Didn't know I was supposed to just stuff my tent away! Here I've been rolling it up carefully each time thinking I was taking better care of it. Learned something new!
I lightly fold & then roll all my tents & some of them are older than this girl. My tents are just fine. I do stuff all my hammocks because well, how else would you get a hammock back in a bag, sleeve or snakeskin?
@@Imightberiding if you use your stuff often, storage becomes less important. You may have some durable stuff, but folding in the same place each time WILL weaken your gear and cause early degradation
@@mlynn998 Yeah, I realise that is true. Especially with cheaper or less pliable fabrics/materials. One only needs to look at an old map that has been well used & refolded along the same creases so many times that it is falling apart. You mentioned a valuable point & that is to use your gear often. Get out as much as you can & use your gear. Great advice. Cheers.
Do I have absolutely any outdoor/backpacking gear? No. Am I likely to acquire any of said gear any time in the near future? Also no. Did I watch this whole entire video with rapt attention purely because Miranda is super entertaining? Yes.
I believe everything she says too. I walk away from her videos with swirls in my eyes walking aimlessly in a hypnotic state fearing daylight and carrying her picture in my wallet. But now I've said too much perhaps.
I always enjoy Miranda in the Wild Videos! I love watching Nala cameos and doing Nala things. I hope there is some comfort in knowing that there will always be clips of Nala on youtube. She was the goodest doggo.
Note Regarding Commercial Laundry Machines / Laundromats: Unless you have no other option, NEVER USE THEM. Find a friend with a front-loading washing machine and bribe them with beer (and or pizza) to use it. With commercial washing machines, you have no idea who has used it before you, what they washed, or what they've washed it with. More often than not, the dispensers for detergents and bleach are still caked / gummed up with the cheapest, harshest detergents, fabric softeners, and sometimes bleach; people use too much detergent / product, don't use the machines properly, and or the machines don't properly "clean" themselves in-between uses. It's quite easy to ruin (or shorten the life of) that really nice, REALLY expensive GTX jacket, down sleeping bag, or puffy; you may have spent $$$ for the proper cleaner from Nikwax or Granger, and used it correctly, but the clueless bachelor using the machine before you was committing laundry hate crimes.
Love the people at REI. They gave me a ton of great storage tips when I bought my quarterdome. There’s a reason you’re the first place I go to for anything outdoors.
I do the same with my back pack after I wash it out since some of them have a bit of water resistance (reapply that!) and don’t always dry out on the inside!
I wash my filter with a little bleach water (per manufacturers instructions). I do the same with my bladder. I ALWAYS rise it out before use when pulling it out of storage.
@@EATENG I have a mini-fridge in the basement that is full of nothing but empty bladders and bottles. I don't freeze them; so far, the fridge seems to be cold enough to inhibit the growth of nasties.
I've stored some of my gear in plastic totes with the lid sealed. But, I've tossed in some of those silica packs (i.e. the do not eat packs you find in boxes of just about anything new) with it. They are fairly cheap to order a lot of them. Or, you can save up ones you get when you buy something containing one or 2 of them. I don't necessarily trust reusing them but they should still have some ability to collect moisture. I just prefer to spend a little money and buy a case of them. Just a helpful tip for those who store things in totes. This way you can seal and stack the totes. Otherwise, leaving them slightly open takes away from the stacking part.
I drilled multiple holes on all sides of my plastic bins for storing my tents. I can still stack the bins, but the tents get air flow. Pack the dry tents loosely in the bins, toss in a silica packet or two, store in a climate-controlled place, and your tents will last for years.
Great video! I've been backpacking and have used the "stuff method" for all my gear EXCEPT my tent. I will need to start doing this. Thanks for the content. This is going to save a lot of people's gear!!!!!
Can you store regular everyday backpacks that you don’t use for years flat in your closet without stuffing them? Like polyester and nylon regular everyday backpacks? They are kinda flat on top of each other, like 30 in a box in my closet but I don’t want to ruin them, I also don’t want to stuff them all and take up 10x more space. Can’t find this answer anywhere!!! Don’t want to take them out in 5 years and they are all ruined, it’s like 40 of them. Dry in climate controlled house, all unused. But they are flat. I stuff my leather ones but the others are just flat. Will this ruin them?
I definitely took a tent that has been sitting on a shelf for a few years on a climbing trip this weekend and ended up having to snip all my shock cord off at 1am in the grass at Miguel's. So timely.
