# Anyone ever wash their hunting pack?



## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

My daypack and its frame is starting to get crusty, literally. Lots of dirt, ash, sweat and probably some grouse and elk blood mixed in their somewhere. Probably smells pretty bad to anything with 4 legs. Figure maybe its high time I clean it up.

I've looked around the internet and looks like some will wash it in the bathtub, or ice chest with some scentless laundry detergent of one sort or another, and a stiff brush.

Because I'm getting lazy, I was thinking about just tossing the actual pack in the washing machine on cold, and gentle cycle. The frame I might just hose off. I do know that when some old nylon becomes crusty, a wash with some laundry detergent seems to restore some suppleness. In this application, any detergent needs to be scentless and not add UV.

Anyway, i was wondering if anyone here has ever washed their pack? What did you do, and how'd it turn out? I searched the forums, and it doesn't look like anyone's asked this question before.


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## Brave arrow (Dec 24, 2017)

I dont know if it counts as a wash but I just rinse my pack out with the garden hose if I get blood in it. I usually do it as soon as I get home so it washes out easier. then I just hang it to dry. 
Turns out just fine for me and I have packed out many animals with it and the scent never seems to negatively effect my hunting.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

All I have ever done is to rinse it off with the garden hose. If there is a lot of blood let it soak in a bucket of water if it fits until the blood starts to come out and then hit it with the garden hose. 

As for my pack being a odor problem for animals, if I am putting on a stalk that is the first thing that I drop when I am archery hunting and then the second thing depending on where I am is my boots. I carry a very heavy pair of wool socks to put on when I am stalking a animal.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I've washed my pack frame bag I use for hauling out game after I've boned it. I sewed up this bag from light breathable camo canvas to my likings and needs. (If you cant find what your looking for, make it) 

I washed the bag in some scent free detergent that doesn't have the color brighteners. Laundry detergents like Tide, Gain, etc. have these. I washed it in a cheap 48qt cooler and rinsed it off well with the hose. After its rinsed out, I fill the cooler with fresh water and add some baking soda. I let it sit in there for about a 3 bears time then remove and shake, ring out. hang it out to dry and your good to go.


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

I’ve thrown my packs in the washing machine many times. Open all the zippers, pull any frame off it and put it in. Never had any issues doing so. I put mine in with a couple towels just to help with the clanging noise and not be so hard on the pack and the machine


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

MooseMeat said:


> I’ve thrown my packs in the washing machine many times. Open all the zippers, pull any frame off it and put it in. Never had any issues doing so. I put mine in with a couple towels just to help with the clanging noise and not be so hard on the pack and the machine


If I put my pack bag in the washing machine. I'd be in the doghouse and sleeping outside. I was scolded heavily and was told that piece of equipment was hers. I still get to use it to wash my cloths though. What she doesn't see, she'll never know.


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

I do the same thing moosemeat does with my 2200. After it gets rank enough just unzip everything and wash that bad boy in the washing machine. My pack comes out as clean as it needs to be and doesn’t get damaged at all. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

taxidermist said:


> If I put my pack bag in the washing machine. I'd be in the doghouse and sleeping outside. I was scolded heavily and was told that piece of equipment was hers. I still get to use it to wash my cloths though. What she doesn't see, she'll never know.


That's why the make laundromats. LOL


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## MooseMeat (Dec 27, 2017)

taxidermist said:


> If I put my pack bag in the washing machine. I'd be in the doghouse and sleeping outside. I was scolded heavily and was told that piece of equipment was hers. I still get to use it to wash my cloths though. What she doesn't see, she'll never know.


I definitely married the right girl for many reasons. One of which is because she doesn’t seem to get too upset about my muddy, bloody packs and clothes in her washer. She just asks me to wash my hunting clothes afterwards to help clean out whatever is left in there. If it’s really bad I’ll spray it off with a hose first, but then it goes right in the washer.

she also forbid me to hang any of my shoulder mounts in the garage. And every time I say I’m just gonna euro mount an animal instead of a shoulder mount she asks “...are you sure!?”

