Here are a few things we've done.
1) Even though I love my ARB folding camp chairs, they're HUGE and they take up a lot of space. I'll use them for a training day, or an event, but not for multi-day camping. We went to REI and got some little tripod folding stools. They fit in a shoebox and save us tons of room. They don't have a back rest, but I don't really mind. We get more compliments on these little stools than any other piece of gear.
2) One word: Trasharoo. I have forgotten to take my trasharoo before, and it was sorely missed. My trasharoo (a backpack for your car to carry trash) keeps my cabin clean, keeps nasty stuff outside the rig, and frees up usable storage space in my bed.
3) Modular storage. After seeing Kurt's Kamp Kitchn, I realized the beauty of a modular setup. He had his stove, utensils, and basic cooking needs all in one unit. Since seeing that, we have bought a handful of small action packers. We have one for dry food, one for cooking/utensils, and two for spare parts/tools. When it's time to go camping, we grab our 4 small action packers and throw them in the truck
4) Pie Irons. I don't know if it's the glamper in me, or the need to feel like a cool kid with a stick in the fire, but pie irons have really simplified my cooking at camp. We still take the green coleman propane stove, and a cast-iron skillet, but when we pull in late to camp, (99% of the time we go camping it's late) we start a fire, and make grilled cheese. We also use our hot dog roasting sticks too. They're small and easy to store. And if you burn them enough, hot dogs don't taste like hot dogs anymore, they actually become palatable. Some of our favorite pie iron meals we've done: grilled chicken, totinos pizzas folded in half, and gourmet grilled cheese.
5) Doggy poop bags. It only takes once to forget to bring your TP, you'll never forget it again. Since we travel with a dog, we carry doggie bags for him. But recently we've discovered that doggy bags are perfect for packing out your used TP. We keep a roll of doggy bags inside the middle of the TP roll tube, then put it all into a ziplock so they're always together. Remember to tread lightly and not to bury or leave your used TP behind. Dig a hole 8-12" deep, bury your poop, and pack out your TP. TP doesn't bio-degrade very well, and can often blow around and litter the area. It sounds nasty, but it's really not bad to pack your TP out if you have doggy bags to put it in. If that really grosses you out, you can always be like moody and expoman and burn it (just make sure there aren't any pie irons in there.
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6) Shovel. The army folding shovels sure look cool, and a chrome shovel tied to your roof rack sure looks "expo", but we've found what works best for us is a small 3' shovel from Home Depot. It was under $10 and it's way more sturdy than the army shovel, and it doesn't take up all that more space.
7) Bivy sacs. In an effort to streamline my camping and try to talk myself out of my expensive rooftop tent, I bought a coupld of army bivy sacs for $35 each (see amazon). They're goretex bags that fit your sleeping bag and pad inside them. While i have used them as quick shelter and sleeping under the stars, I end up using them as dry bags more than anything. These are huge bags and they can fit your backpack, sleeping bags, pads, and anything else you want to keep dry. They don't take any extra room, but they're a fantastic investment if you have a pickup or put stuff out in the elements where they can get wet. Plus they're fun to sleep in too.
8) 2 coolers with dry ice. We have 2 different size coolers, based on the type of trip we're going on. We've been trying to cram less into our coolers. We don't need cold food for every meal. There are lots of dry, add-water foods that don't require coolers and make it far less work to prepare and pack. If we do need a lot of cooled food (usually 4+ day trips), we end up putting down a layer of dry ice at the bottom of our cooler, and pouring ice on top of it. We've had ice stay cold for week long trips using this method. Fridges rock, but I'm poor and my cooler works just fine for me. Plus I can remove it when I'm not camping. I'd like to do more food prep at home before we leave, but that just makes it take longer to leave. Lately we've been packing produce whole and prepping it at camp.
9) make your own spill kit to save space. Ziplock, gloves, kitty litter, and some gojo orange wipes when you're done. Fits under your seat and takes up very little room.
10) just get out. The more you get out, the more you learn what works for you and what doesn't. Don't let a piece of gear (or lack thereof) prevent you from going on a trip. Some of my best trips have been backpacking trips where you don't have nearly the amount of stuff you do on an overland journey.
