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Posted: 4/6/2020 3:59:52 AM EDT
Since we are locked down I am organizing my basement camping/outdoor gear and preps.  Currently have a series of shelving units, thinking I may add one or two additional. Ski, mountaineering, and backpacking boots are bulky and awkward to store.

How have you organized your gear? Is there a picture thread somewhere? I’m looking to draw some inspiration.
Link Posted: 4/6/2020 4:22:00 AM EDT
[#1]
All those plastic footlockers I used to mail stuff home from Iraq are now in use for stuff like that. Easy to load on shelves, keeps dust out, just use a marker to write on them what’s in there, etc.

Just searched for them and found these that I would rather have and may just pick up to add to or replace some of the more best up ones...

Plano trunk
Link Posted: 4/6/2020 4:33:11 AM EDT
[#2]
Good idea using the Plano trunks.  I have one, but will be adding several additional for nylon gear, backpacking gear, and bug out items. Good to keep out dust.

I've also setup a shelf in the basement for organized storage of extra staple goods, canned foods, and other goods used frequently.

Link Posted: 4/6/2020 4:49:20 AM EDT
[#3]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
All those plastic footlockers I used to mail stuff home from Iraq are now in use for stuff like that. Easy to load on shelves, keeps dust out, just use a marker to write on them what’s in there, etc.

Just searched for them and found these that I would rather have and may just pick up to add to or replace some of the more best up ones...

Plano trunk
View Quote


That's a pretty good price.
Link Posted: 4/6/2020 7:21:53 AM EDT
[#4]
Using rubbermaid roughneck and action packers.
Link Posted: 4/6/2020 1:26:54 PM EDT
[#5]
Just combed through some gear boxes and found a small amount of gloves, masks and hand sanitizer.
it's like a mini-Christmas.
Link Posted: 4/6/2020 6:35:49 PM EDT
[#6]
I found tons of the little hand sanitizers in the deployment boxes. Digging through those the other day it is almost like I was remembering a past life, it just doesent seem real sometimes anymore.
Link Posted: 4/6/2020 6:53:17 PM EDT
[#7]
Three weeks without working and I organized nothing!  

Not a good SF Member!
Link Posted: 4/6/2020 6:55:52 PM EDT
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Three weeks without working and I organized nothing!  

Not a good SF Member!
View Quote


It's never too late to start.??
Link Posted: 4/7/2020 2:16:20 AM EDT
[#9]
I use several of the Plano boxes both identical to and similar to the above. I used stencils to mark them B1, C3, etc and have a list on an Excel sheet with the contents of each one.

The one linked above has a hinge on the back and the edges of the lid are not flat. The 108qt with latches on both sides is more expensive but has a convenient flat lip inside the lid in case a person wanted to add a gasket to increase water resistance.

Both styles are tough and on wheels so load them down if you want.
Link Posted: 4/8/2020 12:05:58 PM EDT
[#10]
Founds some HD gift cards.
As I make another trip to the Man Bunker, Sammich Six asks: What about all the tubs in the office upstairs.
Thankfully, she hasn't been in the Man Bunker in a long long time.
Link Posted: 4/8/2020 6:00:30 PM EDT
[#11]
My grab and go is a pre-staged Hardigg case. All the at home preps are stored in separate rooms respective to their uses. I love in an apartment so space is at a premium.
Ill get a pic of the case contents later.
Link Posted: 4/11/2020 1:37:57 PM EDT
[#12]
I would need way to many of those smaller trunks to make it realistically feasible.  I use the extra large storage tubs/ bins.  Not super tough but they have held up for a decade plus.  They are showing their age now.

I use a combination of storage methods.  I just took these pics and while my mad cave is not the "cleanest" at the moment it is mostly organized.  I don't have a garage so all of my camping gear etc is stored in there.  I do have a small work shop that holds my tools but it doesn't have room for my camping gear too.  

Storage bins holds things like my hunting clothing, snowmobile or motorcycle gear, spare clothing etc.

