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Gear storage question

Original Post
David D · · Da South · Joined Aug 2018 · Points: 0

Any concerns with storing gear and ropes in closed rubbermaid containers? I had my cams and softgoods in one, opened it today,  and it had an "offgassing" type odor that made me nervous. Does anyone store their gear this way? Should I drill holes to let it breathe? Am I going to die?

Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,100

The off gassing was the plastic from the container. I would not worry about it. 

David D · · Da South · Joined Aug 2018 · Points: 0
Allen Sanderson wrote: The off gassing was the plastic from the container. I would not worry about it. 

That is certainly what it smelled like. I'm so paranoid about my softgoods I was concerned the chemicals from the container would eat my slings. Like I said..paranoid.Thanks!

Mark Verosky · · Pittsburgh, PA · Joined Feb 2017 · Points: 46

I do keep a lot of my outdoor gear in those sorts of containers and pile them on top of each other to store all of my gear in my tiny apartment. I put desiccants in all of the containers with outdoor gear.
These packets help to keep the moisture low (they can maintain around ~10% humidity if you have enough/make sure they don’t saturate and stop absorbing moisture). So this means for camping goods and in your case, soft goods, it prevents any mold from forming and keeps them dry and decreasing smell forming in storage. For electronics it helps to keep the battery contacts from rusting. For the hard goods it can prevent rusting. This is especially nice with winter gear that always tends to be just a tad wet, just keep an eye on the desiccants.

Your gear is fine. The chemicals of the plastic won’t eat at the nylon in your slings in any way. I just included my anal retentive storage methods since I felt it had an application here. I hope this was helpful.

Lena chita · · OH · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 1,667

Don’t put your gear away for so long that you have this issue. Problem solved!

Ok, seriously now, Many people use Rubbermaid bins for gear storage, If the fumes corroded gear you’d know from many peoples experience by now.

David D · · Da South · Joined Aug 2018 · Points: 0
Lena chita wrote: Don’t put your gear away for so long that you have this issue. Problem solved!

Ok, seriously now, Many people use Rubbermaid bins for gear storage, If the fumes corroded gear you’d know from many peoples experience by now.

Thanks Mark and Lena! Unfortunately, I live in a place with no rock, so my gear stays in storage more then it gets placed in cracks :(. 

Ranger Rick · · Lexington, KY · Joined Aug 2017 · Points: 44
David D wrote:

Thanks Mark and Lena! Unfortunately, I live in a place with no rock, so my gear stays in storage more then it gets placed in cracks :(. 

Sell your house.

Buy a van.

Find a rock.

Park van by the rock.

Store gear in the cracks.
Jack Servedio · · Raleigh, NC · Joined Feb 2016 · Points: 35

I keep my gear in a Rubbermaid but keep the top off. Not because I'm worried about damage, but because the combination of rotting leaves, dirt, lichen, pine needles, moss, and a not inconsiderable amount of sweat and southern humidity are one unholy stench. Let that shit breathe and dry off!

Genie Genie · · In A Bottle · Joined Sep 2016 · Points: 0
Mark Verosky wrote: I do keep a lot of my outdoor gear in those sorts of containers and pile them on top of each other to store all of my gear in my tiny apartment. I put desiccants in all of the containers with outdoor gear.
These packets help to keep the moisture low (they can maintain around ~10% humidity if you have enough/make sure they don’t saturate and stop absorbing moisture). So this means for camping goods and in your case, soft goods, it prevents any mold from forming and keeps them dry and decreasing smell forming in storage. For electronics it helps to keep the battery contacts from rusting. For the hard goods it can prevent rusting. This is especially nice with winter gear that always tends to be just a tad wet, just keep an eye on the desiccants.

Your gear is fine. The chemicals of the plastic won’t eat at the nylon in your slings in any way. I just included my anal retentive storage methods since I felt it had an application here. I hope this was helpful.

Where do you get packets of dessicants and how do you re-dry them if you do? Asking cause I use salt ATM but if you found a cheap and easy method of using industrial (silica based) dessicants, I'm all ears.

A cheap method I've found of making dessicants is putting a paper towel covered mason jar with 1/4 of it full of salt in close proximity to my gear. The salt acts as the dessicant.
Mark Verosky · · Pittsburgh, PA · Joined Feb 2017 · Points: 46
gumbie gene wrote:

Where do you get packets of dessicants and how do you re-dry them if you do? Asking cause I use salt ATM but if you found a cheap and easy method of using industrial (silica based) dessicants, I'm all ears.

