Plan to do some camping this summer? Now is the time to go over your gear to make sure you don’t get any unpleasant surprises the first time you try to set up camp.

Take your tent outside, turn it inside out and shake out all the leaves, dirt and other debris that was tracked in the previous season. Then set it in the back yard or even the living room, if necessary, to make sure all the pieces are there.

Go over the poles carefully looking for cracks in the fiberglass, paying special attention to the ferrules where two pieces join. If the shock cord inside the poles is frayed, replace it. Camping stores have the materials and instructions for this simple job.

Make sure the window and door zippers run properly, giving them a light rubbing with candle wax if needed.

Try to avoid using sprays like WD-40. Get inside the tent and look for holes that need patching or window screens that need repair or replacing.

Next pull out your sleeping bag and make sure it’s clean. A bag matted and dirty padding is less comfortable and colder than a bag with clean, fluffed-up padding. Some bags need to be dry-cleaned, but most have cleaning instructions that allow them to be put through the family washing machine and dryer. And wash the stuff sack while you’re at it.

The other common problem with sleeping bags is zippers that won’t start or stick. Check the end points of the zippers to make sure the stitching hasn’t torn loose, and wax the zipper lightly with candle wax to make it run as smooth as silk.

Clean your camp stove. Most stoves come with instructions on how to get the crusted food from all those boiled-over pots out of the gas jets. And clean your cooking kit, a good way to make sure everything you need is there.

Take a few minutes to check your hiking boots. Do they still have those broken, knotted laces you’ve been meaning to replace for two seasons? Put the new laces in now.

Do they need a coat of waterproofing? Excellent rub-on or paint-on waterproofers are available at outdoors stores. Do the soles still have enough tread on them to keep you safe on a rocky trail? If not, have them resoled, or buy new ones.

This is also the time to put new batteries in all of your electronic devices and put a fresh set of spare batteries for each device in your backpack. There was a day when the only thing a hiker needed batteries for was a flashlight. Today, we also carry GPS units, hand-held communication radios, electronic compasses and MP-3 players.

Finally, go through your backpack to make sure all the buckles and zippers work. Then make sure emergency plastic poncho that smart campers always carry is tucked into a pocket. And put in a fresh supply of emergency food.

By the time you’ve completed this once-over, you’ll probably find that the biggest benefit of inspecting your camping gear is that it gets you pumped up to start camping again.