"Winterize" Your Gear

BLADDERS, BOOTS, BAGS & MORE...

The snow is creeping down and as the non-snowy hiking season begins to wind down (whimper) it is time to begin thinking about winterizing your summer hiking gear and reorganizing your backpack for winter use.

 Water Bladders:    Let's start out with your hydration reservoirs. I love my Osprey 2L pouch with its reflective outer shell that helps keep the water inside cool. I have owned it for 5 years and have never "cleaned" it. Whenever I am not using the reservoir I toss it in the freezer. Yep, the freezer! The cold inhibits any bacteria or mold from growing. Before I put it in the freezer I make sure all the water is out of the tube so that when I refill it later I can get water out again without waiting for ice to melt. Many websites discuss the importance of thoroughly drying your hydration pouch after use or washing, but by freezing it you don't need to worry about this step.
Here is a link to a site that give great ideas on how to clean your hydration reservoir for someone who likes to buy cleaning tablets or for those DIYourselfers.
 https://www.verywell.com/ways-to-clean-and-deodorize-your-hydration-bladder-3435593

   Hiking Boots: Next let's talk about your hiking boots. Not every boot is leather and leather doesn't necessarily mean quality, but leather does mean you need to give the boot a little extra care.
   Firstly, let your boots thoroughly  air dry, preferably not in direct sunlight or too close to a heat source. Too much heat too fast can cause the leather to contract causing your boots to fit too tightly, the leather to split, or event melt the rubber soles. Air drying is best and if they are really saturated it is helpful to take the laces and insoles out and put newspaper inside to absorb the moisture.
   Secondly, it is important to condition the leather. My household has used Sno-Seal for as long as I can remember. It is important to choose an oil that will not go rancid over time like some animal oils can.

Here is a link to purchase Sno-Seal
https://www.amazon.com/Atsko-Sno-Seal-Original-Waterproofing-Protector/dp/B00O9OA01W

And here are instructions on how to apply your Sno-Seal
http://www.atsko.com/sno-seal-application-tips-and-instructions/

   Sleeping Bags: For those of us you have enjoyed backpacking trips this summer, now is the time to give those sleeping bags a good washing. REI has a page with good tips on how to care and store your bag, either down or synthetic. I must admit that I am lazy about washing them since we often hang ours in the off season and they tend to air out. :o)
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-sleeping-bag.html

  Rain Gear:  Now is also a good time to think about Nikwax-ing your rain gear. Nikwax offers a large line of products for just about every outdoor gear type. Nikwax can refresh your rain gear and help you get a few more seasons of wear and use out of it. Take a minute a peruse their website.
http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/productselector/productselector.php

Your backpack doesn't need too much attention besides cleaning out all the granola bar wrappers. You can certainly use the same backpack and even many of your hiking layers of clothing, except during the winter you will layer your clothing a bit more thickly. I like to always hike with a windproof layer because, well, we living in the Valley! Extra gloves and socks are nice to have as those items tend to get wet or sweaty.

THRIVE OUTSIDE will do a blog about our winter hiking gear soon, but until then go toss your hydration pouch in the freezer, get your leather boot spiffed up, air out your sleeping bag, and asses your rain jacket! Bring it on Winter!