Product Care

Gear lasts longer when it is looked after, and most of it needs very little.

Packs and bags

Empty every pocket, shake out the grit, and sponge the fabric with warm water and a little mild soap. Never machine wash a pack: the agitation damages the coating on the inside of the fabric and can distort the frame.

Air-dry it out of direct sunlight, hanging upside down with the pockets open. UV is what ages a pack fastest, so store it somewhere dark and dry rather than in a car or on a balcony.

Reproofing a water-resistant finish

The DWR finish on a pack or a shell wears off with use and dirt. When water stops beading and starts soaking in, wash the item first, then apply a spray-on reproofer and heat-set it with a warm tumble dry or a low iron under a cloth. A dirty item cannot be reproofed effectively.

Rain shells

Wash a shell more often than feels right. Body oils and dirt block the membrane and are the usual reason a jacket "stops being waterproof". Use a technical wash, not detergent, and never fabric softener, which coats the fabric.

Zips last longer if you keep grit out of the teeth and rinse salt off after a coastal trip.

Merino

Wash cold on a wool cycle, dry flat, and skip the fabric softener. Merino resists odour on its own, so it needs washing far less often than cotton, and washing it less is the single best thing you can do for its lifespan.

Never tumble dry merino. Store it folded rather than hung, so the shoulders do not stretch.

Insulated items

Wash on a gentle cycle and tumble dry on low. Synthetic insulation recovers its loft in the dryer, and air-drying alone leaves it flat.