We all love getting out on adventure, whether that’s skiing, camping, boating, biking, hiking, or something else entirely. But the less glamorous part of outdoor pursuits? Figuring out where to stash all the outdoor gear when you’re not using it. This is especially a problem if you’re a family with multiple sets of gear, or live in tight quarters. Finding storage solutions can be challenging, even if there’s ample storage space available.
Depending on your favorite outdoor activities, you might need a lot of equipment, especially if you’re into camping, skiing, or hiking. Add in gear for the whole family, and suddenly you’re buried under backpacks, boots, bikes, and more. Whether you live in a small apartment or have a spare room dedicated to outdoor gear, creating a smart gear storage system can make your life a lot easier.
This guide will walk you through the best gear storage strategies—from seasonal closet rotations and heavy-duty storage bins to peg boards, freestanding bike racks, and small space solutions—so you can spend less time digging through piles of gear and more time enjoying the outdoors.
This post contains affiliate links, including links from Amazon. If you use these links to buy something, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting our family!
Best Storage Bins for Outdoor Gear
Over the years, we’ve tried all sorts of containers to hold our adventure gear: from cardboard boxes, milk crates, and countless different types of plastic bins.
These bins are widely available (you’ll often find them at Home Depot or your local hardware store, and even seasonally at Costco) and they come in various sizes to meet your family’s needs. We particularly love the 27-gallon size—it holds a surprising amount of camping gear or winter layers and stacks well. I can even fit two stacked on each other in my SUV!
Heavy-duty construction. Tough enough for hauling in and out of the car, stacking in the garage, or sitting in an unfinished basement for months.
Stackable. Their design allows them to be stacked neatly, maximizing floor space in tight spaces like closets or sheds.
Tight-fitting lids. While not waterproof, the snug lid and drip barrier offer decent protection in case of a spill or light rain.
What to Watch Out For:
Wear over time. After frequent use for an extended period of time, we’ve had a few bins crack—especially those that ride around in the back of the car all season.
Not waterproof. In particularly rainy camping trips, we’ve had gear inside get damp. Use dry bags or even a sturdy plastic bag inside the bin to keep your items dry. Alternatively, you can throw a tarp on top of the storage bins to prevent water from getting through.
Pro Tip:
Usesmall, clear bins for storing smaller items so you can quickly see what’s inside—no more digging through a bunch of bins to find your headlamp. We use small clear bins to store our batteries, small tools, and everyday items that we need at home and for camping.
Best Way to Store Camping Gear
Camping gear is among the most varied and space-consuming types of outdoor gear. Tents, sleeping pads, camp kitchen gear, extra propane, chairs, tarps, and camp stoves all require thoughtful organization that takes up a lot of space.
First Step: Choose a Dedicated Space
Start by identifying a dedicated space in your home for storing camping gear—a gear closet, corner of the garage, or spare room can work well. Look for a dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent mildew or UV damage. We personally live in a very small home without a garage, basement, or other traditional storage space. However, we do have an old water pump house that stays cool and dry, which we use for our gear storage. Add in some shelves, and we’ve found this space to be pretty functional. Other gear is stored inside our house, such as sleeping bags under the beds, headlamps in the kitchen drawer, and various seasonal gear stored for easy access.
Organize by Use:
Shelter: Tents, tarps, poles, and repair kits
Sleep System: Sleeping bags, pads, air pumps, and pillows
Keep each category in its own storage bin. Label each one using a label maker or colored duct tape for quick access.
Maintenance Between Trips
After every trip, clean all your gear and let it fully dry before storing. Refill your first aid kit, replace used batteries, and jot down a quick list of what you need to replenish. This post-trip inventory can save you from scrambling before your next adventure.
Pro Tip: Avoid storing sleeping bags in compression sacks. Hang them in a closet or store them loosely in a large stuff sack to keep them fluffy for years to come. We store ours under the bed because it’s a dry, cool, and flat surface that
How to Store Ski Gear and Other Winter Equipment
When winter’s over, don’t just throw everything into the back of a closet. Keeping your ski gear in good condition during the off-season starts with smart storage.
We keep our skis near our house in a small storage shed during the winter, but store them in the rafters of our larger storage area for the offseason. Loading everything up and storing it is always an adventure!
