Most camp gear does not wear out – it gets put away wet once. An hour of care at the end of the season saves a spring of replacements.
Canvas: dry, brush, wax
Pitch the tent one last time at home and let it dry completely – damp storage is how canvas grows things you do not want. Brush off dry mud, then re-wax seams and wear points. Store loosely rolled somewhere aired, never compressed in a car boot.
Steel and cast tools: oil is cheap
Wipe stove panels, hatchet heads and saw blades clean, dry them by the last fire, and give every edge and hinge a thin coat of oil. Leather sheaths get a little conditioner so they stay snug, not stiff.
Sleep systems: store big
Sleeping bags live loose in a large sack, never compressed. Pads store unrolled with the valve open under a bed. Both come back to full loft in spring instead of arriving flat and sulky.
The five-minute spring check
Before the first trip, pitch the tent, light the lantern and inflate the pad at home. Whatever needs a spare part gets ordered on a Tuesday, not discovered on a Friday night.
