How to store camping gear

Store Everything in a Cool, Dry Spot

Finally, once you’ve organized all your camping gear, it’s time to stow it away. While plastic storage bins will do a good job protecting your stuff, it’s best to store them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, like a well-ventilated attic or up on a shelf in the basement.

Tent: Set it up in the backyard when you get home. Make sure everything is dry, because a tent packed away wet can quickly mold, mildew and rot. Clean the dirt or sand off tent stakes and poles. Sleeping bag: Air it out and then hang it up on a hanger in a closet or lay it out flat under the bed.

Don’t squeeze everything on the floor when storing your camping gear in the garage as this will make it difficult to move around. Use the vertical spaces in your garage such as the shelves to store some of your gear. Keep your camp gear and first aid kit on the shelf where they will be safe and easier to access.

Keep it cool: When looking for a place to keep your tent, try to find a dry, cool spot in your home. This means avoid storing it in damp or hot locations like a basement, attic or car trunk. A gear closet or garage are both good options.

Lay your bag flat or hang it in a dry, temperature controlled environment. Don’t store your bag in an attic, garage, or damp basement! Synthetic and down insulation can be damaged if compressed too tightly during extended storage.

Most bag manufacturers recommend stuffing their down bags rather than rolling, since rolling tends to create memory in the down or matting. Also just like ColoradoHunterHiker said, DON’T store in stuff sack. Either put it in a loose fit bag, lay it out, or hang it up.

Never store your bag in its itty-bitty stuff sack! The longer you compress the insulation, the more loft it loses. Spread it out under your bed, hang it in a closet, or put it in a big, breathable storage bag (often provided by the manufacturer).

As long as you have a safe place for the tent, then the other stuff should be ok in a plastic shed, box etc. We store ours all over the place. The hardier stuff goes in the shed (which does get a bit damp and isn’t rat proof).

4 STORE IT

Pack the tent loosely and store it somewhere dry and cool, like a loft, garage or shed, and out of direct sunlight. Storing gear high helps keep it away from rodents and insects but remember tents can be very heavy, so be very careful not to put it somewhere that it could fall on your head!

If you have a tent, you‘re gonna want to make sure it’s well-protected and maintained. Your tent can last at least 5 years, providing you don’t use it too frequently and take care of it. Basically, there is no rule of thumb as to how long you can leave a tent up.

We recommend storing tents outside of stuff sacks, either loosely rolled or hung up in a cool, dry place away from any UV light. Your sleeping pads and bags like nothing more than to be hung vertically.

There is no practical advantage to it. Tent makers roll their tents simply because it’s easier to build that process into an assembly line than stuffing them. And, it looks better when the consumer takes the tent out of the box.

A tent should last at least 5 years of continuous use if it is well taken care of. A tent can last much longer or much less depending on many factors that affect a tent’s life.

Store your tent loosely in a cool, dry place.

Avoid storing the tent in a damp or hot location like a basement, an attic or car trunk. If a damp storage place is your only option, then place your dry tent inside a sealed plastic bin or other container.

Taking Your Tent Down After Camping

Shake tent out thoroughly. Even a well-ventilated tent can gather condensation, often under the floor and rainfly. Moisture that remains on a tent can do damage in the form of mold and mildew, so be certain to dry it as much as possible before packing up.

As a rule of thumb if you’re using your tent on average for 2 or 3 weeks a year then proofing it every couple of years should make sure it maintains it’s waterproofness. If you’re willing to play it by ear, just wait until it starts to leak, then do it!

Washing machines can tear fabric and tent seams, melt fabrics, delaminate waterproofing. You can wash your tent in a front loading washer but it is almost always better to wash it by hand. Use a sponge, and a non-detergent soap and gently hand wash and rinse the tent.

Here in the UK, you never can quite trust the weather. However, after a while, this coating will wear away and it will need replacing with tent waterproofing spray – if you don’t then you and your things could wake up a bit soggy after a downpour!

Simply pitch your tent, spray it down with a hose, and then use a sponge to cover the entire thing with the Nikwax mixture. For a tent as large as yours, you’ll likely have to use most of the 1-liter pouch, which costs about $39 bucks.