Tents, sleeping bags, and other camping equipment that has been stored needs to be unpacked and inspected. Even in the cleanest residential environments, vermin, mold, and insects can take their toll on stored gear. If there was a little moisture left in tent or sleeping bag fabric when it was rolled up there is a good chance it will have developed the most interesting (and unpleasant) smell. Unroll your tents, awnings, canopies, sleeping bags, and patio mats and make sure they are clean and free from foul stains and odors. Most fabrics can be cleaned with mild household cleaner, but take care not to over soak them. A fabric freshener like Fabreze may help eliminate stale odors. Have your sleeping bags dry cleaned. Even if they may say they can be machine washed, dry cleaning will be less likely to cause the filling to mat and clump. Tents may need to be re-waterproofed after cleaning with detergents. Spray on waterproofing like "Camp Dry" is the easiest way to do this but liquids that are brushed on may provide heavier protection. Pay special attention to the seams. You may need to use a wax sealer stick on the seams to fill needle tracks that could leak.
Stoves, lanterns, and heaters need to be inspected and cleaned. Check all fuel connections to make sure there are no leaks. Clean both the inside and the outside of the glass globe on your lanterns. Clean the fuel ports around the burners on your stoves. Pumps on liquid fuel may need to be serviced. Supply lines for propane appliances may have accumulated spider webs. Spiders seem to like propane and are prone to build webs in the plumbing of stoves, lanterns, and BBQs. You would think the pressure would simply blow the webs away, but they are surprisingly strong and adhere very well to the plumbing. Take care cleaning the orifices in propane burners. Avoid shoving needles into them as they can damage the metal and alter the size and shape of the orifice. Better to remove them and soak them in hot soapy water or vinegar and blow them out with a blast of compressed air. If you can't clean them, replace them.
If you have any kind of RV you will need to de-winterize it -- unless you are fortunate enough to live in the sun belt where winterization isn't necessary. Flush the RV antifreeze from all plumbing lines and fixtures. You may need to clean the system with a diluted bleach solution to remove residual antifreeze tastes and any other odors that may have developed in storage. Follow up this cleansing by rinsing with a baking soda solution and you're system will be ready to deliver great tasting water -- if you fill it with good,clean, filtered water to begin with. If you have a portable hot water system you use tent camping, you'll need to de-winterize in a similar fashion. Other post-storage tasks include inspecting the unit for any winter damage from elements, insects, or vermin. Check all tires, belts, and hoses and verify proper fluid levels. Now is a good time to do a thorough cleaning and detailing inside and out. Not only will your rig look nicer for the upcoming season, you will have a better chance of detecting any problems that might have gotten started so you can deal with them BEFORE you hit the road. Be suspicious of unusual odors, stains, or softspots that might signify leakage and dry rot. Be sure to inspect all the exterior seams and joints around windows and doors where temperature changes may have damaged the sealants. Clean and service the air conditioners. This includes cleaning the fins on the condensers outside and the filters inside. Check and clean the refrigerator cooling coils and the burner. Insects, rodents, and birds often find those places and use them for comfortable winter homes.
Provisions need to be inspected, inventoried, and replenished. Check for and replace damaged or leaking containers, outdated, stale, or used up items. Be sure to check basic food items, cleaning supplies, medical supplies, and personal hygiene items. Temperature swings over the winter months can take their toll on many products. I've seen unopened bottles of hand lotion that had separated, spoiled and become unusable and foul smelling during winter storage. Hot summer storage temperatures can do the same thing. Check to make sure you aren't hauling around empty or near-empty containers that won't do you any good. You will want to establish a "low re-order point" in your mind for each item. Stuff that gets used a lot will need to be replaced when the container gets below about 25% while stuff that gets little use won't need to be replaced until is is nearly empty.
Tools and utensils need to be inspected and inventoried. Missing or damaged items should be replaced. Make sure all cutting tools (knives, axes, saws) are clean and sharp. Check your kitchen drawers and your tool box to make sure anything you might have used last season or may have borrowed over the winter has been returned to is rightful place.
Inspect your camping wardrobe. Look for old tears or stains or new damage that needs to be taken care of. Insects may have found a home in your clothing over the winter. Clothing that has been in storage over the winter, in your RV or your camp bins, may need to be laundered or at least freshened before use. Sometimes all it needs is a session in a clothes dryer with some pleasant smelling dryer cloths and/or a shot of Fabreze.
Check your checklists. Use existing checklists to go over your equipment to ensure you are ready for the new camping season. Now is also a good time to review and update your checklists. You may find you have things on the list that are no longer needed or that you found things during last year's activities that were missing from the checklist. Hopefully you took care of the "to do" list from your last outing when you got home or over the winter, but if it is still hanging around waiting for attention, go down THAT list and make sure you bring everything up to date. Re-creating the same list again this year will be very frustrating and waste a lot of time and energy.
Review your plans for this season. Will you be repeating many or even all of last year's trips? If not, are there any items related to deleted trips you can take out and leave home? Are there new places or events or activities you want to include that may require additional equipment or supplies? Did you have everything you needed for all of your trips last year? Will any of this year's planned activities require additional planning, equipment, or preparation?
Investing a little time now will ensure a much more enjoyable and frustration-free season. Making sure everything is ready to go will give you confidence and allow you to enjoy your outdoor time instead of spending it worrying, making repairs or "making do".
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