The Happy Camper: End-of-Season Maintenance and Storage for Canoe Gear

November 27, 2023

Ready to end canoe season? First, clean and store your canoe gear safely. The Happy Camper gives us a guide to storing and cleaning canoe gear.

It looks like canoe season is over for me this year. I went on my last swan song last weekend and the cold temperature through the night froze my water bottle and the edges of the shoreline neighbouring my campsite. Check out the video on the KCHappyCamper YouTube channel.

Now, it’s time to clean up my paddling gear before putting it away in storage for the winter. Here is how that works.^{Kevin Callan}

Water Filter

The first thing I do is clean and dry out my gravity water filter. If not, a moldy mess will be waiting for me come spring. You can use regular dish soap and warm water to rinse it out, but I prefer a mix of baking soda and lemon juice. Denture cleaning tablets also work well. I also place the filter itself in the sink with warm water and a bit of bleach. Then, I place it on the counter for a few days to dry out. The hose is the difficult part, but it’s crucial that you clean it and dry it out. A pipe cleaner with a wire coat hanger for an extension works. So does a long, thin piece of paracord pulled through end to end.

Boots

I wouldn’t wash your hiking boots in the washing machine. Too much wear and tear on an expensive piece of gear. Simply place them in a clean basin of warm, soapy water and brush all the crevices with an old toothbrush. Then glue any loose bits, remove and clean liners and apply proper waterproofing material if you wish (I generally don’t bother with the waterproofing part).

Sleeping Bag

You can wash your sleeping bag at home, rather than through a dry cleaner if it fits. Just make sure it’s a washing machine without an agitator—meaning a front-load machine. Use the biggest dryer you can, or simply hang it up to dry. If you have a down bag, place a few tennis balls inside while drying it in the dryer. This prevents the down from clumping. Make sure to unzip the bag and loosen the draw cords—and set the machine on the gentle cycle. You want to use cold water rather than warm. Give it a double rinse to get rid of all the soap. When it’s dry, store it loose, not stuffed in a bag.

Goretex Raingear

GORE-TEX rain jackets will eventually start to leak if you don’t keep them clean. Wash them in the washing machine with warm water and powder detergent, or in a sink with water and bleach. Rinse well. Make sure no soap is left on it. Then, place it in the dryer for a good 20 minutes to revive the DWR (Durable Water-Repellent) treatment. If you don’t have a dryer, then place a kitchen towel on it and revive the DWR by ironing on top of the towel. Set it on no steam with the heat setting on warm, not hot.

Wool

Wash blended wools in cold water and hang to dry. Otherwise, use the wool cycle on your washing machine and hang it to dry.

Tent

Wash and scrub your tent in the bathtub. Household cleaners aren’t the best—look for ones that are fragrance-free and additive-free. Hang it to dry and place a new seam seal along the seams. You want to apply a new coating of spray-on water-repellent afterwards.

Electronics

Remove all batteries from your flashlight, GPS and satellite communication device (such as SPOT or In Reach). If left inside, they could leak and corrode the insides of the devices.

Axe

Leave the axe head unsheathed while stored, but first, add a coating of olive oil or cooking oil to the metal. Also, place a coating of oil on the wooden axe handle, especially the top and bottom. The oil is to preserve the finishing of the wood and metal parts. Try out this oil and wax product for maintenance as well. ^{Kevin Callan}

Apply water to the metal edge, and sharpen and refine it with a field sharpener.^{Kevin Callan}

Paddles

I prefer to oil my wooden paddles, not varnish them. The oil soaks into the woods. Varnish puts on a plastic coating. Varnish is easier and quicker while oil takes time and patience—but oil won’t give you blisters next season. Badger Paddle Company makes an excellent hemp oil. Tung oil also works well, or even cooking oil, teak oil or Danish oil. Linseed oil is okay, and hemp works well at naturally battling mould and mildew. However, hemp does take much longer a couple of days to dry. Once it’s dry, give it a light sand with low-grit sandpaper, and give it a wipe with a dry cloth.^{Kevin Callan}

Canoe

Ash gunwales look beautiful on a canoe but require a lot more maintenance. Just like my paddles, I prefer oil over varnish on my canoe. You’ll need to apply it more often but it’s far more protective against mold. Start by giving the wood a good, smooth sanding, removing any built-up dust and dirt. Then, saturate a rag with oil (tung oil works well) and rub all the wood sections. Let the oil soak in for a few minutes and then wipe down with a dry rag to remove any excess oil. Before storing the boat, wash it down with soap and water. If it’s an older Royalex boat with wood gunnels, make sure to loosen the screws on the gunnels to prevent cold cracking when the hull expands and contracts in extreme temperatures. You want to apply a UV protectant to the hull’s exterior if storing your canoe outdoors. Indoor storage is recommended if possible. Store the canoe either upside down on its gunnels and off the ground. Don’t cover it with a tarp. This attracts moisture.

Check out this episode of Dennis Rogers on the Canoehound Outdoor Adventure show on YouTube that he hosted a couple of weeks ago. It includes countless gear maintenance and storage tips from Nova Craft’s very own lead repair tech Dan Walker, Badger Paddles’ Mike Ramsay, and yours truly—The Happy Camper.