Winter Storage: Keep Track of Seasonal Keys

Mid-September is closing-up season across Canada. The cottage shuts down, the boat goes into dry storage, the RV moves to a winter lot, the lawn equipment locks in the shed. And every single one of those locks needs a key that you won't touch again until May. By spring, half of those keys will be 'somewhere safe' that you can't remember.

The September Inventory

Before you put anything away, lay every key on the kitchen table. Take a photo. Make a list: cottage front, cottage back, boathouse, boat ignition, boat fuel cap, propane, kayak rack, RV ignition, RV storage, BBQ, lawnmower, snowblower (for retrieval in November), workshop. The list itself prevents losing keys you didn't know existed.

The Labeled Hook Wall

Mount a small key-rack inside a closet with labeled hooks: Cottage. Boat. RV. Workshop. Each key goes on its labeled hook with a tag that names the lock. By May, you don't have to remember anything — the hook tells you.

Photograph the Combos

Every combination lock you use seasonally has its combo somewhere. Write each combo with a Sharpie on the back of a business card. Put all the cards in a single labeled envelope ('SEASONAL COMBOS') inside your fireproof safe or a specific kitchen drawer. Photograph them on your phone too — encrypted backup.

Tag the Hidden Spares

Every seasonal spare key (cottage spare in a lockbox, boat spare in the RV, RV spare at the cottage) gets an NFC recovery tag attached. The tag costs nothing per year of storage. If a contractor or family member finds a forgotten spare key in May, they can tap-and-return it to you instead of asking what it goes to.

The Spring Walk-Through

First weekend of May: open the key envelope, walk to every seasonal lock, verify each key works. Replace anything broken before you actually need it. The 30-minute walk-through prevents the discovery that the cottage front door key seized over winter when you're standing on the porch at 8 PM Friday.

Avoid 'Safe Spots' That Aren't

Common 'safe spots' that get lost: the top dresser drawer (gets emptied during cleaning), the kitchen junk drawer (everything sinks to the bottom), 'with the spare keys' (which spare keys?). Use a single labeled hook wall instead. It's not glamorous; it works.

Multi-Year Continuity

The system you set up this September works in 2027, 2028, and beyond. New seasonal items get added to the hook wall as you acquire them. Keys that stop being relevant (sold the boat, retired the lawnmower) come off. The system grows with the household instead of resetting every spring.