A Wardrobe in 1 Cubic Foot
Yup, you read that right... We each have just 1 cubic foot of space to store our clothes in the van. ONE. Buckle your seat belts people this is going to be a wild ride.
Let me back up and explain why we have such a small space to work with. When making the organizational plan for Stanley we decided pretty early on that our clothes were going to live under the back bench seat. It's perfect, there is plenty of space and it is easily accessible! It was not long that we realized that the space had to be shared by our two 6v batteries that control our aux power system as well as the engine computer system leaving just two cubic feet of storage space. One for me, and one for Owen.
"I want to live in a van, but I don't want to look like I live in a van"
Owen did not even bat an eye at the space we were left with...frankly there is no surprise there. For me that was a harder pill to swallow. 1 cubic foot is not a lot by anyone's standards, EVEN for living in a van. I happen to be a lady (not that it has anything do do with my affinity to have clothing options) who likes to dress based on how I feel, what the weather will be like, and what possible fun-tivities I could get into that day. 1st world problems...I know. I'll be the first to admit that I am a chronic over packer, but confronted with one cubic foot of clothing storage it was high time that I really figured this shit out.
Objective
Get 4 seasons worth of clothes into 1 Cubic foot all while having gear for making recreation
To say that I have thought about this "conundrum" would be an understatement, I have pretty much meditated the subject and done hours, NO, days worth of research. Now, how to tackle this seemingly impossible task you may ask?! Well it is your lucky day cause, I'm about to tell you.
Solution part 1
These bad boys come in a bunch of different colors and sizes. We each have our own color making it easy to identify at a quick glance. All of mine are Blue and all of Owen's are Black. Fun fact: 5 of the full cubes stacked makes roughly 1 cubic foot. See what I did there?
Solution part 2
Live and die by multifunctional and basic pieces
I prefer not to look like I just came wandering out of the backcountry everyday. (side note: if I did come wandering out of the backcountry then it is totally acceptable) Everything that Owen and I have packed is something that can be multi functional. Things that can be dressed up or dressed down. In the woods or in the city. The key to getting down to the final wardrobe, BE SELECTIVE.
Specific Packing List
Full Cube 1 - Pants
2x Jeans
1x Climbing/Hiking Pants
1x Yoga Pants
Full Cube 2 - Shorts
3x Running Shorts
2x Jean Shorts
3x Casual Shorts
Full Cube 3 - Jackets
1x Flannel
1x Hard Shell
1x Sweater
1x Down Puffy
Full Cube 4 - Tops
4x Tanks
4x Tees
3x Casual Shirts
Half Cube 1 - Underwear
10x Underwear (they are small and you never know)
5x Sports Bra
2x Regular Bra
Half Cube 2 - Other
5x Socks
1x Bandana
1x Scarf
Conclusion
Devise a system, get your shit organized, put it into said system, and keep it that way
If you don't your clothes will feel like they are taking over and/or cause your already tiny space to feel even smaller then it already is. Am I being overly dramatic? Maybe...but also maybe not! This system works really well for us, who knows maybe it could work for you too. Maybe give it a try on your next road trip, camping expedition, or stay at your grandma Susan's house. If you have any questions at all don't hesitate to reach out and ask, I'm an open book!
Adventures-a-foot,
MAK
