How to Prepare Your Camping Gear for Fall Storage

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August 15th, 2023

With the weather starting to cool down and leaves beginning to beautifully change color, fall is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy nature. There’s few better ways to take in the great outdoors than by camping, and many people find autumn to be one of the best times of the year to pitch a tent. But as the fall season draws to a close and temperatures start to approach freezing, it's important to start thinking about packing up your gear for the winter. Proper storage during off-season ensures longevity and performance, and you can never start preparing too early. Giving your gear the care it deserves now will make sure it’s ready for the spring and for many more trips to come. FreeUp Storage is here to help make the transition easier as you get your things ready for fall camping gear storage. This convenient blog post will help you learn everything you need to know about how to store your camping gear and explain the many ways in which renting self-storage for camping gear can benefit you and your equipment.

Inspect Your Items

The very first objective on your camping gear checklist should be conducting a thorough inspection of everything you intend to stow away for the winter. If you’re wondering how to inspect your camping gear, you should closely examine your tents, sleeping bags, camping chairs, and any other items for stains, tears, or other damage that may have occurred during use. You should also filter out anything that could go bad or be useful before next spring rolls around, including perishables, first aid supplies, firewood, and lighters/other firemaking materials. Another important part of the fall camping gear storage process is checking equipment like grills, stoves, and lanterns to make sure that they're all working perfectly. If you discover any problems during this inspection, we recommend acting to repair them quickly. That way, once the winter is over, your camping gear will be ready to go as soon as that first warm weekend arrives.

Give It A Clean

After you’ve conducted a thorough inspection of your equipment, it’s time to learn how to clean your camping gear. Start by shaking out any dirt or debris that may have accumulated in your tents and sleeping bags during your camping trips and wiping off any noticeable dust or dirt. You should then use a mild store-bought cleaning agent to remove any leftover food particles or grime from your cookware and utensils, including potentially neglected items like marshmallow pokers or pie irons. Additionally, it's beneficial to wipe down your stoves and lanterns to get rid of any dirt or grime that can affect their performance. Coolers, coffee kettles, and anything you take to the lake or get wet should also get a look-over. By cleaning your camping gear thoroughly, you not only make sure it’s in good condition but also prevent it from developing further damage, mold, odors, or other unwanted traits.

Store Your Stuff Properly

Figuring out where to store your camping gear is just as important as preparing the items themselves. Your first instincts may be to think you can use basement storage for camping gear or, depending on where you live, garage storage for camping gear. However, these places can get overcrowded fast and present a number of potential problems. We recommend you store your gear in a dry, cool, and dark location, as moisture and sunlight can harm your gear over time. If possible, elevate your things off the ground to help prevent water or pests from getting in. Storing your camping gear with FreeUp Storage allows you to have complete peace of mind throughout the winter that your things are in the right hands. Our climate-controlled storage units are kept between a consistent range of temperatures year-round to prevent fading, warping, and other forms of damage that can impact furniture, electronics, and other sensitive items. We also have many advanced security measures in place to create a secure storage environment, including digital video recording and electronic gate access.

Try To Stay Organized

Organization is an integral part of successful fall camping gear storage. It’s very important that you store your things in sturdy, durable containers that can help prevent damage. Cardboard is cheapest and easy for transportation, but your best option is to utilize plastic bins or tubs. In addition to being stronger than other materials, these are easily stackable and movable. It can also help to maintain an inventory of all your gear, noting down where it’s located to help for easy access later. Our unit size guide can help you visualize what storage size you need.

Rent Convenient Camping Storage with FreeUp Storage

As the fall winds down and camping season begins to end, figuring out where to put all of your gear for the next few months can often be stressful. You need to conduct a full review of what you have and figure out the best way to sort, organize, and store them for the winter until it’s time for your next adventure. FreeUp Storage is here to help you find the answer to all of your fall camping storage needs. We offer affordable storage units across the United States to help outdoors enthusiasts from all over securely and smartly store their equipment away for the winter. To learn more, check out our list of frequently asked questions. Once you’re ready, contact us or find the closest FreeUp facility to you to get started today! .