Another great video, thanks Miranda! Since covid I've halved my backpack base weight from 30 years ago yay! But my gear in guest room has tripled, can't get rid of the old gear because I use it for car camping, and now I'm getting into bikepacking so more gear will pile into my guest room, hehe! I got 1' cubicle bookshelves, 3 rows by 2 high, stacked in front of each other so they create a 2' long cubby to stack my tents, foam sleep pads, and inflatable sleeping pads. Other self inflating car camping sleeping pads I keep inflated for guest sleeping. But backpacks are unwieldy - Some REI stores hang them up, but I prefer not to stress the handles on old and new backpacks. I found 16" x 18" x 25" matching cardboard boxes from a furniture store to stack (mimicking backpack storage cubbies at some REI stores made out of plywood). These work for 2-3 backpacks each, I'll add paracord to them soon, or fashion some beige duct tape/packing tape fastener soon unless you have better ideas in video to stack 2 wide x 3 high. Or maybe answer is keep them only 2 boxes high, instead of 3, so not as much stabilization, if any, is needed. My guests sleeping in my guest room can see all my gear, that's fine, I'd just like it to be orderly. Do you have better suggestions for backpacks that have multiplied like bunnies since covid? Thanks and cheers! I have extra matching cardboard boxes I'm going to cut and insert into the cardboard boxes holding backpacks for stability, then duct tape in place. I don't want heavy furniture because I enjoy the ability to move the cardboard boxes individually into the basement when out of town guests use the room longer than a few days, so they have more room, plus I want to move it myself, and not wait for my husband to help me move heavy furniture. This guy's shower curtain rod is a great idea in Gear Test Outdoors video because you don't ruin the guest room walls (or rental apartment walls) with copious hooks, but I just don't want two tall shelfs in my guest room supporting the curtain rod because of their bulkiness, but maybe that is the answer I have to cave into. But again he hangs his packs up, whereas I'd rather sit my packs upright for less stress on the handle, some of my packs are 30+ years old and I'm keeping them. Thanks for any suggestions you have Miranda. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dEZWre0YKjg.html
A comment and a request! The request: I want to see more of Miranda interacting with crew :D - that’s the most adorable part of this show, how much rapport you have with folks behind the camera and with Rainier etc - you all could be a very chill, outdoors education comedy routine! Also, for northeasterners the best advice I’ve got is not to store any sleep or shelter system in your basement. Northeastern basements get suuuuuuper damp, and moldy gets the tent stored some place in a basement where it stays dark with tons of temp differentials and moisture…speaking from experience.
I wipe the gas canisters dry then apply a thin layer of oil before storing them. It helps protect the rims from rusting, it's especially helpful if you refill your canisters.
Great info. I have a large duffel bag that I keep my tent and sleeping bag in. Tent goes in the bottom and sleeping bag on top. My hammock system fits in there as well. Hanging would be be better, but it’s definitely not compressed in there.
Another top tips great video, Miranda. Thank you. Sleeping bag storage is my biggest challenge. One top tip I was given for water bottles/bladders is to dry them out and then put them in the freezer 👍
Most expiration dates on medical supplies are only to ensure turnover in a medical environment (there's a host of reasons for that); those dates don't generally apply to your home kit. Band-aid adhesive does tend to degrade but it takes a really long time, and the easiest way is to see if the wrappers have yellowed. If so, just get new band-aids.
I wonder if storing the sleeping bag in the sack it came in is a decent compromise between storing it fully compressed or fully lofted... it stands to reason that it would be a decent option since that is how it was stored before you got it and nobody knows how long that may have been.
Hi Jeremy! Yes, you can definitely store your sleeping bag in the sack it came in. That’s what I use for mine - I just hang it on a hanger to make it easier to store! - Miranda
Can you show us a demo on exactly how you clean your backpack? For instance, do you spot clean with a brush, cloth or something else? Also how often do you clean your pack? Thanks for all your helpful tips and shared experiences!😊
Regarding washing your sleeping bag, do NOT use detergent with surfactant/wetting agent, as it will harm the down and the fats keeping it lofty and healthy! Also make sure to use liquid detergent as it will rinse out better than powder! You should probably save the wash until after storage rather than before, so get the fresh loftiness from the dryer just before the trip, instead before storing it! Also, don't forget about electronics with FIXED batteries! Lithium batteries will degrade if stored fully charged or discharged! So drain your headlamp/GPS/power bank and so on down to around 50-70% and they will last longer! :)
I used to have a down sleeping bag I ruined by washing it (the down never lofted after the wash). After that happened, I never washed my sleeping bags ever again, in fear of ruining them.
Take the sleeping bag to a laundromat and use their dryers, they are so much larger than home ones and toss in a couple of tennis balls. Stop it every 15-20 minutes and manually break apart the clumps of down. This is how I washed mine after buying it second hand. Repeat until dry.