Attachment Attached File


Shelving unit holds the loose items, tents etc.  Sleeping bags and pads go on top.  Old home made wooden gun cabinet holds overflow and ammo below:

Attachment Attached File


Reloading gear, and supplies etc:

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Boots go across the empty wall.  Yet to come up with a better option as they take up a tone of room when you try to stuff them in a bin:

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Ham shack is in dissaray:

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Link Posted: 4/22/2020 2:57:57 AM EDT
[#13]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Just combed through some gear boxes and found a small amount of gloves, masks and hand sanitizer.
it's like a mini-Christmas.
View Quote


Sometime back around 2000 when Oshman's went out of business, I was buying the little Coleman bottles of hand sanitizer for about $0.25 each in their clearance sale.  Bought a ton for some reason.  Guess what I was reorganizing in early January 2020 and threw out?  Doh!
Link Posted: 4/23/2020 4:42:05 PM EDT
[#14]
Just entering the "Elderly" category, but being in good health, and fit, I find myself being concerned with keeping some items, and getting rid of the rest.

In short, I have much too much stuff, and in some instances, am more concerned with finding "good Homes" for some items.

Please don't ask, OK?


Link Posted: 4/30/2020 11:31:39 PM EDT
[#15]
I'm starting to add overhead racks and hanging hooks as a means of using that space.  I'll need to add in some more lighting but it's worth it to make more use of available space.

Something not mentioned is a means of keeping lists of stuff handy to know what's low in stock or gaps to fill when finding stuff on sale.  I use the Trello app and it's very handy for being able to take notes which I can easily see and edit from both my phone and my computer.
Link Posted: 5/1/2020 9:50:39 PM EDT
[#16]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By raf:

Just entering the "Elderly" category, but being in good health, and fit, I find myself being concerned with keeping some items, and getting rid of the rest.

In short, I have much too much stuff, and in some instances, am more concerned with finding "good Homes" for some items.

Please don't ask, OK?


View Quote


It is best to find appreciate people when you can
Link Posted: 5/2/2020 5:39:45 PM EDT
[#17]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


It is best to find appreciate people when you can
View Quote

Yes, that can be a problem for some.  Concur!
Link Posted: 5/3/2020 12:01:28 PM EDT
[#18]
We decided to get our furnace replaced.    It was 20 years old and although it hasn't given us any issues, it was 20 years old so it was only a matter of time.  Cleaning out the utility/furnace room so that the guy had room to work forced me to go through and re-organize everything.  I found a few things that we had forgotten about (including a couple of boxes of surgical masks) and realized that we were a little lower on some things than we thought.  To that end I put up a couple of sets of Monster Shelves and laid out some rows of daily use items in plain sight to make it easier to keep track of where we stand.  

I always marked food with the month and year purchased to ensure that it was rotated properly but lately I started marking EVERYTHING with the month and year purchased.  It makes it much easier to keep track of how fast we are burning through things.  As an example, I am still shooting 22 LR that I purchased in 2011.  I have 22LR purchased in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019 that hasn't been touched.  But the 40S&W that I am shooting was purchased in 2017.  So I can skip 22LR this year (and maybe next) and beef up on 40S&W.  Now I am going to apply the same concept to garbage bags, shaving cream, etc.....  It is a simple idea but it seems to work.

2hut8
Link Posted: 5/10/2020 11:54:43 AM EDT
[#19]
I use the plano trunks but I really like the HDX totes from Home Depot.  The black and yellow ones that kind of nest on the lids.  Only thing I found is to test fit them and make sure the lids snap tight.  I got a bad batch one time that the lids wouldn't snap.  They fit on shelves that I made in my basement.
Link Posted: 5/11/2020 12:00:21 PM EDT
[#20]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By thederrick106:

Boots go across the empty wall.  Yet to come up with a better option as they take up a tone of room when you try to stuff them in a bin:

View Quote



Since turning 60 I have found I only need dumb bell pairs up to 60 lbs.  I sold the higher ones at a considerable profit, but use the rack they were on for my boots.

