16
Caring For Your Pack
Cleaning Your Pack
Packs lead a hard life. They get dragged through the mud and tossed into
the back of pickup trucks. You can extend the life of your pack by cleaning it
when necessary. Start by removing the aluminum stay (see
Bending the Stay
, at
the top of this page) and the hipbelt (see
Attaching the Hipbelt
, on page 3).
You’ll be able to clean the hipbelt much more effectively if it’s not attached to
the pack. Now turn the pack bag upside down and shake out all the accumulated
trail grit. Use a soft, dry brush to sweep out all the particles and dislodge any-
thing stuck to the surface. If spot-cleaning is all you need, try Energine or a
similar 100% naphtha product, available at most supermarkets and drugstores.
If the whole pack needs cleaning, follow this procedure. First, fill a bath
tub half full with lukewarm water. Add 1/8 of a cup of mild soap (Palmolive
dishwashing liquid and Woolite are good choices).
Do not use detergents or
harsh soaps, which can damage the fabric’s waterproof coating.
Soak the
pack bag and hipbelt for 10 minutes, then use a soft hand brush or sponge to
gently scrub the hipbelt and
outside
of the pack bag. Do
not
scrub the inner,
coated side.
Thoroughly
rinse the pack bag and hipbelt with cool water, then
line dry them away from direct sunlight.
Never use a dryer! Never put your
pack in a washing machine!
Your Pack is not a Haul Bag!
We build all our packs from very tough materials. However, they are not
haul bags! If you tie your pack to the end of a rope and haul it up a rock wall,
you will put holes in it!
Front pockets are particularly vulnerable to this form of
abuse. If you must haul your pack, put it inside a haul bag first — then expect
to replace the shredded haul bag every few trips.
Avoiding animal damage
Animals can destroy a pack. To prevent damage, remove all food, food
wrappers and anything else that has an odor. Wash your pack occasionally to
remove food debris, odors and the salt left behind when perspiration evapo-
rates. Many animals love to chew on salty items. When in camp, open all zip-
pered compartments and, if possible, hang the pack from a tree limb to further
discourage “mammalian mastication.”
Storing Your Pack
Before storing your pack, loosen the shoulder-pad lift straps and tighten
the main shoulder straps completely so that the shoulder pads are held flat
against the back panel. This prevents the pads from developing a permanent
kink. Loosen the hipbelt trim straps to relieve tension on the hipbelt. If stor-
age space is at a premium, remove the hipbelt and tuck it inside the pack bag.
Make sure the pack is clean and dry, then store it in a cool, dry place away
from direct sunlight. Avoid storing your pack in a garage or shed where critters,
either domestic or wild, can get at it.
