Store Camping Gear Properly for Future Adventures

Some days and nights are too beautiful to spend indoors. Summertime brings ample opportunities to camp out and enjoy the stars, good company, and a dozen or so s’mores. If you’re able to spend a weekend or longer camping in Shenandoah, up the Eastern Shore, or even right here in Chesapeake, we hope you have a safe and wonderful time. When you need a place to keep your gear until the next outing, feel free to contact us about renting one of our clean and secure self-storage units.

Camping gear requires special care when it’s time to store. Equipment isn’t cheap, so you want everything to last for years. Keep these tips in mind as you plan your trip.

Is everything dry and clean? If you’re lucky to not experience a washout while camping, you may still have to contend with morning dew and other forces of nature. The woods are full of bugs, and your tent and sleeping bags may be as well if you don’t air out and clean them before storage. If you stuff these things in bags without that extra step, you risk introducing mold and other rot to the fabric.

Treat your camp kitchen like home. You wouldn’t toss used utensils back in their drawers without cleaning them first, so why do that with your mess kits? Give everything a thorough scrub – plates, marshmallow forks, canteens…whatever your food has touched – before it goes into storage. Use a clear plastic bin for these smaller items, too, so they’re easier to find next time.

Check for batteries. Not everybody likes to completely “rough it” and that’s okay. Flashlights and GPS devices can help during a camping trip, and afterward they should be handled well. Remove all batteries from any camping gadgets you use to reduce risk of corrosion. You can store batteries separately in a plastic bin when not in use.

Have questions about what you can and cannot store in your Chesapeake storage unit? Contact us today, and learn more about our move-in specials.