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Leaves are dropping, and pretty soon our favorite trails will be iced over for months. If your hiking gear isn’t going to see any action over the winter, don’t just shove it all in the back of the closet. Taking time to properly clean, repair, and store your hiking gear ensures its longevity, so you can be ready to hit the trail at the first sign of spring. Here’s your end-of-season gear care checklist.
Backpack
Empty your pack. Be sure to check every pocket—a forgotten candy wrapper could attract rodents or make a mess of crumbs and melted food.
If your pack is grimy, stinky, or coated in excess sweat and dirt, give it a clean with the following instructions.
Tent
After sweeping out any debris, wash your tent and rainfly with a sponge and warm, soapy water. Pitch it to ensure it dries completely before stowing. Patch any holes, and reinforce peeling seam tape with a waterproof sealant. See below for more tent care tips.
Sleeping Bag
After a season of nights under the stars, your sleeping bag deserves a thorough wash. Follow the below instructions, then store your bag loosely in a large sack or hanging—don’t leave it stuffed in a compression sack, which can degrade the insulation over time.
Sleeping Pad
Clean any built-up grime with a sponge and mild dish soap. Patch any holes. Ensure it’s dried completely before storing.
Cookware
Clean your pots, sporks, and any additional utensils before sorting and storing for the winter. Also, do your future self a big favor and measure the fuel contents of your partially used canisters so you don’t run out of fuel on your next trip to the backcountry.
Got a Partially-Filled Fuel Canister? Here’s How to Measure It.
Water bottles, bladders, reservoirs, and squeeze bags
Make sure your hydration systems are completely dry before storing for the winter. Scrub the threads of your bottles to remove any mildew, and make sure any hoses, mouthpieces, and lids are clean and dry. Backflush your water filters and dry completely before storing.
Apparel
Clean any breathable waterproof layers with a technical wash and apply DWR spray to revive worn-out waterproofing. Down layers require specialized down wash. Show your jackets, midlayers, and baselayers some love; patch any holes, or visit your local repair shop for larger tears.
Bonus: Learn to wash your shell with this advice from a professional gear repair tech.
Boots
Give your footwear some TLC by cleaning off any caked-on mud.
https://www.backpacker.com/gear-reviews/cleaning-your-boots/
First Aid Kit
Restock your kit with any materials you used over the season. Make sure you have a complete stock of bandages, medicine, or any additional supplies so you’re not caught unprepared next season.
Ultralighters Need First Aid Kits Too. Here’s How to Build One.
Knives and multitools
Clean any built-up gunk or grime from your multitool and lubricate any hinges. Sharpen dull blades with the instructions below.
Spare backpacking meals
Store freeze-dried meals or snacks in a critter-proof hard sided container, especially if you’re keeping extras in a garage or attic.
From 2024