Packing the rig for an extended trip?

[Greg]

I've never been good at packing... from the Boy Scout days of backpacking I always brought more than I needed when going on long trips. I always figured I'd rather haul more weight and have something minor that I needed, than do without. I usually ended up with a very heavy pack and had a miserable trip.

That thinking has carried over to packing for my multi-day 4x4 trips. I need to do better, have a better system, get more organized or something! Most of my overnight trips involve 2 to 3 nights out revolving around the vehicle. Nothing huge by most standards, but even then, I end up with gear spread all over the place by the end of the trip.

I know drawer systems are big in the expedition world, but I don't know that they are the thing for me. I may have to try build some myself and see if I like them. The more I think about it, drawers that slide out that are no more than 10" tall may work for my needs. As long as I have storage for tools, fluids, recovery gear, etc I can stack the other needed gear on the top of the drawer system. Build some kind of tie-down rack for gear on top of the drawer system?

Here's a list of the big stuff I usually bring-

• Large freezer/fridge
• 20# propane bottle
• 20# CO2 bottle
• 7 gallon water tank
• Medium size cooler for dry food goods

Smaller stuff that fills the gaps-

• Sleeping bags & pillows
• Camping stove
• Cooking/eating plates and utensils
• Shower system
• Box of trash bags
• Camping chairs
• Firewood

Then there's the fluids, tools, etc-

• 2, 50 Cal ammo cans with several quarts of motor oil and ATF
• 2 gallon of coolant
• 2 bags of tools
• 1 bag of recovery gear
• Bottle jack
• Lug wrench
• Tire plug kit

So between all that, using it throughout a trip and having it all bounce around, gear ends up all quite unorganized. I need some ideas on how to better pack. Thoughts, suggestions or ideas? What does everyone else do... use a truck or get a trailer?? :greg:

Here's a pic of the Landcruiser loaded up with the big items.-

 

[Greg]

Oh, I could fold the 2nd row of seats down, but now that we have 2 dogs, they will ride there. Last trip I did with 1 dog I did have one seat folded down and had decent room for gear. Things are getting tight without dropping the seat... anyone want a dog?

Some ideas I've had to free up some room... swap over to a smaller CO2 system. Probably get a 10# tank, rather than a 20# tank. Same thing with the propane, 10# tank vs 20# tank. I like having 7 gallons of shower water, but could possibly use 5 instead.

 

[Tacoma]

I always had the same problem on my work trips-- pack a box van full of stuff and use about 3 cu.ft. of it.

IF IT WAS ME, based on your list:

I'd ditch the fridge
and the CO2

and get OBA... (but that fridge is niiiiice) I'd carry more dry food, and a good water filter.

Also like, one place setting per occupant, vs. multiples... the rest of the camp stuff looks great to me... as do the tools/supplies.

I'm not sure I'd bother w/a storage tank of any kind for shower water, unless it was the Desert Fox jerry can setup mentioned in that other thread LOL

It should be noted that I kind of like it austere like that, which influences my choices. Ideally I'd have a pimped Burb a fridge, 20gal potable AND shower water, etc etc etc

 

[cruiseroutfit]

For my uses, the fridge saves space. I can fit more in my 35L fridge than I could a full-size cooler by the time you figure ice into the equation, and for 3+ days in the summer heat that needs to be a lot of ice.

Couple of thoughts Greg. Sell or trade your 20lb bottle for a 10 lb bottle, or just buy one outright? 10lbs of CO2 is plenty to air up tires and worst case re-seat a bead. That 20lb'er is huge Likewise there are much smaller propane tanks available too. Tall skinng (like a CO2 tank) or short and squatty, 20 lbs is about 40 times as much as you would need for a long weekend no? Even a larger stove will run for several trips on a 1lb propane bottle, now that they are recyclable (and have always been refillable) you might consider just packing a few of those, much easier to stash away in nooks and crannies. Drawers do seem to really save space. Never heard anyone that isn't in love with their drawer systems after install. I've even considered a simple drawer system for my FJ40. Think of your toolbox, sure the volume stays the same as a big open box, but even making two compartments changes the usability drastically. They make wheel well water containers for the 80 Series, one less thing to carry.

