Gear Care and Maintenance

Featured review by FromSagetoSnow

Ok, this stuff is the deal.

This stuff was invented by a North Idaho forest fire fighter. That's where I was and what I was doing when I discovered this stuff back in 1996. In the five years I fought wildland fire I tromped through fire, ash, planted trees in spring rains, crossed creeks and slogged through knee-deep mud and as long as I wasn't actually working in the creek all day, my feet stayed pretty dry and gave me no blisters. Some guys used boots with WPB liners and cheap boot grease and my leather logger boots with LP stayed dry longer.  Today I use it on work and leather hiking boots.  I grew up in the Seattle area trying really hard to keep my feet dry with very little success.  I have used mink oil (terrible), pure lanolin (not bad), sno-seal, pure bees...

Read more: Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP reviews (5)

Featured review by Nick Cai

Stronger and more aesthetic solution than duck tape.

This is the only gear repair tape I've used, but I'm pretty happy with the results. I got this tape with the intention of repairing this terrible tear that I created on interior fabric of my rain jacket. I cut out a generous amount and applied it directly to the tear. The great thing about this tape is that so far, none of the edges of the tape have frayed after application. I will probably buy more for future use. This tape is a much better solution that duck tape to fix holes and your gear will have a much longer lifespan. I also applied it to where the tape seams have started to break. It even worked on the back of my shoe where a hole started to form.

Read more: Gear Aid Tenacious Tape Fabric Repair Tape reviews (5)

Featured review by Wade In The Water

The best protection available for rubber and plastic.

Formula 303 Protectant was originally developed by NASA for use on the Space Shuttle. It looks like milk and has a very slight smell that reminds me of Elmer's glue. It can be quite expensive if you purchase it in the small spray bottles, but is quite reasonably priced by the gallon. It's advertised as sunscreen for your plastic, and I can attest to its effectiveness. Used regularly it will keep your plastic and rubber products free of sun damage and looking new. It will not repair or reverse existing damage, nor will it cause any damage.

Read more: 303 Aerospace Protectant reviews (2)

Reviewed by Ianw

The easy way to wash your clothes without a washing machine.

The Scrubba Wash Bag is a rare thing, a real innovation, not just a variation on a well-worn idea. Basically, the Scrubba lets you wash your clothes without a washing machine or having to hand wash over a tub or in a stream. It gets better results than hand washing and with a lot less effort. While only the most obsessive washers are likely to take a Scrubba on a multi-day hike, it is great for base camp, hut, or vehicle based day hiking and for travelling generally. The Scrubba Wash Bag is like a sturdy version of the familiar roll-top dry bag but with some additions.

Read more: Scrubba Wash Bag review (1)

Featured review by StoicFabian

Specially formulated to be easily applied to silicone-coated nylon and poly fabrics to seal tarps, backpacks, tent floors, liquid silicone has many other uses for outdoor enthusiasts. I took some pictures while doing it, so I decided to turn this test into a mini-tutorial for seam-sealing a tarp.

The tube came with the Hummingbird Pelican (shown in the images of this review) to be applied to the tarp‘s ridgeline seam. It comes unsealed from the manufacturer, which is not an uncommon practice among specialist makers. Dutch and others also sells some of their stuff with seam sealing as an extra, or optional.   Prior to trying Seam Grip Sil, I‘d seal my gear with a mix of silicone and some spirit, to turn it finer so as to be brushed onto the fabric. Recently, I had to do just that to one of my backyard camping tarps that started showing tiny pinholes on the ridgeline seams.  I’ve used other Gear Aid products before, such as the Tenacious Tape and some of their gear cleaners, and have always been satisfied with the performance...

Read more: Gear Aid Seam Grip+SIL reviews (2)

Featured review by Daniel Oates

Have a down filled jacket or sleeping bag? A bit dirty or has it lost it loft? Look no further! If you want to take care and make your expensive gear stand the test of time, you can't do without this!

