Sweat and bags (warning: may be a bit gross)

[maverick]

Hi folks!

I sweat quite a bit when I'm hiking, specially on warmer days.

Unfortunately, after a full day of hiking, the salt in (my?) sweat can result in a white stain. I've noticed it on my hat, on my t-shirts and sadly on my pack (I carry the Guide's Edition Synapse 25).

My clothes go in the wash after the hike, so it isn't a big deal. But I don't want to give my pack a bath every weekend (the Synapse is having its first bath as I type this).

I'm curious if you've encountered this, and how you manage (prevent?) it. Is there some safe protective coating that may be of some assistance?

Thanks so much!

[gqb]

I have noticed that the wash in waterproof coating on my jackets fails first in the armpit area, and I think it must be the impact of sweat as I don't notice the same on other high abrasion areas such as the shoulders.
I use nikwax tech wash and the wash in waterproofing to clean my jackets and have used the same on my daylight backpack and smaller bags to great effect.
I haven't tried this with a bag with padding. It should work, though, as long as you can get it dried properly

Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk

[bartleby]

Hi @maverick , yes I also have this problem. I think there is no way to prevent it so I wash my backpacks frequently. I do it in the bathtub and use some liquid laundry detergent which I would also use for delicate clothes. That removes the stains reliably and also gives the bag a nicer smell Afterwards I hang the bag to dry which doesn‘t take long. Recently, when I was hiking in the Italian Alps I cleaned my S25 a couple of times when I returned in the afternoon and it was dry the next morning. I do not renew the water repellent every time as I would use a raincover when it would really pour down.

[goblin]

For this reason I do not like to use backpacks that don't have open space at the back to give ample ventilation between you and the pack. These are usually present in dedicated outdoor company packs, but even then it varies wildly between each pack. That feeling of the bag hugging my sweaty back is extremely unpleasant to me and I can't bear it.
Here's something I found looking around that may help. I am not sure if this would fit with a Tom Bihn pack but if it does it would probably help a lot. https://www.221btactical.com/product...airflow-spacer

[maverick]

Thank you, all!

I actually find that the spacer mesh on the Synapse 25 and other TOM BIHN bags breathes really well.

I took the Synapse 19 out this past weekend on my hikes, sans padded waist strap, and it helped me to appreciate the padded waist strap even more. Sure enough, I came back with a white stain on the shoulder straps, which are more visible on the Synapse 19 because they are black rather than coyote.

I'll just plan to give my hiking pack a bath regularly, and will occasionally treat it with Nikwax.