Storing sports gear through a Chicago winter

Almost everything that fails over a Chicago winter fails for one of three reasons: it was put away damp, it was left where the temperature swings, or it was stored under tension. All three are avoidable in an afternoon.

Before anything goes away

1. Clean it. Mud holds moisture and salt from winter treatment eats aluminium and steel.
2. Dry it completely. Not “mostly dry”. A damp net bagged in November is a mouldy net in March.
3. Release tension. Bungee cords, net tensioners, band anchors — anything under load ages faster under load.
4. Deflate partially. Balls should go to about half pressure, not flat and not full.
5. Label the bag. You will not remember in April which bag has the pegs in it.

By material

Nets and fabric goals. Wash off mud, dry fully, fold loosely rather than compressing hard. UV damage is done in summer, cold damage in winter — an unheated garage is fine as long as it is dry.

Steel and aluminium frames. Dismantle if the design allows. Dry the inside of tubes, which is where water sits and freezes. A wipe of light oil on the joints prevents the seizing that turns spring assembly into an argument.

Latex resistance bands. The one thing that should not go in the garage. Cold makes latex brittle. A drawer indoors, out of sunlight, in a bag.

Leather — gloves, some balls. Clean, condition lightly, store where it is not going to freeze and thaw repeatedly. Stuff gloves so they hold their shape.

Foam — pads, dodgeballs, mats. Dry and store loose. Foam compressed under something heavy for four months does not fully recover.

Inflatables and paddle-type gear. Half pressure, rolled loosely, away from anything that can puncture.

Where to put it

The ranking, best to worst, for this climate:

1. Inside the house — a closet or under a bed. Stable temperature and humidity. Best for anything latex, leather or electronic.
2. Basement — stable temperature, but watch humidity. A cheap hygrometer and a dehumidifier make a basement excellent.
3. Unheated garage — fine for steel frames and dry fabric. Bad for latex and leather.
4. Outdoor shed — the temperature swings are the problem more than the cold itself. Condensation forms every time it warms.
5. Outside under a tarp — the tarp traps condensation against everything. Worse than no cover.

Ball pressure over winter

A ball stored fully inflated in a cold garage loses pressure anyway as the air contracts, and the bladder stays stretched at the seams. Half pressure takes the load off the seams and off the valve, and reinflating in spring takes thirty seconds with an electric pump.

Do not store balls completely flat either — the panels crease and a crease in a stitched ball becomes a permanent flat spot.

The spring check

When it all comes out again in April, spend ten minutes before the first session:

• Inspect bands along their length for cloudiness or nicks
• Check net attachment points and bungee elasticity
• Look at frame joints for rust and corrosion, especially inside tubes
• Reinflate balls to the pressure printed on them, not by feel
• Check pegs and anchors are all present before you need them

Bring the tired stuff in

If something came out of storage looking questionable, bring it past the counter before the season starts rather than after it fails. Replacement nets, bungees, pegs and pump needles all cost a fraction of the item they save.

Making an inventory while everything is out

The one afternoon a year when every piece of equipment is in the same place is the afternoon to write down what you have. A photograph of everything laid out on the garage floor takes thirty seconds and answers next April’s questions: how many cones, whether the second ball pump exists, which net has the tear.

It also identifies what to replace during the quiet season, when stock is complete and prices are lower.

Labelling bags

Everything goes into bags and every bag looks the same in March. A luggage tag with the contents written on it turns the spring unpacking from an hour into ten minutes. Include the pegs, the fin key, the pump needles — the small items that are only findable if somebody wrote down which bag they went into.

Basements, and the humidity question

A Chicago basement is usually the best storage in the house for bulky items and the worst for anything that objects to damp. A cheap hygrometer tells you which you have: below about 55% relative humidity is fine for almost everything; above 65% and fabric, leather and foam will all suffer over a winter.

A small dehumidifier running through the wet months costs little and protects a great deal of equipment. Failing that, keep everything off the concrete floor on a pallet or a shelf — concrete wicks moisture upwards and a bag sitting directly on it stays damp all winter.