How To Store Sporting Equipment (Golf, Cricket, Fishing, Cycling)

Even the biggest sports nuts have an off season. Maybe you’re stowing away your fishing gear until summer. Or perhaps you want to know the best way to keep your golf clubs in top condition. Whatever your storage needs, we’ve got the answers.

We’re in your corner. We’ll help you push it over the goal line. We’ll help you get a slam dunk. You get the idea.

But enough with the sports talk – let’s get the ball rolling with some pro tips for preparing your sporting gear for storage (OK, we’re done now).

How to Store Golf Clubs

Giving your clubs a rest? When it comes to long-term storage, golf clubs need a bit of TLC. The boot of your car is not a suitable spot to rest your clubs for the long run. And in most cases, your garage isn’t much better.

But hold it right there, Tiger. There are a few things to take care of before you go dropping them off at your storage unit.

Clean Your Golf Clubs

You’ll want to get your clubs in shipshape before you go putting them into storage. While you could buy a proper golf club cleaning kit at a golfing store, this will probably cost you a pretty penny. You can clean your golf clubs just as well without spending the big bucks. Here’s how:

Add a squirt of dishwashing detergent to a bucket of warm water.
Place the heads of your irons in the bucket to soak.
Scrub the heads with a toothbrush or soft plastic-bristle brush. Get in all the grooves, you groovy cat!
Dry with a towel, working your way up the shaft of the club to remove any debris.
Dip woods into the water (soaking isn’t good for these guys) and wipe clean with a damp cloth before drying with your towel.

Keep them Cool and Dry

Ideally, you should store your golf clubs in a cool, dry place. Temperature and humidity control is a must. See our climate controlled storage here.

This is mostly for your grips’ sake.

Extreme heat and humidity can cause your grips to break down and even become loose and slip around on your club. Extreme cold can cause your grips to dry out and crack.

Either way, extreme temperatures aren’t your friend. If you’re serious about keeping your clubs in top condition during long-term storage, opt for a storage unit with climate control.

How to Store Cricket Equipment

Tempted to leave your cricket bag sitting around at home this off season? You’ve clearly never been hit with the smell of cricket gloves, pads and helmets that have been zipped away for months.

Keep your cricket gear in top condition (and not smelling radioactive) by storing it properly. Because no one wants to start the next season with a mouldy helmet or a splitting bat.

Oil Your Bat

When cricket bats are left in storage for a long time, they can lose moisture and start to split and crack. You can maintain your bat’s moisture levels by applying linseed oil, like so:

Add a small blob of linseed oil to the blade of your bat.
Use a clean cloth to spread the oil over your bat.
Be careful to avoid the splice and any stickers.

Clean Your Gloves and Pads

From sweat to grass-stains, cricket gloves and pads can cop a flogging. Don’t stink your storage unit up with dirty gloves and pads. Clean them, you animal.

Gloves – Remove dirt with a soft-bristled brush and apply a leather conditioner as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t use liquid or oil-based cleaners on your gloves or you could mess with their grip.
Pads – If your inside pad is detachable, remove and hand-wash it. If it’s not, simply sprinkle with some baking soda to absorb any odours, then dust off. Wipe away any dirt on your pads with a damp cloth.

Stay Cool and Dry

Like golf clubs, cricket bats don’t do well in extreme temperatures or humidity. If you want to prolong your bat’s lifespan, a climate-controlled storage unit is your best bat bet.

How to Store a Bicycle

Taking a break from your wheels? Unless your bike is as small as this one, you’ll probably need to find somewhere clean and dry to keep it safe while you give it a breather. And you don’t want to bang your car door into it every day, so the garage is out of the question.

Get your bike ready for long-term storage in a storage unit with these handy tips.

Time to Strip

No, not like that. Strip your bike down to the frame, replace what needs replacing, and lubricate whatever needs lubricating. Heck, while you’re at it, go ahead and:

Tip the frame upside-down to remove any naughty rust-causing water
Spray derailers with WD-40
Wipe down the seat and hand grips
Clean the chain.

Depending on how long you’re storing your bike for, it’s a good idea to remove your tyres to avoid developing flat spots.

How to Store Fishing Gear

Putting your fishing gear away for the colder months can be a pretty sad experience. But not as sad as reaching for your favourite rod only to find it’s become curved or corroded.

Prepare your fishing gear for your storage unit to make sure it’s ready to reel one in when you are.

Clean and Grease

You can’t just go piling your fishing rods into a storage unit and expect them to be good as new when you go to pick them up. Follow these steps to keep your fishing gear in working order:

Take reels apart and clean and grease to avoid corrosion.
Replace any worn guides on your rod.
Take rods apart and store in rod sleeves.
Replace any broken fly lines or hooks.
Clean, dry, and oil filet knives before placing them into their sheaths.

Go Vertical

Always store your rods vertically. This will help reduce the chance of curving or bending. Graphite and fibreglass rods can be damaged by high temperatures, so if your rod is like your baby, you might want to go for climate-controlled storage to make sure it’s kept at room temperature.