So, another canoe trip is on the horizon. One of my favourite ways to get organized for any kind of camping trip is to gather all the equipment that I think I need and dump it somewhere in an open space. I use it to visualize how much space the gear will take up and use it to estimate what will fit best in what pack.
But I gotta admit, it also makes a huge mess!
This time we are heading out for 4 nights of solitude in the woods with 5 people, so it means that we need a fair bit of space for food, and extra space for sleeping supplies like sleeping bags, sleeping mats, tents, and hammocks.
I try to do a gear dump at least a few days before the trip (I most prefer a week, but it means chaos in the dumping zone for that whole week – which also gets on my nerves!) I really like to take my time going over my list and comparing it to the gear that I have, and even use the gear dump opportunity to see if I need to upgrade or substitute any of the gear.
Usually, I refer back to lists from other trips, because presumably, if I forgot anything on a previous trip, I highlighted or wrote in all caps to “REMEMBER FOR NEXT TIME!” It does help!
The benefit of a gear dump also comes in if you’re not typically a list person! If you don’t want to write out a list of what you need, you can easily see your gear when it’s all laid out rather than when it’s tucked nicely into a storage bin.
I also use the gear dump as an opportunity to walk through the meals and the cookware that I need. I have different cookware depending on whether we are canoe tripping or car camping, so I like to figure out what pots or pans I need and what cooking utensils I need.
It does make a huge mess, especially after working hard to clear a space for me to actually do my gear dump. But it’s so exciting as all the gear is placed into the appropriate packs because the space gets tidied up just as fast as it got it all messy!
But wait, gear dumps aren’t just for camping!
You can do a gear dump no matter what kind of trip you are going on. If you are taking a plane to travel somewhere, you may do a gear dump for all the things you’ll need for your trip. Things like toiletries, first aid kits, clothing for different fancy nights, if any, and any other essential gear that you’ll need. You could lay out any swim or beach stuff that you need. Maybe you’re touring Europe, so you may want to make sure you have good shoes, a travel pack for day trips, and even a waste pouch with a couple secret pockets for money or travel documents. If you’re going on a road trip, you may consider a gear dump to ensure you have enough stuff with you to last a big long car ride, even entertainment wise. Never underestimate a good trivia card game, even for just reading the cards out loud for some entertainment, learning interesting facts, or simply making conversation!
Have you ever done a gear dump? It actually helps you from overpacking when you can see everything all at once. It allows you to decide if something is redundant or not.
Keep the clutter at home and pack only the essentials!
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