I've been going through the same "growing pains" myself, honestly I point the blame at my wife I can go on a 4-5 day trip by myself and have all the room in the world, in fact packing boxes in the bed just to help keep other things from sliding all over. But you add her and the dog and things get tight in a hurry. We leave all our bedding in the RTT, we've narrowed all of our cooking down to a single "chuck box" and as much vehicle stuff as I can I pack under the seats and behind the rear bench in the Tacoma for example.

It get scary when I go to pack up the 40 & TrailTrailer for a long weekend and we are out of room . Time to simplify for me. This last trip was an eye opener that we pack too much. I was packing my 15lb CO2 in a Pelican case, along with some other periohrial items, the hose, regulator, tarp, jumper cables, etc. The case took up a ton of room in my 40. Just before Cruise Moab I finally got around to hard mounting my tank up on the wheel well using a bracket I've now had for almost 10 years. Now the bottle is on the wheel well, the hose is draped over it and the regulator is in a pouch behind my seat. One huge box that seemed to pack away to nothing on its own? Additionally I'm all for things I can hard-mount to the vehicles rather than carry, not just for space but so I can't forget them. The shower, 2M & Ham, ax, shovel, etc... I'm still trying to find a clean way to integrate all these needed changes into my Tacoma though.

 

[Brian P]

FWIW, I carry a 20# tank in my drawer system that I have yet to build drawers for, I think it will still fit even when I get the drawers done, I have 10" tall side's, I also carry 2 tool set, shower set up, 2 camp chairs, shovel, and a bunch of other crap that goes along with camping and or off roading.
I carry my propane, water and gas on my roof rack.

When it comes to the family(4 people) camping, It gets VERY tight, But we have managed a 4 day trip without much worry.
On my box system in the 80, I built 2 flaps that will cover the second row seats, This has worked great, But most of the equipment needs to be moved to allow them to be used, But you will need to move it to sleep any how.
That is another reason I am looking into building a trailer.
Good luck

 

[Greg]

I always had the same problem on my work trips-- pack a box van full of stuff and use about 3 cu.ft. of it.

IF IT WAS ME, based on your list:

I'd ditch the fridge
and the CO2

and get OBA... (but that fridge is niiiiice) I'd carry more dry food, and a good water filter.

Also like, one place setting per occupant, vs. multiples... the rest of the camp stuff looks great to me... as do the tools/supplies.

I'm not sure I'd bother w/a storage tank of any kind for shower water, unless it was the Desert Fox jerry can setup mentioned in that other thread LOL

It should be noted that I kind of like it austere like that, which influences my choices. Ideally I'd have a pimped Burb a fridge, 20gal potable AND shower water, etc etc etc

No way I'm ditching the fridge, it takes up space but not dealing with ice melting or warm perishables is very nice. Having a fridge on-board is so nice, if you haven't experienced it you don't know what you're missing. Nothing like cracking open an ice-cold beverage of your choice, once camp is setup. Kurt makes a good point about it taking up less room than a cooler packed with ice. I'll work around the fridge.

I have considered an air compressor, but I like the CO2. A smaller tank seems to be needed at this point, but I can deal with that. DAA has a nice compressor setup using 2 small compressors. I do think a 10# CO2 tank stored upright will take up less room though.

Why not haul shower water? Are you going to tell me you can find a river/stream that you can get water from everywhere you camp? Because I guarantee you'll be stinking, while I'm all cleaned up. The last 5 nights I've spent on the trail there wasn't any water to use nearby. Like I said before, I could stand to get a 5 gallon container vs. 7 gallons. I like the squatty container because it stays put, versus a tall, skinny one that could flop around.

A water filter is a good idea, I have one but it's packed away somewhere. Should toss it into the rig somewhere just to be safe...

For my uses, the fridge saves space. I can fit more in my 35L fridge than I could a full-size cooler by the time you figure ice into the equation, and for 3+ days in the summer heat that needs to be a lot of ice.

Couple of thoughts Greg. Sell or trade your 20lb bottle for a 10 lb bottle, or just buy one outright? 10lbs of CO2 is plenty to air up tires and worst case re-seat a bead. That 20lb'er is huge Likewise there are much smaller propane tanks available too. Tall skinny (like a CO2 tank) or short and squatty, 20 lbs is about 40 times as much as you would need for a long weekend no? Even a larger stove will run for several trips on a 1lb propane bottle, now that they are recyclable (and have always been refillable) you might consider just packing a few of those, much easier to stash away in nooks and crannies. Drawers do seem to really save space. Never heard anyone that isn't in love with their drawer systems after install. I've even considered a simple drawer system for my FJ40. Think of your toolbox, sure the volume stays the same as a big open box, but even making two compartments changes the usability drastically. They make wheel well water containers for the 80 Series, one less thing to carry.

