Blog
Looking after your gear after a trip
Getting home from a trip is when the real work starts. A quick clean and proper drying now means your tent, stove and sleeping bag are ready to go again, instead of sitting damp until the next trip.
Below are the basics we tell every customer: clean before you dry, dry before you store, and check your gear so small problems get sorted before they ruin a trip.
ACCESSORIES
Cam Strap Tie Down Pair
R1,780.00
Dry Bag Backpack 30L
R10,780.00
Folding Pocket Knife Wood Handle
R3,580.00
Hard Anodised Camp Kettle
R7,720.00
Three Person Dome Tent Orange
Original price was: R7,180.00.R6,280.00Current price is: R6,280.00.
Never pack a tent away wet. Pitch it in the garden or hang it over a line until it is completely dry, then shake out the sand and grit before you roll it up. A tent packed away damp will smell musty and the groundsheet can start to mildew.
Count your tent pegs and guy lines when you get home, not the night before your next trip. Bent pegs and frayed guy lines are easy to miss until you are standing in the wind trying to pitch camp.
Check Your Pegs - Shop Accessories
Give your kettle, mug and spork a proper wash before they go back in the cupboard. Leftover food and ash from the stove hold onto smells, and nobody wants a kettle that tastes like last month's boerewors.
Clean Your Cookware - Shop Camp Cooking
Empty your pack completely, including the bottom pocket you always forget about. Turn it inside out if you can and let it air properly. Damp straps and buckles start to smell after a few trips if they never get the chance to dry.
Air Out Your Pack - Shop Backpacks
Take the batteries out of head torches and lanterns if you are not using them again soon. Old batteries leak and ruin the contacts, and there is nothing worse than reaching for a torch that will not switch on.
Check Your Batteries - Shop Lighting
LIGHTING
Cam Strap Tie Down Pair
R1,780.00
Dry Bag Backpack 30L
R10,780.00Folding Pocket Knife Wood Handle
R3,580.00Hard Anodised Camp Kettle
R7,720.00Three Person Dome Tent Orange
Original price was: R7,180.00.R6,280.00Current price is: R6,280.00.Find one dry spot at home for all your camping gear, away from damp garages and direct sun. Keeping everything together in one place means you are not hunting for a missing stove part the night before you leave.
Clean It
Dirt and sand do more damage sitting in a bag for a month than they ever do on the trail. Wipe down your tent and mats with a damp cloth, and rinse salt or mud off anything before it dries hard.
Dry It
Hang your tent, sleeping bag and jacket somewhere shaded until they are bone dry, even if that takes a day or two. Packing anything away while it is still even slightly damp is the fastest way to end up with mould.
Check It
Look over zips, seams and poles before you put anything back in storage. A small tear in a tent or a loose stitch on a pack is far easier to fix at home than halfway through a hike in the rain.
Store It
Keep sleeping bags loose in a cotton storage sack rather than squashed in their compression bag all year, it keeps the loft in the filling. Store the stove with the gas canister disconnected, and keep tent poles out of direct sun.
A bit of care after every trip is what makes gear last for years instead of one season. If something is worn out or broken beyond fixing, pop into Kampkloof and we will help you find the right replacement.
FURNITURE
Cam Strap Tie Down Pair
R1,780.00Dry Bag Backpack 30L
R10,780.00Folding Pocket Knife Wood Handle
R3,580.00Hard Anodised Camp Kettle
R7,720.00Three Person Dome Tent Orange
Original price was: R7,180.00.R6,280.00Current price is: R6,280.00.Wash your anodised kettle and insulated mug with warm water and a soft cloth, not a scourer. Scratching the coating lets food stick next time and shortens the life of the metal. Dry everything fully before it goes back in the cupboard so it does not pick up a musty smell.
Shake the leaves and dirt out of your hammock before you fold it away, and check the straps for fraying where they wrap around tree trunks. A frayed strap is not something to find out about halfway up a tree with your full weight on it.
Wipe the lens of your headlamp or lantern clean, dust and grime cut down on how much light you actually get out at night. If a light has a small solar panel, give that a wipe too so it keeps charging properly between trips.
Check the shock cord inside your tent poles after a windy trip, it is the first thing to wear out. Open the tent fully and check for any small holes in the fly sheet while the light is good, they are much easier to patch at home than in the dark.
A folding knife works better and lasts longer with a drop of oil on the pivot after a trip near the sea or in the rain. Dry the blade properly first, salt air and damp pockets are what cause rust, not everyday use.
Rinse the salt and dust off your pack’s zips and buckles, they jam up quickly if you leave them. Leave the pack open with the straps loose while it dries, closing it up tight while damp is how mildew gets into the seams.
