Make it last

Care & Repair

Most gear is thrown away long before it is worn out. Here is how to keep yours working, and what to do when something needs fixing.

Hardshells and waterproofs

A jacket that has stopped beading is usually dirty, not dead. Body oils and grime break the surface tension that makes water run off.

  • Zip everything up, close the Velcro, wash on a warm gentle cycle with a technical wash — never detergent, never fabric softener
  • Rinse twice. Detergent residue is what kills the finish
  • Tumble dry warm for twenty minutes, or press with a warm iron through a cloth. Heat is what reactivates the water repellency
  • Re-proof with a wash-in or spray-on treatment only once washing alone stops working

Down

Wash sparingly — once a season at most. Use a down-specific wash, a gentle cycle and a very thorough rinse. Dry on low heat with two or three clean tennis balls and give it two to three hours; stop early and the down clumps and stays damp inside. Store down uncompressed in a large cotton sack, never in its stuff sack.

Ropes

  • Wash by hand in cool water with a mild soap or a rope-specific wash, then dry in the shade out of direct sun
  • Use a rope bag. Grit driven into the sheath is what cuts the core
  • Keep it away from battery acid, fuel and solvents. Chemical damage is invisible and total
  • Log the falls, and retire on the manufacturer’s schedule rather than on how it looks

Harnesses and soft hardware

Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, rinse thoroughly, dry out of direct sunlight. Inspect the tie-in points, belay loop, webbing and stitching before every use. Retire immediately if a wear indicator is visible, after any significant fall, or at ten years from date of manufacture — whichever comes first.

Boots

Brush the mud off while it is still wet. Dry slowly at room temperature, never in front of a heater or in the sun, and stuff with newspaper to hold the shape. Condition leather when it starts to look thirsty, not on a schedule.

Our repair service

We would rather fix your gear than sell you a replacement. Send us [repairs address] anything of ours that is broken and we will quote you honestly — including telling you when a repair is not worth doing or when an item should be retired rather than repaired.

We do not repair life-safety equipment. Harnesses, ropes, slings and protection cannot be safely repaired once damaged. We will inspect them free of charge and tell you plainly whether to retire them.

Last updated [date] · Questions? Contact us