I’m getting ready to go camping for the long weekend. That means dragging out all the camping gear I haven’t used in a few years. Everything is in good shape but it is all dusty and doesn’t smell very good! I got everything out, spread it all on the driveway to take stock.
I have a dry pack that has all the cookware that is used just for camping, this was easy, hot soapy dishwater and it was ready to go. The cook stove was a little harder. I took it apart and used paper towels to get all the gunk out of the bottom. Then I checked to make sure the burners weren’t clogged. After doing that I got hot soapy water and baking soda and scrubbed the whole thing down, inside and out. Rinse well and reassemble. It looks like new!
The coolers were ok, I use them pretty much all year round for parties and holidays so they always get used then they are wiped out and dried well before being put away. You always want to make sure coolers are dry before you close the lid, otherwise you can get mold growth and a musty smell.
My sleeping bag is too big for the washer so I got the kiddie pool out, used very mild laundry soap, dunked it around a little, rinsed well will the garden hose, rolled it up to wring it out and then spread it out flat to dry.
I put the tent up, inspecting all the poles as I went then I just hosed it down. Make sure you do this out of direct sunlight and its best not to use any detergent as this can affect the tents ability to repel water.
It’s always best to clean everything before you put it away. You should have a specific area to store all of your camping gear together. This will make it easier to pack for the next trip and if there is a natural disaster and you need to leave your home and want to take the camping gear it will be easy to grab and go.
I need to get better about cleaning all the gear before I stow it away for next time. When I get home from camping I’m tired and I just want to relax, maybe I should pick a more relaxing way to vacation!