You have enjoyed wonderful hikes with your backpack. To enjoy plenty more, Quechua provides a 10-year warranty with backpacks. You can however prolong its life cycle by regularly caring for it. Discover 5 simple ways which make a difference to you and your backpack.
REMOVE ANY DIRT AFTER EVERY HIKE
Each time you return from a hike, completely empty your bag, open all zips and shake it inside out to remove all dirt. Complete the cleaning by brushing the fabric with a soft brush to remove dry mud and dirt.
Use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of dirt when doing a thorough clean at the beginning or end of the season to prepare your bag for cleaning with water and soap.
WASH BY HAND USING VERY GENTLE SOAP
After a season of hiking and sweating, your backpack deserves a deep clean to restore it.
To ensure fabrics retain their properties (especially waterproofing, very important to protect bag contents when it unexpectedly rains), we recommend you do not machine wash, tumble dry, dry clean, iron or bleach your backpack. The safest way to wash your backpack is by hand. To clean your backpack by hand, we recommend using warm, soapy water and a brush.
Do not hesitate to spend more time on the straps, the back and stomach strap and all parts which are in direct contact with the body. Rinse thoroughly using warm water.
ALLOW TO DRY NATURALLY AFTER EACH HIKE
The drying stage is essential after hosing down. However this is a step which should also be built into your routine when you return from walking. Indeed, you have maybe sweated on the rucksack, or been caught in a shower.
In both cases, the method is the same. Open all the zips, remove the detachable parts (the adjustable back for example) and allow the bag to dry in a dry place away from direct sunlight. If you can, hang it upside down. Avoid placing your bag next to a direct heat source, such as a radiator otherwise you risk damaging it..
RE-WATERPROOF WHERE REQUIRED
After a few years of use, renew the fabric's water repellent properties using a "waterproofing" spray. It is crucial to thoroughly clean your bag before applying a waterproofing or water-repellency treatment.
To discover the difference between water-repellency and waterproofing, read our article below. Impurities affect the effectiveness of the water-repellency. Have you noticed that the water-repellency of your jacket is not as effective as on the first day? Find out how to renew it in our video below.
STORE IN A DRY PLACE
Finally, store your backpack in a dry place to avoid the formation of mould. Avoid storing in the cellar and opt for a cupboard. Hang it or lay it flat rather than standing.
DID YOU KNOW?
ALL OUR BACKPACKS ARE GUARANTEED 10 YEARS
Because your bag is your most loyal hiking companion, we have done all we can to keep it from letting you down !
Abrasion, tearing tests, colour-fastness in UV light tests, washing tests, waterproofing tests... Thanks to a range of strict laboratory tests, we have validated the durability of our components (fabrics, foams, etc)
We also test our finished products to check the resistance of the assemblies. Filled with weights on a manikin reproducing fast-paced movements over thousands of cycles.~Long live your rucksack!
