Ever wash your gear?

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
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oldranger
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Ever wash your gear?

Post by oldranger »

Just washed one of my Exos 58s in prep for sending in for biennial repairs. I'll bet at least 2 oz. of dirt and pine needles emerged!

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richlong8
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by richlong8 »

I washed my Big Agnes Fly Creek tent this year for the first time. It was required before they would repair the tent. I did not realize how stained the tent had become, and I told the rep, this tent has been cleaned, but no one would really call it clean, cleaner, but not clean.
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Scouter9
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by Scouter9 »

I hose out my backpack every ten years, whether it needs it or not.

I hose off the tents if they ever get mudded or even gritty. I'm not so concerned with stains, but abrasion from dirt. If food's been spilled, definite hose & dry.

I spend a day at the giant commercial wash-n-dry with our down bags once they get a little oily looking on the interior or get a good sweating from some kind of mistake, etc... We're pretty good with bag practices and this takes a few years to come up.

On trail, I wash my underwear and socks every day I've got plentiful water to haul up and away to the wash site, swapping them for my alternate set as they dry.
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oldhikerQ
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by oldhikerQ »

After every trip, I turn my tent inside out to get out the dirt and pine needles and then wipe it down inside and out with a damp sponge. It then hangs over a rack in the garage to dry before going back into its stuff sack. Other gear gets the same treatment if it looks dirty.
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markskor
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by markskor »

Wait...You are supposed to wash your gear?

Other than my sleeping bag - (Every 4 or 5 years or so... and only if/when needed) -
I always wash my tent when camped - every time it rains.

Seriously though, I usually wash (hose down) gear at the end of the season...maybe.
Important that all gear is bone dry before packing anything away.
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RoguePhotonic
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by RoguePhotonic »

I do wash my sleeping bag each year. If I ever stop working 7 days a week I will get to it. Other than that not really. I have washed a pack before but I don't do that much. I never wash my tents either.
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AlmostThere
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by AlmostThere »

I wash my clothes... once in a while.

Oh, and I hosed off the tent the other day. A couple nights under some tamarisks and it looked speckled and the floor had a lot of the needles inside.
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maverick
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by maverick »

Rarely, and only when needed.
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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sparky
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by sparky »

I hosed out a tent a couple years ago, but that was it for gear. Like the others I do wash my sleeping bag once every couple seasons. I do wash my hiking clothes between trips. I rinse my clothes out during my trips though too.
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rlown
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Re: Ever wash your gear?

Post by rlown »

the tents and packs have only been shaken out. never washed. obviously, the pots/pans and clothes get washed. But then, i don't have to send my tioga in for repair biannually.

Sleeping bags gets washed depending on use/sweat factor. Usually every other year. 3 years on the Badger so far and no wash. A sleeping bag wash is a slow soak in a tub. no Machine will touch the badger or my other bags.
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