I've been going through the same "growing pains" myself, honestly I point the blame at my wife I can go on a 4-5 day trip by myself and have all the room in the world, in fact packing boxes in the bed just to help keep other things from sliding all over. But you add her and the dog and things get tight in a hurry. We leave all our bedding in the RTT, we've narrowed all of our cooking down to a single "chuck box" and as much vehicle stuff as I can I pack under the seats and behind the rear bench in the Tacoma for example.

It get scary when I go to pack up the 40 & TrailTrailer for a long weekend and we are out of room . Time to simplify for me. This last trip was an eye opener that we pack too much. I was packing my 15lb CO2 in a Pelican case, along with some other periohrial items, the hose, regulator, tarp, jumper cables, etc. The case took up a ton of room in my 40. Just before Cruise Moab I finally got around to hard mounting my tank up on the wheel well using a bracket I've now had for almost 10 years. Now the bottle is on the wheel well, the hose is draped over it and the regulator is in a pouch behind my seat. One huge box that seemed to pack away to nothing on its own? Additionally I'm all for things I can hard-mount to the vehicles rather than carry, not just for space but so I can't forget them. The shower, 2M & Ham, ax, shovel, etc... I'm still trying to find a clean way to integrate all these needed changes into my Tacoma though.

I agree Kurt, downsizing my CO2 and propane to 10# tanks is the next step. I had the 20# propane tank for home use, so I just tossed it in the Toyota for trips. A smaller tank would be idea, but I really don't like the small 16 oz propane canisters. I would rather carry a 10# tank and have enough fuel for several trips then deal with multiple small canisters.

I'll have to look for those wheel-well water containers, sounds like a good solution for an oddly shaped area.

I hear you on the growing pains, I feel the same way when Catherine, the dog and I head out on a trip. Our rig was packed pretty poorly on the Koko, but that was mostly because I was on HITR the weekend before and didn't re-pack before the Koko. I had my solo gear in there, then tossed the needed stuff for Catherine on top of my stuff. I may have to build some drawers and see if they fit my needs.

FWIW, I carry a 20# tank in my drawer system that I have yet to build drawers for, I think it will still fit even when I get the drawers done, I have 10" tall side's, I also carry 2 tool set, shower set up, 2 camp chairs, shovel, and a bunch of other crap that goes along with camping and or off roading.
I carry my propane, water and gas on my roof rack.

When it comes to the family(4 people) camping, It gets VERY tight, But we have managed a 4 day trip without much worry.
On my box system in the 80, I built 2 flaps that will cover the second row seats, This has worked great, But most of the equipment needs to be moved to allow them to be used, But you will need to move it to sleep any how.
That is another reason I am looking into building a trailer.
Good luck

Looks like you have a well thought out setup Brian. I like the roof rack, there's a lot of surface area up there that can be used. Do you have a RTT up there too? Looks like a RTT with a small roof rack? It would be nice to build a rear bumper w/ swing-out and move shower water out there, with a can of gas.

I trailer would be real nice, but I'd need the power to pull it. :-\



One thing I do want is to set-up our FJ80 for big trips to Baja. Something where we could be away from civilization for up to 5-6 days. Be totally self-reliant while exploring the desert. That's the end goal, all of this local stuff is a bit of a test to see what we could do to refine that experience.

 

[solidfrontaxle]

In my 80, I keep tools, food, ice chest, fluids, sleeping gear, cooking gear, camping gear, clothing, survival stuff, spare parts, guns, recovery gear, 5 gallons of fuel, 5 gallons of water, AND a 33" spare tire inside the passenger compartment. I don't even use my roof rack and havent bothered to take out either row of rear seats (they fold up rather nicely). I still have the use of my passenger seat, great visibility all around (nothing is stacked), and I can easily get to and find everything when I need it. I can also sleep comfortably with my gf inside by easily removing only my pelican case, recovery bag, and spare tire.

