5 Bad Habits that are DESTROYING Your Gear

Backpacking Gear is Expensive. So to make sure your gear will last a good long time make sure you AVOID these bad habits.

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5 Bad Habits that are Destroying your gear

0:00 Backpacking Gear is Expensive
0:17 Don't Stuff Your Tent
1:34 Dry and Black-flush your Water Filter
2:07 Outdoor Beards
3:10 Dry Out Water Bladders
3:42 Store Gear Inside
4:34 Don't Stuff your Sleeping Bag

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[WilliamKapes]

I got large mesh laundry bags for all my sleeping bags and smaller mesh bags for my tents. Helps make sure things can breathe in case there is any residual moisture. Also, after pretty much every trip my tents get hung up on hooks I put in the ceiling of the garage to hang dry them. In the Pacific Northwest its often raining at home after a trip so having way to dry out my tents is crucial.

[GoodkatNW]

I've stuffed tents for the past 20 years, of all brands and all price-points, and never had an issue with a tear along a fold line. Not saying that it won't happen (I'll probably take more care of my 2lb backpacking tent), but I don't think the logic of pulped paper and modern backpacking tent materials really holds true. When I stuff my tent, I can't imagine it folding at the exact same point multiple times, and once it is in the bag it doesn't move (and, I think, doesn't stress the fabric further). I've also ridden with these tents for 60-70k of motorcycle trips, which in theory would aggravate any creases or folds. I should probably mention that after every trip, we air out the tent/s for a full week or so before packing back down again

I already have a down bag/quilt/headgear/socks wall, don't think the wifey would approve of a closet full of lightly stuffed tents!

Good points otherwise

[DoseofDirt]

Really liked the bleach solution for the water filters! Definitely going to start doing that!
In my gear storage area, I also just never close the lid of my filters/bladders/bottles container. I just leave the lid off so try to avoid mold issues.

[beardedbehr]

Thanks for the tips! I never knew I wasn’t supposed to keep things in stuff sacks so I’m definitely gonna get some mesh bags to store my gear between outings.

But… who folds a paper plane like that?! Keep up the great content, brother.

[tangenttrails]

Great information!
I’d never thought to turn my Cnoc bags inside out. Thanks!✌️

[aurtisanminer]

When you need to use your water filter after drying it out you’ll want to let it soak over night before hand. I tried using mine for the first time after letting it dry over winter and it was plugged completely up. It had mineralized the elements. After soaking it in water for 24 hours it was back to normal but by that time I was well off the trail and back home. At least I didnt get mold this year, though!

[mel]

When Winter Camping, your poles can freeze together, making it extremely difficult to fold them and put them away.
I sprayed my pole ends with a squirt of WD-40 before heading out.
They don't stick at all, making easy folding.⁹

[danilointhewoods]

I’ve switched to shoving/stuffing my tent into the compression sack. It goes completely against my mild ocd of having everything neatly folded and rolled, but I’m giving this new approach a shot.

[johncheeseman]

great video, we stow most of the gear in 2 large storage containers. the other thing we always do is hang out the sleeping bags and tent after every trip to air out.

[asmith]

My sleeping bags came with two bags, one for compression, one much larger for storage. Tents have always been stored and carried in the sack they came in. Never had a problem. I have an MSR Guardian water filter and the instructions mention running bleach through it, however it says the fibers, once wet, should NEVER be allowed to dry out. Put the cap back on the bottom and it's good for months or up to a year according to MSR but in reality you need to run water through it on occasion. It's the same technology as the Sawyer so I wonder what's up with that?

[Oldsparkey]

My self inflating air mattress are inflated and stored in the bed room. The quilt is loosely packed in a oversized pillow case. The backpack is air dried, cleaned and keep in the bed room on top of a storage bin. The others in the bedroom closet. Everything is cleaned after a trip, checked for any damage and readied for the next trip. Only items stored in the backpack are the ones that do not require what I call, breathing room. Such as the Hammock, the rain fly, cooking gear and personal items.

[replicators]

Many years ago I picked up a CamelBak reservoir drying rack hanging thing. It's gotten a lot of use over the last couple of years drying my CNOC bags.

[jeffd]

For drying a bladder, I cut the bottom of a mater bottle of and stick that in while hanging upside down. Dry in a day. Remember to take off the quick connects and mouth piece.

[Bigmar]

To dry camelbak put the hose in the bladder to pop it up and let the air in. For a tent, the cheapo ones are great. If you're okay with condensation I never had that issue with wrinkles. But saving over 300 bucks, is a good trade off. I have some pretty cold night and just put my empty pack on the tiny top mess hole and it worked great.

[zmalqp]

I'm using silica gel to dry my grayl filter, after a couple of dry presses.

[soggz]

I used a tent a couple of weeks ago, that has been packed away since 1996.
It was fine apart from the rubber rings on the fly sheet where the tent pegs go.
I simply replaced them for new ones. Should be fine for another 20 years or so.👍🏾🏕

[ryankuhn]

Your channel is awesome man, always very informative and gets me stoked to get out there on the weekends. Appreciate ya 🤘🏻

[nedanother]

I'd like to give you the greatest compliment in my arsenal. I'm also a backpack and don't require as many of the tips you throw out for beginners but I watch anyway. I'm also a bit of an artist and maker...how things look and are presented mean everything to me. Your video's just seem to have it...can't put my finger on it but there's just something extra.
The compliment: I actually watch commercials to see what you've got going on....youtube commercials are like waterboarding to me.
Good stuff. You're instincts and editing are spot on. cheers.
PS thanks for including your lovely wife in the last vid. It's fun to see a more complete story.

[FirmTacticalSolution]

Starsan is also really good to clean your filters

[mustang]

I do all the correct things you mentioned except the thing about the tents. I may take them out of the stuff sacks as it makes sense. For water bladders that have a small opening, I use an aquarium air pump with a small tube going into the water bladder. It dries them out quickly. I have a video about it on my channel a few years care, Bluefin.