How to clean a bloody pack?

[Ridge Ghost]

The good news is my backback has elk blood all over it. The bad news is my backback has elk blood all over it. It's starting to stink. How do you guys clean packs out? I have heard of pressure washers and car washes, but have also hear that can ruin the waterproofing in cordura packs. Any suggestions?

 

[unm1136]

Haven't had a bloody pack, yet, but have had to wash people blood out of uniforms. I use hydrogen peroxide directly on the stain and then launder. I believe Kifaru recommends woolite, hand wash for their packs.

pat

 

[fillthefreezer]

send wife on vacation.
fill bath tub, throw in some woolite, stir around. throw in pack. soak overnight. drain. rinse as best you can. fill tub again. soak again. hang dry. use cold water.
clean bath tub 2 or 3 times depending on pack

 

[Lawnboi]

send wife on vacation.
fill bath tub, throw in some woolite, stir around. throw in pack. soak overnight. drain. rinse as best you can. fill tub again. soak again. hang dry. use cold water.
clean bath tub 2 or 3 times depending on pack

A rubbermaid tub might not get you kicked out of the house

 

[fillthefreezer]

A rubbermaid tub might not get you kicked out of the house

not a bad thought unless youve got more hunting to do this year

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Thanks guys. I'll grab some woolite.

 

[Yellowknife]

All those suggestions are good, and work...

But earlier this year I got my pack absolutely filthy hiking through an old burn for several days.



Since the Stone Glacier comes off the frame, I just pulled the bag off, closed all the buckles, and threw it in the washing machine with some mild detergent. Came out looking good as new.

I figure if the machine doesn't destroy my wife's more delicate stuff, 500d cordura should be just fine...

Yk

 

[Jason Snyder]

send wife on vacation.
fill bath tub, throw in some woolite, stir around. throw in pack. soak overnight. drain. rinse as best you can. fill tub again. soak again. hang dry. use cold water.
clean bath tub 2 or 3 times depending on pack

If you send her on vacation, how will dinner be ready when you're done?

I use this exact method, sans the vacation. Heck, it'd be cheaper to pay the neighbor kid to do it.

 

[Sam Millard]

Last year I soaked the gunslinger in a big laundry room sink overnight after adding washing soda, then rinsed well. This year I had another hunt right away, so I took it to work and pressure washed it enough to get the big stuff off. Both times, some blood stains were still barely visible, but it didn't stink at all. I think bloodstains on a hunting pack are cool

 

[littlebuf]

send wife on vacation.
fill bath tub, throw in some woolite, stir around. throw in pack. soak overnight. drain. rinse as best you can. fill tub again. soak again. hang dry. use cold water.
clean bath tub 2 or 3 times depending on pack

this. but mine still smells like elk blood. oh well, after this weekend im hoping it smells like mule deer and bear blood. so we'll see if that combo helps

 

[fillthefreezer]

any especially bloody spots, pretreat with peroxide and will come out looking new.

sidenote, peroxide is great for almost any stain, be it dog piss on your carpet or blood on your fav t-shirt

 

[unm1136]

any especially bloody spots, pretreat with peroxide and will come out looking new.

sidenote, peroxide is great for almost any stain, be it dog piss on your carpet or blood on your fav t-shirt

With peroxide I pour it on, let it foam, rinse and repeat until the blood no longer causes the perixide to foam. Then launder normally. My frontloader washing machine has a handwash setting on it that I secretly use on lots of handwash only stuff, with good resluts. I figure no agitator, light spin, hang dry oughtta work.

pat

 

[Bambistew]

The good news is my backback has elk blood all over it. The bad news is my backback has elk blood all over it. It's starting to stink. How do you guys clean packs out? I have heard of pressure washers and car washes, but have also hear that can ruin the waterproofing in cordura packs. Any suggestions?

Sounds to me like its scented up and ready for a bear hunt...

I never had a problem with my MR pack with stink and blood. Used to just soak it and rinse off with a hose. This year I switched to Kifaru, and the thing soaked up a lot more blood and was stinky as heck. I washed it a couple times in a tub with oxyclean. Still stinks... well mostly, its been hanging in the garage for a while and I think finally dried up.

 

[TEmbry]

All those suggestions are good, and work...

But earlier this year I got my pack absolutely filthy hiking through an old burn for several days.



Since the Stone Glacier comes off the frame, I just pulled the bag off, closed all the buckles, and threw it in the washing machine with some mild detergent. Came out looking good as new.

I figure if the machine doesn't destroy my wife's more delicate stuff, 500d cordura should be just fine...

Yk

Agreed. A washer doesn't destroy my clothes so how can it destroy my tough as nails pack? My pack was rank after my caribou hunt, one cycle and it looks/smells as good as new. To clean the frame and waistband I soak in a tub of woolite like outlined above.

 

[Becca]

send wife on vacation.
fill bath tub, throw in some woolite, stir around. throw in pack. soak overnight. drain. rinse as best you can. fill tub again. soak again. hang dry. use cold water.
clean bath tub 2 or 3 times depending on pack

I have apparently been going about this all wrong.... Instead of getting a vacay out of the deal, I am usually the one enlisted to wash the packs in the tub

The above method is how we wash our packs, and it has worked out great. Just be sure to rinse any blood residue out of the bottom of the tub when you are done, because its nearly impossible to get off if you let it dry first. I also recommend picking the sticks and leaves out before you drain the water if you don't want a clogged drain.

 

[hammer0419]

Never had a problem with putting a pack in washing machine. As stated, most cloths are much more delicate than a pack. Once washed it is then air dried. Definitely no dryer.

 

[OR Archer]

Just dont wait to wash it. It'll be harder to get that nasty smell out of it if you wait.

 

[Buster]

Stains are cool, but used my daypack as a carry on for a vacation and spent an hour at customs waiting for swab results from my pack. Just a heads up.

 

[SelwaySteve]

The outfitter I work for periodically puts a few good sized rocks in the pack, ties on a rope, and throws it in the stream overnight. I have done this with clothing, and the cold water rinses the blood and stink right out. Laundering can take care of any oily stains.

 

[mcseal2]

After my moose hunt my Kifaru was pretty rank and the first round of blood had been soaked into the pack for a week. I was going to use the creek by my house to clean my pack like the post above said but the weatherman forecast a week of rain. I rubbed it down with mild detergent and hung it in a tree in the yard. 6.5" of rain over 4 days later it looks like new again and doesn't smell either.