I voted for 4 and 5, but I'm half in each camp. I place things carefully in the back of my truck - not wrapped in a blanket though, because it's all in cases except for the tripod. If it rattles back there then I can't hear it anyway
. If I didn't have cases for my gear I suppose I might resort to a blanket as a stop gap method of protection...
Actually the tripod is showing a few scuff marks from the way I pack it so that it isn't all over the place, but that's cool with me.
As for everything else, I don't clean it unless it needs it.
Al.