Yes its that time of year again! The days are getting longer, clocks spring forward in a couple of weeks and it is slowly starting to warm up.
That means its time to start locating, checking and servicing our gear to get ready for lots of adventures.
I always find it amazing that despite neatly tidying away gear in the fall it always takes a while to find it all and check it over. There is a range of maintenance that we can do to make sure that everything is performing at its best in the coming seasons. I want to look at different types of gear and highlight the essential maintenance that we can do.
Kayaks and paddling gear maintenace was included in an earlier blog and so I am just going to refer you back to it via the link here.
https://aopmedia.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/peters-tips/#more-939
Clothing.
Clothing can be checked for any stitching, buckles etc that may need repairing. Now is a good time to think about reproofing water resistant and waterproof fabrics with a proprietary treatment such as Grangers or Nikwax. It is important to make sure the garments are clean and washed with a gentle action cleaner such as Grangers performance wash, our favorite, or woolite. If you use regular detergent you will strip off the DWR, durable water repellancy, and you will definately need to reproof the garment. When reproofing let the garment hang to dry but while it is still damp get your tumble drier warm and then pop in the garment for the last 5-10 minutes to finish drying it. This heat will help to reactivate the DWR that you just reapplied to it.
If your waterproof breathable garments have any rips or tears in them then we have a range of tapes and patches that can be used to repair them.
Footwear
It is a great time of year to check if your leather footwear needs reproofing to improve or restore its water repellancy. There are a range of treatments for different types of leather available in spray on or sponge on applications or work in with your fingers. Whichever method you use make sure the boots are clean and a little damp before you begin the treatment. While you are reproofing them its worth taking the time to check the laces, nothing more frustrating than snapping a lace on a hike, hooks and eyes and soles to make sure they are in good condition.
Packs.
Packs don’t need a huge amount of maintenance, they can be washed with warm soapy water. Some smaller packs have removable backs so you turn them inside out to wash out the insides. Bigger packs you will just have to wash out as best you can. If you want to restore some water repellency you can use a spray on proofer or you can use a solar proofer to give some protection from UV damage to help make your pack last longer. While cleaning your pack check all the buckles and zippers to make sure that they are working properly. If zippers are a bit stiff you can clean them out with soapy water and then apply some zip lube to make them run smoother.
Sleeping bags and mats
If they have been stored properly through the winter, in large storage sacks or hanging in a closet, then there shouldn’t be much you need to do other than turn them inside out and give them an airing on a nice sunny day. If they do need a wash then follow the manufacturers instructions and Use only mild soap, not detergent. Wash in a front-loading or commercial machine or by hand (NOT in an top-loading agitator machine or by dry cleaning). Rinse very well. Be very careful lifting up a wet sleeping bag; support all of its weight. Tumble dry on low heat (throw in some tennis balls with a down bag).
If you have any inflatable sleep mats, and if you don’t you need to find out what you are missing!, then inflate them and make sure that there are no leaks or issues with the valves. Patch kits and valve repair kits are available for most makes.
Tents
Set up your tent or shelter outside. Clean off any dirt and debris. Hand wash, if necessary. Make sure you have all the parts. Repair any rips. Now is a good time to seam seal your tent for the new season. Check the poles to make sure that you don’t have any cracks or lost ends or snapped bungee cord. Many of these things can be fixed yourself but it is possible to get replacement poles or pole sections from some manufacturers. Check any footprints for damage. Count the tent pegs and make sure you still have the right number. Tent flys can be reproofed using a spray on reproofer if necessary.Make sure your tent is fully dry before packing it.
Stoves and filters.
Both stoves and water filters require regular maintenance to make sure that they are working as efficiently as possible. Check with the manufacturers instructions. The users manuals are often available on line like the MSR and Primus ones from here
http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/FAQ/Stoves
http://www.primuscamping.com/support.php
MSR also supply annual and expedition maintenance kits which contain everything you need to give your stove a new lease of life. I just serviced my MSR whisperlite international stove and now it runs as good as new.
When checking stoves and filters pay particular attention to the small o-rings used to seal various parts as they tend to be the parts that perish or get damaged most readily.
If you need spare parts for a Primus stove come in and see us as we have a dealer kit and may have just what you need.
Water bladders
it is important to check these really carefully especially if they haven’t been used and/or cleaned for a while . I like to use a sterilising cleaner to make sure there are no nasties living/growing in there. You can buy sterilising tablets that you dissolve in water and then add to the bladders and run through the hoses. You can clean them with boiling water to kill of germs or use a range of other treatments such as these.
Mild Bleach solution
Baking soda and lemon juice or vinegar
Denture cleaning tablets
Whatever you do its a great feeling to have everything prepped and ready to go for all those spring, summer and fall adventures that you have planned.
Have fun out there!
Alberni Outpost: Go Play Outside 