I did the ultimate "no no." I washed my down jacket like it was a regular piece of gear. I know, I know! I looked at the directions on the jacket and I followed it. After it came of the wash (I used very little detergent...at least I had that going for me) and I dried it (once on regular) it came out flat and pretty depressing. I was nervous I ruined my jacket. I read about Nikwax and gave it a shot.  y jacket is the only piece of down filled gear I have, but I'd love to have a down sleeping bag someday, so this needed to be tested.

Read more: Nikwax Down Wash reviews (3)

Featured review by Gary Leatham

BEST IN CLASS! What would you give to restore your most technical (typically expensive), breathable waterproof/repellent gear back to its original functional state? What you give to add durable water resistant (DWR) finish capability to a favorite synthetic fabric item, that did not have it in the first place?  What if this just costed $1 to 4 per item, and can be done at home ... without the need for a Flux Capacitor or Hot Tub Time Machine? Would it make you happy if there were no persistent chemicals added into the environment, that you are trying to see, while using this gear? Consider giving Wash-In a try. Worked GREAT for me, so far, on a variety of gear.

Over the last few years, I'm becoming more and more impressed with the products and vision of Nikwax. I've learned with every new one I try, that they must have invested extensive R&D and testing to create their (I'm finding to be) highly effective products. Nikwax does not just put words on a label. They assist me in proving those words out, on my gear, under my home conditions.If you think this is high praise, test Wash-In and see the results for yourself.   Out here a working rain shell jacket or pants might just help save my life.

Read more: Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In reviews (5)

Reviewed by Brent Mills

This is an easy-to-use shoe glue for repairs such as detached soles. It dries overnight and holds securely even after severe abuse.

About a month ago, I did a review of the Brooks PureGrit 3 trail running shoes. In that review, I pointed out that the sole had begun to separate near the toe on both shoes. Immediately after writing that review, I used some Freesole to re-attach the sole with fantastic results.   EASE OF USE:   Overall, Freesole is pretty easy to use. You just smear a little bit on the sole and tape, tie, or otherwise press the shoe together. After sitting overnight, your shoe should hold together firmly.

Read more: Gear Aid Aquaseal+SR Shoe Repair Adhesive review (1)

Reviewed by Andrew F.

The Guppyfriend helps prevent your fleece gear from spewing micro fibers into the water supply. The concept is pretty simple—a bag with pores too fine to allow micro fibers out, but water gets in during a normal wash cycle to clean your fleece. Cleaning micro fibers out of the bag is a bit of a chore. I have used this a number of times, and it seems durable.

January 2025 update: I continue to use this bag to launder fleece. It's effective for washing two medium weight or one thicker/heavier fleece. I washed a fleece top (baselayer-weight) and bottom in it today. I run extra rinse to ensure detergent gets fully removed, and I have been running each fleece 12 minutes in a dryer to damp dry them, then hang them to fully dry.  To clean the bag, I wait until it dries, turn it inside out, and either shake the lint/residue off or dustbust it.  Positive observations about durability—this has run through regular laundry cycles dozens of times.

Read more: Guppyfriend Washing Bag review (1)

Featured review by Gary Leatham

An ESSENTIAL tool for real world use of leather, such as boots used in the outdoors (works well on indoor shoes too). Restores supple feel and flexibility to dry leather gear. Restores water proofing without hurting the gear. Neutral color, but does increase the color present giving a darkening effect to the leather. Works with Gore Tex and eVent waterproof membrane boots.

Nikwax Conditioner for Leather label for bottle used in this review. My wife scored a nice Lowa Albula GTX boot deal this fall at an REI Seattle garage sale. The boots were like new in shape, but looked a little dry from long term storage prior to sale. I gave one conditioner treatment to the boot on the left. Notice the dark blue and raspberry red leather colors deepening. The boot is quite black blue and cordovan maroon now. The micromatt suede surface was lost and looks slicker, more like a traditional leather.

Read more: Nikwax Conditioner for Leather reviews (2)