Strategy:
-Maximize floor space. This gives you less stacking, so you can get to everything easier and you can see out all your windows. Take out as many seats as possible. Thus far, I actually leave both rows of rear seats in, just folded up. The center row is coming out soon though.
-Have a seperate container for each category of gear. Recovery, tools, spares, cooking, sleeping, etc. Makes everything organized, easier to get to, easier to find, and easier to retrieve.
-In each of those containers, pack only the gear that fits into it easily (don't overstuff). This forces you to think hard about what you need, get creative, and pack efficiently. I have tons and tons of recovery gear, but I only pack what I absolutely need. I have, however, come up with some neat ways to pack alot into it.
-Use alot of smaller bags or boxes in each container. Everything is much easier to fit, find, retrieve, and it will rattle and shift less. I use soft mechanics tool bags for alot of different things. I have a tool bag inside my recovery bag holding all my chain. I have several tool bags in my pelican case, one for survival, one for hand tools, one for electrical equipment, one for first aid gear.
-Soft bags maximixe packing efficiency, they're less bulky, they're lighter, make less noise, and shift less. This goes for main containers and sub containers. They are also good for packing around hard containers to keep them from shifting. Everything I carry is a soft bag except for the ice chest, scepter cans, and the pelican case.
-Come up with creative places to put other gear. I put spare fluids under the hood and in the rear side panel compartments.

The best thing I ever did was lay out ALL my gear and all my containers next to the truck, and just started organizing, packing, fitting, and trying different layouts You'll be surprised how efficient and orgainzed you can get if you devote some time to the job. I actually didn't realize until writing this how much stuff I really do carry and how well it is organized. :greg:

 

[gijohn40]

Or you could just upgrade to a bigger vehicle.... lol
98 Expedition riding on 35x12.50x17 but with a little trimming could fit 37's, 12,000 lb winch with plenty of room in the back...

Take the spare tire out from underneath and you could easily put a 20 gal water tank or smaller...

 

[cruiseroutfit]

...Looks like you have a well thought out setup Brian. I like the roof rack, there's a lot of surface area up there that can be used. Do you have a RTT up there too? Looks like a RTT with a small roof rack? It would be nice to build a rear bumper w/ swing-out and move shower water out there, with a can of gas...

That is one option we didn't explore, the roof rack. I was going to mention it but then I remembered you had the larger footprint Mombasa. However, Brian has the exact same tent his setup. With the propane tank and fuel cans (or water) out of the back of the rig, you buy a ton of space!

 

[Mug]

Something like this would be VERY easy to make and very effective.

A sheet of plywood and 4 2x4's. Edit: This would easily hold up the lightweight stuff (Sleeping bags, clothes, etc) but you could stiffen it to hold heavier things.

(Thank you Google SketchUp for the free design program)

 

[LT.]

You may want to check out a company called Slee offroad. They have be specializing in Toyota. Here is their web site. http://www.sleeoffroad.com/

I think that they could help you get organized.

LT.

 

[Greg]

In my 80, I keep tools, food, ice chest, fluids, sleeping gear, cooking gear, camping gear, clothing, survival stuff, spare parts, guns, recovery gear, 5 gallons of fuel, 5 gallons of water, AND a 33" spare tire inside the passenger compartment. I don't even use my roof rack and havent bothered to take out either row of rear seats (they fold up rather nicely). I still have the use of my passenger seat, great visibility all around (nothing is stacked), and I can easily get to and find everything when I need it. I can also sleep comfortably with my gf inside by easily removing only my pelican case, recovery bag, and spare tire.

Strategy:
-Maximize floor space. This gives you less stacking, so you can get to everything easier and you can see out all your windows. Take out as many seats as possible. Thus far, I actually leave both rows of rear seats in, just folded up. The center row is coming out soon though.
-Have a seperate container for each category of gear. Recovery, tools, spares, cooking, sleeping, etc. Makes everything organized, easier to get to, easier to find, and easier to retrieve.
-In each of those containers, pack only the gear that fits into it easily (don't overstuff). This forces you to think hard about what you need, get creative, and pack efficiently. I have tons and tons of recovery gear, but I only pack what I absolutely need. I have, however, come up with some neat ways to pack alot into it.
-Use alot of smaller bags or boxes in each container. Everything is much easier to fit, find, retrieve, and it will rattle and shift less. I use soft mechanics tool bags for alot of different things. I have a tool bag inside my recovery bag holding all my chain. I have several tool bags in my pelican case, one for survival, one for hand tools, one for electrical equipment, one for first aid gear.
-Soft bags maximixe packing efficiency, they're less bulky, they're lighter, make less noise, and shift less. This goes for main containers and sub containers. They are also good for packing around hard containers to keep them from shifting. Everything I carry is a soft bag except for the ice chest, scepter cans, and the pelican case.
-Come up with creative places to put other gear. I put spare fluids under the hood and in the rear side panel compartments.

