Outdoor gear is designed for weather and ruined by storage, which is the paradox every camper learns once.
Dry, completely
Never put anything away even slightly damp. Fabric sealed up for a season grows mould that does not come out, and mould is the single most common reason a stored tent is worthless.
Dry it fully — longer than feels necessary, at every seam and in every pole sleeve — before it is folded.
Uncompressed
Sleeping bags lose loft permanently if stored compressed. Store them loose, in a large cotton or mesh sack, not in the stuff sack they travel in. This is the storage mistake that costs the most and is the least known.
The same applies to anything with foam.
Out of the loft
Heat ages coatings, elastic and foam faster than use does, and a loft in an Indian summer is the hottest and most humid place in the house.
The rest
- Elastic under tension perishes — store poles unsectioned where you can, or at least not tightly bent
- Zips cleaned, because grit is what kills them
- Optics in their case, dry, with silica nearby
- Fuel stored separately and never posted Packing outdoor gear
What it costs
A big breathable sack for the sleeping bag and a dry cupboard that is not under the roof.
Questions people ask
Does re-waterproofing need doing before storage?
No. Do it before use, and say when you last did it when selling.
Is a vacuum bag good for storage?
No. Compression is the enemy for anything with loft.
How do I know if there is mould?
Smell it. Then look at the seams and the groundsheet. Describing outdoor gear.
More: common mistakes, what gear is worth.