1. After every tour, empty backpack completely. Brush clean soiled areas with soapy water.
2. Never put your backpack into a washing mashcine or dryer; this damages the PU coating.
3. Backpack fabrics can not be ironed.
4. Zippers must be kept clean.
5. To store: close the packs and keep in a dry, well aired place.
Do I have to impregnate the backpack material?
"For the first years, the rucksack material offers great water protection. However, in heavy rain water will seep through the zippers and seams. In alpine regions, for climbing or ski tours you should use waterproof packsacks in the rucksack to keep your gear 100% dry. The advantage is that the attachment straps then remain free for material, such as ice axe, skis, poles or snowshoes. For hiking and trekking backpacks use a rain cover. Also, impregnation won’t last very long on older models.
And impregnation (spray and bath impregnation) in the strap’s material can lead to skin irritation."
Place the backpack in a tub or shower filled with water and wash with ph-neutral soap.
Dirt and stains can be easily cleaned with a soft brush. Salt stains on the carrying system can be removed by simply washing with soap and plenty of water.
Make sure to always store the pack in a dry place!
Maintenance
If you wash it – do it gently:
1. Close all straps and loosen all drawcords.
2. Turn the sleeping bag inside out.
3. Only use special down or synthetic fibre detergents.
4. HAND WASH: soak the bag in plenty of lukewarm water, gently squeeze and then rinse several times – do not twist or wring the bag!
MACHINE WASH: Set the machine on the delicate cycle (30°C), rinse several times OR repeat washing program using NO detergent and do not spin! The washing machine should have a capacity of at least 5 kg.
Carefully take out the wet, heavy sleeping bag to avoid damage of the fill or down chambers.
5. Gently squeeze as much of the water out as possible. Do not wring it out!
6. TUMBLE DRYER: Tumble dry (min. 7kg) on low (30°C). Add tennis balls for down and tumble dry until the full loft is regained.
DRYING ON A LAUNDRY RACK: Open it up and spread it out, never hang it up! Down will take several days to dry.
Gently fluff up the down clots by hand several times a day. Synthetic fibres dry quickly and do not need to be fluffed up.
Down Loss
Why is my sleeping bag losing feathers?
A down sleeping bag has to be breathable and therefore air permeable to provide optimal sleeping comfort. Yet this means that fine down feathers may poke through the fabric. But ‘leaking down’ does not mean that the sleeping bag is defect. If a feather makes its way through the shell, work it gently back into the filling by pulling from the opposite side. The holes in the shell fabric will close itself back up.
Do not pull the feather out as you might pull more along with it. This is due to the structure of the sleeping bag’s down fill: the individual feathers are all linked together, so if you pull one out others might follow and also the hole might be enlarged.
So do not become concerned when your sleeping bag leaks feather during the night. It is normal and does not reduce the insulation performance of the sleeping bag.
