Budget-Friendly Ways to Protect Outdoor Equipment Over Winter
Every fall I do the same walk around my property, looking at everything sitting outside that I know is about to get buried in snow. The grill, the ATV, the porch furniture, the firewood rack that never quite got finished. None of it is expensive to replace one piece at a time, but replace enough of it every few years and you start to notice the money adding up. A little bit of prep in October saves a lot of frustration (and cash) come spring.
(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)
You don’t need fancy gear to do this well. Most of what protects outdoor equipment from a hard winter is stuff you already have lying around or can pick up for a few dollars.
Start With What You Already Have
Before buying anything, take a look around your garage or shed. Old shower curtains, extra bed sheets, and leftover tarps from other projects all make decent short-term covers for patio furniture and smaller equipment. Layering an old blanket underneath a tarp adds a bit of cushioning and helps absorb moisture instead of trapping it against whatever you’re covering.
The trick with any homemade cover is making sure water has somewhere to go. A flat tarp pulled tight over a flat surface just becomes a puddle collector. Prop the center up with a bucket, a pool noodle, or a couple of boards so rain and snowmelt run off the sides instead of pooling in the middle.
ATVs and Small Engines Need a Little More Attention
A basic tarp will keep snow off an ATV, but it won’t do much for the engine itself. Before you cover anything with a motor, drain or stabilize the fuel, disconnect the battery, and wipe down any exposed metal with a light coat of oil to keep rust from creeping in over the winter. Only after that should you worry about the outer cover.
If you don’t already own a fitted cover, a heavy-duty poly tarp from the hardware store works fine as long as you secure it well. Bungee cords hold up better than rope in wind, and cinching the cover tight around the base keeps blowing snow from sneaking underneath.
Don’t Forget the Grill
Grills and smokers get forgotten more than almost anything else on this list, probably because most people assume the metal can handle a Minnesota winter on its own. It can, technically, but rust builds up fast once moisture gets into the vents and grates. A cheap vinyl grill cover, or even a trash bag secured with a bungee cord in a pinch, adds years to the life of a grill you already paid good money for.
If You Own a Boat, This Is the One Place Not to Cut Corners
Boats are where a lot of the DIY tricks above start to fall apart. A regular tarp over a hull almost always sags somewhere, and once it does, snow and ice load up in that low spot and the weight can crack fittings or stress the frame underneath.
It also traps moisture against the boat all winter instead of letting it dry out, which is exactly how mildew and hull damage get started.
If you own a boat, marine shrink wrap is one of the more reliable options for keeping snow and moisture out all winter. It’s not the free fix that a spare tarp is, but for something as expensive to repair as a boat, it’s one of the few places where spending a bit more upfront actually saves money down the line.
A Little Effort Now Goes a Long Way
None of this takes a big budget or a full weekend. An afternoon spent draining fuel lines, digging out old tarps, and cinching down covers is enough to get most of your outdoor equipment through the season in one piece. Come spring, you’ll spend that time cleaning things off instead of replacing them, and that’s always the better trade.
(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)