I’m pretty lucky.


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

Thank you Gents. 
Think i'll try the washing machine with a couple old towels. My wife will never know.....
What she would know is if i did it in the bathtub. I'd have to scrub that dang tub afterwords, and " I'd like to make more busy work for myself. " said no one ever.
Hosing it off, probably won't cut it. It's way past that.

As an aside, yeah I drop my pack if I'm serious about going quiet. My issue has been I carry my handgun on the waistbelt. I have left the entire thing, gun and all 1/4 to 1/2 mile away, and it's not my favorite thing to do, it's actually pretty stupid. However, one does not shove a full size handgun into their pants pocket. So I ended up spending more money on a bino harness that doubles as a holster. Acutally just bought another one. The one I was using I've had a couple issues with, mainly fitment and load balance. Wife doesn't know it yet, but I already planted the seed in her head.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

MooseMeat said:


> I definitely married the right girl for many reasons. One of which is because she doesn’t seem to get too upset about my muddy, bloody packs and clothes in her washer. She just asks me to wash my hunting clothes afterwards to help clean out whatever is left in there. If it’s really bad I’ll spray it off with a hose first, but then it goes right in the washer.
> 
> she also forbid me to hang any of my shoulder mounts in the garage. And every time I say I’m just gonna euro mount an animal instead of a shoulder mount she asks “...are you sure!?”
> 
> I’m pretty lucky.


It took me a couple attempts and error to find the Gal I have now. It's like culling a stringer a fish.... You need to throw some back in the ocean until you get what you want. It gets expensive, but its worth it IMO. 

She hasn't said a word about animals, fish and birds hanging out in the house. She knew what I did before she determined I was an "OK' candidate. She watched me skin and turn out a Elk cape once and after that she didn't come out to see what I was doing. She did like watching me paint fish though. She liked how the colors "popped" when I applied the clearcoat and sealer.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I'll clean the blood off my packs as needed, sometimes at the car wash.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I’ve sprayed mine off at the car wash, especially if it got pretty bloody and dried on there. It works pretty well.


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## BigT (Mar 11, 2011)

I have taken by bag off the frame and put it in the washer on cold and on quick wash. I've soaked the frame in the bathtub as well to take care of that part of the pack. Works pretty well. Those zippers always work much better after a good wash.


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## DIRTYS6X6 (May 19, 2021)

garden hose and with some soap seems to work pretty good for me i like to try and clean it every year. as Taxidermist said" that piece of equipment was hers." at my house i dont even get to wash my own clothing at wash machine is ALL hers.


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## taskswap (Mar 11, 2021)

I wash mine in my cooler. I need to wash the cooler anyway so it's a 2-birds, 1-stone thing for me. I fill the cooler with cold water and a few drops of bleach - it takes less to sanitize stuff than people realize. A capful is usually enough, without fading the pack. I wash with a stiff brush, immediately rinse with clean water from my garden hose. Then I repeat the process with Dead Down Wind detergent, and one last rinse. It seems to work great for me.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

3arabians said:


> I do the same thing moosemeat does with my 2200. After it gets rank enough just unzip everything and wash that bad boy in the washing machine. My pack comes out as clean as it needs to be and doesn’t get damaged at all.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Badlands 2200 or?

Mainly just curious if you do anything with the frame?


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

RandomElk16 said:


> Badlands 2200 or?
> 
> Mainly just curious if you do anything with the frame?


Yes badlands 2200 and I don’t do anything with the frame. Haven’t had a problem yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

Yes, but only when blood/grime is on the outside. The inside stays clean. Stone Glacier allows for meat to be on the outside of the bag so the only thing that needs washing is the frame and outside of the bag which can be done with a garden hose and then hang dry. Also use an outdoors sportswash that eliminates odor, cuts out UV brighteners, and dissolves blood.


