Where Does the Lake Marion Gear Go Between Trips?

Lake Marion is the largest lake in South Carolina, and if you live in Clarendon County you probably own more gear for it than you have room for.

That is the honest version of the problem. Not the boat, which everyone plans for. The tubes, the ropes, the life jackets, the rods, the coolers, the chairs, the canopy and the four bags of things that only leave the house between May and October.

Why is the garage the wrong place for it?

Because it is the space you use every day, and lake gear is the thing you use least often that takes up the most room.

A tube alone eats a corner. Six life jackets on a rail eat a wall. Add rods, a cooler that seats four, camp chairs and a canopy and you have lost a bay of a two car garage to a season.

There is also the state of it. Gear that goes back into a garage wet gets put away wet, and wet gear in a closed garage through a Carolina summer smells like it. Rinsed, dried and stored properly is what makes the difference in April.

What actually needs storing between trips?

The rule is simple. Anything that dries, stores. Anything with fuel in it does not go in a unit.

Store the soft and bulky things. Life jackets, tubes, wakeboards, ski ropes, anchors, dock lines, rods and tackle, coolers, chairs, canopies, tents, sleeping bags. Rinse the salt or lake water off, dry it fully, then put it away.

Keep out anything you use weekly. There is no sense driving to a unit for a life jacket you need every Saturday.

And nothing combustible goes in a unit. No gas cans, no propane, no fuel left in a trimmer or a generator. That rule does not bend.

Does a power outlet in the unit matter?

More than you would expect, and it is not a standard feature.

Most of the larger drive-up units here have a power outlet in them. That means light to see by, a vacuum to clean out a cooler, and the ability to run a tool without an extension lead trailing out of a door. If you are planning to charge anything in a unit, call us first so we can talk through what is and is not allowed, because batteries have their own rules.

When is a parking space the right answer instead?

When the thing you are storing is on wheels.

There are fenced parking spaces here in 10x15 and 10x30, on gravel with property lighting, which suits a boat on a trailer, a utility trailer or a second vehicle. That is a different product from a unit and it is usually the cheaper answer if the gear can live in the boat.

If what you are storing is documents, photographs, electronics or upholstered furniture rather than lake gear, ask about the climate controlled interior units. Those are kept between 50 and 80 degrees with humidity between 30% and 50%, and they are reached from an interior hallway.

Storing in Clarendon County?

Manning Self Storage is at 2775 Old Georgetown Rd in the heart of Manning, a short drive from downtown and minutes from Lake Marion. We are easy to reach from Summerton and the surrounding communities, and straightforward off I-95, US-301 and US-521, which also makes us a practical stop if you are passing through rather than living here.

Units run from a 5x10 up to a 15x30, in drive-up and climate controlled interior versions, with roll-up doors, bright LED lighting and gated entry. A free lock is included at move in and it is yours to keep.

Availability moves here and several sizes are currently on a waitlist, so call (803) 696-5085 before you plan around a particular size. Tell us what you are storing and we will tell you what is open.