Prepare You Camping Equipment and Yard Tools for Winter
Labor Day is over and most of us dread putting away and stowing our camping supplies. Now is the perfect time to clean out your camper and protect against mice. All uncanned food items need to be taken out of the camper, dishes clean and stored, and all trash thrown away. Unplug your electrical appliances and put them in a cabinet until next year. Drain water pipes and go ahead and wrap them with insulation for the winter. To protect against water leaks place a sturdy tarp over the top of your camper to keep water from leaking through vents and into you living space. Placing an open box of baking soda in the unplugged refrigerator will help with odor problems. The great thing about doing it now is you will not be caught outside in the cold weather doing it at the last minute.
Outdoor cook stoves and gear can be drained of fuel and placed in the garage or stored inside your camper space. If you live in an area when the electricity frequently goes off you might consider keeping battery operated and oil lanterns out for the winter. Chemicals such as lighter fluid and kerosene should be properly stored in a garage or storage shed. Sleeping bags can be washed and stored in a garbage bag until next summer.
Now is the perfect time to find charcoal of sale. It can easily be stored in a large plastic outdoor garbage can with a lid.
Take a weekend and give the yard one last good clean up. Trim all the hedges, and mow the lawn. Make sure to winterize your equipment fluids before stowing. Schools back in session so go ahead and winterize your jet ski and boat. Always check your boat owners manual for proper winterizing instructions. Water freezing in a motor or gear case can lead to thousands of dollars in repair cost. I can not stress enough to read your owners manual. If you do not have a covered garage then make sure all your motorized equipment is covered and put out of the way until next spring.
All yard clippers and shears should be sharpened and put away. If some of your tools are rusty then give them a squirt of WD40 in the joints before storing them so they will still be in working order next Spring or Summer. Make sure all tools are in their proper place so they are always close at hand.
If you are planting a fall garden then your tiller can be winterized after the fall crop has been harvested. Draining the water from water hoses and hanging them up free of water will protect your hoses from leaks.
