Extend the life of your gear
Taking care of your gear is fairly simple. Follow these guidelines to provide the best care for your adventure buddy. To maintain and often extend the lifetime of your goods, always dry it after use in wet weather or cleaning, and always before storing. Between uses, store it in cool, dry, and well-ventilated areas.
Many of the materials used in your gear are of a very high quality and have protective coatings to improve their performance. In order to protect your investment, avoid things like excessive moisture, excessive heat, and chemical contaminants such as chlorine, bleach, and salt. All of these things can shorten the lifetimes of your gear.
All high-quality materials need different kinds of TLC. Scroll below to learn how to best care for your gear.
13 oz. Poly/Cotton polaris Canvas
Routine care is fairly straightforward for this durable canvas. Keep dirt, leaves and other debris from accumulating on the fabric surface. Wash down with water on a bright sunny, once a month if possible. Do not use a power washer or any more pressure than what you would find in a typical garden hose. To remove dirt, use a soft brush and a mild soap solution*. Do not use bleach. Rinse thoroughly with water and let dry completely before folding and storing. Do not store or roll up while wet. Mildew can grow during storage if moisture is present.
Polyester
Use warm water along with an all-purpose laundry detergent. Use a small amount of chlorine bleach, but only if necessary. Press polyester fabrics at a low to moderate temperature setting, or use steam.
Cordura Nylon
Soil may be removed with spray cleaner or detergent and water. Avoid chlorine or bleach-based cleansers. Oil or grease should first be treated with a dry cleaning solvent followed by a spray cleaner or detergent and water. Avoid chlorine or bleach-based cleansers.
Typically found in the Double Take and Crush.
Nylon Ripstop
Put the item into a bathtub with cold water. Use the soft brush and some laundry detergent to lather and gently scrub your nylon item. Rinse your item thoroughly with cold water. Air dry your item by hanging it to drip dry, or lay it out flat. You may use an electric dryer for this step, but keep the dryer on its lowest setting.
Typically found in the Freedome 2 1/2, Free Spirit, and Ajax tents.
Cotton Canvas
Includes organic fibers such as cotton, rayon, linen, wool, silk, etc. Use only a water-free, dry cleaning solvent. Have a name brand cleaner on hand so that you can act fast if a spill occurs.If a Spill Occurs: Dab spills immediately with a clean, dry, white cloth. Then, if needed, use an appropriate spot cleaner. Pretest any cleaner on a small, inconspicuous area before proceeding. Do not saturate fabric with cleaner. Pat instead of rubbing to avoid damaging the fabric. Clean spots or stains from the outside to the middle of affected are to prevent circling. Pile fabrics may require brushing with a non-metallic stiff bristle brush to restore appearance.
Waxed Canvas
Shake or brush off dirt, sand or any other abrasive material. For small spots, use mild soap heavily diluted with cold water, and a brush. Gently massage the spotted surface with your brush while cleaning. Rinse with a sponge and cold water. Let air dry.
Sunbrella®
All Sunbrella® fabrics are engineered to combine the highest level of design and performance. For easy day-to-day maintenance of your Sunbrella fabric, brush off loose dirt. Spray on a cleaning solution of water and mild soap. Use a soft bristle brush to clean. Allow cleaning solution to soak into the fabric. Rinse thoroughly until all soap residue is removed. Air dry. (Taken from Sunbrella.com)
Anodized Aluminum
Wipe down your anodized aluminum surface with a damp sponge to remove general surface dirt. This will not eliminate stains or scratches, but will help to prevent dust and dirt buildup. Dry the aluminum with a towel to prevent water spots. For more difficult areas, squeeze just one or two drops of mild dishwashing detergent into a cup of water. Apply the soapy water to a sponge and scrub the aluminum vigorously. Avoid any and all harsh cleaning products as they will react with and damage the aluminum.
Antique Brass
Clean with a soft, cotton rag and warm, soapy water. After cleaning, rinse the rag with plain water and wipe the soap off the buckle. Buff the piece of hardware with a dry cotton cloth until the soap is removed and the nickel shows no water spots.
Brushed Nickel
Clean with a soft, cotton rag and warm, soapy water. After cleaning, rinse the rag with plain water and wipe the soap off the buckle. Buff the piece of hardware with a dry cotton cloth until the soap is removed and the nickel shows no water spots.
Wall Tents
For information on how to care for cavas wall tents, please feel free to download instructions from the link below, or visit our how-to videos page.