Gear storage tips

[Kevin G]

Hey everyone,

I’m limited on space and options for storing my gear. I have a pretty nice semi attached garage (mud room between house and garage door) . I bought shelving units, clear bins, garment bags, peg boards, and silica packets, and other moisture removing products to put in the garage to help with moisture. It’s not a damp garage to begin with and we live in CT . It stays above freezing year round and only gets hot during the summer.

Is there any gear I should not store in the garage even with the right steps taken or should be ok to organize and keep my gear in there. Everything will be off the floor as well..

 

thanks

[Michael B]

I suggest to make sure anything made from natural fibers (merino, alpaca, etc) has proper protection from moths. Good ventilation both from the floor and out the ceiling or top of the door so hot air doesn’t get trapped in there and bake stuff. Keeping the direct light to a minimum will help minimize UV damage as well. Probably keep any fuel stuff separated unless you really aren’t worried about the heat.

[Kevin G]

For the wool and natural fiber stuff, would  cedar chips and moth balls in a closed bin and or garment bag do the trick? Does that include down quilts?

 

[dirtbag]

Invest in a decent dehumidifier!!! You will most likely be emptying the bucket of water once a day!!

[Kevin G]

Not very humid in there

[James Marco]

If you are sure it will not freeze, storing water treatment filters will be OK. Trail shoes should be stripped of their liner (should be washed) and put somewhere off the floor. If the building is on a concrete slab, they bleed moisture (ground moisture and from around the edges) like crazy. Water bottles should be stored full. Nylon/poly cloths should be OK with some insect deterrence (as above.) A treatment with permethrin will go a long ways against bugs, too. Usually, most gear should not be in closed bins. Rather leave it open to the air. This will minimize any chances for mold. Stoves/windscreens, pots & pans, etc should be fine. Just avoid mixed metals if possible. Avoid full canisters, full fuel tanks, WG caches, etc. I usually store fuel in PET bottles outside and the same for canisters (do not let these get hot.) A few batteries is OK, but, bulk packs need to be separated. It is possible to short a couple batteries, or, some of batteries can be heated by rapid discharge and start a fire. Generally wood shelves are better than metal shelves. They have a lot less condensation. Blacked out windows will help against UV damage. I likely missed some stuff, if in doubt send a note.

[Kevin G]

Hey man,

Thank you, I appreciate it.. I have wood shelves and peg boards in there. Not much direct light and just very hot during the summer. I think I’m leaning towards what you recommended. I’m going to store hardware type stuff that you mentioned..

I’m not storing my quilts and bags in there. I’m going to store those in a bin with cedar pouches and moth balls in the basement. Down  jackets , wool, and gore tex treated clothes is going in a special garment bag in a closet with moth protection as well.

My only other concerns were sleeping pads and backpacks. Are those ok to hang freely from peg boards in the garage? The rep from ULA wasn’t too concerned with any issues with storing them there. One of the packs is made of X Pac..

[David Thomas]

By far, the quickest way to kill gear is to put it away wet, so I focus on hanging all my gear AS SOON AS I RETURN from a trip, and turning stuff inside out at least once.  I’ve got hooks all over the (heated) garage ceiling that work well for that.

I know you want to order out for pizza.  I know you want a hot shower.  HANG UP THE GEAR FIRST or it’ll stay in your trunk till the next day.  Or the next week.

For just a few items, my utility room – the warmest and therefore driest room in the house works really well for that.

Water bottles ought to be stored completely dry or filled with chlorinated water (like city water from the tap).

[Kevin G]

Good advice! Thank you very much.

[AK Granola]

Yuck, do people still use mothballs? I would not want to sleep in anything that had been stored with those. Fortunately we don’t have those bugs here.

I wonder if you could just get rid of a bunch of stuff in your regular closet and store things there? I know you said you’re tight on space. But maybe there’s something you really don’t need to be saving….?

[Rex Sanders]

My water bottles get shaken dry, a tablespoon of dry baking soda added, lid screwed on, shaken again, and stored. Just remember to rinse before next trip. Usually obvious from all the white powder clinging to the walls. No funky smells or weird growths inside!

Mice decided they really liked our garage. After a few rounds of exterminators and many trap disposals later, finally learned that mice need to be sealed out. After a search-and-seal mission didn’t work … The bottom of our garage door is now blocked by a 2×4 on edge – and no more mouse problems. Apparently they don’t like to climb very high, either.

Dehumidifier made a huge difference, but your climate seems different. Bought one with a pump that drains through 10 feet of drip irrigation hose. Mostly “set it and forget it.”

Store your sleeping bags, quilts, and puffies fully expanded, not stuffed. You probably knew that.

Plus what others said. Thoroughly dry your gear right away, especially anything made with nylon.

— Rex

[Kevin G]

Thanks, yea I’m not storing my bags, quilts, and puffies compressed. They are thrown loosely into a cloth sack and stored in a large bin…

[Bruce Tolley]

How hot is your storage area on the summer?  I owned a silnylon shelter with taped seams. Some of the seams and other areas degraded markedly after two hot summers in my garage. The manufacturer replaced the tent but gave me a lecture about storing tents in a cool dry place

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