Staying practiced in a spectrum of outdoor pursuits requires two things: time and the gear to get it done. As urban dwellers with finite storage space, keeping track of all our crap gear investments can be quite a task. (Yes, I'm guilty of storing endless tote bags and backpacks in empty duffels, next to my climbing shoes and hiking boots.) It can be a real challenge to remember where that one piece of gear is hiding without a very dialed system. Good news is, camping storage bins is a fast growing category for a surprising number of outdoor goods manufacturers.
More organized outdoor people have long relied on bulky, plastic, clear storage bins to haul their gear from the basement or closet to the trailhead and campsite. Now, brands from the outdoor industry have worked up no shortage of impressive storage options designed explicitly for storing camp/climb/ski/etc gear at home, hauling equipment in your car camping vehicle of choice, AND to the campsite or crag. Whether you live in the exurbs, the city, or a van, these camping storage boxes, bins, and containers will help make your life easier in more ways than you might imagine. And yes, I have personally replaced a few overloaded Ikea totes with some bins from this list, so consider the following editor tested and approved.
Below I'll breakdown the ins and outs of what we look for when qualifying the "best bins". Read on, take some notes, then embrace a more organized life (perhaps give your gear closet a proper KonMari while you're at it).
What to Look for in a Gear Storage Container?
Size
It might seem like an obvious overstatement, but size is probably the first thing to consider. For example, a huge 100+ liter bin might sound nice but think about lugging that thing up and down from a second-story walkup. Or even off a high storage shelf. Instead, two individual 50-liter containers would allow for easier quick access and extended backseat Tetris-ing, with the added benefit of keeping your camp kitchen and cookware separate from grosser outdoor gear.
Construction & Material
Some of these gear storage containers use flexible materials (Cordura, nylon) mated to a frame, which is collapsible when empty to save space. The more bombproof gear containers mold themselves in hard plastic, tested to handle significant, repeated drops through a lifetime of service. Which is the best if of course a question of preference (personally, I dig the flexible options.)
Weatherproofing
Similar to the material selection, it's obvious that heavy-duty, rigid containers for outdoor gear are made to keep the weather out as long as their closures are well-considered. But don’t overlook the soft-sided bins that use welded seams and waterproof materials to keep your gear bone dry, too. Last thing you want is a soggy sleeping bag!
Top Picks for the Best Gear Bins:
- Yeti LoadOut GoBox 60 Gear Case
- Rux 70L Clear
- Gregory Alpaca Gear Box 45
- Snow Peak Stacking Shelf Container 50
- Front Runner Wolf Pack Pro
- Roam 86L Rugged Case
- The North Face Base Camp Gear Box
- Yakima MOD HomeBase
- Dometic GO Hard Storage 50L
- Plano 108 qt Sportsman Trunk
- Radius Outfitters Gear Box 3000
- Pelican Case SM Trunk
- Sidio SidioCrate Full Size
- REI Co-op Trailgate Gear Bin
- Rubbermaid Action Packer 48 Gallon
