Pop-up Camping,  Travel

Organizing a Pop-Up Camper {Pop-Up Camping}

July 25, 2018 / 36 Comments

Camping with a Pop-Up can be super fun and easy when you do just a few things to organize. Camping is my favorite summer family tradition, mostly because it satisfies my obsession with traveling the PNW with my kids, while staying within a modest budget. Our family has invested in a Pop-Up Camper for the 5 of us (plus sometimes friends) to keep us comfortable as we explore. The key to successful camping is being super organized, and that includes having a well-organized Pop-Up Camper. From experience, I have learned that the more prep work you can get done before you camp, the more fun and relaxation you can enjoy on the trip. Here is a look at how we organize everything from clothes to food to camping supplies in our pop-up camper using plastic drawer units and bins to maximize the space in our camper!

Though all Pop-Up campers have different sizes and layouts, you can use these ideas and modify them to fit your own camper.

I linked most of the storage and organization items and camping essentials from this post at the very end, including similar buffalo plaid pillows and blankets. And to help you stay organized you can print my free Ultimate Camping Packing Checklist!

And after you tour how I organize my Pop-Up camper, you can check out my other posts on how I jazz up my Pop-Up camper with some pretty decor and add fun retro vintages vibes and added privacy with these DIY camper curtains I recently created.

Organizing Clothing in Plastic Drawer Units

We use both small bins with drawers and large bins with drawers to hold our clothing, dry food, sundries, games, and misc camp necessities. The bins all fit on the floor of the Pop-Up for travel, and then fit perfectly on the counters once we pop open and set up camp, which is where they stay for the duration of camp. I pop open the trailer a couple days before we travel (or leave it open between trips that are close together) and pack our clothing, dry food, and restock our sundries and supplies.

You can measure your counter space and come up with the right sizes for your Pop-Up. We stack 2 bins to create 6 drawers for clothing (one drawer per person and a spare for guests) on the other counter. To keep them stable I used velcro to hold them together. You can see the velcro hack here.

Organizing Sundries in Small Baskets

The 3 smaller bin sets hold everything else. One set of drawers holds dry food, one set holds the kids games and dog supplies, and the other bin set holds misc camping supplies and sundries and first aid supplies.

These small blue bins are stacked in a storage cabinet under the counter during storage and travel, and pulled out for the duration of camp. These hold utensils, paper products, plastic products, bags; the supplies we use often through camp.

The cabinet is tiny, and it would be a pain to reach in there during camp! See our hack here on putting in easy DIY shelves in your storage cabinets.

Here is a closeup of the blue bins and how I have the items organized. One bin holds paper plates, paper bowls, napkins, tissues, and wipes. One bin holds utensils, knives, cooking utensils, and plastic forks/spoons/knives. I am using small cereal storage containers to hold the plastic utensils – they make for perfect plastic utensil holders because you can bring them out to the picnic table and just open the lid to grab what you need then close them to keep them dirt free. The last blue bin holds the foil, plastic wrap, ziplocks, and garbage bags.

Organizing Camping Essentials in Plastic Drawer Units

One bin holds the dry foods, which I stock before each trip. I leave salt/pepper and cooking spray in here. Another bin holds our camping sundries (sunscreen, aloe, itch/burn spray, bug spray) and extra bath and body items as well as camping supplies (matches, lighters, mini LED lanterns, citronella candles, tablecloth) and first aid supplies. The third bin holds the dog supplies (food, toys, treats, leash, bowls) and games and entertainment for the kids.

I linked my favorite camping supply essentials at the end of this post, and also share a Pop-Up camper essential supply list here.

Organizing Kitchen Supplies in the Camper Cabinets

We have another storage cabinet with a door where we keep all the larger kitchen supplies. Here is a look at the items stacked inside. We just take out what we need for cooking or for a meal, wash it at some point and put it back.

This is what we like to keep in the camper (in this cabinet) for cooking and dining.

These plastic dishes are my favorite camp dishes. They are durable, lightweight, easy to clean, and last. Camping is so much easier when you have quality supplies.

Other necessities include a couple prep bowl sets, a measuring cup, plastic wine glasses, ceramic cups for soups and stews, a tortilla warmer (excellent for keeping pancakes warm), an old set of pots and pans, s’mores sticks and a BBQ grilling set. I linked some camping essentials at the end of this post.

Organizing Kitchen and Bath Essentials

The area next to the sink holds a stove, but we usually use the stove outside when we cook so I like to use this counter space for the shower caddy, mini garbage can, and paper towels.

We have one more cabinet with a door under the sink. This holds a pop up dish drying rack, cutting boards, and another cereal storage container storing the dish/hand soap and sponges.

This container is the same as the one I am using for the plastic utensils. It holds the dish soaps and sponges so that if they spill during transit or storage they will only spill in the container. Once we are set up I can set the whole set up on the counter and I feel better that with a lid if it gets knocked over it will not spill the soaps all over the camper. I like that you can open it like this or take the whole lid off. Very handy for keeping soaps enclosed to avoid soapy spills but easily accessible for repetitive use throughout camping.

The shower caddy holds the supplies common to everyone for a shower (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, toothpaste and floss). When someone needs it they add their personal supplies (toothbrush/razors) and head to the bathroom.

Organizing Overhead Storage

We installed hooks in the ceiling of the camper to hang extra storage. We hang one of these organizers by each bed.

This is where we put our phones, keys, kindles, books, and an LED lantern (and any other small personal supplies). Having a lantern by the bed is very helpful for night bathroom trips, you can easily grab and go and not worry about looking for a lantern in the dark.

On an extra set of rings I hang this pop up hamper for dirty laundry (not for dirty towels, those are kept in a bin outside the camper as they are heavy and usually VERY dirty). This is just where we throw lightly dirty clothing.

Storing Plastic Drawers & Bins During Travel

We have a set of rectangle large tub bins that hold the rest of our supplies. I fill a whole bin with towels, and then by the end of the trip I fill that bin with all the dirty towels to bring home and wash. I will usually pack a bin of beach toys and inflatables since most of our trips are to the beach or lake. At the end of the trip I can easily stash all the wet items back in the bin until I can get home and clean and dry everything out.

All the bins, including the ones that go on the counters, are stored on the floor of the Pop-Up during travel. Sometimes we put one bin in the car with the dry foods.

Some of the bedding is stored between the seats of the smaller dinette. You can see how we did an easy DIY hack on this dinette to convert it into a bed on this post.

It is totally easy to camp like a pro when you are prepared with a super organized camper and everything you need easily available and ready to go. With the right bins and drawer units and some clever configurations of your camping gear you can get your Pop-Up camper completely organized before your next camping trip to make camping a breeze! And, check out Part 2 of Organizing a Pop-Up camper, where I share how I organize inside every single camper cabinet in this camper.

Happy Camping!

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Pop-Up Camper Related Posts:

Organizing a Pop-Up Camper

Organizing Storage Compartments in a Pop-Up Camper

Ultimate Camping Packing List and FREE Printable Checklist

Pop-Up Camper Shopping Supply List

Pop-Up Camper Set Up and Use

Pop-Up Camper Maintenance and Care Tips

Pop-Up Camper Mods and Hacks

Easy DIY Camper Curtains

Decorating a Pop-Up Camper with Retro & Vintage Vibes

Camping in the Pacific Northwest

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