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It's a sad truth, but the end of the summer camping season is quickly approaching. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about getting your summer camping gear ready for storage. If you want to keep your gear in like new shape year after year, there are some easy, yet commonly overlooked steps, that should be taken before putting everything in storage. First, use this rule: Never put equipment away dirty. If you remember this rule every time you break camp, it will save time when you do your end of summer cleaning. Make sure that every time you pack up your tent, or roll up a sleeping bag, that you make sure it is as clean as possible. Sweep out any loose dirt from inside your tent, knock off any mud from tent poles and stakes, and remember to wash your sleeping back after you get back to civilization. The second rule is: Listen to the manufacturer. Clean all of your equipment according to manufacturer directions. I can't tell you how many times I've seen sleeping bags ruined from improper washing, tents stripped of their waterproofing, and other gear messed up beyond repair due to people not following this rule. When cleaned properly, no matter how many times you use your equipment, you can keep it all in nearly new shape for years and years. While you're in the cleaning process, this gives you a fantastic opportunity to review the condition of all of your gear. Identify missing pieces and replace if possible, repair broken parts, and make sure everything is in working order. Use this time to go over this with all of your pieces of gear, and also make sure everything is accounted for. Likely you wont be using your summer gear in the winter months for camping, so you will want to make sure all of your gear is cleaned, dried, properly packaged and finally, secured in storage out of the elements. Once all of this is taken care of, you can sit back and relax through the winter months, knowing you'll be ready to go when the summer rolls back around. By Chris Bernhardt - Anchorage Camping Examiner
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