Gear Storage 101 & Why I Love A Gear Wall.
I don’t know about you, but I love a gear wall. There’s something beautiful about seeing someone’s gear all laid out in an organized manner…I find it to be one of my favorite art forms, which is why I built my own in the garage. But there’s more to a gear wall than beauty - it’s about organization. Staying organized with our camp gear can be one of the hardest feats of camping, and it’s a major factor in enjoying a trip.
Camping is a journey. It’s a process that begins with deciding where to go and ends with recalling memories of the trip. Everything between those two points is a step along the way of camping. Planning a trip is a camping activity just as much as hiking the trail. And one of the steps is packing your gear (and unpacking it). The process of packing and unpacking gear can be as pleasant or unpleasant as you make it. As I’ve heard all my life, and said once or twice, “If you take care of your gear, it’ll take care of you.” That extends from just gear maintenance to proper organization and storage. So let’s talk about it.
Getting organized
Step one to gear organization is to create a system of organization. Some go high and right, generating searchable QR codes that they print as stickers and assign to bins in their organization tree. Others keep a detailed equipment list with associated maintenance intervals in a document (either soft or hard copy). Some people have encyclopedic memories and just “know” where things are, and organize accordingly. I use painter’s tape, plastic bins, and milk crates.
Why painter’s tape? It’s cheap, easy to stick on and remove, and I can rapidly swap labels on my various non-see through bins. I know what’s in the bins even if it’s months between uses, as is the case for niche or seasonal gear, and if I need to repurpose a bin after a gear purge it’s easy. And a quick note on gear purges - if you don’t use it in a calendar year, and that means you never took it out of your boxes, you need to ask yourself, “Do I still need this?” The answer opens the door to what exactly you are after as a outdoors-person, and potentially to de-cluttering your gear storage. The fun part about de-clutter? Now you have more space for useful or relevant gear to your pursuits.
Plastic bins and milk crates found their way into my life when I decided to get organized. As I built my gear wall, the pegboard rapidly filled and the empty shelves became magnets for clutter. By “binning” everything together, like with like, I was able to organize the shelves by function. I keep the milk crates available for things that I like to see, like headlamps on the charger, propane cylinders, etc. Being able to visually sweep gear is not only satisfying - it can be useful to gear maintenance if you don’t keep a detailed schedule (I don’t).
Once a storage method is arranged, a system needs to be designed to keep you honest. My system is simple - like with like. I keep things that need to be aired out or hung on a rack I drilled into the wall on hangers. For my bivvy sacks, sleeping bags, snow clothes, and rain gear I keep the associated compression sacks and stuff sacks with them so I don’t lose them. I keep all of my electronics together in a milk crate that has a power strip and chargers attached so I never pick up a headlamp that’s “out of juice.” My lantern and its propane bottles live together. My freeze dried food and backpacking stove live together. And for all of my “grab and go” gear - binoculars, fanny packs (or nut-rucks), hatchets, snow goggles, and various gloves - I have a peg board. That’s the system of organization. Simple.
staying organized
The hardest part of gear organization is staying organized. While it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy to get organized in the first place, the laws of thermodynamics (look at that - Uncle Biv knows science) state that entropy will inevitably take over your gear storage system. To keep it organized, you have to put the energy into keeping it organized. That starts with the unpack.
When you unpack things from a trip, you need to make sure to conduct the proper care and maintenance of your gear. For sleeping bags, that’s assessing if it needs a wash, then shaking and airing out. It needs to be stored not compressed to prevent loss of loft and thermal efficiency. Tents, tarps, and rain gear need to be aired out to prevent the growth of mold and mildew, and are preferentially stored open and unfolded to prevent the development of creases. Cooking gear needs to be cleaned post use (don’t be a slob), and then stored away dry to prevent corrosion and bacterial build up. I personally use bags of rice in coolers, pots, and pans to soak up moisture. All of this is preferred to be stored away in a dry and relatively cool place to prevent degradation due to heat and moisture.
Once that’s complete, you need to take the time to properly store your gear within your system. Using my gear as an example, we store the sleeping bags and rain gear on the hangar, the pots and pans in their places with the rice bags, the electronics on the chargers, and the tools (once cleaned and dried) on the peg board. Simple. But it takes discipline to ensure that this is done with 24-48 hours of trip return. If you let your gear languish in the basement, garage, shed, or guest bedroom/office for weeks you’re reducing its useable life span and you’re not staying organized! This results in having to go hunting for your left boot the next time a good hike comes up, instead of efficiently packing everything up and hitting the trail.
Why i love a gear wall
This short blog post is meant to be the “gateway” to organization. There are many ways to organize gear and I’ve discussed my personal method which I consider to be convenient and cost effective. But I’d be a bad guide to organization if I didn’t point out something important. Organizational methods are entirely personal, and what works for you won’t necessarily work for me (or anyone else). Like opinions, we each have our own way of organizing things. Before I turn you loose on an unsuspecting pile of gear, I’ll point out a few strengths of the visual gear organization that is embodied in a gear wall, and hopefully lead you to asking the question, “What kind of organization will I actually use?”
Many people who suffer from ADHD experience issues with ‘object permanence’. This is, put very simply, he idea of “out of sight, out of mind.” While I do not have ADHD, I suspect that many of those who are drawn to camping and the outdoors do have the condition (diagnosed or otherwise). There’s a myriad of reasons for this including the fact that the outdoor world is more filled with fellas than fillies, and that ADHD types express thrill seeking behaviors which marry up with outdoor pursuits. So, if you have ADHD or something similar, a visual organization method can be very helpful. For the rest of us, I also recommend it. Why? Well, if you are constantly seeing your gear then you are constantly reminded of what is there, where it is, and what you need to do with it. Enter the absolute pinnacle of visual organization, the Gear Wall.
Gear Walls are visual storyboards of gear. They’re arranged in an appealing manner where every piece of gear is displayed, almost like a store display, for one to see. If they contain bins and crates, as mine does, those are labelled clearly to assist with recall of their contents. If you’re driven by aesthetics, they can be a motivation to stay organized. If you struggle with object permanence, they can be a reminder of what you have. I recommend them to everyone. Why? Well there’s something nice about seeing all of your gear in one place, neatly organized. It can be a powerful motivator for new adventure, and it can be a place to relax and take stock of where you are. Lastly, I enjoy using my gear wall as a venue for reflection. To write and remember the adventures that I’ve taken along the way. While many systems can keep you organized, only systems like the gear wall can provide these extra benefits. But most importantly, I love a gear wall because it is a system that I’ll actually use.
So ask yourself, “what kind of system will I actually use?” If, like me, you want a visually appealing means of organization that offers a multi-use space for maintenance and reflection, the gear wall is a good bet. But others have limited space and don’t need or want a visual system. In that case, the world is your oyster. If you are crazy enough, you might dive off the deep end and organize everything by weight, or color, or some other factor. That’s okay. Remember, the most important thing is that you stay organized so that you can quickly store, maintain, and grab your gear when the time comes. Because the point of outdoor gear is to use it!
Have a question about camping you need answered? Ask Uncle Biv. Want to share your tips and tricks for gear organization, or submit a photo to my wall of gear walls? Send me an email.