Storing outdoor equipment
Vehicles with an engine, a trailer, or fuel in the tank belong in a different product. This page is about the things you carry in by hand: mowers, bikes, kayaks, and canoes, and exactly how much folding or paddling-length changes what unit you need.
Storing a boat, car, ATV, motorcycle, or jet ski? Facilities sell vehicle and boat storage as its own product, usually an outdoor lot or a covered bay, and it's the better fit for anything with a motor, a trailer, or fuel in the tank, so this tool doesn't size those. Kayaks and canoes are different: carried in by hand, they pack like any other long, narrow item, and that's what this page covers.
| Item | Full size | Smallest unit, as-is | Broken down | Smallest unit, broken down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Push mower | 65″ × 22″ × 40″ | 5×10 | 43″ × 22″ × 16″, handle folded | 5×5 |
| Bicycle | 68″ × 24″ × 40″ | 5×10 | 58″ × 22″ × 31″, front wheel off | 5×5 |
| Kayak (~10 ft) | 120″ × 28″ × 14″ | 5×10 | Doesn't come apart | N/A |
| Canoe (16 ft) | 36″ × 192″ × 13″ | 10×20 | Doesn't come apart | N/A |
A push mower's problem is its handle: upright, at 65″ long, it needs a 5×10. Fold the handle forward over the deck (two wing nuts on essentially every current mower) and it drops to 43″ × 22″, small enough for a 5×5. A bicycle follows the same pattern: assembled it needs a 5×10, and pulling the front wheel and rotating the bars parallel to the frame gets it down to a 5×5 as well.
The kayak and the canoe are both hand-carried hulls with nothing to unbolt, so the only question is length. A ~10 ft kayak fits a 5×10 lengthwise. A 16 ft canoe is longer than every 5-wide unit's depth and longer than a 10×10 or 10×15 too. The first size on the ladder deep enough for it is a 10×20, where it still only occupies 192 of the available 240 inches of depth. Four extra feet of hull is the difference between a 5×10 and a 10×20.
Neither watercraft gets stopped at the door: both are narrow enough end-on to pass a typical 5-wide unit's door even though their length dictates the unit itself. (Door figures are typical, not a measurement; confirm with your facility.)
See the canoe against the full unit ladder
Frequently asked questions
Does a push mower fit in a 5×5 storage unit?
Only with the handle folded down over the deck, a quick fold on essentially every current mower. Upright, it needs a 5×10.
What size storage unit does a canoe need?
A 16 ft canoe needs a 10×20. No 5-wide unit or 10×10/10×15 is deep enough for its length. A ~10 ft kayak, by contrast, fits a 5×10.
Can I store a boat in a regular storage unit?
Hand-carried hulls like kayaks and canoes, yes: they pack like any long, narrow item. Motorized or trailered boats are normally a separate product at most facilities, sized and priced apart from standard units.