Have ever been to Florida in the summer? Well if so, then you know it rains—everyday. The rain won’t last long, but just enough to make everything soaking wet. It cools down the temperature, which we need, but my hockey gear is always drenched. I found a great way to keep my equipment dry while still being able to have full access to the bed.

Even though I live in sunny, hot-as-Hades Florida, I still love playing ice hockey. I’ve been playing since fourth grade, was captain of my high school team, and still play in some adult leagues today. It’s a great work out and it helps me blow off steam after a long day at the office. If you play hockey you know how funky your gear can get. By the time I’m done with a game, my pads are drenched in sweat. So after my games, I would throw my gear in the back of my pick up; an 05’ Silverado. The truck bed is great for storing all my gear. It fits anything from sticks to pads to goals. Now here comes my dilemma. I live twenty minutes from work and the rink is 15 minutes from there in the other direction, which is why I go straight to the ice house from work. Sometimes I play a series of games, a few days in a row, so I end up keeping my gear in my truck. I started to realize that when I changed into my gear it was really wet; and really starting to emit a nasty odor. At first I thought, it just didn’t having enough time to dry, but then something struck me. It rains everyday while I’m at work—but only for ten minutes. By the time I leave work, I never would have known it was raining and the roads are dry again. So sure enough, my pads were dry from the night before, but they would sit in the rain and absorb all the rain water. Finally, the mystery was solved. I have noticed that some trucks have covers over their beds, but I liked having full access to my bed. So I did a little searching and found a folding cover. This way I can easily unfold the cover in the afternoon, providing protection, and have full access to the bed, by merely folding back the cover. And the cover is waterproof, so no more damp gear for me.