After an exciting camping trip, you are just tempted to leave your camping equipment for some time and enjoy having a rest at your sweet home. However, are you sure it is a good idea? Isn’t it better to clean and dry your camping gear before you leave it for winter hibernation?
In this article, we will share the best hacks on how to store camping gear in tip-top conditions.
How to store camping gear after a camping trip?
Storing your camping gear is a bit time-consuming, but it is definitely worth it. The long-term storage needs proper organization, so as not to damage your camping items.
The proper storage of your camping gear includes cleaning, drying, organizing, and choosing a good storage place for them.
#1. Clean and dry your camping gear
The first thing to worry about is cleaning all your items. If you don’t give them a good clean, you will obviously face some bad surprises such as mold, mildew, rust, bacteria, and even some creepy critters!
Always check the manufacturer’s instructions and smart online tips before cleaning your gear. Use warm water, mild soap, cleaning detergents, and others depending on what you are cleaning. Opt for the machine or handwashing due to the type of cloth you wash.
Complete drying is always important so as not to develop mildew on your gear. Never start packing your items until you make sure they are absolutely dry.
#2. Organize the storage space
How to store camping gear while you are not using it?
Keeping your gear organized is crucial. The tip-top shape of your camping items fully depends on how and where you store them until the next camping trip.
Prepare the space where you are going to store items. Clean off all the dust and debris, scour away the mold and mildew, remove the spider webs, and get rid of any rust. Remove the excess items to provide more free space.
Then, choose the way to store camping gear. Opt for any variants from the given below, and remember you can combine several variants to organize your space best.
How do you store camping gear when not in use?
Sleeping bags
There are two ways to store your sleeping bags – in their original bags or some alternative packages.
As for the original bags, you can opt for them as these bags are designed to store your camping gear inside. However, you can have a hard time trying to wrestle your sleeping bag into the narrow stuff sack. Moreover, the tightly squeezed sleeping bag will lose its resiliency and plushness while stored for months.
You would rather pack your sleeping bags and sleeping pads into a large breathable mesh or cotton sack. Opt for a big pillowcase as well.
Camping tents
If you are going to store camping tents for a long time, always dry them completely before packing. The excess moisture can make your tent moldy while stored in the package.
Don’t leave them in the bags they come with, as such tight space can damage the tent fabric. You would rather roll the tent up and pack it in the large pillowcase. It works similarly to organizing sleeping bags. Never fold the tents, pack them too tightly, or store them in humid places.
Camping chairs
You can easily store camping chairs handily and compactly. To keep your camping chairs away from dust, debris, mold, and other issues, cover them with a large cloth or tarp. As you can easily fold the chairs up, you can store them anywhere you wish. One more good idea is to hang them on the wall racks or the peg boards.
Clothes
Always launder your camping clothes before storing them until the next trip. To avoid any mold on your clothes, never forget to dry them completely. You can both neatly fold your clothes and place them in the zippered compressed bag, or hang them on the pegs. The first variant works much better if you never wear these clothes for camping trips.
Hang clothing in a dry and warm place to be sure that no mold can accumulate on them before the next adventure.
Bags and backpacks
Hang your bags and backpacks on the pegs or hanging racks in the garage or closet. As you have different kinds of bags, you can store them in one another – a great space-economy hack! Choose the biggest bag, and let it be a home for other bags and backpacks.
As a variant, you can pack other items into backpacks. If you need your backpack often, a good idea is to have it equipped for the next time you are going camping.
Camping kitchen
Don’t worry about how to store camping gear when talking about your kitchen utensils! The only thing to worry about is how to clean and dry your camping kitchen properly before you pack it for a long time.
Place your camping kitchen into a chuck box, a plastic bin, or a zippered bag that is made of tough fabric. Store your camp kitchen bin or chuck box in a safe and dry place along with matches, spices, and butane lighters.
Tarps
The most common way to store tarps is to throw them over top of your other camping gear. Since tarps are resilient, you can flex and fold them as you wish. If you don’t feel like seeing a tarp over your camping stuff, you can keep it folded in the plastic bin or on the shelf. The tarp can’t be damaged, even if you just crumple it into a tight ball!
Sports gear
You can also need enough space for your sports gear. Divide them into similar-purpose items, and store them apart from each other. For example, if you have hiking gear, ski gear, and canoeing gear, store them separately, so you can easily get what you require without looking through lots of other stuff.
