Bloody Packs & Such

[Kevin Dill]

You've killed, butchered, bagged and packed out. Maybe a week or more and finally it's time to clean up some dried-in bloody gear. How do YOU do it? Do you like the end result?

 

[Tony Trietch]

I do a quick rinse after the getting all the loads to truck. Even when I am headed back up after the rinse. A damp pack is no problem as long as it's not below freezing.

 

[5MilesBack]

I try to prevent the blood from getting into or on the pack to start with. I put the meat bags into a white trash compactor bag, then inside the pack bag or strapped to the frame. Never had an issue with blood on or in the pack.

 

[Kevin_t]

I have done that exact test with Xpac leaving it out for a couple weeks . It rinsed out easily
Clothes and game bags get washed not much else really

 

[dreamingbig]

What do guys do in areas with lots of Grizzly bears if they get blood on their pack but still have more meat to pack or a buddies tag to fill?

 

[darcytribe]

What do guys do in areas with lots of Grizzly bears if they get blood on their pack but still have more meat to pack or a buddies tag to fill?

Great question! i don't hunt where there are many Griz but I wouldn't like the idea of walking around with Griz attractant on my back!

 

[RamDreamer]

As others have said I try for the most part to keep blood of my pack, but hey it happens when you are successful! If it has been a week or so and I notice that I have blood on my pack what I usually do is use some peroxide and let it clean and foam on the area for 5-10 minutes. After that I take a wet rag and scrub on it for a bit until I really cannot see any more blood and then as a follow up I use a little more peroxide. I usually always have it bubble up again and then wipe it down. That has seems to work for me over the years. Of course if a frame pack or something has a lot of blood on it I usually hose it off right after the hunt.

 

[Matt Cashell]

What do guys do in areas with lots of Grizzly bears if they get blood on their pack but still have more meat to pack or a buddies tag to fill?

We just keep hunting/packing. Treat your bloody pack like food. Hang it away from camp overnight. Stay bear aware.

Carcasses will attract bears though, so you should stay away from a previous kill site.

As for cleaning packs, I like to just use a pressure washer at a carwash. Works pretty good for packs and packsaddles.

For cleaning bloody clothes, I have found the detergent Sport-Wash does a great job, and also doesn't affect performance of DWRs and the like.

 

[unm1136]

I have had to pull blood out of uniforms for years. Presoak if possible. H2O2 over and over until it no longer foams, then wash as normal. I am rapidly leaning towards the gentle cycle with woolite for my Kifaru stuff, despite manufacturer's instructions to not machine wash.

I would love to hear Aron weigh in on this.

pat

 

[MuleyFever]

I throw my game bag full of meat in my DT2. Go home. Throw pack in washing machine, hang dry. Easy. No blood stains left so far.

I do have a front loader so it just tumbles. I wouldn't want to do it in a machine with an agitator or whatever as the thing could get tangled up.

Honestly, I dont care if my gear has a few blood stains. Badge of honor if you ask me.

 

[Highcountry_Hellrazor]

STRONGLY recommend not using hot water. This will make the blood stain your pack. Use cold water and wash thoroughly I use laundry detergent for hunting and COLD water...

 

[wapitibob]

Front load washer, some soap, and some white vinegar. Repeat with just vinegar. Same for game bags.

 

[bcimport]

Don't worry about grizzly blood and the other meat. It's all getting cooked anyway. Just do a good hand and knife washing between the two.

 

[bowieknife50]

Heparinized saline works well to lift blood stains if you have access to it.

 

[whaletail]

I've had good success soaking mine in cold water and sport wash in an old cooler I have. Rinse thoroughly and hit with a scrub brush a bit and I've had no problems.

 

[duchntr]

I treat a bloody pack same as i treat my game bags. When i get home I put my packbag in a rubbermaid tote with COLD hose water. Let it sit for a bit then dump out cold water and repeat... I use a 5 gallon bucket for my game bags. Usually i forget about it for a day or so then toss it in the wash. Done. The key is COLD water, warm or hot will make the blood set and will stain. To be fair though my pack doesn't usually get that bloody cause i use a big trash bag as a liner, but holes happen, most of the time a quick spry with a hose does the trick.

 

[mrbillbrown]

Cold water rinses and peroxide have worked well cleaning blood off of and out of bags and clothes for me for almost 20yrs now.

 

[ridgefire]

Washing machine for me. Quick easy and no problems yet. I have done it with my t2 and highcamp bags and they come out like new.

 

[martin_shooter]

Cold water and oxiclean in the bathtub. Havent had any issues getting blood out after a couple weeks

 

[Poorse]

After I packed out my first elk I was a bloody mess, had the whole head resting on the top of my pack, blood running down my back, with a quarter in a game bag inside the pack. It was a short hike to camp but a messy one to say the least. Afterwards I put my pack in an ice cold creek nearby and threw a rock on top of it for about a day. I hardly had to do any scrubbing when I took it out of the water and I was good to go after I let it dry a bit. I think the key was soaking it as soon as possible before the blood dried. Now I just use contractor bags inside my pack.