View Full Version : I want to wash my pack
what is the best way to wash a pack that's been stored for a while. It looks clean but smells funky. Should i wash it or just try to deodorize it?
Thanks
Andy
maybe clem
04-08-2011, 19:14
What kind of pack? I throw my Golite Gust in the wash with a gentle detergent then line dry.
stranger
04-08-2011, 21:09
The best way I've found to wash a pack is in the bathtub:
- fill with very warm water and add a mild soap like sportswash or similar
- give it a good thrashing, let soak for 10 mins, thrash, soak, thrash, rinse
- hang upside down and let drip dry
Keep in mind if you have actual dirt caked on you will need to remove that first with a abrasive sponge and warm water, also keep in mind that most of the smell from a pack comes from mildew inside the foams of the pack, so while you might clean up the pack...the smell will likely return if it's mildew.
it's my gregory shasta, i'll try the bath tub and see what happens
yeah, that's usually been my expierence with most of my hiking gear, it may look clean but the smell is heat activated, like reverse deodorant.!
white vinegar works pretty well too...
risingsun
04-08-2011, 22:17
You might also consider using Nixwax Tech Wash for the detergent... They make some great products.
http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-gb/products/productdetail.php?productid=4
white vinegar works pretty well too...
oh yeah forgot all about that trick, thanks
Tub. Warm water. Soap. Hand agitate. Rinse. Hang dry.
Tenderheart
04-10-2011, 13:56
I washed mine a few times in a front-load washing machine. It came out clean and sweet smelling.
litefoot
This made me remember -- about a month after my daughter got back from her thru hike in 2002, her aunt asked her if she was going to keep her pack as a souvenir. she said, "I washed it three times, then threw it away."
After spending the last 2 months hiking in Hawaii on the Big Island from the Puna District up through the Hamuka Coast where it rains ALOT my ULA Conduit(CDT) backpack took on an awful mildewy smell like the composting earth in which I sometimes slept. Can't adequately describe the awful smell of the dirt there. Anyhow, I took my frameless9no stays) Dyneema ULA Conduit backpack, scrubbed it clean with some diluted lemon scented dish soap and water, and then spayed it with a midewcide and thoroughly rinsed and cleaned it off. I did it at a beach shower but I've also done this in the yard with a hose with a spray nozzle or when not too foul in the bathtub. I was concerned that if I used bleach or something too harsh I could compromise the stitching. I also like Risingsun's NikWax Tech Wash idea. Wonder how Wag's diluted white vinegar and water would work too.
I have used Tech Wash, lemon juice, and vinegar on a 10+ year old tent that was put away wet and smelled real funky, but nothing worked. I was about to just throw the tent away, but then I read about MiraZyme on another forum, so I gave it a shot and it took all of the stink out.
http://www.rei.com/product/694530
risingsun
04-11-2011, 22:47
McNett makes some great products. The MiraZyme sounds like a good solution for the funky smell blues...
(I had a similar 'put away wet' problem with a stinky tent I bought cheap in a yard sale and a soak in a mild bleach solution in a clean garbage can worked pretty well, too, if someone were to want to try that.)
I just filled up our bathtub with 20 gal of water and then poured the whole 2 oz bottle in there. Let the tent and fly soak for about 20 mins and then set it up in the yard until it dried. Worked great.
At $4.50, I think it worth a shot.
I always soak mine a couple hours (or even overnight) in a tub of warm water and OxyClean Free. Rinse well, hang dry.
I take mine to the front yard and fill up a bucket with water, use oxy-clean and a scrub brush and then spray it off with the hose and hang dry it in the sun.
Been almost two weeks, I'm still waiting for a sunny day so I can hang it up to dry.That might be a while! I'll let you all know what worked.
Trailweaver
04-20-2011, 00:37
I would think that many of these suggestions would work. I also would suggest a product that boat people use on life vests called "Sink the Stink." You can get it from Amazon.com. I have a friend who used to use it on scuba gear. She says it will get out any stinky odor, even if it's been sitting around a while.
Take it to the car wash and hang it up on one of those clips they put on the wall to hang your floor mats and just pressure wash the crap out of it, paying special attention to the padded part that goes up against your back and the hip belt...those are the areas that are going to soak up the most funk. Then let it dry in the sun. Just throw your sleeping bag away.
You jogged my memory KYLarry. Thanks. Forgot about that product. Wanted to know how it worked for those who used it. And, you say REI carries it? I''m going to REI tomorrow to pick up some Down Tech Wash for a sleeping bag. Great!
I like Bonk's suggestion too! Wash the car and pack at the same time! Gotta be careful with my UL packs though!
Bunch of Hazels and Alices here on WB.
we finally got a sunny day, I tried the white Vinegar first and it sure went a long way helping the funkiness. I'm curious t osee how much might come back with a little body heat. Thanks
Snowleopard
04-23-2011, 10:45
... also keep in mind that most of the smell from a pack comes from mildew inside the foams of the pack, so while you might clean up the pack...the smell will likely return if it's mildew.
I never thought of that and it makes sense. An implication would be that while on a long hike it would be more important to dry your pack frequently than to wash it frequently. Maybe that won't work because the pack will be so often wet and damp on the trail that mildew will grow anyway.
The PCT is much drier than the AT with less rain and lower humidity. So a question for people who did both, which made your pack stink more?