We’re really very fortunate in this country that we have the opportunity to enjoy winter sports and exercise all year round. 

In winter, head to Aberdeenshire, Cairngorm Mountain, Fort William or Argyll in Scotland, or parts of Cumbria, County Durham or Northumberland to snowboard or ski to your heart’s content! In summer, we’re really lucky to have a few indoor ski slopes dotted around the county, so we don’t have to stop skiing or snowboarding just because it’s warm outside. 

Unless you use your winter sports equipment frequently all year round, though, you might need to store it for a few weeks or months. It’s important to do that properly so you don’t have to replace or repair any of your kit when you next want to use it - having that kind of expense and delay is the last thing you need when you just want to get back on the slopes!
 

Prepare your winter sports equipment for storage

Wherever you end up storing your winter sports gear (see below), it’s vital that you prepare everything before you put it all away. Damp or dirt can cause a lot of expensive damage, so it’s worth investing a little bit of time every time you put your equipment away just making sure it’s spick and span. Here’s a quick checklist of things you should do to prepare your winter sports equipment for storage:

• Remove dirt from skis/snowboards and sand the edges with an edge grinder.
• Recondition the base of your skis/snowboard with a liquid wax treatment to ensure small scratches and nicks are repaired. If you’re not confident in doing this yourself, take your gear for a service.
• Your ski DIN settings are tailored to your specifications, but when putting them in storage it’s best to loosen the settings. Just remember what the original settings were so you can tighten them correctly again!
• Clean your boots and helmets (including any internal pads) and make sure they’re completely dry. 
• Wash and dry your ski suits per the instructions on the label.
• Tie skis together and don’t keep them in a bag (in a bag, there’s less airflow and any residual damp will cause problems).
• Clean your ski goggles carefully - don’t interfere with the anti-fog coating! Just a little wipe over with a soft, damp cloth is fine.
• Check your helmet for any cracks and replace it if it's not sound. There’s no point wearing a helmet that won’t protect you.

Choose a safe place to store your winter sports equipment

During the summer months it can be a nuisance to find storage space for your winter sports equipment. You might not use it for months or weeks, but you might be unwilling to put it in the loft because once stuff’s up there it’s a hassle (and downright scary at times) to retrieve it. A steep, rickety ladder, a small loft hatch, darkness and an unknown number of spiders does not make loft storage appealing!

So what do you do with it? You can’t leave it in the hallway cupboard (skis falling out every time you get the vac out can be rather annoying); there’s a risk of breakage if you store your winter sports equipment in the wardrobe, and a risk of theft or damage if you keep it in your shed.

Underneath your bed is a great place to store your skis or snowboard if you have space unless:

• You have a divan base,
• Underneath your bed is already filled with things like boxes of winter clothing or Christmas decorations,
• Underneath your bed is as scary as the loft because, y’know, monsters.

If underneath the bed isn’t an option, and other people in your family insist that you need to keep the spare room for guests or an office or something, you could consider renting a self storage unit for all your winter sports equipment. You could keep your skis, snowboard, snow boots, ski poles, helmets, goggles and even your bulky snowsuits and gloves all in one place. 

Our units can be rented for 2 weeks at a time (you can put things in or take things out at any time during your rental period) and we offer a 50% discount for the first 8 weeks* (2 week min. stay). We have stores all over the country, easily accessible from major road and rail networks, so you could choose a store that’s near your home or somewhere en route to your favourite slopes so you can stop in to collect your stuff on the way!

Your winter sports gear will be kept safe and sound, clean and dry in our indoor units until you want to use them again and you can take them out as often as you want. This is infinitely preferable to the loft or under the bed.