Such light items as ski poles or oars are good to keep in laundry hampers or tall baskets. Cover all your sports gear to keep it clean and dry.
Where is camping gear stored?
The key point is to store your camping gear in a cool, clean, and dry place. Make sure that you place your camping items in a safe environment without any damage risks.
Should you store camping gear in the garage?
Yes, your extra garage space is an ideal place for camping gear. You can also opt for some other extra storage, such as closet space, or basement space.
The main thing to keep in mind is to keep your camping equipment in a safe and dry environment. So, your garage is one of the best storage places as it is dry, clean (we hope it is), and safe from direct sunlight.
To store camping gear in the garage, organize the proper space. Install a few shelves in your extra garage space. Use the storage bins to prevent clutter. It will help you to keep the camping items apart from the car and other equipment.
In addition, if you live in a humid area, you probably have a dehumidifier in your garage, that is good for your outdoor gear storage as well.
Can camping gear be stored outside?
If you wonder how to store camping gear outside, the main thing to know is that we don’t recommend you do that. Since you have a high risk to damage your gear with excess moisture or extreme temperatures, outdoors is the last place to opt for.
That’s why it always makes sense to organize some space in your garage or closet for your outdoor gear.
Best storage ideas
Storing camping gear is essential, as you want to keep it safe and sound until the next camping trip. Switch on your creativity to organize the storage space! You can choose only one common storage system, or use multiple as well.
Here are the best ideas to organize your storage space for camping gear.
Bins
A good and easy idea to keep some camping gear items in clear plastic bins. Just believe they are campers’ best friends!
Firstly, it is the easiest way to organize and store your camping gear until the next trip, no matter when you are planning it.
Organize your camping gear items by their purpose. It will simplify your search when preparing for the next trip. Label these storage bins by the activity of items stored inside: a camp clothing bin, a camp kitchen bin, a camp toiletries bin, a car camping bin, or anything else.
Secondly, these storage bins are see-through, so you can see the contents kept within. Even if you don’t label the bins by activity, you can easily see what there is inside them. It allows you quick access to anything you wish at.
Thirdly, these bins are super-easy to store compactly, so you can save your storage space. Place them on the shelves, or just stack them on top of each other. Anyway, they don’t need too much storage space.
Drawers
For those who store camping equipment in the garage, closet, or basement, drawers are a good choice for storing small camping items. Such small and frequently used things as flashlights, electronics, and some other stuff that you can use not only for camping but are super handy to store in the drawers.
If you have some drawers in the garage, clear them first from the unused stuff inside. Make space for your small camping equipment and divide the drawers’ inside into mini compartments or labeled cubbies. Use a cardboard bottle divider to mark the compartments.
Shelves
Don’t forget about this awesome way of storing your camping gear! Keeping your items off the ground helps you to save them from possible water damage. Besides, it is a good way to keep certain items at their places and know their location for sure.
As a variant, you can combine the shelf and bin storage for the best storage system.
You have a wide choice of different shelving units, such as corner shelves, fixed shelves, pull-out shelves, adjustable shelves, and floating shelves. Each of these numerous types has its own functions and pros, so you can choose the best one to maximize and organize your storage unit.
Hanging racks and hanging rods
They are a perfect bonus to the small storage spaces. Hanging racks are good for storing sleeping bags, camping apparel, and some other types of camping equipment. In case of a little floor space, you can hang the racks on the ceiling, so there will be an overhead storage unit.
Command hooks can help you to organize the gear closet best. Fix them on the empty space so that you can store your trekking poles and hats on them.
Pegboards
You can hang a peg board anywhere you wish, including your garage or some indoor space. In addition, it is great to handle all kinds of items you want to hang on. If you are short of space, a peg board is your best bet.
Other ideas
Here are some more ideas on how to store camping gear:
- backpack as a storage unit
- laundry basket
- camping storage wall
- ceiling bins or canopies
Summing Up
Now, that you know how to store camping gear when not in use, you can be sure that your camping equipment will be safe and sound until the next adventure.
Read also: Do I Need To Ground My Generator When Camping – easy guidance for campers
My name is Olivia Kellison. I have been camping with friends and on my own for a long time. For me, camping is a great way to escape everyday life’s chaos. I started this blog because I have always had a passion for the great outdoors, and here I am gladly sharing what I know with other outdoor enthusiasts. It does not matter whether you are an experienced adventurer, or just planning your first trip, my blog will be of great help to you.