I like the Maton too and I'm no Tele fan, but hey..
As I said, I don't think it'll make that much difference, but a steel reinforced wooden neck does not get damaged by not having string tension on it. 5 year old strings on the other hand are likely to be corroded, whatever brand they are.
My advice: Take the Maton and leave the Tele!
Personally I'd take the strings off, but it really doesn't matter that much if you go with the controlled storage - no different to having them at home.
The only things that matter to me is gauge, material/winding, and durability (read: how long the pack sat around before I got to it). Durability you don't find out about until you break the first string.
Considering that there are only a few, you'd think they'd offer more variety in terms of gauge. Lazy Pricks.
Which gauge would you like them to make?