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How To Store Your Ski Gear for the Summer

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Apr 18, 2025 7:00 AM ET

It's hard to say (or admit) when our last turns of the season will be, but for those of us who don't plan on making any volcano pilgrimages or trips to Chile, we'll have to store our gear eventually. Even if it's just for a few months, it's well worth storing your gear thoughtfully and correctly to make sure you don't have to do tons of maintenance next season or buy something new because it was stored improperly. Here are the best end-of-season practices to make sure your ski gear stays in tip-top shape over the summer.

Tune your skis so they can sit in your garage? Crazy!Photo: Yelizaveta Tomashevska/Getty Images

How To Store Skis

First, clean your skis off. They might not look that dirty, but especially after spring skiing, there's bound to be some grime on there. Give your bases a good wipe-down with water and a towel. No cleaners or solvents are needed, and try not to get your bindings too wet, either. If there is a little goop on the bases from tree sap or skin glue, try a tiny bit of citrus solvent on a rag to thin it out before wiping them down with water again. If you really want to treat your skis, you can also apply a base conditioner before waxing them.

Next, check your edges for burrs or any obvious damage. Giving them a good sharpen and polish before you put them away can help prevent rust buildup and make sure they're ready to go for next season.

Apply a generous coat of softer or warmer weather wax to the bases, but don't scrape it off. This coat will keep them from oxidizing over the summer. Pro tip: Put a piece of masking tape on the top sheet that reminds you they have summer wax on them, so you don't try to take them out next season without scraping it off!

Find a place to store your skis that's cool and dry and doesn't put them in a wonky position that will affect the rocker or camber of the skis. If you have AT bindings on any of your skis, you can engage the tips (put them in "ski mode") to keep the springs in them from stretching out while they're not in use, too.

If you're not much of a DIY person with ski maintenance, you can also bring them to a shop to get a little tune and summer wax done. Ski shops are far less busy late in the spring and summer than they are before the season starts in the fall. If you need any repairs done or a base grind, spring or summer isn't a bad time to do that.

How To Store Boots

Storing your boots in the summer is pretty much the same as storing them during the season. Remove your liners so they can dry out all the way (and air out from all your scary foot smells from ski season). Buckle your boots loosely so they keep their shape, but don't crank them down. Store them in a cool, dry place. If your boots are SUPER smelly, you can store the shells with a sock full of baking soda in them to help alleviate any weirdness or moisture.

How To Store Your Beacon

Whenever you've hung up your backcountry skis for the season, it's also time to put your beacon away for summer. To store your beacon and preserve its lifespan, take the batteries out of the battery compartment to prevent corrosion. While you're at it, check for any corrosion that might already be in the battery compartment, as it can have an impact on the functionality of your beacon.

How To Store Outerwear

If you keep any of your down layers or puffy jackets in a stuff sack to make it easier to throw them in your pack, take them out of the sack for summer. Hang them up and let the down expand so you don't compromise insulation for next season. If they're smelly, you can wash them according to the wash instructions on the tag and dry them with a couple of tennis balls or balls of socks in the dryer so the down gets evenly redistributed.

Wash your outerwear. If you do it right, it won't ruin it; it'll actually make it work better. Figure out what your kit is madeof (Gore-Tex, 3L, PFAS-free Gore-Tex, etc.) and carefully follow the instructions on the tag or manufacturer's website. You can also read our gear editor's full breakdown of how to wash Gore-Tex.

Depending on how old or used your outerwear is, you might need to reapply DWR or waterproofing to it. There are several options for this, including spray-on treatments or wash-in treatments.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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