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## ShedyGaGa (Oct 12, 2019)

I just washed mine a few months ago. It smelled like death after packing out an elk and head and letting the head juices leak into it, then sitting for several months in my garage in that condition. I filled up my wash basin in my garage, threw some borax in there, and agitated it by hand off and on for about 3 hours. Then rinsed several times. I let it hang dry outside for a week. Turned out pretty good and doesn’t smell like a tide bomb either. Actually has no smell that I could tell.


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## NH Hunter (Feb 4, 2008)

I washed my Badlands 2200 in the bathtub before I sent it back to them to get some stiching repaired. Those were their instructions that I got from them they responded to my repair request. Didn't look too dirty or bloody but the water was pretty dark after a minute. I just used a mild soap.


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## hardman11 (Apr 14, 2012)

Scentlock detergent in the washer.


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## ShedyGaGa (Oct 12, 2019)

Lone_Hunter said:


> Thank you Gents.
> Think i'll try the washing machine with a couple old towels. My wife will never know.....
> What she would know is if i did it in the bathtub. I'd have to scrub that dang tub afterwords, and " I'd like to make more busy work for myself. " said no one ever.
> Hosing it off, probably won't cut it. It's way past that.
> ...


where are you hunting that you need a side arm? Grizzly country I assume?

Ever had to use your pistol during a hunt for protection?


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

ShedyGaGa said:


> where are you hunting that you need a side arm? Grizzly country I assume?
> 
> Ever had to use your pistol during a hunt for protection?


/thread derailed

Oh.. one of THOSE guys. Let me spell this out for you in random bullet points: (no pun intended)

95% of the time, I'm solo.
I have had a hungry spring (cinnamon) bear approach my daughter while in camp when she was 4 (now 7 going on 8). It was down to 20 yards and I almost had to shoot it.
I have been shot at by persnickety landowners while on public land, with no trespass on my part. Yes seriously.
I have bumped into some shady dudes before, and had I been unarmed it may have been an issue. Nevermind the big cats, predators come in the 2 legged variety too.

Carrying a firearm is a constitutional right, and it is my decision to exercise that right. Having a handgun on my pack is no different to me then carrying a compass.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Lone_Hunter said:


> I have bumped into some shady dudes before, and had I been unarmed it may have been an issue. Nevermind the big cats, predators come in the 2 legged variety too.


BEEN THERE. Had a clearly drugged out guy jump out in front of me and a friend on a trail, screaming waving a revolver, saying we were on "his trail" and other incoherant things. It happened so fast I didn't have time to really do anything. But, I did have a revolver on my hip. The guy tune COMPLETELY changed his tune when he noticed my firearm (still holstered). He sputtered for a bit and wandered off into the brush again. Me and my friend moved off quickly to get away from that lunatic.

So... while I thank god I never had to use it, I absolutely 100% believe just having it prevented a bad situation from escalating.

IMO, the #1 defensive use of a personal protection firearm is against Dogs.

-DallanC


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

Ode to the old saying, "Buy once, cry once". The one on the right is the one I should have gotten to begin with. Not completley happy with the holster. I may end up replacing it with a kydex , which means I didn't learn my lesson the 2nd time, let alone the 1st, but I just didn't have any more money to spend on it. I like the modularity, I can take the range finder, holster, and other pouch off when I don't need them.


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## NHS (Sep 7, 2007)

I wash my packs about every 2nd or 3rd year depending on how bloody they are. Like others here, empty all the pockets, unzip the zippers, shake out the pine needles and then give it a soak in a cold bath tub. Then hang it up outside to dry.

pro tip: be sure to not let your wife or significant other walk in and see her tub full of the bloody-pine needle laden-floating dead insect swill. You'll be scrubbing the tub for the next 2 hours if she sees what you are up to.


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## ShedyGaGa (Oct 12, 2019)

Lone_Hunter said:


> /thread derailed
> 
> Oh.. one of THOSE guys. Let me spell this out for you in random bullet points: (no pun intended)
> 
> ...


You my friend, must carry a heavy compass😉


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## Lone_Hunter (Oct 25, 2017)

ShedyGaGa said:


> You my friend, must carry a heavy compass😉


Well.... actually..... it is.


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