Shoulder Season

Chances are, you’re between trips. Time to tidy up your gear loft, log your equipment, send stuff out for repairs and restock.

I’ve gotten pretty disciplined about doing this after every trip. But stuff still falls through the cracks, so I make a point of making a thorough inventory twice a year.

This is the time to sweat the small stuff in your life of adventure. You don't want to go out again looking like this.

So here’s my list.



Health, Safety and Security


Quick-release key rings. Good ones. On every pack you use. You also want them in your briefcase or courier bag, and even in your travel luggage.

Do: Make sure they’re still there, and make sure the corresponding mechanism is still attached to all your vehicle keys.

Don’t: Use plastic, manufacturer’s-issue clips. They're lame.


PLB (personal locator beacon or SPOT). An electronic GPS-like device tied to a subscription service. 

Don’t: Head out again with outdated contact or profile information.

Do: Replace the battery (or at least buy a replacement battery and tape it to the device). Renew the membership. And update your profiles and contact numbers.


Electronic compass or chronometer/avalanche beacons.

Do: Replace the battery. For total piece of mind, calendar battery replacement every 3 months. 

Passport. 

Don’t: Put it away before checking the expiration date. You should not be issued an overseas air ticket or a visa on your next trip if your passport expires within six months. And if that safeguard fails, you will be denied entry at the foreign border.

Do: Renew your passport. Get a passport card, too.


Med kit.

Don’t: Head out again with expired prescription medications, particularly Epi and antibiotics. And don’t throw sharps in the trash.

Do: Thoroughly restock your med kit using a detailed checklist. It’s easy to miss stuff without one. Click here for my checklist. This is also a good time to adjust the contents to the needs of the new folks you’re now traveling with. Date your new checklist and keep it in the cupboard or cabinet with your first aid supplies.

Bin there.

Drybags and watertight containers (and air mattresses, while you’re at it).

Don’t: Assume that fabrics with laminated seals have survived air travel or descent from high altitude without blowing a seam. Happens a lot.

Do: Check for leaks. Submerge air-filled drysacks in a sink or tub full of water. Look for bubbles coming out of the pinhole leaks often caused by pine needles and sharp pebbles. 


Repair kit and toolkit. 

Do: Inspect and restock. Clean, sharpen and oil or grease all picks and knives for storage.


Lighting.

Do: Stash an ultralight Petzl E-lite (or similar) in every pack. Tape a replacement battery to the headlamp or lantern.


Ten essentials.

Do: Restock fire starter, individually wrapped matches (since you can’t fly with a lighter any more, you should ALWAYS carry matches as backup), whistle, bug repellent sunscreen, bivy sack, pepper spray, etc. Clean and disinfect all water containers, especially bladders.

Hardware 

Ropes.

Don’t: Forget to retire ropes that are done.

Do: Inspect, wash and dry your dirty ropes. Log falls. Confirm that there is no possible way any clean ropes in storage have been exposed to chemicals that can weaken them, compromising their safety. Always hang all ropes in a mountaineer’s coil. No exceptions.


Rack. 

Don’t: Forget to retire fallen gear or bad runners. Or to return other people’s gear. In person. Over a beer.

Do: Inspect and re-rack your gear, log every piece against a detailed checklist. Replace lost gear, upgrade if needed, and tape every piece for identification.

Junk it

Axes, tools and crampons.

Don’t: Let them rust.

Do: Inspect the crampons. Inspect the pick and the shaft on all tools, including the bolts if necessary. Oil the steel. Tape the hex tool to the climbing tool, or place it in your tool kit. Store in a cool, dry place.


Goggles and masks. 

Don’t: Forget to get new lenses if your prescription has changed. Shoulder season is the time for Lasix if you’re ready. 

Do: Inspect them for seal leaks and loose or weak straps. Replace scratched lenses.

Bad harness. Bad.

Harnesses.

Don’t: Forget to retire dodgy harnesses.

Do: Heed maker’s tag warnings. Inspect and clean all harnesses before storage. 






Other hard goods.

From canoes and kayaks to parapentes and balloons; from boards to regulators and technical packs; from backpacks to skis, poles and skins, from fishing rods and reels to firearms, flares and spearguns, all your hard goods need to be in working order.

Do: Check everything out carefully and thoroughly. Test all attachment points, buckles, fasteners, straps, welts, laminations, igniters, electrical systems, bolts and action. Clean all zippers and protect with silicon spray. Anything with a trigger, regulator or valves should go in for a professional check once a year. Make a log for this scheduled maintenance. Renew all permits. Disengage all firing or ignition systems and store fuel or ammo a safe distance from stoves or weapons.

Soft goods 

Don’t: Store wet or dirty tents, stoves, cookware, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, boots, helmets, gloves or clothes. Don’t ever store them under compression or airtight stuff sacks. Cotton stuff bags for down items are OK. Never store soft goods near food or chemicals, like bug spray, sunscreen or gas cylinders.

What a display! These are
ski skins, not neckties 

Do: Clean everything, laundering according to makers’ tags, and let it air-dry before storage. Check for delams, rips and tears, particularly baffle rips in sleeping bags; make repairs as needed. I’ve listed more resources for you here. Hang soft goods if at all possible. Make sure that all shelved items are safe from rodents and insects. Cedar closets and lavender sachets work well to ward off moths. Store items loosely, so air can circulate.

I've scoured Pinterest for great shots of World of Interiors-standard gear lofts. Looks like I'll have to start a board myself; maybe it will turn into a charity calendar! Send me your pics. In the meantime, your local guide service or climbing shop can be your inspiration for designing your gear loft. Here are my own tips. For soft goods, like jackets and sleeping bags, Set up a system for matching and storing attachments, like hoods, powder skirts, stuff sacks, gear lofts, cutlery, etc. I like to store mine in pockets. Another good way is in dedicated drawers.


Oh, and welcome home. Give that dog a big ole hug. Cuddle up to the one who loves you. And don’t blame me if she’s already nagging you to clean the gutters. As a great adventurer once said, "We go away so we can come back...."

Ahh... four walls.