When to start

[Seven]

When do you start getting all your camping gear together? I like to have mine packed at all times spring-fall, as I have them in a couple plastic totes with lids. I usually air out things and get sleeping bags and blankets out the first week of May.

 

[Lorax]

My gear stays in use all year long, whether it's 85 and sunny or 4 feet of snowpack.

 

[GPER]

All i have to do is pack a cooler and toss the stuff on the trailer.

 

[Trabitha]

When do you start getting all your camping gear together? I like to have mine packed at all times spring-fall, as I have them in a couple plastic totes with lids. I usually air out things and get sleeping bags and blankets out the first week of May.

Ditto, although we will be getting things cleaned up and aired out earlier, as our first hike/camping trip will be earlier this year.

 

[IndianaHiker]

One thing to keep in mind is that some gear shouldn't be kept packed. Sleeping bags come to mind as they shouldn't be stored in any manner that compresses them. This can result in the bag losing loft and will not be as warm. If you use any sleeping mats that have insulation these also should be stored flat and not folded. I know most of this stuff applies to backpacking but geed to remember not to use a stuff sack for storage of sleeping bag.

 

[IndianaHiker]

Just remember not to store sleeping bags in a stuff sack. These need to not be compressed for a long period of time. Will result in lost of loft and a colder bag.

 

[ejdixon]

I do my airing and replenishing of camping supplies once March rolls in. That's the start of camping season for me.

 

[Michael]

The stuff that doesn't have to worry about compression (tarp, saw, etc) lives in my pack all the time. The stuff that does have to worry about compression (sleeping bag, etc) lives outside of my pack unless I'm using it. Some stuff (Swiss Army knife, bug spray, etc) migrates between my camping pack and my hiking pack as necessary, but is almost always packed in one or the other.

Everything gets put into its proper configuration either the night before or the morning of a camping trip.

 

[Ready]

Am I the only one who does not air out my tent before taking it out? I just toss it in the car and it gets aired out plenty when we set it up!

As for the rest of our gear, we just keep it all in the same spot except the sleepingbags which I always have to chase down a few days before we leave.

 

[Geezer]

I used to keep my gear all together in the basement but I lost a lot of it due to flooding. Now I keep it in a storage closet in the house. It doesn't take up much space and it's always together in one place.

 

[Hikenhunter]

All my family camping gear, ( we are a tent caming family) is packed in an old pop up camper I bought and gutted just to haul our gear. We take lots of unnecessities when we go to the campgrounds or state parks. Sleeping bags are removed after each trip and hung in a closet in the attic but everything else stays in the trailer. All my back packing stuff is unpacked after each trip and put in a closet I built in the attic just for my backpacking gear. The reason I unpack my backpack after each trip is so that when I go again I can physically see what is going into my pack the next time I go out, thusv avoiding forgetting something I thought was already in the pack.

 

[ppine]

Stuff is packed a day or two before each trip, because they are all different. We try to stay outdoors all year. Fishing season starts Jan. 1 at Topaz Lake.

 

[Grandpa]

I start packing as soon as I know where the next trip is going. Each trip requires different gear from pack to bag and even pad. I have a table in the basement and start laying out everything I want. Nothing goes in the pack until I am sure everything I want for that trip is there. I even lay out the clothes I will wear at the start of the trip as well as all belt, pocket equipment, and trek poles.

Here's to the memory of the memory that so often fails me at times like these:tinysmile_twink_t2::tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


My BOB is always packed. Otherwise, I'll pack additional items as needed.