One reason that Joan and I can get out many nights a year is organization.
We like to stay organized, keep things in their place, and have gear ready to go.
My unofficial role is our household quartermaster. Sunglasses and sunscreen stocked in the gear room, fuel ready to go, repair and maintenance supplies organized, and wag bags ready to grab as appropriate.
And one thing I restock after every trip? Our pantry tote.
A quick post-backpacking trailhead lunch after four days on the trail and before 1.5 hours on a bumpy dirt road.
About twenty years ago on the CDT, I ran into a couple about the age I am now. They camped out for a few nights somewhere in Montana, saw me walk by, and invited me to stay for the evening. They had a lot of supplies, generously shared them as trail magic, and sent me on my way.
And their supplies? In a plastic tote and very well organized.
I adopted that system because I appreciate good organization. Over the past two decades, especially as I combine backpacking and camping over multi-week periods with Joan, I found this concept beyond useful.
I’ve tweaked the setup over the years, used different bins, and rotated what goes in it, but I think we now have a stable system.
Why have a pantry tote instead of packing supplies for each trip?
Because more than once we’ve pivoted from a backpacking trip to a camping trip, and our goodies were already packed. We never need to wonder what’s in it. Alternatively, much of the food and supplies in the tote also works well for backpacking if we decide to hike somewhere better suited for foot travel than camping out of the truck.
And when we head out for the occasional cabin trip, we can toss the tote in the vehicle, not think about it, and know we have the basics covered for whatever trip unfolds.
We grab it, head out, and enjoy ourselves.
What’s in the tote?
Shelf-stable supplies that let us cook a variety of meals, mix and match staples, and relax after a day of hiking or after making camp somewhere remote and beautiful.
Joan sporting her MYOG 100 wt fleece hoodie.
We have:
- Mac n’ cheese
- Canned chicken
- Corn
- Soup
- Black beans
- Chili
- Diced tomatoes with green chile
- Green chile
- “Italian-style” diced tomatoes
- Rice packets
- Couscous
- Powdered cheese
- Mandarin oranges
- Cereal
- Dehydrated potatoes (hash brown style)
- Ramen
- Pasta
Of course, we keep the cooking basics stocked, too:
Joan likes to make pancakes on some leisurely, usually winter, mornings.
- Olive oil
- Hot sauce
- Syrup
- Some small bottles keep the syrup and hot sauce handy.
- Seasonings
- We keep what I think of as “base” spices such as salt, garlic salt, pepper, lemon pepper, etc.
- And spices for specific meal styles including ginger, dill, curry, “Italian,” or “Mexican” seasoning blends.
- Local discount stores often have ready-made mixes that work well enough for camp cooking.
- The spices get wrapped in individual storage bags and grouped into larger bags organized by “base” versus “meal type.”
- In other words we do TexMex one evening, Italian another, and perhaps a curry dish another evening.
And beverages make up the final part of our pantry tote:
- Gatorade powder
- Tea packets
- Coffee
- Cider powder
- Cocoa powder
- Chai powder
- Nido
- The Nido, cocoa, chai, and cider go into small containers.
- And a Bailey’s-style liqueur and rum for our enjoyable nightcaps.
- We keep the olive oil and beverages in handy, durable, and spill-proof 750 ml bottles similar to these.
The tote rides in the truck bed. In nearly a decade on bumpy dirt roads and isolated camps, we’ve never had a rodent get into it overnight; no cracks, still seals well. The 72 qt size seems about right. This one is a generic brand but otherwise identical to the Hefty we use.
We always keep some binder clips in a storage bag because they are handy for sealing up other bags. Additional storage bags and food containers live in our perma-camping kit duffel.
Our cooler of choice often contains some frozen or chilled meat along with frozen, and sometimes fresh, vegetables. We find canned greens less than palatable. We often have eggs, cheese, butter, tortillas (modern hardtack; better tasting and more versatile) and fresh fruit to round out the larder.
One last camp after seven previous days of camping and backpacking.
Over the years, and now decades, we found this always-packed pantry tote a key part of maximizing and enjoying our outdoor time on the Colorado Plateau.
Organization isn’t a gear review. It doesn’t have a weight or a price tag. It just means you’re out there more.
The night before a three-day backpacking trip into the San Juans. PCO Joan.