Gear storage

Want to build a setup to put in my walk in closet or garage to hang or store my gear. I’m sure some of you guys have gotten creative so show me what you’ve done. I’ve got all the tools and skills needed to build whatever so let me steal your ideas. 

Many of these threads floating around.

Best of luck. Be safe and have fun.

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/107791514/gear-storage-lets-see-some-pictures

Check out California Closets, they’ve got a couple good ideas

This is less showy and more utilitarian , but plastic totes.  Different bags with sport gear or trad, etc inside a tote.  Ropes in another tote.  Totes stack well. Grab your gear and go, no re racking constantly.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hardboard-Pegboard-Actual-47-75-in-x-95-75-in/3014321

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-43-Piece-Steel-Pegboard-Kit/50218537

I like the totes. It's not fancy but it's practical. I've found that having them stacked on one another is a bit of a pain if you want to access the ones on the bottom, so if I could I would build shelves for the totes to sit on so I can slide them out like this one from the thread linked above. With that setup I'd maybe even leave the lids off the totes so I can just slide them out half way and grab what I need.

Drawers would also serve this purpose, but the advantage of a tote is you could always grab a whole tote and drop it in your car.

One thing I realized shortly after setting up a pegboard was that having all my trad gear and draws and etc displayed neatly was kind of a waste - I can't use them to climb if they're hanging up on my board! I really only need to "store" the stuff I don't use frequently - extra slings/biners, specialty gear, etc. All the gear I use frequently just sits in bags ready to throw in my pack and go. 

Max Houck wrote:

One thing I realized shortly after setting up a pegboard was that having all my trad gear and draws and etc displayed neatly was kind of a waste - I can't use them to climb if they're hanging up on my board! I really only need to "store" the stuff I don't use frequently - extra slings/biners, specialty gear, etc. All the gear I use frequently just sits in bags ready to throw in my pack and go. 

pegboard works great for me. not every objective i go after needs all of my gear, so having it prominently displayed helps me identify what i need and pack easier...

$10 35gal sterilite bin with some holes drilled and retired cord threaded around the rim. Gear easily flips outside for easy rummaging, or back in to close things up tidily and stack. Got the idea from someone on here.. works great!

I have a tacoma build out that has storage for 6 of these beneath the bed so we have some home depot storage racks that I just put the bins into after the trip, its very convenient, one bin for cooking, 1 for trad rack, one for random stuff, harness, chalk bag, etc.., rope bag usually just goes in a bigger bin on the rack at home at home.

Totes on shelves for the win. Climbing and camping gear divided among the totes, usually just throw entire totes into the truck. 

I was leaning towards a peg board type setup because I’m ocd and I really like the idea of having it all hung and separated. This way I know what I have and what I still may need. Those totes look and sound pretty simple and easy though. 

I recommend a hybrid system for your gear room.  Slat wall is more aesthetically pleasing and stronger than pegboard.  Use this for your extra gear that sits on the “bench” most of the time. Mainly so you can remember what you have...
Keep your starting line up in your pack(s) ready to grab and go.  Totes in a closet is last resort 

Mark Pilate wrote:

I recommend a hybrid system for your gear room.  Slat wall is more aesthetically pleasing and stronger than pegboard.  Use this for your extra gear that sits on the “bench” most of the time. Mainly so you can remember what you have...
Keep your starting line up in your pack(s) ready to grab and go. Totes in a closet is last resort

Love it mark. Similar to what I was thinking but much bigger scale!  That slat wall is awesome. Was it expensive and where’d ya get it?

Steve - got it from Home Depot.  IIRC it wasn’t significantly more than pegboard.  Worth the difference in my book. 

Mark, as a fellow MN climber I don’t understand how we haven’t crossed paths. Your attention to detail alone makes me think we should rope up. Missed connection?

Mark Pilate wrote:

I recommend a hybrid system for your gear room.  Slat wall is more aesthetically pleasing and stronger than pegboard.  Use this for your extra gear that sits on the “bench” most of the time. Mainly so you can remember what you have...
Keep your starting line up in your pack(s) ready to grab and go. Totes in a closet is last resort

Jesus, Mark. How many axes does a guy need LOL...I thought I was bad with the shoes, but I count 7 or 8 set of axes. Nice setup though, very clean and easy to find. 

I have about the same number of ropes and packs

Free paint stir sticks from the Home Depot, cut to 6” and screwed to the underside of the closet shelf support. Entire project took 30 minutes and cost nothing. They flex a little under load, but will hold a full rack of BD cams 0.3-4, 12 draws, or double sets of whatever passive pro you have.

I have so much other crap (car camping, winter camping, skiing, hunting and shooting, backpacking, weights, elliptical) in my basement, along with my workshop and my wife's stuff, that I just keep all my climbing stuff (less shoes) in the clear plastic tubs. No way anything can get lost, and I just have to throw all my stuff in the back of my truck. If I am going on a trip, I'll whittle it down into just one tub and a backpack. 

Seems there are two main forks you can take depending on the space you have...the compact, closet based solution, or the dedicated room solution.  Even in a tiny apartment, I went with the dedicated room solution (that said, my ex-wife also went with a different solution as well ;) 

But if you have the space, here are a few additional suggestions from experience (applies to all your gear heavy pursuits like skiing, scuba, biking, kayaking..etc)

• On left - bench for laying out maps, planning, or repairing and tuning gear 
• Shelves/cubbies above bench for the books, guides, manuals, maps, docs,  as well as specific tools and parts for that activity. 
• bins of extra gear, sport specific clothes, bulky stuff. Under bench 
• Central packing table/bench (try to leave clear) where gear can be temporarily laid out, sorted, and packed for each mission. Storage space underneath.  
• Add a computer for internet searches and references (manufacturers manuals, etc)
• Ad a TV for entertainment for longer tasks like lots of ski waxing, tuning, rifle cleaning, screw sharpening etc. (keeps all this out of living spaces for happier SO)
• Ideally this is in the basement or garage.  if this happens to be in your living room, been there, but good luck with that.
  
  
  

Mark Pilate wrote:

Seems there are two main forks you can take depending on the space you have...the compact, closet based solution, or the dedicated room solution.  Even in a tiny apartment, I went with the dedicated room solution (that said, my ex-wife also went with a different solution as well ;) 

But if you have the space, here are a few additional suggestions from experience (applies to all your gear heavy pursuits like skiing, scuba, biking, kayaking..etc)

• On left - bench for laying out maps, planning, or repairing and tuning gear 
• Shelves/cubbies above bench for the books, guides, manuals, maps, docs,  as well as specific tools and parts for that activity. 
• bins of extra gear, sport specific clothes, bulky stuff. Under bench 
• Central packing table/bench (try to leave clear) where gear can be temporarily laid out, sorted, and packed for each mission. Storage space underneath.  
• Add a computer for internet searches and references (manufacturers manuals, etc)
• Ad a TV for entertainment for longer tasks like lots of ski waxing, tuning, rifle cleaning, screw sharpening etc. (keeps all this out of living spaces for happier SO)
• Ideally this is in the basement or garage.  if this happens to be in your living room, been there, but good luck with that.
  
  
  

Got it all dialed in and it sounds like somewhere I wanna hang out lol. Need more friends like Mark haha.