In Backpacker Magazine’s March issue, its annual gear guide, there’s a good segment on fitting and taking care of your backpack. Gregory customer service guru George McCloskey is quoted in the piece saying “never put your pack in a washing machine or dryer.”
You might laugh. That may seem obvious to some folks out there.
But George has pretty much seen it all.
Here’s his list of top preventative tips for keeping your backpack healthy.
• Wash your pack periodically (like outside, by hand, with warm or cold water, not hot water), especially after a long trip or before you store it for the season. You can use a nylon brush to loosen dirt and debris on and in the pack, but don’t scrub excessively. You can use a mild soap like Woolite or Nikwax Tech Wash, but never use other chemicals, soaps or detergents.
• Make sure your pack is completely dry before storing it, whether from washing it or coming back from a rainy trip. Water can cause mildew and corrode zipper sliders. After washing your pack or coming back from a wet trip, let it air dry completely in the shade. You can fill it with newspaper to help absorb any interior moisture.
• Store it in a dry place (obviously) out of direct sunlight. UV rays break down the coatings on the fabrics.
• Make sure to release the tension on the load-lifter straps that attach to the shoulder harnesses before storing your pack. Same goes for the waist-belt stabilizer straps. If you leave the tension in them, it will crease the harnesses/waist belts over time.
• Store your pack with any cinch cords open and all compression straps loose. Leaving tension in cinch cords breaks down their elasticity more quickly, and leaving compression straps open helps prevent fabric creases.
• If possible, store your pack in a place where it isn’t exposed to extreme temperatures, especially on the hot end of the scale, which breaks down fabrics more quickly.
SO IS THE WATERPROOF OR RAIN PROOF MATERIAL NOT NEED ANY SPECIAL TREATMENT LIKE PUTTING SOMETHING ON I LIVE IN ALASKA AND MY WINGATE GETS LOTS OF USE I SPEND ABOUT 200 DAYS A YEAR OUTSIDE (YEA I’M LUCKY) AND I WAS JUST WONDERING I BUT I DO USE A COVER AND THE PACK HAS LASTED 2 YEARS SO FAR LOTS OF RESTITCHED AREAS WHERE STICKS HAVE TORN IT BUT ALL IN ALL STILL A GREAT PACK
ANY ADVICE ABOUT THE COLD IE. -50 OR SO ANY THING TO BE CARE FULL OF OR TO HELP IT LAST LONGER
THANKS CHAD
Chad,
Due to seams and zippers, we do not claim any of our packs to be ‘waterproof’, though everything is water resistant. All of our pack fabrics are coated with a polyurethane coating on the inside of our packs. When expected to see inclimate weather we always recommend a raincover, though we’ve seen packs bead water for days during rainy events. I also always recommend a few plastic bags to keep your wet/dry gear separate, as a few wet items inside your pack will cause condensation and result in soggy everything. We do not recommend after market water resistant treatments until your coatings naturally begin to break down years into the future.
Extreme cold temperatures definitely affect the way materials react, deform, and rebound. That said, we test any products susceptible to cold temperatures down to -40.
I removed the waistbelt and shoulder harnesses when I cleaned my pack. I assume these are made of foam. Is it ok to submerge them in water to clean them? Thanks.
Linda,
I don’t recommend full submersion. You can hand wash with a mild soap, lightly scrubbing with a soft nylon brush if necessary. Either way, be sure your pack and its part are completely dry before storing again.