PoleVaultPower.com

The school has just asked me about the possibility of storing our mats outside permanently. They say we don't have enough space in the storage shed to continue to keep them in there since they take up so much room. They are willing to build a permanent cage/cover on wheels for them, but I'm concerned about keeping the mats outside year round here in WA. Can anyone think of any reasons why I shouldn't let them do it? I'm thinking as long as we keep the mats on skids and keep them covered and dry, there shouldn't be a problem.

As long as they are DRY and locked up good so kids can't mess with them, I would think they would be OK. The thing is I think for the fall and winter you would want more than just the weather cover to keep them dry.

Our HS mats are out year round. They are up on wooden pallets and we have a good weather cover. Haven't really seen a big change in the condition of the pit...just a fading of the cover. We do get plenty of rain and snow here.

if u got a good cover that doesn't have holes, then it prolly is okay to leave it outdoors. but never leave pits outside, full blown in the rain, snow, etc. where it becomes weathered and then may or may not grow mold (its got to be left outside of period of time for that to happen).

We're supposedly building a cage (mini-house) to go over the pole vault mats here at Worcester State, this way we can keep them outside year round, and not have to set up every time we want to vault, as well as keeping people off of them

No matter how good your weather cover is, water has a way of finding its way into the bottom of the base sections of the pit. You won't notice until you try to move them, and they're like 400lbs each. Once or twice a year, disassemble the entire pit and set all the sections leaning on their side against something, or upside down on the skids to drain any water out for a few days. Also, a pit garage like the one Gill makes is never a bad idea: http://www.gillathletics.com/GillItemVi ... ?FSID=8663

ashcraftpv wrote:The school has just asked me about the possibility of storing our mats outside permanently. They say we don't have enough space in the storage shed to continue to keep them in there since they take up so much room. They are willing to build a permanent cage/cover on wheels for them, but I'm concerned about keeping the mats outside year round here in WA. Can anyone think of any reasons why I shouldn't let them do it? I'm thinking as long as we keep the mats on skids and keep them covered and dry, there shouldn't be a problem.

Ask them what their plan is to replace them if some thing happens to them?

yea, that garage is what we're building

The sun is hard on all the components of p/v mats. A "garage" is a must if you are to leave them outside to shield them from the harmfull rays of the sun. Rodents are another problem. We have ours setup at a farm house in the Missouri country and mice are a big problem. We control this with plastic bowles placed under the mats around the skids. We place decon mouse poision and mothballs in these bowls. Just be sure to place these containers far ewnough that dogs/cats and kids can't get ahold of them. We have had mats for 3 years with NO rodent problems. (I know mice are around because I see them outside and in our barn, maybe I need to not feed our cats so often LOL )

The University of Tennessee keeps two sets of pits outside and two inside year around. Just keep them elevated and not in direct contact with the ground and drain them periodically.

1yeldud1 wrote:The sun is hard on all the components of p/v mats. A "garage" is a must if you are to leave them outside to shield them from the harmfull rays of the sun. Rodents are another problem. We have ours setup at a farm house in the Missouri country and mice are a big problem. We control this with plastic bowles placed under the mats around the skids. We place decon mouse poision and mothballs in these bowls. Just be sure to place these containers far ewnough that dogs/cats and kids can't get ahold of them. We have had mats for 3 years with NO rodent problems. (I know mice are around because I see them outside and in our barn, maybe I need to not feed our cats so often LOL )

Another solution to the rodents, insects, and reptile problems is to place fabric softener dryer sheets (Bounce) under the pit and in between each section. For some reason, they repel critters.

1yeldud1 wrote:The sun is hard on all the components of p/v mats.

The sun won't be much of an issue. It doesn't come out very often in Washington until summer