It pays to be always ready and this is true even for hunting. Even when you’re not successful in your hunting adventure, adequate preparation is always a confidence booster. One of the things you can do to prepare is to keep your hunting gear in good condition always.

Here are some tips to help you clean, dry, and store your hunting gear.

Guns and Ammo

Hunting guns, like any equipment, needs routine care. Check out the following tips to care for your guns and ammo:

1. Keep riflescopes dust-free and clean to avoid scratching sensitive optical coatings.
2. Take the time to clean your guns as it will only take a little rust to destroy the rifling in the barrel.
3. Guns and ammo should be kept in a dry environment. Thus, avoid keeping them in your basement if you have humidity problems. Alternatively, you can find gun socks to use when storing gun, as mentioned in this article from Best Hunting Advice.
4. For safety, avoid storing your ammo with your guns, especially if you have children.

Hunting Clothes

After a hunting trip, your clothes also need some cleaning. Follow the given steps below:

5. In washing hunting clothes, ensure that you read the care labels and utilize the recommended detergents. Most clothes need mild detergent that’s created for technical clothing.
6. Waterproof or water-resistant apparel must be washed in detergent that’s designed for such fabrics.
7. Wash other hunting gear according to its label. Merino or down fabrics may have specific care requirements.
8. After washing or cleaning, hang your hunting gear to dry instead of using a dryer. This is believed to help extend the performance and life of your clothing.
9. If keeping your clothes scent-free is important for your hunting method, it’s suggested to remove bacteria and scent with an ozone deodorizer machine.

Rain Gear or Water-Resistant Equipment

After washing or cleaning your water-resistant hunting items, it’s best to treat them properly. After using these items regularly, their water-resistance may wear off. Here are some steps to help you extend their use for more hunting trips.

10. At the end of the hunting season, it’s best to re-treat these items.
11. One option is to use a wash-in treatment while washing your items in the washer.
12. You can also choose spray-on treatments.
13. After re-treating them, store them in an airtight container and keep them somewhere dry and away from direct sunlight. This step will prevent your gear from absorbing other smells around the house.

Cleaning and Re-Waterproofing Your Hunting Boots

Your boots also deserve some of your attention after using them for hunting. Check out the steps to keep them in perfect condition until the next hunting season below:

14. Clean dirt, mud, and debris from the boots.
15. Find a suitable cleaner and wash your boots depending on the material it’s made of.
16. After cleaning, it’s best to apply treatment that’s made to improve its waterproofing property.
17. If you have full grain leather boots, apply conditioning treatment or boot wax before storing in a dry closet. Such treatment will prevent the leather from cracking over time while in storage.

Final Thoughts

Generally, it’s best to clean immediately everything you used for hunting. This includes sleeping pads, backpacks, and other things. Avoid taking too long in cleaning out hunting equipment as this may cause rust and corrosion, especially for metal parts. Also, don’t forget to wipe dirt from your tent stakes and other small items. This will ensure that your equipment will serve you for many hunting seasons.

Please follow and like us: