How do you store your gear?

[HuntInWild88]

How do you store your gear when space is tight. We just downsized to a 2bd 1car garage house. I used to have a full room for my gear. Now I basically have no where other than the garage. How do you store you clothes and specifically packs in a garage that is unfinished.
Lots of spiders and I'm sure mice will come as soon as it starts getting cold.

 

[UtahJimmy]

Clear, stackable storage bins on shelving. I like being able to see what's inside without opening. Tried the more robust black ones from HD but don't like them as much as the clear for ease of use.

Get the big ones for backpacks.

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[Reddfin]

I store all my clothes and a few packs in a cedar chest right in the open in my living room. The chest is beautiful and it has excellent scent control leaving a nice cedar smell to anything stored inside. Everything else is in clear containers or tough Rubbernaidss on a shelf in my one car garage.

 

[DTC]

Do you have a basement? I store my clothes in 2 Patagonia Black Hole duffles. We had a basement flood earlier this year, and everything was bone dry!

 

[BBob]

Clear stackable bins on rolling wire shelving.

 

[EastMT]

Rubbermaid in the garage, organized on shelving, clear as well.

 

[hunterjmj]

I keep all my hunting clothing on hangers in my closet. Gear goes into black totes on shelves in the garage and optics go in the safe.

 

[MountainOhm]

Stackable bins.

 

[HuntInWild88]

Well the wife and I have found out that we have a bunch of crap!! We threw away probably 15 45gal trash bags full of crap!! We don't have a basement and my one car garage is being turned into my reloading area(Primers/powder kept inside except when actively reloading)/ storage unit. As of right now I can barely walk in.. we still have too much crap..of course it doesn't help both of my parents passed in theast few years and I'm just starting to really go through it all and say goodbye. But looks like big totes are the way to go!

 

[Bassman]

I posted the below on here a few years ago but I still use the same organization system and recommend it. Worked well for me when I was in an apartment as well.

You need three things: clear bins, a shelf and a spreadsheet/word document (I use excel). I use two different size sterilite containers: 16qt and 54qt (I think) with snap lids. I label each one with a typed number and high-level category (i.e. Sleep System) in a larger font and bolded. Then, I will put bullet points in smaller font of what exactly is contained in the container (i.e. Sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent + stakes, etc). The number, category and sub-categories make it simple to index your gear list in excel for future reference/revision. I decided not put the specific item as a bullet point on the labels because I did not want to change it every time I swapped gear, although the indexed spreadsheet is more descriptive and specific. For my “Baselayer” bin (or anything that is generic/have multiples of) I will label it as follows: Merino LS top (Grey) x2, Merino hoodie (brown) x2, etc. I like the clear bins because you can see what is in them and they are stackable. I would recommend committing to a single brand and fewer sizes so they can stack together more easily. I’d rather have multiple boxes for a category (and be more specific in my labeling) than a hodge-podge of container sizes that become a puzzle when you pull one out. The containers also make it easy to chuck gear in your vehicle when it is go time. All this is stored on cheap shelving from Ikea.

Specific examples of bin labeling:

1. Sleep System (bolded and large font size)

• Tent, poles & Stakes
• Tyvek
• Compression sack
• Sleeping pad
• Pillow

Excel will describe the specific product and include more detail. I will also label sub bullets so that it represents an index (1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc). Will also include item description/best uses for gear and weight in separate columns. Mine is modeled after the Outdoorsman gear list

The only drawback is that this system requires you be be diligent after a trip when you are putting gear away. Quickly tossing gear in a random bin defeats the purpose but is easy to do. Hope this helps.

 

[zacattack]

Totes or bins
For clothes that are non insulated I use those space saver bags that you vacuum the air out of

 

[Gasman]

I store my hunting clothing and gear in a storage unit that's very well climate-controlled.

For gear, my organizational system is similar to Bassman's as far as the use of Excel and labeled totes. Hunting jackets and pants are stored on a rolling wardrobe that has a zippered cover. Core clothing items (the stuff that goes with me on every hunting trip) such as gloves, socks, and most base layers are kept in zippered sacks, which in turn are stored in a 165 qt. Igloo ice chest. Also in the ice chest is a large duffel bag. When I'm ready to leave for a hunt, I grab whatever midlayers and top layers that I'll be taking out of the wardrobe and put them in the duffel bag, the duffel bag in the Igloo, and then the Igloo in the truck.

 

[Clockwork]

Since I live in an apartment I don't have too much room. While some of my bigger stuff I keep at my parents garage like coolers but most of my other stuff I use these lockable husky 25 gallon totes from home depot to keep clothing, cooking items etc.

It makes it easy for me to transport the totes into the truck when it's time to load up.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Stackable bins for stuff I don't use a lot.
Most of my clothing stays hung up, or in my pack. Then I can just grab it without going through stuff if I want to predator hunt, or backpack during the "off season".

Sleeping bag stays in the back of car, or hung up uncompressed.

 

[goalie]

Storage bins. Stackable. Sealed. Sturdy. I use the black ones with a yellow lid from Home Depot and label the end with blurred painters tape

 

[timinflorida]

Stackable bins here too. My problem is I moved a lot for a while so I ended up with duplicates. Go clear. Lot of time spent sorting that out and selling them.

 

[Ag 04]

Does anyone think that the heat in the garage would effect materials, such as the coating on tents?

 

[cciliske]

Like everyone else here - clear stackable bins.

That said, if you have a down sleeping bag, you don't want to store it compressed. So I hang my bag in the closet from the loop on it. Not sure if that's exactly the right way but the loft has always been good when doing that.

 

[alabamahunt]

Waterproof Husky containers from Home Depot. Have two of the black ones with wheels and 3 of the red ones with the clear top.

 

[Maki35]

+1 HD stackable bins.