Gear Storage Ideas

[Muddler]

Wondering if anyone would be willing to share pics/ideas on how you store all of your hunting/fishing/outdoor gear.

Currently my side of the basement is an embarrassment. I have some steel shelves that I've scored for free over the years along the walls and 3-4 steel tables library style in the middle to keep stuff on. Basically everything has dissolved into an assembly of piles on the tables, shelves and floor. Partially in my defense, it seems like every time I go downstairs to take stuff down there or to clean up, the kids start screaming and fighting and I have to dump everything to go play referee and don't make it back down. That happens so often it's comedic.

I'm sick and tired of looking at my mess and want to get really organized once and for all. Ideas and input are greatly appreciated.

 

[OrangeMan73]

Costco industrial shelving, and the black and yellow totes. Home Depot sells their version of that same setup as well.

 

[Maki35]

Buys some HD totes to organize your items and label the totes.

Depending on how strong your steel shelves are. You can either buy an industrial storage rack/unit or build one from lumber.

 

[Snowhunter11]

I use the black and yellow totes from Menards. Same as HD, Lowe’s, whatever.. Label them top and side on the handle. I have a 11ft ceiling in my garage so I have hanging storage over my garage doors and around my garage. I can stack totes two high. Along with a third stall full of fishing and hunting along the wall. Entirely to much crap.. the f in American way!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Agree that totes are the way to go.

After killing a few rubber made and Walmart grade totes I went with brute. They were $25 a piece back precovid. Seems like they are higher now. I ordered them from Lowe’s or Home Depot for pick up. If you buy them off Amazon, your Ups guy will hate you.

regardless, buy some decent ones and set your shelves up for them. I sort my stuff by function - turkey, early Sesson stuff, late season stuff, etc. - and I keep one packed with stuff I take along on hunts that says in the truck.

Amazon.com

 

[croben]

Costco industrial shelving, and the black and yellow totes. Home Depot sells their version of that same setup as well.

This is exactly what I do too. I also have one spot to hang a few things up.

 

[longmire-mt]

I ran into the same problem regarding the kids. I built a 10x12 room in the corner of my shop and put a heater in there. It’s where I dump everything until I have time to deal with it. Plus I can keep my boat inflated, and all my fly tying gear out without worrying about the kids messing with it.

 

[hereinaz]

Totes and plastic MTM boxes for me.

 

[Elkangle]

I've done everything mentioned above, I'm moving to all vertical cabinets, one cabinet per hunting style hopefully...whitetail in one, MD in another, elk, mtn hunts, truck camping ect

I want stuff visible but clean when closed up

 

[Muddler]

Sounds like totes is the way to go. Unfortunately my shelves are the shallower office style and not deep enough for big totes.

 

[Kurts86]

This is a multi pronged approach but these are ways I manage storage of my hunting gear.

1) Garage gear loft- these are great for bulky seasonal items like ground blinds, decoys, coolers. This is basically free space. If you ever live in a small apartment you will start to focus on 3 dimensional storage. This applies here.

2) Tool box for small items- calls, tools, knives, electronics, magazines, archery stuff- per this argali video.
Tool Box for Hunting Gear

3) Build a clothes rack just for hunting gear and sleeping bags. Mine is 2 tiered under the basement stairs.

4) MTM ammo crate storage boxes for all ammo. These stack well up to 4-6 boxes tall with 25+ lbs of ammo in each.

5) Metal Storage Racks and Totes. The fastest way to clean up a basement are metal storage racks and a common tote size. The Home Depot husky brand 77” wide 24” deep ones are my preferred ones for the cost. Sam club has some a bit cheaper ($225) and gladiator makes some nicer ones for around $350. I don’t think you could build these out of wood today any cheaper on materials alone let alone if you value your time. With Totes find one you like and buy enough to fill your rack and label everything.

6) Modular wall rack- I’m a big fan of gear track systems. These give you almost indefinite storage flexibility. I have used these to store hunting gear in my garage and now my unfinished basement. The value here is you can move around hook positions l. You will figure out what works best over time and you can move hooks seasonally if necessary.

6) Annual post season purge- I can say this enough but if you audit your gear and get rid of stuff you don’t use you have less stuff to store.

 

[jpuckett]

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[jpuckett]

Bouta build this for my black and yellow totes


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[Eastonsgrandpa]

My solution is to buy a new piece of exercise equipment. Spend two weeks really invested in using it. Then it becomes a shelving unit. Amazing how much clothing an elliptical can hold.

 

[dster3]

I have a small shed - i use the yellow totes - i have camping specific gear (coleman stove, cutting boards, heavier tent) then hunting specific gear. Labeled and or specific gear stickers on it.

I'd recommend the tote shelf posted above if you have the room for it. I have some of the keyslot shelving, which works well for the space I have.

 

[Dos Perros]

I'm about to embark upon a regretful DIY project of building a giant wardrove/armoire kinda thing for storage or larger items. I don't like looking at things, I want stuff put away behind a door where I can't see it, otherwise all the stuff kinda gives me anxiety looking at it.

Dimensions will be ~70" wide, ~80" tall, ~24" deep. I want to have some portion of it have a clothing rack so I can hang jackets and such. Then shelves or cubby holes. Main requirement is big enough to put multiple packs in it, and fly rods. I'll update this thread and post some pics once my gear room is finished.

 

[98589]

I'm about to embark upon a regretful DIY project of building a giant wardrove/armoire kinda thing for storage or larger items. I don't like looking at things, I want stuff put away behind a door where I can't see it, otherwise all the stuff kinda gives me anxiety looking at it.

Dimensions will be ~70" wide, ~80" tall, ~24" deep. I want to have some portion of it have a clothing rack so I can hang jackets and such. Then shelves or cubby holes. Main requirement is big enough to put multiple packs in it, and fly rods. I'll update this thread and post some pics once my gear room is finished.

Between this and cleat shelving similar to posted above, toss in some PVC pipe

I store rods in the PVC up top, bifold flipup lid containers (hate em, should've bought just regular lid'd storage containers BUT they are ever so slightly more compact and sleek and no "lid" to move around) on the cleats.

The PVC, I routed out a channel for the stems of the reel to slide through, so it's really just rod inside, reel out, as I thought it'd prevent tangles and quick grab-lift-go situation...

Looking back, I'd have rather just done a smaller pipe for each rod, raked a touch, mounted between the cleated system and the wall and been done with it...

This here spring I'll be tossing some PVC in the hotbox, putting a nice long sweep bend on her, mounting that in the boat as a 'stab the pole in and follow the sweeping contour and keep moving' boat storage solution.

 

[Maki35]

Sounds like totes is the way to go. Unfortunately my shelves are the shallower office style and not deep enough for big totes.

I know the office type shelf unit you have. They're not made to hold big totes. It's for office files.
(I wouldn't want that file shelf tipping over/ collapsing if your kids are playing nearby.)

Upgrade to a better unit. Look for the industrial units or build one from lumber.

 

[jpuckett]

It’s a work in progress but I made this storage rack so I could fit 20 totes in it, and I think it’s gonna work out nicely!


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[Muddler]

I know the office type shelf unit you have. They're not made to hold big totes. It's for office files.
(I wouldn't want that file shelf tipping over/ collapsing if your kids are playing nearby.)

Upgrade to a better unit. Look for the industrial units or build one from lumber.

Yeah I have no delusions what I currently have can handle large totes. They were free so making the best of them.

Building one of those tote hanger things might be the way to go