Gear Care: Shelters
How To Care For Your Gear When It Is Not In Use
After getting through the last season with nothing but your hammock, you begin to seek variety in your shelter options. The hammock has served you well, what if you could lay completely flat? That is the reason for your most recent purchase of a tent. You saved and saved for this tent after doing a ton of research on the latest offerings. Not only do you have time involved in this acquisition but you also invest in quality gear which isn’t often cheap. Shortly after returning from your last trip, you begin to think about gear maintenance and care.
Why Post Trip Care Is Important For Shelters
The objective of taking care of your gear is so that you can enjoy it safely as much as possible. This goal is why cleaning, sanitizing and repair are necessary on a regular basis. Each piece of gear may require different types of care or maintenance. Make sure that you know what each calls for, what other items or materials you may need and the knowledge of how to apply all of these things. Be safe and be smart by having and knowing what to do when caring for your equipment.
Post Trip Care For Shelters
After returning from a trip you want to first air out the shelter. This lets bugs escape and opens up for any water to evaporate and dry. When I take gear out for more than a night it can begin to smell, airing out gives the gear a chance to breath and loose any offensive odors.
Next you will want to dust out the shelter using a single opening and shaking the debris/dust out by hand. Doing this will clear the way for further cleaning. Sometimes, depending on the level of dirtiness, you can stop at this point and be ok. If you have a dirtier piece of equipment you will want to wipe down everything with a damp rage or wash with mild soap and water.
The final step before starting to prepare your gear for storage is to air it out one last time. Mold can grow with the lowest levels of moisture if everything isn’t dry upon stowing. You should dedicate a few hours to this just letting the gear sit and move it around every once in a while. When you are ready to pack away, check with a dry towel that all of the moisture has escaped.
To store your gear, follow the manufacturer’s instructions if available. Generally speaking you will need to keep it dry, around room temp and away from chemicals.
Pre Trip Inspection & Testing
As you already know, your gear is in great shape as you take great care of it before putting it away. Because Murphy is always lurking, a pre trip check is mandatory. Part of your planning routine includes checking your gear for proper operation.
A good place to start is to unpack the shelter, check any additional components and make sure that you have everything you will need. By doing all of this gear care you are taking good care of yourself and anyone else who may be on the trail with you.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day and like many things in life, you will get out of your shelter what you put into it. When spending hard earned money on a quality piece of gear, the next steps are proper use and care. My tent is one of the most expensive pieces of gear I own. This isn’t by chance or that I have more money than I know what to do with. It is because it is the best for the money and is more environmentally friendly than many production tents. My goal is to have this tent’s quality preserved for as long as possible to keep it working and safe.
