When it comes to nomad organization, it was a surprise at the beginning of my nomadic life how much longer it took to do the most routine things. There is So. Much. More. Work!
Most nomads live without modern conveniences like running water, flush toilets and washing machines, and it forces us to plan ahead for things we previously took for granted. We’re often viewed as carefree, yet we spend more time and energy than the average house dweller just to maintain the basics of our free nomadic life!
The first few months in my minivan were overwhelming and I struggled up a very steep learning curve. I constantly lost items, my pretty plans of curtains and tapestries were a major fail, (you can read more of that story here) and storing everything in bins turned out to be a disaster!
I’ve upleveled my nomad organization game and there’s a few habits that have helped.
Organize Your Routine:
1. It is unbelievably easy to lose things in a tiny space!!! Who knew!
I had to learn the very crucial habit of having a place for every single thing in the van. You’ll save untold hours of frustration with this method. And speaking from experience, DO NOT put something down, in a different place, and tell yourself you’ll find it later! There’s weird physics in a van that sucks things into black holes.
2. Keep daily use items, like toothbrush, toilet paper, meds, etc. in one dedicated easily accessible area. You shouldn’t have to fish through a bin to find your toothbrush every day. I started out with bins stacked on each other and it was super aggravating to dig through them every single day.
Now all of my oral hygiene goes into a small toiletry bag. Frequently used items like q-tips, lotion, essential oils, are tucked into a small plastic organizer basket.
The storage cart organizer seen in the pic holds other frequently used necessities.
3. Have an organized routine. I start out my morning with hot coffee, a simple but absolutely necessary pleasure. Coffee has to be prepared with minimal thinking, so I’ve organized a little tote bag with all the coffee related things. I only have to reach for the bag in the morning to get my coffee, and brain, geared up as quickly as possible.
Practical Tips For Nomad Organization:
4. Arrange your storage so that items you don’t use often are tucked away. My hammock and extra tarps are in a bin under my bed. I have three low rise bins under the bed without lids so I can just slide them out and easily have access to what I need.
While some shuffling of belongings is unavoidable in a small space, smart nomad organization cuts down on the time and energy spent moving things around.
5. Organize items based on frequency of use. Store clothing you wear daily on top of other less worn clothing. I store my socks in a zippered plastic bag, tucked into cargo netting slung on the inside wall of the van. Underwear and bras are also stored separately, saving time pawing thought my clothes for those items. Over the years I’ve minimized clothing, (except my hoodie addiction) and most of it fits into one bin under the bed.
6. Get rid of as much stuff as you possibly can! We all start out with too much stuff! My first purge of items was after 4 days on the road, and I regularly go through the van to purge. I have a rule of ONE IN ONE OUT … if a new item comes into the van, something else goes out. Recently I bought a 17 pound screen shelter, so I had to be ruthless, even getting rid of BOOKS! I wrote more about minimizing as nomad in my blog, How I Became A Nomad Minimalist.
How many forks and knives do we really need? How many coats, shoes or bras? Less clothing means faster visits at the laundromat. The fewer utensils, the less time spent cleaning up!
The more we can minimize, the more time and energy we have available to enjoy our nomadic journey. Everything we carry with us must be handled, cared for and moved around. The LESS STUFF we have, the more we live! The ultimate goal is to have the least amount of stuff to accomplish all of our day to day life functions.
Tips For Sanity
7. Once we hit the road, planning and preparation is replaced by flexibility! If you’re anything like me, even before you get on the road, you’ll have done months, if not years of research. I guarantee no matter how much you’ve planned, it will all change.
When I first got on the road, my quality of life as a nomad was impacted by not having a routine or efficient organization. The habits of #1 – #6 on this list now keep me sane.
8. Instead of dwelling on problems, become a master level problem solver. Creative problem solving is probably one of the most essential skills of a successful nomad. I hated my bins, but instead of staying miserable, I kept experimenting until I found a pantry system that I love. When I saw another nomad using a piece of plywood over low rise bins instead of a platform bed, I knew it would solve the head room problem , and I took out the wooden platform bed.
I love this quote from Marianne Williamson, “Focus on the problem = faith in the problem. Focus on the solution = faith in possibility.”
Living a simple life stripped of modern distractions can be a gift to our soul, a window to our deepest desires, and a chance to create an authentic life filled with joy. Learning to live without, we invite in the richness of life!
Some excerpts are adapted from Wild Women On The Road; A Women’s Guide To Nomadic Freedom In The Modern Age. Now also on audio on Amazon!