Lofting the down is a manual job! You can wash it with a down soap (available at REI) but then when you put it in the dryer on the lowest setting, you must AGGRESSIVELY pull it out and break up clumps, dry some more, repeat. I do all my down once a year and I feel like I am in a CLOUD after.
One of the best things I have done was purchase better equipment in the first place. I still use a Half Dome Plus that is probably over 20 years old and a sleeping bag I purchased from REI in the 80's. Both are stored in plastic bins that are not air tight. The better stuff may cost more, but it lasts so much longer.
Wouldn't using a hanger for the sleeping bag put a crease where it's draped over? It leaves a crease on my pants/trousers if they're draped over. I just put my sleeping bag in the big storage bag it came with and hang *that* on a hanger.
I'm with you, I also feel that hanging can cause down/ insulation to settle. I open my themorest and put it on a shelf and lay my sleeping bags flat on top of it. Only works if you have space, but better in my opinion.
@@lesteve3 well if I ever win a lottery I'll be building The Perfect Gear Shed. Climate controlled, with lots of apace for all the gear I want. 😂 At the moment I'm in a tiny apartment with a stuffed to the rafters storage locker.
Not really. The main concern here is that you don't crush the down or synthetic insulation. If it settles in the baffles, that is easy to refresh by just giving it a tumble in the dryer, or even just fluffing it like a pillow. What you want to avoid is compressing the sleeping bag into a tight storage space for an extended period of time. Hanging it over a hanger, or just piled loosely in a bin, or hung in it's large storage sack, these are all good storage. Just don't cram it in a stuff sack and leave it for next season or it may not keep you very warm...
“I’ve never washed any sleeping bag I’ve ever owned.” Same my dude. This was also me during the “never told your tent/make sure it dries” I’ve been so bad about both recently. Gonna have to make sure they’re all good before next season
I've never washed a bag/quilt, either. Two caveats: I wear a set of silk long underwear as pajamas (I used to use a silk bag liner, when I used bags), and I'm kind of OCD about ensuring that my quilt stays as far away from dirt and moisture as possible. So, for example, it is carried in a waterproof compression sack, and it only gets opened up/packed back up from inside the fully-set-up tent and fly.
I've never caught the stuff sack bug. I keep my quilt in a big bag all the time, and stuff that in my pack, where it fills up any empty space and nothing rattles around.
can I get a video showing how to stuff a sleeping pad? I told my partner about not folding things to prevent creases but absolutely could not get my Klymit Static V to stuff in the sack it came in
I don't think you can avoid folding it for storage on your trips, I think she's just suggesting that you store it unfolded at home. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure in her other videos she folds her sleeping pads.
I got my Halloween stuff out of storage after 2 years of COVID and some things rotted. !!!! When I saw this video, I felt like I better pay attention. As much as I want to be a 4 season backpacker, well…. Great tips. Looks like I need more closet storage for gear and I a,m going to re rinse and dry my water storage and filters. Thanks!
If you have a knife/axe/tomahawk which you never use except on hiking or camping always put a thin layer of oil on the blade, a protectant on leather and wood handles (You can use a microcrystaline wax, like Renaissance Wax, on the blade and handle, except on rubber or hard plastic.) and never store your knife in the sheath. (Moisture build up and rust might not happen with a silca device in the bag but on wood and leather grips and sheaths it will dry them out to crumbling at times. Knives with rubber grips will get sticky if in contact with like or other materials so always store them in the bag they came in and/or a good cardboard box.) Always unsnap any snaps to increase their lifespan. You can store blades individually in long ziplock bags with a rust block or tab if not doing the above steps. Knives with plastic sheaths can be stored in them but over long periods the sheath may loosen up causing it to no longer hold the knife. Axes, tomahawks, and saws should also be coated with Renaissance Wax or something similar. Always prep for waxing by using 91% alcohol on the metal first to get rid of all oils and any dirt on the blade. This wax also aids in the cutting abilities of most blades. All these tips go for stainless steel blades too. (Yes, I'm a blade collector.)
with the zpacks duplexl you have to fold and roll it because of the riser rods. ive heard experts recommend folding and some recommend stuffing, so who knows lol.
I'm lucky enough to have a spare room to hang, clip, dry, and store all my equipment after trips. I don't know where I'd keep everything if I didn't have that space.
I love Miranda's videos, very interesting and insightful. However I do disagree with her tent storage or at least question it. I have a tent made from Dynema and most everything I've read an heard say to never stuff them as it will shorten the life of the material. Thats straight from the manufacture I purchased mine from. Maybe thats okay for nylon or other fabrics but I don't think it is true for all fabrics. Keep up the great videos Miranda!!