A cheap method I've found of making dessicants is putting a paper towel covered mason jar with 1/4 of it full of salt in close proximity to my gear. The salt acts as the dessicant.

I’ve found them online for pretty cheap, Amazon is where I bought them recently. They come with instructions on how to reuse them, usually involves heating in the oven around 250 [°F] so shouldn’t be too difficult, never had to do it myself, yet. 


I would also discourage use of salt as a desiccant. I could bore you on the science but in layman’s term, the salt doesn’t absorb moisture from the air at a consistent and regular rate. For salt, the absorption of water droplets is dependent on the current relative humidity in the air. For desiccants that you buy, they are made to consistently draw moisture from the air regardless of the relative humidity. Sorry for the science lesson.
Robert Hall · · North Conway, NH · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 28,893

For a few bucks more you can get large bins made from "high density" polyethylene...[ aka "HDPE"] which have far fewer outgassing issues than PVC [polyvinylchloride...not sure they even use this stuff for bins ] or Low Density Polyethylene. [ "LDPE"] . HDPE bottles are the "plastic bottles" used in 90+% of over-the-counter medicines like "Advil" and "Aleve".

I wouldn't worry about any outgasses from either of the PE's, but long-term PVC breaks down and out-gasses corrosive gasses. (in the 1950's thru 70's PVC 2-inch x 2 inch PVC envelopes were popular with coin collectors; some coin collections stayed in PVC too long and the coins corroded. Especially copper (which is petty-much-inert) but even silver coins. (silver is really quite inert).  

Eric G · · Cary, NC · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 5
Mark Verosky wrote:

I’ve found them online for pretty cheap, Amazon is where I bought them recently. They come with instructions on how to reuse them, usually involves heating in the oven around 250 [°F] so shouldn’t be too difficult, never had to do it myself, yet. 


I would also discourage use of salt as a desiccant. I could bore you on the science but in layman’s term, the salt doesn’t absorb moisture from the air at a consistent and regular rate. For salt, the absorption of water droplets is dependent on the current relative humidity in the air. For desiccants that you buy, they are made to consistently draw moisture from the air regardless of the relative humidity. Sorry for the science lesson.

It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into your system. Why not just use rice in a sock? then bake the rice with a similar protocol and frequency?

David D · · Da South · Joined Aug 2018 · Points: 0

Are the desiccant chemicals safe for climbing gear? Do you take care to not have it contact the nylon/dyneema or do you just throw them in there?

Robert Hall · · North Conway, NH · Joined Aug 2013 · Points: 28,893

Silica Gel desiccant should be fine; "salt"...mmm??  In addition to not being much of a desiccant, it might not be the greatest idea for things like aluminum cams, etc. to be in proximity.  Not any "vapors" but if some salt got on them, and then some damp soft-goods were in proximity....we all know what salt spray from the ocean does to even stainless bolts. and, I think, it's even recommended that if you use cams, etc. at ocean cliffs you rinse them with clean water before putting away. (?)

Another way to regenerate silica gel desiccant IF IT'S NOT IN A METAL CONTAINER is to carefully microwave it.

Chris Wright · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2018 · Points: 0
This is my method.  It's in my Gfs climate controlled basement.  Do tall think its better hanging or should I put it in containers?
David D · · Da South · Joined Aug 2018 · Points: 0
Chris Wright wrote:
This is my method.  It's in my Gfs climate controlled basement.  Do tall think its better hanging or should I put it in containers?

I would much prefer to store it that way, but I am low on space and since I have to drive to climb, I like to be able to grab a storage tote and go. The only thing I hang is my sleeping bag. My only concern would be what else is stored around/near the gear. Is that where she keeps her gasoline, bleach, and leaky car batteris ;).

Mark Verosky · · Pittsburgh, PA · Joined Feb 2017 · Points: 46
Eric Gawalt wrote:

It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into your system. Why not just use rice in a sock? then bake the rice with a similar protocol and frequency?

Not much effort has been put into it honestly. I just did some quick calculations on volume of the containers and how much volume each desiccant was good for and threw in the necessary amount. I just check them every here and there.


The rice could work just not as good as dessicants. Cat litter would likely do a better job than the rice. As for the best method, storing your materials openly so water is not left in a contained and closed space is best.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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