Great list! Thanks for sharing.
Shelli, break it down to simplify things. When we got our first pop up camper, I split everything into 'rooms' even though of course our camper only has one room. Kitchen stuff was one list, bathroom stuff another, bedroom stuff another, outdoor stuff, trailer set-up stuff, etc. It sure made things a lot easier. Be sure to label containers so you don't have to pull the lids off 57 different containers to find what you need. Don't be afraid to sub-divide containers, too, so the forks don't all end up at the bottom of a big tote underneath the pots and pans. Use plastic shoe boxes or Tupperware containers to hold small items inside larger containers.
Whatever you use for storage for food items, keep in mind how savvy wildlife can be at a campground. Be sure your food storage is critter-proof. No need to fear animals, but ask the park staff when you check in, or better yet, before, the best way to avoid having critter problems in camp. Keep a clean camp so as not to leave anything around to attract critters. Although we once spent an afternoon being entertained by a flock of ravens who were completely trashing a neighboring campsite, where the campers had left their dirty dishes, bags of chips, and all kinds of goodies out and then gone off somewhere, that's probably not what you want to do. A friend of ours accidentally left a cooler outside his trailer once when we were all at an RV rally. He still mourns the loss of his peanut butter cups to the masked bandit who stole them. Other friends had bacon stolen from their cooler. If you want to leave coolers outside, put a strap around them, which won't help if you camp in bear country. Campground critters learn that coolers = food. Don't leave coolers in tents or screen tents where they can be seen by critters, because they may damage your gear getting inside.
I also make separate lists for food and further subdivide that into staple foods, dry foods, and cooler foods. I plan menus in advance and make detailed lists of what's required for each meal so things like catsup and pickles don't get forgotten. It's helped a lot, especially for long trips. Then I take along our food for the first week from home, and before we leave, make an extensive list for grocery shopping in the second week. That cuts down on time wasted grocery shopping when we should be sightseeing, and helps me stay on track and not spend too much. Although of course I'll flex if I find a sale or if something available here isn't available once we get where we plan to shop, or if there is a local specialty food we can't get at home but looks interesting. None of this is carved in stone but it helps keep the stress to a minimum when we get back to the trailer at the end of a long and busy day and know what's for supper, and have it prepped and ready either to throw on the grill or just eat.
Be sure to bring along pen and paper, so you can list the things you forgot, or would like to add to your gear. Then when you get home, you'll remember what you thought of during the trip.
We've found cat litter pails are very handy for organized storage. They're sturdy, waterproof, easy to handle, and fit between vehicle seats. We store electronics in one, so it's easier to find small items like chargers, spare batteries, DVDs, etc. Another holds charcoal. Another holds dog food and treats, if it's a long trip. In our case, our two dogs use the rear seat in the Avalanche and the pails are the perfect height to act as seat extensions, giving them more space. A rug over the top provides some padding for the dogs and keeps nosy bears from seeing something food-source-like. Five pails fills the space nicely.
I'd suggest a couple items people often don't think of: Laundry detergent and dryer sheets, along with a roll of quarters for various machines. We had an incident once where our dog wet the bed in the camper. I needed to wash several loads of bedding at a local laundromat, and was really glad I had the quarters, detergent, and dryer sheets along so I didn't have to either pay the expensive prices at the laundromat or go searching an unfamiliar town to buy large packages of things I didn't need to buy in a large quantity and not on sale. Dryer sheets take up no space and I used to re-pack liquid laundry detergent into a plastic bottle that would hold a couple of cups or so. Then I discovered those 3-in-1 sheets (Purex?) that has the fabric softener, detergent, and dryer sheet all in one sheet. Since it's all dry and not even a powder, those eliminated any chance of spilling. Even though they're expensive, I'm not looking back! We use them only for camping and then maybe only 2-3 per year, so it's worth it to me. Although lately I've been thinking I could probably saturate a terry cloth rag with detergent, dry it out, and then store it in a Ziploc and then just bring along dryer sheets to go with it, but I digress.
Have fun!
