Storing Things Safely

If you spend a lot of time camping during the mild-weather months, you may have a lot of camping supplies you need to store when cold weather settles in. Rather than devote space in your garage or scatter the gear in various closets, consider renting a self-storage unit for your camping equipment. This keeps your gear organized, protected, and ready to use on short notice. Here are four tips for storing camping equipment in a self-storage unit.

1. Clean And Dry The Tent First

Make sure the tent is clean and completely dry before you roll it up and place it in storage. If the tent is damp, you may come back to a moldy mess next spring. Don't put anything at all in the storage unit that is damp or wet. Hang tents, awnings, and sleeping bags outdoors and give them plenty of time to dry out. Then wrap tents and other fabric items loosely in sacks that breathe, such as a homemade sack from a bed sheet. This allows for air circulation and it keeps musty odors from developing.

2. Use Clear Totes For Storage

Everything that doesn't go in the sacks can be stored in plastic totes, and clear totes are ideal since you can see what's inside them. The totes keep small items together and will aid with organization since you can keep similar or related items in the same tote. You'll appreciate being organized when you get ready for your first camping trip next spring.

3. Keep Your Gear Off The Floor

Put shelves or pallets in your storage unit so you can keep things from resting directly on the floor. This protects your belongings from dampness and water damage, and it may help keep bugs and pests away. If you rent a small closet-sized storage unit, you can arrange it like a closet with a hanging space for clothes and other fabric items and shelves for stacking plastic totes. Shelves keep totes separate so they're easier to access, and it keeps items from putting pressure on each other and causing damage.

4. Choose The Right Self-Storage Facility

If you don't do any winter camping, you may not see your belongings for a few months, so you'll want to choose a storage facility that is not only in a convenient location with easy access to your belongings but that also has security features that keep your camping gear safe.

You probably won't need climate control for camping equipment, but it's always a nice option if you plan to put household belongings in your storage unit, or if you plan to keep your gear in the unit during the hot and summer months too. It's convenient to rent a storage unit you can park right next to, but you can also consider a unit inside a large building that offers the most protection from the weather and vandals.

For more information on how to protect your camping gear over the winter, talk to a self storage company in your area for tips.