Washing a pack

[Whitetoptom]

I have a kifaru tactical duplex that I am running with a grab-it, guide lid and compression straps. I packed a bear this past weekend and afterward sprayed my pack frame with the hose and hung it to dry. It is good and dry now and still smells of bear blood. I am going to submerge it in a solution of sport wash and scent free detergent and hand agitate off and on for a couple hours. Then spray rinse. What routine has worked well for you guys?

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[Jbehredt]

Your new plan is as aggressive as I’ve ever had to be.

 

[Mike Islander]

After decades of riding dirt bikes with backpacks on my back, I've developed two methods of cleaning them. The first is to lay it on the ground and while rinsing it with a spray of water i pour some Dawn on it, then I just continue to rinse until all the Dawn is washed out. For really funky pack I put it in a big tub filled with Dawn and I put a weight on top of it to hold it down. Then, as you mentioned, I will agitate it periodically. Then I rinse it completely. Dawn works extremely well and my packs always come clean and all the crazy funk from dirt bike riding disappears. After a particularly long stinky season I'll wash it with two cups of vinegar in the bucket. Vinegar is fantastic for removing smell and once rinsed leaves no scent behind.

 

[justinspicher]

I take mine to the car wash and use the clips to hold it as I spray it down.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

After a pack out I throw mine in a bathtub frame and bag with scent free detergent let it soak an hour or two....hit the bad spots with a scrub brush inside and out....let it soak some maybe another hour...drain all the pink water...refill with clean water let it soak overnight...rinse well the next day and hang to dry...never had an issue with residule smells. YMMV
Good Luck!

 

[jspradley]

Washing machine on delicate cycle with scent free detergent works well too.

I just noticed you meant the frame not the bag... don't do that with the frame lol

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Washing machine on delicate cycle with scent free detergent works well too.

Probably so but my wife wasnt having any of that when she got a wiff of my pack after my last elk hunt, even though she washes my blood covered camo in the same machine....I havent done a load of laundry since 01ish so I didn't argue and used the tub...after 20yrs you learn to pick your battles...lol

 

[MuleyFever]

Mine goes in the washer and hangs to dry in the garage. Couldn’t be easier.

 

[Whitetoptom]

Well I rinsed thoroughly with the hose in the driveway. Brought it in and hung on the line in the garage and it still ran bloody water. It smells like bear pretty noticeably.

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[hikenhunt]

I've had good luck soaking it in a tub with scent free detergent. Pour some detergent directly on the worst spots and agitate with your hands or a soft brush. After an hour or two, I'll drain the bad water and resoak it. I repeat the process until the water is clean.

 

[WTFJohn]

Well I rinsed thoroughly with the hose in the driveway. Brought it in and hung on the line in the garage and it still ran bloody water. It smells like bear pretty noticeably.

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I asked Anders at Kifaru about this last year; he said throw it in a tub with some cold water, soak for a few hours (I will hand-agitate the bag around in the water) then hang dry. You can resoak with new water before drying it. Be careful with detergents and soaps, there is a DWR on the material than can be washed away if you get too aggressive with it. I've done the cold soak in my tub a few times this year for bear & deer with good success, the 44Mag below took two good soakings to get clean.

 

[renagde]

I stuck my frame, straps, Muskeg bag, everything in the tub with warmish water and some oxiclean. Hand aggitated it and let it set for about 5 hours. Rinsed everything out and hung it outside overnight. Took all the smells and stains out of it, and it looks like new again.

 

[EastMT]

I soaked one that lay in the shed with a rutty caribou flavor all winter. Soaked it in water abs vinegar, spray it well. Turned out fine


I have yet to be begin to procrastinate.

 

[Whitetoptom]

I'll be hunting whitetails in close quarters the next couple of months so the bear smell has to go. Close quarters with all the other bears that are around, bear smell needs to go.

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[Dirtydan]

I've been doing it this way for quite a few years. The Oxyclean is the key. My wife's a nurse and this has been her method for cleaning her uniforms from all kinds of nasties.

 

[bridgermgmt]

Soak in a Rubbermaid tub for 1 hour, cold water. Add 1 scoop of 7th generation unscented clothes soap. Agitate. Let soak for another hour. Empty tub. Rinse, repeat if really bad. Otherwise fill with fresh water and let soak overnight. then hang dry. We usually dry on a line outside.

thus has always at a minimum got out all the smell, most times the blood comes out as well.

 

[jwpenn]

After a pack out I throw mine in a bathtub frame and bag with scent free detergent let it soak an hour or two....hit the bad spots with a scrub brush inside and out....let it soak some maybe another hour...drain all the pink water...refill with clean water let it soak overnight...rinse well the next day and hang to dry...never had an issue with residule smells. YMMV
Good Luck!

Exactly what I do

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[ChrisAU]

So when packing meat a couple weeks ago after my first elk I lined my main bag with a garbage bag, but later when I packed the skull/antlers between the bag and my seek talon I did get some bloody spots on the outside of the bag.

And tbh, I kinda dig the stains. Am I crazy for thinking about just leaving it? I can’t smell it already. Just a few 3” or so spots. Not a Kifaru so not worried about resale, just a “cheap” Kuiu I’ll ride into the ground.

 

[Jimss]

I feel your pain! I shot a stinky, smelly salmon bear in Alaska a few years ago and it took quite a while to get rid of the stench! Bears in the fall reak! I actually like having a "cover-up" smell of elk and other game on my pack and clothes but definitely not bear!

 

[Theringworm]

I pull the bag off the frame and stick the bag in the shower with me. I use Nickwax Tech wash to clean and maintain the DWR finish. Has worked flawlessly for all my packs, waders, and goretex apparel.