The best thing I ever did was lay out ALL my gear and all my containers next to the truck, and just started organizing, packing, fitting, and trying different layouts You'll be surprised how efficient and orgainzed you can get if you devote some time to the job. I actually didn't realize until writing this how much stuff I really do carry and how well it is organized. :greg:

Lots of good info Wyatt, thanks for sharing! Sounds like you have plenty of experience putting stuff in the right place. I do agree with everything you've said, especially the part about having a location for different types of items. Having stuff mixed up makes it a pain in the arse. When I loaded up my FJ80 the other day, I had all the big stuff on the ground and took my time planning where it should fit.

I'm going to use some of your ideas with an upcoming trip. I tossed my box of garbage bags in one of the rear, side panels. Great spot for them and I can fit other needed stuff too.

That is one option we didn't explore, the roof rack. I was going to mention it but then I remembered you had the larger footprint Mombasa. However, Brian has the exact same tent his setup. With the propane tank and fuel cans (or water) out of the back of the rig, you buy a ton of space!

I didn't consider a roof rack due to the massive Mombasa RTT. I could scoot the tent forward and make room at the back for a small roof rack. That's a great idea and you nailed it, getting one or 2 items out of the interior will go a long ways for freeing up some room.

Something like this would be VERY easy to make and very effective.

A sheet of plywood and 4 2x4's. Edit: This would easily hold up the lightweight stuff (Sleeping bags, clothes, etc) but you could stiffen it to hold heavier things.

(Thank you Google SketchUp for the free design program)

Thanks for the work, I can see what you're getting at. I do think a drawer system that was no more than 10" tall would be better though. With a drawer system, I can keep heay stuff like tools, fluids, etc down low and locked so they're not bouncing around. I think a tall platform like that will end up with gear blocking the windows. Plus, my fridge opens from the top and I need to retain access to it. I think I may build a low slide-out that the fridge would sit on, the build up the drawer system around that.

 

[Greg]

You may want to check out a company called Slee offroad. They have be specializing in Toyota. Here is their web site. http://www.sleeoffroad.com/

I think that they could help you get organized.

LT.

If I could afford Slee's storage solutions, I would buy them. Their drawer systems costs 1/2 as much as I paid for the Landcruiser! For that reason I'm more of a DIY guy.

 

[Brian P]

No way I'm ditching the fridge, it takes up space but not dealing with ice melting or warm perishables is very nice. Having a fridge on-board is so nice, if you haven't experienced it you don't know what you're missing. Nothing like cracking open an ice-cold beverage of your choice, once camp is setup. Kurt makes a good point about it taking up less room than a cooler packed with ice. I'll work around the fridge.

I have considered an air compressor, but I like the CO2. A smaller tank seems to be needed at this point, but I can deal with that. DAA has a nice compressor setup using 2 small compressors. I do think a 10# CO2 tank stored upright will take up less room though.

Why not haul shower water? Are you going to tell me you can find a river/stream that you can get water from everywhere you camp? Because I guarantee you'll be stinking, while I'm all cleaned up. The last 5 nights I've spent on the trail there wasn't any water to use nearby. Like I said before, I could stand to get a 5 gallon container vs. 7 gallons. I like the squatty container because it stays put, versus a tall, skinny one that could flop around.

A water filter is a good idea, I have one but it's packed away somewhere. Should toss it into the rig somewhere just to be safe...




I agree Kurt, downsizing my CO2 and propane to 10# tanks is the next step. I had the 20# propane tank for home use, so I just tossed it in the Toyota for trips. A smaller tank would be idea, but I really don't like the small 16 oz propane canisters. I would rather carry a 10# tank and have enough fuel for several trips then deal with multiple small canisters.

