Storing To Stay Calm

Preparing, Packing, And Storing Your Hunting Gear Until Next Season

26 February 2018

Lois King

When hunting season comes to an end, it's time to get all of the gear put away until next season. Unfortunately, if the gear isn't prepared and stored properly, you'll find yourself footing the bill to replace the things that you need for successful hunting outings. Here, you will learn a few tips that will help you prepare and store your hunting gear properly.

Boot Care

One relatively big investment that you've made is on those hunting boots. Fortunately, if you take care of them, those boots can last you at least a few good seasons before they need to be replaced.

1. Use a stiff-bristled brush to remove as much debris as possible.
2. Get a damp cloth to hand-wipe any dirt that remains.
3. Use unscented leather conditioning cleaners to treat the boots. Just be sure not to over-condition the boots. Doing so will result in the leather becoming much too soft, and they will no longer provide your feet the support and protection they need in the woods.
4. Waterproof the boots with a quality unscented waterproofing product.

Descent your Stuff

One critical mistake that is often made when hunting is heading out in the woods with odd odors on your clothing and gear. You don't want any perfumes or human scents on the gear that you are lugging around in the woods. The animals will smell it and head in the opposite direction.

To protect your gear from these smells, never store anything in a closet that is already loaded up with other goods. The fabric softener that you use in your other clothing can transfer onto the gear.

Wash your clothing and outerwear using scent-eliminating laundry soap. Once washed, hang everything outside to dry. Don't send it through the dryer because the smells that remain from previous loads will stick to the hunting apparel.

Get a plastic storage bin and some cedar chips. Put the cedar chips in a sock and put the sock in the bin with the clothing. The cedar chips will help to enhance the woodsy smell that you want while protecting them from insects and pests.

Other Gear

Give the rest of your gear a good cleaning, remove the batteries from anything that requires them and clean and pack away the calls in their cases if you have them. If you don't have the cases for the calls, you can slide them into socks and roll them up. This will protect them sufficiently until you need them again.

After you've gotten everything ready for storage, find a cool, dry area to store the gear. If you don't have an area in your home to store everything, consider leasing a small storage unit for it. Contact a company like All American Mini Storage for more information and assistance. 

Share

Search