Gear Maintenance – Mountain Soles and Outdoor Threads

Puffy Jackets

Outerwear

Tents

Sleeping Bags

Backpacks

Footwear

Drysuits

Zipper 101

To clean any piece of gear, always follow cleaning instructions on the item. Follow manufacturers' recommended cleaning method on a regular basis.

Before washing, check and remove items from all of your pockets. Then zip all the pockets closed and zip main zipper together and to the top.

It's best to wash down jackets in a front-loading washer (without an agitator which can cause damage), and use a gentle, non-detergent liquid soap like Nikwax Down Wash. If you can customize the spin cycle, the goal would be to spin out as much water as possible before moving to the dryer.

If you're worried about losing too much down in the wash and having feathers leak all over the place, you can cover holes in your puffy jacket with a tape like masking tape, packing tape, or painters tape. Please don't use duct tape or something that has an extreme adhesive if you plan on getting your garment repaired. Removing the residue can be time intensive and add to our repair costs, and sometimes we end up needing to cut out pieces of garment where sticky tape residue is too adhered to remove. We do have the ability to replace missing down in your puffy jacket.

To clean any piece of gear, always follow cleaning instructions on the item. Follow manufacturers' recommended cleaning method on a regular basis.

All outdoor related clothing needs a little cleaning, some pieces more often than others. As a general rule, follow these tips:

Wash synthetic items in cold water, and hang items to dry—this prevents shrinkage, pilling, and melting.
Zip zippers closed, and close velcro tabs, to prevent snagging on other items.

When drying waterproof outerwear, a little caution never hurts. Hanging your gear to air/drip-dry is safe—remember to turn out hoods or pockets that might have collected water. If using a dryer, tumble dry on a warm, gentle setting. Lower temperatures will help revive the water repellent finish. Higher temperature drying might run the risk of delamination of seam tape and bonded construction.

To clean any piece of gear, always follow cleaning instructions on the item, and/or check with manufacturer recommendations. Parts like zippers tend to last longer with more frequent washings.

Clean your tent at the end of your backpacking season, before you store it for the next one. Also, cleaning after a particularly dusty, gritty adventure will make a big difference, as sand-sized particles are very good at wearing down parts.

Your tent can be washed in a front loading washer using a non-detergent liquid soap like Nikwax Techwash. See care instructions on your item for washing and drying instructions. Washing your item regularly will prolong its life and help your zippers work better. If you cannot find access to a large enough washing machine for your large capacity tent, you may need to hand wash it in a bathtub.

Hang your tent to drip/air-dry. Make sure it is fully dried before storage.

To clean any piece of gear, always follow cleaning instructions on the item, and/or check with manufacturer recommendations.

You can wash your sleeping bag by hand in a bathtub. If you wash your sleeping bag in a washing machine, avoid top-loading machines that have agitators, and use warm/low temp water or a delicate wash cycle if possible. Use a gentle, non-detergent liquid soap, and rinse thoroughly.

Tumble dry your bag on low heat (if it's too hot in there, fabric or synthetic insulation can melt!). Throw in a couple tennis balls, wool dryer balls, or even balled up socks (this helps re-loft, or un-clump, the down). This part may take longer than you expect, but it's important that all the down gets completely dry.

Proper gear storage is a key component to gear care, and can result in many more years of use than you might otherwise get. The first priority is to make sure your gear is dry. Air out your sleeping bag after using it. Any piece of gear stored wet is guaranteed to be smelly, but the dangers of mold and delamination are far worse and much harder to see until it is too late.

Second, is to clean the gear if needed following the manufacture’s instructions and/or our tips above. Once clean and dry, fold neatly or hang. Hanging uncompressed sleeping bags, or storing in a large (garbage can sized) cotton bag, will prevent a loss of loft. Loft is the amount of insulation that your bag has and is directly related to how warm you’ll be.

To clean any piece of gear, always follow cleaning instructions on the item, and/or check with manufacturer recommendations. Parts like zippers tend to last longer with more frequent washings.

Frequently, backpacks can have stiff components like frame sheets, inserts, suspension systems, and/or hip belts that are not easy to remove. If you are able to remove these parts, it might be possible to wash your pack in a front-loading washing machine, after consulting manufacturer recommendations.

If you're not able to remove these parts, a bathtub is a good way to hand wash your pack. Fill the tub with warm water and use a gentle, non-detergent liquid soap. Let your pack soak for about 15 minutes before gently hand agitating. An old toothbrush and soap can be used to clean zipper teeth, which tend to want to hang onto fine dust and grit from the outdoors. Likely, multiple rinses will be needed.

Allow your pack to dry naturally by hanging it (preferably not in direct sunlight, as UV light can degrade the fabric).

Frequent cleaning and conditioning will give your footwear a longer, better life.

Use a stiff brush and cold water to remove dirt and debris from leather and fabric before any treatments or conditioning. It might be helpful to remove the laces to be able to get down into the tongue gusset. Go ahead and pull out the footbeds when you're done using your footwear so your hiking boots or trail running shoes have the ability to air out.

Conditioning and waterproofing looks different for different types of footwear construction: fabric, nubuck/suede/polished leather. It's always best to consult with the manufacturer or retailer where you purchase your footwear to make sure you are using the correct treatments.

We’ve all been there! Terrified to take off your boots as the smell might knock you, or your buddy, out. Never fear again.

Here’s what you can do. The first, and most often ignored, is to dry your shoes. Drying any type of shoe with heat is a big no-no as heat will delaminate your soles. For soaking wet boots, remove the footbeds, stuff the shoes with crumpled newspaper, and swap out with dry as the first stuffing absorbs the water. Do this once or twice a day until boots are dry. Cleaning the inside of the boot and footbeds with a dilute solution of water and baking soda can help with smell, though be careful about using too much cleaning solution or water. For a quick fix you might consider Kiwi Fresh Force or Fiebing’s Fresh Feet, both are flowery smelling, and will mask stink for a time. For a more permanent fix try Gear Aid Revivex Odor Eliminator, as it will ‘eat’ the stink out of your boots.

For kayakers and rafters, Mountain Soles offers replacement of latex gaskets (seals) on dry suits, dry tops, and dry bibs. We also repair tears or holes on Nylon and Waterproof breathable fabrics like Gore-tex. We do not install Gore-tex booties, only latex booties.

Latex gaskets are subject to premature deterioration if not cared for properly. Make sure you take good care of that new gasket we put on your drysuit! Always follow cleaning instructions on your gear, and/or check with manufacturer recommendations. Below, we offer you some tips on caring for and maintaining gaskets.

1. Wash rubber inside and out with a mild soap (non-detergent) and water solution to remove all contamination from body oils, pollution, and lotions.

2. Apply a protectant such as (303 Protectant or Seal Saver Silicone) to the cleaned rubber both on the inside and outside of the gasket. If you are using silicone, make sure that is a food grade silicone that does not contain petroleum distillates or fluorocarbon propellants.

3. Store your dry suit, jacket, or bibs rolled up in a plastic bag (zip-lock type) to minimize the air flow around the gaskets. This allows the 303 Protectant or Seal Saver Silicone to better protect and condition the latex rubber.

4. You can extend the life of your natural latex rubber gaskets by minimizing contact with petrochemicals, ozone, ultraviolet light (sunlight), and heat. The more you try to protect your gaskets, the longer the life.

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