Swap It Out: Seasonal Equipment Storage Solutions
Weather changes inspire you to get organized for what’s ahead. The right seasonal equipment storage solutions keep your gear safe — and remind you to tend to routine maintenance to keep it in shape for next season.
How can you best organize your gear? Here’s what to do.
5 Tips for Storing Seasonal Equipment
The following methods work well in a storage facility or other secure location for storing seasonal equipment.
1. Wall-Mounted Racks
You can find specially designed racks for certain equipment, such as gardening tools. The right racks keep your equipment from warping during storage.
2. Overhead Shelves
Overhead shelves are fabulous for keeping easily damaged items out of reach of little hands, making this solution ideal for those with toddlers.
3. Old Lockers
Make friends with your local scrapyard and your pocketbook will thank you. You can often find old lockers stripped from remodeled schools that make perfect gear storage. They even have a ready-made hole for a padlock.
4. Plastic Tubs
Airtight containers are superb for keeping pests such as insects from destroying easily damaged gear in the off-season.
5. Pegboard
Pegboard is the ultimate organizing tool for small equipment. You can mount it inside a secure locker or shed to keep items like gloves from growing legs.
Benefits of Effective Seasonal Equipment Storage
You reap considerable benefits from the right seasonal equipment storage. For one, it’s a jumpstart to necessary maintenance. You should perform all needed repairs and clean your gear before tucking it in safely for the season.
Another benefit is safety. In areas where theft is on the rise, leaving your gear on the back porch or even your garage can mean it grows legs. Almost 10% of break-ins occur through the garage door, meaning a locked shed or, better yet, a professional storage facility is your safer bet.
Why and When You Need Seasonal Storage Solutions
You should clean, repair and properly store your sports equipment at least twice per year. The following schedule is typical:
- The summer-to-winter transition handles snowblowers, snowmobiles, shovels, bags of salt and sleds.
- The winter-to-summer transition manages your fishing gear, landscaping tools, lawnmowers, jet skis and vacation supplies.
Essential Tasks When Storing Seasonal Equipment
When storing your seasonal equipment, make the following tasks paramount.
1. Clean and Protect First
Don’t put away dirty gear, even if you don’t mind that corn chip smell. Bacteria can accumulate on such surfaces and damage your equipment during the off-season. Thoroughly clean it per manufacturer instructions and apply protective coatings where necessary.
2. Clearly Label
Trying to find the right gear the next time the season rolls around becomes much easier if you label everything clearly. You don’t even need a label-maker — some masking tape and a Sharpie does the trick.
Seasonal Equipment Storage Solutions
When the weather changes, it cues you to take care of your gear. Following these tips when seeking seasonal equipment storage solutions will ensure your equipment enjoys a healthy rest during the off-season and is ready for play next year.
Need space? Find the right storage location here and rest assured that your skis and dirt bikes remain protected when not in use.
Contributed by Jack Shaw, senior writer of Modded Magazine