Agree. I also have a Dyneema tent and have been told the same by more than one manufacturer.... do not stuff Dyneema fabric - roll it to preserve the fabric. The carbon fibers break down faster if stuffed.
What about water filters? Make sure to store them where they can breath and dry out. I've got a mesh pouch for mine, not a zip lock bag so they don't grow lots of yucky mold in/on them. Also don't store then where they can possibly freeze (such as the outdoor shed/garage) but hopefully people already know that ;-)
Lifestraw actually recommends storing their filters in saltwater. I’d love Miranda and the REI team to address this topic… and if there is anyway to know if a filter still works before using it out on the trail again.
@@benjaminbrammmeier2256 some of them have integrity tests but not many. I tend to just get a new one each season (sawyers) but due to this waste I'm looking at a trail shot/gryal as the filters can be replaced
Hee lovely people, a trick I found out; store your sleeping bag in your backpack. It is a bit depended on backpack and sleeping bag size, but in general it should work. Loosely stuffing your backpack in your backpack kills two birds with one stone. You’ve got to store both backpack and sleeping bag anyway, combining saves space and not everybody has a large enough storage bag available. Make sure that, when storing the backpack-sleeping bag combi, the pack is not being compressed. That could be prevented by hanging the pack.
One word of caution about keeping sleeping pads in a closet--we did this, but we have cats and ended up with invisible pinprick holes in our pads which we didn't find until we went camping. :-(
Yep... Me folding and rolling my tent and it has been stored that way for the last 3 years... My sleeping bag hasn't left its compression sack in 3 years as well..... Oops.... My gear may need replacing lol
I didn’t know till recently that you shouldn’t let your water filter freeze. Luckily we seem to have survived, but I store my filters in the house now, not out in my he garage.
Water filtration gear with a ceramic filter (e.g. Sawyer Mini) needs to be stored above freezing point temperature (especially after first use), otherwise it can get compomised (ceramic filter could crack by tiny water droplets that forms ice crystals thereby expanding and breaking ceramics hence allowing bacteria, protozoa etc. to pass through).
Huh. I assumed I should quarter my air mattress and roll it up the way it came from factory. Those folds are really ingrained in my Tensor. I'm a bit concerned that just stuffing it back in it's pouch would damage the internal structure.
You guys should make a gear list video so you don't forget or lose things when camping, that's my problem! Can't figure out how to make my list yet? To much stuff! Ridge lines, tent pegs, guide lines, fire starting kit, poles, batteries, tarp, headlamp that's just a list of the things I lost in the past 6 months of camping! Oh yeah and my oil lantern on the last trip! Just to many things to list and check! Their has to be a more simpler way!!!
Hi, John! Checklists definitely make things easier (and can be tweaked over time). Here's a link to our camping checklist. We hope you find it helpful as you start your own: bit.ly/2C77o9Z
First time viewer... yet I still found out she was vegan within 2 mins of "meeting" her. It's amazing how vegans manage to pull that off; and she did it with such aplomb she managed to insult her host's furnishings at the same time. Classy.
Nala dreaming of a doggy biscuit bone at 7:57 :) :) :) I am fortunate to be able to store my quilts lying flat, except for one that lives in its big storage bag that just sits upright in a corner. The though of hanging one over a hangar seemed a bit off to me, like you would "crease" the bag at that spot or something. It seems like the hangar trick would still work if you just put the bag in the storage bag like normal, and then just insert the hangar at the top (pushing the bag down just a bit) and then draw the cinch cord -- ?? Or is the worry that, while hanging, the bag will slowly compress upon itself at the bottom of the storage bag if it isn't draped over the hangar?
I was so sad when I learned my tent pole elastics are sagging… I’ve used it once since and it still works, just a bit harder to set up. It didn’t seem as easy as she made it sound. REI quarter dome tent. Quick internet search showed ppl having hard time changing due to design of 2 hubs
I also like to avoid the possibility of critters taking up residence in my gear while it's stored. If I keep gear in the garage, I make sure it's in a storage container with a good seal. I hang all my packs on a wall inside my house using removable strip hooks making sure they're closed and I hang my sleeping bags uncompressed in large sacks from the ceiling.
Love it! So I sweat a lot while hiking. Can I wash the part of my backpack that gets all sweaty from my back? It's all this fancy waffle material and IDK how I'm supposed to care for it.
Replacing shock cord in tent poles is VERY easy and shock cord is cheap. I strongly encourage you to at least try it if your poles need it, rather than shipping them off for repair, paying for labor, shipping etc. It only takes a couple bucks of shock cord and maybe 10 minutes to figure out your first time.
