Another option get a personal valet or batman.....

 

[Man of Tanith]

i am debating making myself a wee ditty bag like the one described by nessmuk to put my random junk in and then hang this next to my pack when setting up, invariably i want certain bits more regularly than others and i think this could stop me having to search through a bigger pack

 

[vizsla]

Like has bin said a organized pack and a pack with a few external pockets so you can separate your gear, i realy like my pack as it has two large side pockets for food and water etc but also has a large front pocket for all the thongs i have out regurly without rumaging through, god i love my pack!

 

[Barn Owl]

Like has bin said a organized pack and a pack with a few external pockets so you can separate your gear, i realy like my pack as it has two large side pockets for food and water etc but also has a large front pocket for all the thongs i have out regurly without rumaging through, god i love my pack!

How many thongs do you need?...lol

 

[Man of Tanith]

Like has bin said a organized pack and a pack with a few external pockets so you can separate your gear, i realy like my pack as it has two large side pockets for food and water etc but also has a large front pocket for all the thongs i have out regurly without rumaging through, god i love my pack!

ooo errr missus
in seriousness thats a good idea

 

[sandbender]

"...I was also wondering if there was good practice guidance on layout of personal camp area, be it hammock under a tarp, camp bed under a tarp or tent plus tarp?

My advice would be...

Even if you bed down on a warm summer night, having had blue skies and no wind all day, always expect that at three in the morning the heavens will open and pour an ocean on your head, a gale will start up and anything not secured to something heavy will end up several hundred meters away.

Keep stuff in your pack, or at the very least in waterproof bags or stuffsacks.

 

[wicca]

You mention lack of self discipline, try this it may help. When you set up camp, although you have permission to be there, always think to yourself that you may have to leave at..say 3 minutes notice. Any gear left lying around you will have to leave behind, no time to find lost or misplaced kit..you have to go. In other words you're always ready to pull out within 3 minutes of the order. With that mind set you will get used to stowing things away when not in use and as previously mentioned kit goes back in the same bergen pocket that it came out of. With practice over a few camp outs you'll be ready to scoot in no time flat and not leave any kit personal behind..it becomes an easy drill once you get used to it...

 

[vizsla]

How many thongs do you need?...lol

Ha as is happens not much but plenty of pockets are handy, here you go main bag sleeping tackle extra clothing fak.
one side pocket crudaser cup and water bottle and millbank bag.
Other side pocket food.
One sleeve behind side pocket for axe other for saw.
Front pocket fire lighting stuff gloves knife tinder pouch.
There you we all love a kit list.