Equipment Care

[Oatmeal]

Hey Gents,

A question for those of you with lots of ex experience:

What's the best way for cleaning kit like the groundsheet, bivy, valice, and similar items after a particularly muddy time in the field? I've hosed it all down once, but is any of this kit washing machine friendly? I'd like to avoiding finding these things out the hard way if at all possible 

Cheers,

Oats

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I used to do mine in the washer, cold or warm water, gentle cycle and hang dry.  I didn't turn the valise inside-out as that seemed to strip the coating off the inside.

IIRC there are 'care instructions' for the bivy bag on the inside. 

 

[Loachman]

A question for those of you with lots of ex experience:

Oh...........

That kind of "ex".

I thought that you meant the other kind.

the groundsheet

Because that would have fit with my initial assumption as well.

 

[krustyrl]

:rofl:  Well played Loachman....well played indeed.!

 

[ModlrMike]

Groundsheet: patio/deck, garden hose, brush

Bivi bag: washing machine on cold, drip dry

Valise: also washing machine, drip dry - as another poster said, do not turn inside out. Even after you wash it you'll want a liner for future trips to the woods.

 

[TSM A]

Oatmeal, it wasn't THAT muddy!!

 

[MJP]

Bivi bag: washing machine on cold, drip dry

The bivvy bag is goretex and can be dried in the dryer.  It actually helps it reclaim some of it water repellent nature back.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

The bivvy bag is goretex and can be dried in the dryer.  It actually helps it reclaim some of it water repellent nature back.

Just don't use any drier dryer sheets though. It'll plug up the pores in gortex.


edit - spelling

 

[Oatmeal]

Thanks for the answers, Gents. The washer is perfect for getting the more resilient stuff.

Now I'm ready for when it's even MORE muddy!

-Oats