Hi Brice. I am one of your subscribers and enjoy your videos. A quick tip with the sawyer squeeze. Whenever I return from a trip I do the following. Backflush the filter with the syringe. I then rinse out the dirty bag a few times . I then put a half cap full of household bleach and fill it up with tap water and let it sit in there for about 45 min. I will then screw the filter on and squeeze a little bit of bleach water through the filter. Then I empty out the bag, shake out the filter and hang them both up to dry for several days. The bleach will kill whatever bacteria is in the bag and filter, and fully drying both will ensure that no mold forms. Before going out on your next trip ensure you run at least a half bag of tap water through the filter . If you don't do this you will have very slow flow the first few filters. I have only made this mistake once. The lesson is to always test your filter before you leave for a trip. I hope this helps. Regards Jeremy
Another tip, something I do with my water bottles is to fill them with Milton* solution, let it get into the lid thread and stand it on its head for a day before rinsing and drying same way you do. Milton is a concentrate used for sterilisation of baby bottles pacifiers etc. We use it at scouts as a post rinse after washing up then leave to air dry - no disgusting Boy Scout ‘cleaning and drying’ microbes will survive.
Great video! If I know it’s going to be more than a few weeks between trips, I will always flush my water filter with a bleach water solution. This is recommended by Sawyer on their website. A tablespoon or so per liter of water will keep cooties from growing in the filter while it sits...always let it dry in open air before storage too. Stand it up on end on a towel for a day or two...
I am surrounded by leeches and low life bacterias viruses so my fugg off for Stalkers and Psychotronic Harassement Sabotage Operateurs is clean enough and if not who cares i am used to pollution and sickness
Thank you for another solid video! I have really gotten into backpacking in the last two years and doing my first solo at Zaleski in a month. The first backpacking video I watched was your solo overnight of Zaleski and I have been hooked ever since! Thanks for all the info helping new backpackers (like myself) and looking forward to more content.
Down is properly referred to as a plumule, not a feather. Down is the insulative layer under the feathers of waterfowl. Leaving synthetic insulated gear in a stuffsack will kill the loft faster than down, since synthetic fibers get a permanent heat-set crimp at the factory which makes them spring back into shape. I ruined a synthetic bag years ago by drying it in a dryer on a hotter than recommended setting because I was in a hurry. I saw lots of hikers using the Cnoc Vecto bag to filter water through their Sawyer filters. I bought one for a long AT section hike last year, and it's easy to fill and much more durable than the Sawyer bag. I cut the top off of the Sawyer bags and use them to scoop water from very shallow sources.
Thanks so much! This is an excellent video, on a rare, but critical topic. Another Gear Storage Tip: For a couple years, I've been saving packages of "desicant" -- i.e. those packets of material that absorb moisture. They often come inside packages of new clothing, shoes, some foods, etc. I use the packets for storing with my hiking water bottles and water filter, "just in case" they didn't get totally dried out when I put them away.
Hi! Some of your gear is stored inside boxes (hence no air), while others are not. Is there some rule to help choosing which gear to put inside boxes or not? Thanks in advance.
Just found your channel this morning. This is the 2nd video of yours I've watched - after watching literally a couple hundred backpacking videos in the past month, I've gotten great brand new very useful tips from yours! Thank you!
Great tips. When it comes to reapplying a DWR, it's best to wash it with a tech wash first which usually rejuvenates the factory DWR alone. Similar to a car, we wouldn't wax it without washing the dirt off first.
Late to the party, but one thing about washing gear. It's not really about getting rid of funky smells, it's about cleaning the dirt and skin oils out of the fabric. Dirt will have grit that grinds down and cuts fibers as the fabric moves and rubs against itself. It's like storing a shirt in a bag full of sandpaper scraps. And the skin oils will clog the fabric pores and eventually migrate into the down, sticking the fibers together. Not to mention that skin oils will also have dead skin cells suspended in the oil, which is a buffet for bacteria and other microscopic creepy crawlies.
Pro tip for those plastic water bottles - if you're too lazy to empty and dry them all right away (like me), toss em all somewhere completely dark, like a box, bag, closet, etc. Otherwise a few days in your living room and they'll be filled with algae blooms and become an absolute nightmare to clean. This way when you finally get around to emptying them (right before your next weekend out lmao) you can just rinse em out and you're good to go!
Bryce, great video. Any issues or concerns w/ storing your tents and/or tarps in their stuff sacks? Or should those be stored more loosely (like the down gear), as well?
All good tips! Also never store your gear in humidity or heat. I had to retire a very nice pack that had been left in a hit attic for too long and it hydrolyzed big-time.
My B.O. smells like Old Spice Night Panther. Another tip on down is to not hang your quilts (decoratively) in a vertical state or all the down will migrate to the bottom of the quilt. I like to hang out in my closet too, bud.
I store my sleeping bags and other down things in my empty back packs. I have 6 or 7 back packs so I can just put one sleeping bag in a pack, one jacket in another one, a blanket in the other...And so on.
Gear Aid Odor Remover can help remove the musty smell from tents, or the sour smell from clothes. You just fill a tub or bucket with water and add the stuff and soak iper the directions, then rinse. It works surprisingly well. To fluff a down jacket or sleeping bag back up after it’s been wet, throw it in the dryer on low heat with a couple tennis balls for 10-20 minutes to break up the clumps of down.
Hi Bryce! I really learn a lot from you when you’re in the closet with all of your gear! Thank you so much 😊. There must be enough air circulation in your closet to keep everything fresh and sweet smelling? I was just wondering if you’ve had confirmation from someone that has spent close time with you that you do not smell without deodorant until whenever you said that you’ll apply some, because I’ve met some stinky people that can’t smell their own stench?
Yes I've had confirmation. Lol. Its a running joke amongst my running friends. I once hugged a girl after running a half marathon and she couldn't believe I still smelled fresh and good. Haha!
Was skeptical about not keeping down compressed so I did some digging around and found this on a forum: "The Army Quartermaster has vacuum packed down as hard as a rock for years and an hour after release it was back to almost its original volume"* *From Light Weight Camping Equipment (and how to make it) by Gerry Cunningham and Margaret Hansson 1959) Has anyone actually ruined their down sleepingbag ever like this or is this just a myth that keeps being retold to sell special bags?
Always like your videos. Thanks for the effort. I keep my sleeping bags layer out on my bed, they are my throw pillows. Would not have worked when I was married.
Hey yo! Didn't watch your video about down, well just because..... I get it. Now this video has peaked my interest. Prolly know the jist of it already, but you didn't give up the goat in the title. Let's have a brewski and watch. Cheers!!
Great Video! I was wondering what that extra bag that came with my down bag was for...now I know lol Edit:...I also forgot to empty my dirty water filter bag...it's been a month, I'm scared to check on it now haha
Great tips, if you have any pro tips on washing garments pants/shirts etc…I tend to use the pre-wash with white vinegar to help assist in odor reduction and aid in stain removal. Then wash the next cycle normal with Tide…any thoughts of suggestions?
I have thrown some vinegar in with my running shorts as those are the only things that tend to get a bit smelly in the summer. Not sure if it works great it's just what my mom has always done
@@BryceNewbold the Allegheny Trail is West Virginia's long distance hiking trail. Beings its kinda in your backyard, if you was thinking of doing a thru hike you might try it. But you could do some loop hikes using it up in Canaan Mountain Backcountry.
I destroy my gear by myself i poke holes by myself into my gear by purpose So there is nothing left to destroy for the Stalker Sabotage Psychotronic Harassement Departement Fugg Off Do you know why i own a Pocket Knive?