I'll have to look for those wheel-well water containers, sounds like a good solution for an oddly shaped area.

I hear you on the growing pains, I feel the same way when Catherine, the dog and I head out on a trip. Our rig was packed pretty poorly on the Koko, but that was mostly because I was on HITR the weekend before and didn't re-pack before the Koko. I had my solo gear in there, then tossed the needed stuff for Catherine on top of my stuff. I may have to build some drawers and see if they fit my needs.




Looks like you have a well thought out setup Brian. I like the roof rack, there's a lot of surface area up there that can be used. Do you have a RTT up there too? Looks like a RTT with a small roof rack? It would be nice to build a rear bumper w/ swing-out and move shower water out there, with a can of gas.

I trailer would be real nice, but I'd need the power to pull it. :-\



One thing I do want is to set-up our FJ80 for big trips to Baja. Something where we could be away from civilization for up to 5-6 days. Be totally self-reliant while exploring the desert. That's the end goal, all of this local stuff is a bit of a test to see what we could do to refine that experience.

As of right now, I dont see me ever having swing outs, I get in and out of the back of my 80 that it would be a complete pain in the @$$.
It sounds like we have the same RTT, I have added the updated ladder and then had to have a new cover made by a local company, I like the size of the Mombasa I put a little hanger on the bottom of my RTT to hang a shower surround, I have yet to use it, I always worry about running out of water.
BTW My roof rack is the J-moose If you havent seen it

 

[mesha]

Instead of a hard sided water container you could try water bags. MSR makes the dromedary bag in sizes up to 10 liters each I think. Don't worry they WILL NOT POP. I have filled mine and stood on top of them and no problem. I am 250 lbs. They will puncture, but not much easier than a hard tank. I buy the black ones for water and throw them on a rock and they heat up for a nice warm shower. not as warm as an or board one though. I use the red ones when I am trying to save weight. I actually use the red ones for fuel they fit on the 4 wheeler great and squeeze in any space. I haven't had one leak yet. Just an idea.

 

[ammo_bru]

At a horse show I saw water tanks mounted to the roof of some trailers. If you had enough room under your roof rack you could mount some thin water tanks to the bottom of the rack (wasted space). Maybe something to look into.

When I had a bronco I built some draws for the back of it (maybe 6" high). It makes a big difference. I had 2 draws for tools and gear, long areas for fishing poles, and more. I put some carpet on it and you could not tell it was there till I dropped the tailgate. My dogs (120and 145 lbs) sat on top of it without having to deal with my tool bags or breaking my fishing poles.

Driving to fast one night, my truck got bouced around pretty good and everything stayed in the back of the truck. Safety is something you can't beat.

my 2cents
Bru

 

[Brian P]

At a horse show I saw water tanks mounted to the roof of some trailers. If you had enough room under your roof rack you could mount some thin water tanks to the bottom of the rack (wasted space). Maybe something to look into.

When I had a bronco I built some draws for the back of it (maybe 6" high). It makes a big difference. I had 2 draws for tools and gear, long areas for fishing poles, and more. I put some carpet on it and you could not tell it was there till I dropped the tailgate. My dogs (120and 145 lbs) sat on top of it without having to deal with my tool bags or breaking my fishing poles.

Driving to fast one night, my truck got bouced around pretty good and everything stayed in the back of the truck. Safety is something you can't beat.

my 2cents
Bru

Thin tanks like this?!?
http://www.rotopax.com

I love my box/bed in the back of my FZJ80, It is however a catch all with all my crap I dont always need

 

[Cody]

I use simple plastic containers that have differnet stuff in them. Everything packs pretty tightly together, but if I had dogs it would get much more difficult.

The only thing I think I'm going to do is have someone fab up a receiver mounted rack to hold 2-4 water/fuel cans. I figure it could be high enough to stay out of my way, and if it's receiver mount it would be easy to slide out at camp or when I need to get into my rear hatch......paging Tyler?

 

[bobmed]

I like the separate containers because it makes it easy to add or subtract stuff depending on the trip.

 

[ID Bronco]

Thin tanks like this?!?
http://www.rotopax.com

Cabelas has some like that made by Koplin the gun case manufacturer, less expensive. 2 gal for $69.99 I think. I did not look them up today though. They are sweet on atv's.