Same boat over here - except with a 2000 TJ. My advice is to (i) don't plan on carrying that many people and (ii) learn to economize on everything you pack. For me, it's just the two of us so it's pretty simple - we stack everything in the backseat and we're off. I used to have a cargo rack that hung off my receiver hitch but it hung too low for any real off-roading with it on. I have considered getting one of those racks that go above the spare tire but didn't think my tailgate could support the weight. I also didn't want to go the rear bumper/swing-away tire carrier route (too expensive) so here we are just piling stuff up on the backseat. Another option for you would be to get a safari rack that goes over the roof. They are a great option for more storage and perhaps the best option if you plan on traveling with more than two people.
In the tailgate I keep a set of tools, recovery gear, tire chains (in the wintertime), and everything else goes in the backseat area. It's like Tetris - you figure out what makes sense in terms of order/organization.
