Car Packing 101

Intro:
When packing the car for a roadtrip, you'll be surprised what you actually need to have at hand, or at all. Packing the car in a way in which you can reach everything you want to, will greatly reduce your stress level and the time spent hunting for things. It WILL take a few attempts, and a couple of weeks, to get everything in the right places; so persevere!
This is a simple guide to help you on your way!


Try to keep things together in groups: Cold items, canned food, snacks, brew stuff, etc. Also shop cheap (Wal-Mart etc) and in bulk; and pack the extras in the back of the car. [Tip: Keep your plastic bags from grocery shopping - you can use them for trash bags!]

Fridge: Get a good size cooler to keep things cold on hot days, or at least some way cooler than the outside temperature. Buying ice, although pretty cheap, gets expensive when you have to do it every other day.
When you stop somewhere, you can use a stream, creek or lake to keep things colder. Put your fridge items in a plastic bag (without holes) tie the bag up, attach para-chord (or really tough string etc) to the bag handles, dip it into the water and fasten the other end of the line to a tree root/stump/branch.
Try to avoid buying meat as much as possible. although the fridge will keep things colder than outside, you will have to cook and eat it within a day or two, or end up wasting your money when it goes bad. Buy canned meat instead (see Food; below)
Some good fridge items include:
Beer - always good to have around! Go cheap; PBR, Keystone, etc (it doesn't taste as bad as you may think, and tastes pretty much the same cold or warm)
Bacon and Eggs - awesome breakfast food! Along with some fried bread, it gives you energy for the day ahead.
Cheese, Lunch meat, Mayo, etc - Good for a lunchtime sandwich. All keep for a while if kept cooler than the outside world.

Bags: Where possible keep things in bags. Messenger bags (real ones, not the trendy shit) work great as they take up less room, can hold a fair bit of weight, and stack/pack easily. Sandwich bags (the zip-lock kind) are good for condensing things from boxes, packages, etc; taking up less space!

Brew Bag: It's great to have all your hot drinks in one place, making it easier for you to stop and 'get a brew on'. Keep everything in sandwich bags as they take up less space than the containers. Go instant or powdered wherever possible (taste/satisfaction aside!) Don't forget to include a teaspoon!
Favorites include:
Coffee - Instant is easier, but you do sacrifice taste. If you go with ground coffee (it is cheaper for a really big tub) make sure you have a one cup drip and enough filter papers.
Coffee-mate, sugar, etc - if required.
Hot chocolate - Great for the colder evenings! Use water and mix in some Coffee-mate to get a more milky taste.
Cider - Works great for cold nights (mix with some cheap whiskey for a nice cold night pick-me-up!)

Food: Try to choose cans wherever possible. They do have more weight, so they're not great for backpacking, but they can fit in the car nicely. You can find near enough everything you will need in a can: meat, veggies, fruit, pastas, soups, tomato sauce, etc. A variety of cans will mix up your meals so you don't get bored eating the same things every night. It also saves on the number of items you need to keep cold (see Fridge; above)

Spices: It's handy to have a variety of herbs, spices, sauces, etc on hand to add a little something extra to a meal.
Favorites include: Italian seasoning, salt 'n' pepper, mixed herbs, tabasco, stir-fry sauce.

Snack Bag: Always have some snacks on hand for driving, or an evening by the fire. Cheez-its and cookies (take them out the packaging and put in sandwich bags) are good munchy food.
Breakfast bars are great for the mornings when you don't have the time (or the food) for breakfast. They also make good mid-morning snack when you're hiking/travelling.

Miscellaneous : Keep a bag on hand filled with all the extra stuff you need, but don't use often (Coffee, sugar, etc) and put in the items you need to get hold of easier on top (like cooking oil)
Cereal: A good alternative to bacon etc. Buy the big value bags at the store - they cost less, and last longer! Also by being in bags, they take up less room and are easier to pack.
Bread: Always have a loaf, or two, on hand for breakfast and sandwiches. You can also carry the ingredients to make it yourself (see Candice's Bread Making 101)
Water: Always have lots of water available, especially if you are using dispersed campsites with no water facilities. 1 Gallon juice containers work best as containers; they're sturdier than the water jugs you can buy, and fit into the seat well in the back seat of the car. [Tip: You can fill up your water containers at campsites, even if you're not staying there!]
Cooking: A small cooking stove (approx $25) is all you need. Just make sure you always have enough propane canisters available. [Tip: buy these at Wal-Mart; you can get a two-pack and save about a1/3rd of your cost]

Clothes: Despite what you may believe, you WILL need a lot less clothing than you may think. A rugged pair of cargo pants (preferably army issue combats) will suffice for the day to day; and tops can be worn for a few days at a time. The less you have, the less you need to fit in the car, and the less you need to wash! (see Candice's Wilderness Laundry 101)
Go with layering - it will keep you warmer when you need to, and gives you a bit of fashion variety (if you care!) You can put on a tank top, a t-shirt on top, a long sleeved top in between, a sweater on top, etc, etc.

The Car:
You don't need everything all the time! Try to keep the things you need the most in the car and everything else in the trunk.
Pack the stuff you might need at some point at the back of the trunk, and pack your clothes in front. Fold and roll your clothes so that they take up less space.
Put all your food and cooking gear on the back seat, so that you can get to it all easily. [Tip: Put the stuff you need the most on the passenger side as it is normally easier to get to than having the driver get out!]
On top or in front of these bags you can pack your sleeping bags and tent. That way, they're the last things in, and the first things out.

Remember, once you've packed the car, try working with it. If it doesn't work, tweak, and tweak again until you find a way that works for you. You want to try to make everything as easy as possible to pack, unpack, and get to.