Use Vertical and Wall Space
Install wall racks or peg boards to hang skis, poles, helmets, and goggles.
Hang base layers, jackets, and snow pants on a closet rod or wall-mounted coat rack.
Use a shoe rack or boot tray for ski boots and waterproof footwear—let them dry completely before storing.
Seasonal Maintenance
Wipe down skis and snowboards, wax your skis or snowboards, and store them in a dry place to prevent rust. We store ours in the rafters of our storage area. They’re out of the way, dry, and ready for the flakes to fly again! If we had more space, I’d love to upgrade our ski collection to the Snowbasin Ski Storage Rack from StoreYourBoard. However, we have over 20 pairs of skis, so our current system of storing them in the rafters beats having them in a pile on the ground!
Clean and dry your gloves and balaclavas before tossing them into a storage bin. Helmets can also be stored in a bin, as well as ski boots. Be sure to tightly buckle the boots down before storing them! That will help them last longer. Wash your technical outdoor gear with Nikwaxbefore storing for the season. We still keep our winter layers stored in a coat closet, but you could use a bin if you’re short of storage space. We’ve had to do that in the past.
Easy Way to Store Bikes, Climbing Gear, and Trail Running Equipment
For those of us who love biking, climbing, or trail running, we tend to collect a mix of long items, small items, and oddly shaped pieces of gear.
Gear Storage Tips:
Bikes can be stored vertically using hooks to save floor space. We love our freestanding bike storage system from StoreYourBoard to keep our bikes organized and out of the way. Before we used our freestanding bike rack, we would store our bikes on our front porch! This is, honestly, a terrible place to store gear because it’s in the way, and our bikes were out in the elements. The Freestanding G-Bike fits perfectly in our space, and we can use the space under the bikes as an additional storage area. There’s plenty of space for the whole family’s bikes, with room for up to 5 bikes. However, we don’t use it for our kids’ bikes in the summer, since they’re pulling them out so frequently.
Use a climbing rack to organize ropes, harnesses, chalk bags, and helmets.
Hang trail running hydration packs and vests on a pegboard in the closet to air out. I’ve also dried my hydration packs out in my kitchen above the sink before putting them back in their storage bin.
If you’re short on space or live in a small apartment, it’s still possible to keep your outdoor gear organized without sacrificing your living room or hallway.
Small Space Gear Storage Ideas:
Use under-bed storage containers for seasonal items like camp stoves, gloves, or hiking boots.
Install pegboards behind doors or in entryways to hang helmets, packs, and outerwear.
Add a rolling cart for frequently used hiking gear or first aid supplies.
Stack labeled bins inside closets or along unused walls using closet rods and shelves.
Pro Tip: Make a list of each bin’s contents and tape it to the lid. It’s a great way to avoid over-packing or forgetting items before a trip.
Seasonal Rotation: What to Keep in the Indoor Gear Closet
If you enjoy outdoor adventures year-round, consider implementing a seasonal rotation to keep current season gear easily accessible. We do this with our front entry. Each person in the family has a storage box on a shelf and a small basket on top of the shelf to store seasonal items. We also use a wall-mounted coat rack to store our most frequently used outerwear. During winter, that rack is overflowing with ski gear! In the summer, we keep rain jackets and light sweaters on the coat rack, as well as some of my husband’s most used outdoor essentials as a camp director.
During Summer:
Keep daypacks, water bottles, hiking gear, sunscreen, and sun hats in the gear closet or hall entry.
During Winter:
Rotate in winter gear, likemittens, knitted hats, balaclavas, and hand warmers.
Use bins or shelves to store off-season gear neatly in a storage unit, basement, or garage. That way, your day-to-day items aren’t buried under out-of-season equipment.
Final Thoughts: Create a System That Works for Your Family
The best way to store outdoor gear isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach—it’s whatever fits your home, lifestyle, and family’s needs. Whether you’re prepping for big days in the mountains or planning a weekend by the lake, a little prep goes a long way. Organizing your gear with storage solutions that work will help make your next adventure even better!
Start With These Organizational Tools:
Storage bins (in various sizes for larger items and small items)
A label maker to stay organized season after season
Think about where you can create a dedicated space for gear in your home. Even if it’s just a single storage bin under the bed or a corner of the garage, it can make a big difference in your ability to get out the door and into the wild as a family.
