So, the question: What's the best way to store the waterproof camera housing?
Closed, so the o-ring gets squashed and distorted over time,,, or;
Open, so the o-ring is exposed to the elements, and everything gets dirty & dusty?
Being unsure of the answer, I seem to alternate between keeping the case open and closed to hedge my bets....

I guess this is along the lines of the 'drysuit stored zip open or closed' holy war. (in the interests of full disclosure, I store mine un-zipped)

...any constructive input appreciated.

Best of both.

Closed with the O ring removed and stored inside.

Easy aye.

Good plan - guess I'd better myself an o-ring picker then!

No, you dont need one. The Oring is easy enough to remove with your fingers. The last thing you want to do is damage the Oring or case with a pick.