Proper Storage Matters - Tips on How to Properly Store Your Winter Gear

By: Nick Kochelek                                                                                         (Photo Courtesy of Flowwall.com)

Ski and Snowboard Winter Storage Tips

It's almost that time of the year when you are putting our skis and snowboards away and getting ready to pull our bikes out and get riding! With our transition of the season, it is very important to make sure you are all putting away your expensive equipment properly so it's ready to use the next season. Storing your winter goods improperly can cause damage to your equipment, and delay you when you want to get out and shred that first snowfall of the season. Follow our basic checklist below to ensure you are ready to go for your next season! 

Tip #1  -  Dry Your Equipment

Nothing is more important than making sure your equipment is dried off, and free of moisture and debris before storing it. If you use a ski or snowboard bag, make sure your equipment is fully dried off of that wet spring snow before zipping it up and forgetting about it all summer long. Failure to dry your equipment and zipping it in a closed bag will likely result in very rusty edges, damage to the base material, damage to bindings, and mold. In extreme cases, edges can completely rust out of the equipment which would result in a major repair or replacement.  

Tip #2 - Don't Forget Your Boots

Make sure you pull your boots apart and completely dry them before storing them. Putting those wet, sweaty, soggy boots away for the season will almost guarantee some sort of science experiment growing in your boots.  Don’t slack on getting them prepped for the off-season. Pull your liners out, pull your footbeds out, and completely separate everything. After everything is fully dried, put it back together and buckle everything up. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SKI BOOTS UNBUCKLED FOR THE LONG TERM! The shape of your ski boots will change and potentially damage the boot if left unbuckled for an entire summer. 

Tip #3 -  Proper Storage is Critical

Whatever you do, make sure you put your equipment somewhere safe and dry. Don’t lay face down on any concrete, store it in your attic, the corner of your garage, or in the lawn mower shed. Store your equipment off the ground ideally, in a well-ventilated area, and somewhere that isn’t going to be changing temperatures drastically. If anything, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a dry area. If zipping up in a bag for the long term, leave a portion unzipped, or purchase some silicon dry packets to store with your equipment. Ski and snowboard boots can sometimes make a really nice piece of real estate for rodents so ideally, you want to store those indoors anywhere climate controlled and free of humidity. Flowwall sells some specific storage systems suitable for your winter equipment.

Tip #4 - Storage Wax

One of the best things you can do is do a storage wax on your skis or snowboard. Basically, it's the same process as a typical hot wax on your ski or snowboard, except a step is skipped. Basically, gob a bunch of wax on your bases and on the edges and leave it. Don’t scrape it, don’t brush it, just set it and forget it. The wax is basically encasing your equipment and keeping it protected, free of moisture, and ready for the next season. Then come fall, all you need to do is scrape, brush, and buff, and you are set! Storing your winter equipment is an easily forgotten step, especially after an amazing season. However, failure to properly store equipment can be costly and delay you from getting back out on the hill and doing what you love. If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out, or stop in for your storage wax!

CLICK HERE to book your appointment to get your equipment storage wax done properly at Cedar Creek Outdoors.