Dehumidifiers Keep My Fly Fishing Gear Fresh & Dry

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My dehumidifier is my fly fishing gear’s best friend. Photo By: Louis Cahill

It used to be an ongoing battle all season long to keep my fly fishing gear dry and odor free.

There’s nothing worse than having to slide into a pair of stinky, sweaty waders that are still damp from the day before, struggle to slide your feet into a frozen solid pair of wading boots during the winter, or head out fishing on a rainy day with a rain jacket that’s already soaked to the bone. A couple years ago, I finally got smart and bought a dehumidifier, and now all I have to do is drop my gear on the floor next to the dehumidifier in the evening, and it’s waiting for me the next morning 100% dry and odor free. I’m telling you, it’s like heaven on earth, and I guarantee, you’ll find a whole new appreciation and respect for dehumidifiers when you take the leap of faith and put one to work. Dehumidifiers are also great for fighting the spread of invasive species for traveling anglers because they can suck the moisture out of every crack and crevice of your gear in a very short period of time. So keep that in mind next time you walk by one of them in your local hardware store. Splurging the couple hundred dollars will benefit you…, your fly fishing gear and your trout streams.

Keep it Reel,

Kent Klewein
Gink & Gasoline
www.ginkandgasoline.com
hookups@ginkandgasoline.com
 
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6 thoughts on “Dehumidifiers Keep My Fly Fishing Gear Fresh & Dry

  1. Interesting idea, Kent. My gear hangs outside my garage under the overhang until dry, but that is not always a quick resolution if the weather is wet.

    Looks from the photo like you will save on flies lost to rust as well. I sometimes need to use a hair dryer to dry out my flies after a rainy day on the river with no sun and breeze to dry my gear when I get home. It would be nice to have a place where the moisture reduction occurs without blowing flies and burning my fingers.

  2. Thanks for the heads up Kent, but not all humidifiers are created equal. Looking at them on Consumer Reports will make your head spin. Give us a little direction?

    • I don’t think there’s such a thing as a great dehumidifier. Read the reviews, everybody has problems. Most are built in China by a contract manufacturer named Gree. There was a massive recall in 2013 and 2014 due to them catching on fire. But here are some considerations:

      – Most dehumidifiers collect water into an internal bucket that will need to be emptied somehow. The more pints of capacity the less frequently you need to dump water.
      – Your dehumidifier is heavy and needs to be on the floor. Some offer a gravity drain option via a garden hose hookup. That’s ok if you have a floor drain available. Models with a built-in pump use a smaller refrigerator style hose, can defeat gravity and route water to a nearby sink.
      – Consider timer, auto shutoff and auto restart (for power outage) requirements
      – Consider noise, as the fan on some units are very loud. If used often the fan bearings tend to wear out and get noisy.
      – Keep the filter and water drain area clean to prolong the unit’s life.

      If you’re only going to use the dehumidifier after fishing (no unattended operation) then the above may not matter. I needed a basement dehumidifier for years and didn’t know it. The model I bought is no longer available but if I were buying again I would probably go with the Danby DDR70B3PWP Premier 70 Pint model with integrated pump. See http://www.achooallergy.com/danby-premiere-ddr70b3pwp-70-pint-dehumidifier/

      A regular fan will also work for drying fishing equipment, just gather your equipment together and somewhere inside because the humidity is almost always lower inside.

  3. I saw you recommended Danby 70 pint model, it’s great choice but it depend on the space, right? I just wonder should I go bought 3 dehumidifier (for 3 floor) or get a commercial Dehumidifier…

  4. Pingback: Tippets: Dehumidifying Gear, Respecting the Redd, Chris Schneider Tying Tutorial | MidCurrent

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