It has 3 tiers and holds 24 pair of boots comfortably. I leave gaps between my duty pairs as I don't want to scuff the high gloss shine.

Granted, it is only a good option if you already have the rack. They ain't cheap. But it may spark an idea in your head to repurpose something else you DO have.

Example would be peg board with longer/shorter hooks depending on height of boot.
Link Posted: 5/11/2020 1:30:09 PM EDT
[#21]
Having racks for tubs is ideal.  If no room for racks, spend the extra money to buy tubs/containers that can be stacked.  I have had to toss out many tubs that failed the stacking test.  Would have been cheaper to buy more expensive, but stackable tubs in the first place.  Try to fill any tub fully, as doing so distributes the pressure of stuff on top of it better.  Put the lightest tubs on the top.  Put the most often accessed tubs where they are easy to access.

Label the tubs clearly.  If possible, store like items in separate tubs.  I.E. mag pouches/belts/chest rigs/ accessory pouches, and so forth.  Avoid, like the plague, stashing "different" items in a tub labeled for different items.  You'll see the mis-stored items again somewhere in the far future.  Have a separate tub available for stuff to be stashed properly.

It's also worth considering that items you haven't used for a long time might be best sold-off on the EE.  We all have only so much room, and perhaps the item can be of better use to another.

Common sense, really.
Link Posted: 5/11/2020 2:14:10 PM EDT
[#22]
I am beginning to like relatively small containers, up to about 30 quart size, and clear. The smaller bins are easier to move and being clear it allows me to see the contents.
Link Posted: 5/13/2020 4:11:17 AM EDT
[#23]
For some things that are sensitive I'll use tubs, but for most stuff - duffels. I've found that when they need to be moved, thrown in a vehicle, etc, they're much easier to deal with. Less wasted space too.

Other stuff gets dedicated hard cases. Stuff like ham gear, night vision, some weapon accessories, some tools.
Link Posted: 5/14/2020 2:05:51 AM EDT
[#24]
I've been cleaning out and reorganizing the rest into a series of tubes tubs, or as I call them, bins.  The really good stuff is in the house, some in the garage, and tertiary or seasonal stuff in offsite storage.  Unfortunately haven't cut down enough to eliminate the offsite.  Even the 30% I have done so far has been tremendously freeing.  

In addition to labelling everything and putting only certain things in each container, I now have several rules for the bins.  Previously I had a large number of bins and cardboard boxes, all different.  Many of the bins were old and low-quality.  I had some good bins, but each time I tried to find good and cheap bins, they were gone from the store when I went back for more.  The name brand is the same quality, only a little more expensive, but more importantly is available enough to build up a large stock of the same kind.  Lids interchange, they stack in predictable ways, etc.  Some of these bins are clear and some black.  Clear is nice to see in, but I also like black because you might not want things able to be seen by anyone walking through your garage, etc.  I also found that the old clear ones had more problems than the opaque ones, but that was not a detailed study.  The ones that did last were the Action Packers, they are very tough but are not very efficient on space.  However, the part I have organized as a "grab and go" stack is in the Action Packers.  I have some colored medium size ones, red for medical stuff, blue for water containers and treatment, green for radios and gear.
Other rules:  
1. All bins must have locking handles.
2. Never overload by weight or bulk in one bin - if too heavy, use a smaller bin; if too full, use a larger bin.  Buy enough bins that you don't feel cramped using more.
3. All lids stay with their bin at all times.
4. Be ruthless on organization and labelling.
5. Be ruthless on throwing crap out!

Edit:  Bins in the garage are on wire or metal shelves.  Shelves are slowly being upgraded and standardized too.
Bins offsite are stacked up, with good bins you can stack many high and not work about tipping.  Things go on the bottom based on weight and/or access needed.

Edit2:  If you read some organizational blogs, you will see a common frustration or procrastination stage is putting too much time into the organization.  You have to do enough to be productive, but can't let it derail you.
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