By Marcus Woolf
“Hey, what’s that smell?”
You might have uttered these words while pulling your gear out of storage for a spring day hike or backpacking trip. Each winter, people toss grimy, wet gear in, the garage or storage building. Then, the following spring, they discover their tent or backpack has become a Petri dish of nasty stuff. Here are a few tips on cleaning and caring for backpacks, tents and sleeping bags….
Taking Care of Your Backpack
Cleaning: So, your backpack smells like the trash can in a men’s locker room. It’s likely due to sweat, dirt and that food bag you forgot to empty. These things can shorten the life of your pack, especially salt from sweat, which can corrode metal and break down nylon fabrics.
When you clean your backpack, don’t put it in a washing machine. The agitation from a machine can break down fabrics as well as foams in hip belts, shoulder straps and back panels. Also, straps can get twisted in the components of a top-loading washer. Instead, first vacuum out dirt and debris. Then, add Woolite to warm water and use a sponge or cloth to wipe the pack down. Some pack manufacturers say you shouldn’t use hot water or spot removers, as these can damage the fabric.
As you clean your pack, examine your zippers, which can fail if they’re jammed with dirt and debris. You can vacuum out the dirt, or scrub zippers with a soft nylon brush (like a toothbrush) and cold water.
After you wash the bag, don’t put it in the clothes dryer. The heat levels are too intense and can break down fabrics and foams. A good way to dry your pack is to stuff it with newspapers and hang it in the shade.
Storing your bag: Once you’ve cleaned your pack, store it in a cool, dry place, and hang it if possible. Don’t leave your pack on the garage floor, because standing water or other liquids like engine oil could invade the pack. Also, if your pack is on the floor, mice can chew through the fabric while searching for crumbs.
Tent Care Basics
Cleaning: When you return from camping in the rain, it’s critical to dry your tent to prevent mildew and fungus from forming. The primary problem is that these things will damage coatings on tent fabrics. Plus, they’ll make the tent stink. If you do get mildew, it’s very difficult to remove it completely, but you can treat it. Mix non-detergent soap, 1 cup of salt, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 gallon of hot water. Then, use this mix and a soft nylon brush to scrub the interior and exterior of the tent and the fly. Next, dry the tent in the sun. As with packs, you shouldn’t put your tent in a dryer because excessive heat will damage the fabric and coatings.
Storage: It’s fine to store your tent in its stuff sack. The primary concern is to prevent the tent fabric from being exposed to sunlight over a long period of time. As with your pack, it’s best to keep it in a cool, dry place off the floor.
Sleeping Bag Care
Cleaning: Over the course of a camping season, a sleeping bag can get pretty ripe. When your bag gets stinky, it’s best to wash it at the Laundromat, because the machines there won’t agitate the bag as much as your home machine. And never dry clean your bag or wash it in a top-loading machine, because these methods will cause damage. At the Laundromat, use cold water, a gentle cycle, and mild soap. For a down bag, you can also use Nikwax Down Wash or Revivex Down Wash. For a bag with synthetic insulation, Nikwax Tech Wash is a good option. After you clean the bag, you can also restore its DWR (durable water-repellent) coating by putting the bag in the clothes dryer on low heat.
Storage: You shouldn’t store your bag in its small stuff sack, because over time compressed insulation will lose its loft and its ability to keep you warm. Many bag manufacturers supply a larger net bag for long-term storage, or you can hang the bag in a large cotton sack, or even a large pillowcase.
Footwear Care
On a backpacking trip in the Sierra Mountains, one person in our hiking group lost the soles off of both boots as we crossed a pass at nearly 11,000 feet of elevation. Before that trip, he hadn’t used the boots in several years, and the glue that secured the soles had deteriorated. I’ve seen similar footwear failures a handful of times while hiking and backpacking.
Over time, the glue used on hiking boots and shoes can break down. If footwear is stored in an unconditioned space—such as a storage building—the extremes in heat and cold can contribute to glue decaying. So, if you’re headed to the backcountry, and you plan to use an old pair of boots or shoes, you might want to do a couple of trial hikes to ensure they’re in decent shape.
Waterproof Clothing
Most waterproof jackets and pants are made with a DWR (durable water-repellent) coating, which prevents moisture from penetrating the garment’s outer layer of fabric. Even if a garment has a waterproof/breathable membrane, such as Gore-Tex, it will likely also have a DWR coating. Over time, abrasion and the buildup of body oils and dirt can reduce the DWR’s effectiveness. When this happens, your jacket might feel waterlogged, heavy and saturated when it gets wet. Fortunately, you can restore the DWR’s effectiveness in two steps:
Step 1: Consult the fabric care instructions on the garment and wash off dirt and oil. It’s a good idea to use a cleaner that’s made specifically for this task, such as Nikwax Tech Wash.
Step 2: Again, check the fabric care instructions to see if it’s possible to put the garment in a dryer. If so, dry the jacket on low or medium heat for about 20 minutes to revive the DWR finish.
If these steps don’t work, you can apply a new DWR coating using a special wash-in or spray-on product.
Comments