Here’s a question that needs asking – when did you last check over your camping gear? We mean really check over it, not just pull it out of the shed or the garage, stuff it in your 4WD and go camping. If you’re like us, then chances are you often pack your camping gear away wet or dirty, maybe covered in dew from the night before and an early packup, and then forget about it when you get home. Truth is you’re not the only one – we are definitely guilty of mis-treating and forgetting about our camping gear – especially when the weekend away ends with a couple of hundred kilometre drive home, and you end up stuffing all your camping gear in the shed late on Sunday night before you fall exhausted into bed, ready for an early start for work the next day.

Here’s the thing though. By doing that you’re cutting years off the life of your camping gear, and all you’re doing is causing it a premature ending! Instead, a little bit of care goes a long way, so let’s take a look at some of the things you should be doing as part of regular camping gear maintenance and care. It’s not hard and truth be told it isn’t even a big job – just a bit of regular care can double or triple the life of your camping gear! Here’s some quick tips to help you get the most out of your gear.

1. DON’T EVER STORE IT AWAY WET!

Sometimes you’ve gotta make a move, and you can’t wait til 2pm in the arvo for the sun to dry your gear out. That means packing away your rooftop tent, awning or swag wet, but if you do then you should make a point of getting home and setting it back up to dry out. That could be as simple as setting up your rooftop tent in the carpark at work the next day, or leaving your double swag out in the backyard to dry. If you don’t let your camping gear dry out properly, all it’s going to do is go mouldy, and that’s a massive health hazard. Plus it’s not fun either setting up camp next time only to find that you’ve got wet and gross sleeping bags and pillows to deal with!

2. PREVENTION IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN CURE

In this case, that means doing whatever you can to keep your camping gear clean and dry and prevent it from getting wet and dirty in the first place. The easiest way to do that is to protect it from the top, the sides and the underneath – particularly if it’s a swag you’re camping in. A vehicle-mounted camping awning or even a portable camping gazebo stop the dew or the rain from falling on your swag overnight, and a camping mesh floor goes a long way to preventing ground moisture from creeping up and wetting the bottom of your swag. And we can’t speak highly enough of adding protection from the elements from the sides, either – in the form of awning walls and gazebo walls. These clever bits of camping gear add protection from the wind and most importantly from the rain coming in sideways. And while it’s true that awnings, awning walls and mesh floors will still get wet and dirty, they’re much easier to dry and clean than an entire swag including sleeping bags!

3. REGULAR GEAR MAINTENANCE

More than just drying out your camping gear if it gets wet, it’s good practice once a year to set aside a lazy day at home to properly clean it all out and check its condition. Use mild dishdrops and warm soapy water with a sponge to clean any dirt off your rooftop tent or your swag, and take all your bedding out and give it a good wash and a dry. Clean and re-season any of your cast-iron camp cooking gear like your camping bbq plate or your camp oven, and remember to follow correct re-seasoning processes that include heating to temperature and using cooking oil or fat to coat to prevent rust.

4. SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT

There’s a saying – ‘sunlight is the best disinfectant’ – and while that usually is used as a metaphor for the truth coming out, it’s literally true too! UV light is an excellent disinfectant and will do wonders for your camping gear – particularly your self-inflating mattress, your swag or rooftop tent mattress and your sleeping bags. If you’ve been using your camping gear heaps lately and it’s starting to get a bit of a funky smell, the best thing you can do is pull it all apart in the backyard and let everything get a really good airing out on the clothesline on a sunny day. Generally speaking the hotter the better – the more UV light there is to get rid of smells and dirt! Remember to try and get all sides of your camping gear by turning over regularly. Half-way through it wouldn’t hurt to give a spray of Febreeze or similar fabric odour remover spray as well – the anti-bacterial one is especially good. Make sure that you give your camping gear plenty of time to completely dry in the sun, and give it a good shake off and a good hard part to remove any loose dust or dirt particles. Then take your take putting your camping gear back together nice and carefully, complete with fresh sheets and you’re set. The next time you go camping, it’ll be the most amazing camping experience you’ve ever had – because nothing beats the feeling of getting into bed in fresh sheets, unless of course your bed is at your favourite campsite!