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Backpacker Magazine – December 2007
Make Your Gear Last Forever
Backpacker's Ultimate Fix-It Guide
PACKS
Loose zipper (Online Bonus)
A worn slider can loose traction, resulting in a tent door or pack lid that won't stay shut. You can fix the problem in the field with multitool pliers. 
Open the zipper all the way to the bottom and gradually apply pressure to both sides of the slider. Repeat until the slider grips the track securely. Warning: Over-tightening the slider could permanently warp the coils. At home, replace the slider using the Mountain Hardwear Zipper Repair Clamp (see "Products"), or send it to a professional repair shop (see "Resources").
Torn mesh side pocket
To fix ripped mesh or webbing, sew it back together with a large needle and #46 or #69 bonded nylon thread (dental floss and medical suture also work). Use the first few stitches to close the tear–if it's large and the edges are frayed, run the stitches from the outer edges of the pocket, where thread will hold securely. Sew horizontally over the gap, then repeat with vertical stitching to create a grid-like patch.
Keep it clean (Online Bonus)
Any properly used pack should spend most of its field time in the dirt, but excessive mud and grit–especially when it's left on post-trip–will take a toll on pack performance. Caked-on dirt will eventually degrade the pack fabric's DWR coating and grit in zippers will wear out the sliders. Brush your pack off periodically in the field and give it a bath at home at least once a season (see "Cleaning" below). Also, double bag any liquids–especially hard-to-clean items like olive oil and DEET-based repellents–to prevent any leaking onto pack fabric.
Pamper your pack
Tossing your pack around like a gym bag will shorten its lifespan. "Always lift it by the haul loop just below the top lid," says Mountain Hardwear pack designer Eric Hamerschlag. "That's what the loop is there for." If your pack is too heavy, get help from a hiking partner or prop it on a truck tailgate or log. Or lift it using a simple method that protects both your pack and your spine: Bend one leg into a shallow lunge; pick up the pack by the haul loop and place it on your front, bent thigh, making sure the shoulder straps are facing you. With one hand still on the haul loop, twist your torso and slide one arm through the far shoulder strap; then bend forward to shift the weight onto your back and slide the other arm through the strap.
Stop abrasion (Online Bonus)
The quest for ultralight packs means thinner fabrics that are more prone to abrasion. Backpacker editors have found that, generally, pack exteriors made from 70 denier Cordura or less will be too flimsy for rough trips like slot canyoneering, tight scrambling, bushwhacking. Bring your thrasher pack on those trips, and save your ultra-light hauler for the open country.
Fact or Myth (Online Bonus)
Q: The safest place for an empty pack is zipped up inside your tent.
A: Myth! Empty packs can retain food odors, crumbs, and sweat-soaked pack straps prized by sharp-nosed rodents. Hang your pack from a tree branch or keep it off the ground at night, and when you're absent from camp during the day.
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Effective & Comprhensive Protocols For Bear Countr
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Submitted By: NeverLostOftenLate
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READERS COMMENTS
When cleaning a hydration system, pull out the hose from the balader, with a pair of pailers, so you can clean the whole hose,
Posted: Apr 29, 2009 ryan b.
Contemporary fabric softeners tend to be based on quaternary ammonium salts with one or two long alkyl chains, a typical compound being dipalmitoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate.[2] Other cationic compounds can be derived from imidazolium, substituted amine salts, or quaternary alkoxy ammonium salts. One of the most common compounds of the early formulations was dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride (DHTDMAC). I looked it up. see Wikipedia cut n paste. no animal fat here.
Posted: Apr 27, 2009 hoosurdaddy
Under "Pole problems (Online Bonus" it should read "splint the broken pole," not "split the broken pole."
Posted: Mar 03, 2009 Jefferson
no, eric's right - the first posting says mentions washing in a top-loading washer. the second posting specifically says to never do this. (the second is the right one; never wash a sleeping bag in a top-loading washer)
Posted: Feb 04, 2009 sol
A point about dryer sheets, the main ingredient in them is rendered animal fat (look it up people) so you may smell pretty good to a bear. In areas with uber predators, keep smell to a minimum, in camp and on your person.
Posted: Jan 19, 2009 Sean Columbus OH
Uhm, not really Eric. It just says to wash them.. sparingly. And then it tells you how. :B
And no, Anon, I don't think dryer sheets would attract bears. They smell more chemically than delicious or even edible.
Anyway, this article is great! Wow, so many tips. I suppose it's okay to store bags and pads rolled/stuffed if they're clean and dry and in a dry indoor closet, right? Plus my Thermorest doesn't have foam.
Posted: Dec 14, 2008 oki
"Wash Synthetics Sparingly" and "Wash and Dry a Sleeping Bag" on Page 6 have contradictory statements. Any thoughts there?
Posted: Nov 03, 2008 Eric
As a Scout leader I store a lot of gear in a special shed we built for that purpose. For storing the good sleeping bags I've hung a net hammock from the walls and lay the bags out on it. Same for the self-inflating mattresses. It allows air to circulate around them and helps them keep their loft.
Posted: Sep 03, 2008 Graybeard
toe caps can be made a spray can of undercoating for cars , prep with alcohol and mask
Posted: Aug 28, 2008 rusty j
Generally Salami works best fighting back against bears.
Posted: Jul 07, 2008 Anonymous
If you store your Camelbak bladders in the freezer, make sure to leave the bite valves on or defrost the bladders before you want to use them. Trying to cram a bite valve back into a frozen/smaller tube can turn into a wrestling contest when you'd rather be outside.
Posted: May 29, 2008 AJ
A toe cap can be made as described above using Performix Plasti Dip,( Home Depot) which is a liquid plastic type paint that one dips one's tool handles into to create a durable and insulating rubber like coating. It comes in six colors including black.
Just mask the boot toe and paint it on, several layers work best.
Posted: May 11, 2008 Tom McDaniel
Wouldn't this add a scent that might attract bears?
Posted: Apr 23, 2008 Anonymous
I store my tents and sleeping bags with a few plys of dryer fabric sheets, I prefer Bounce, for a fresh smell after storage.
Posted: Apr 06, 2008 Ron Pope
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