| How to Clean Synthetic Hiking Gear Posted: Synthetic hiking gear requires special care in order to avoid damaging the special fibers. It isn't difficult, but there's more to it than just washing your gear, and it's sometimes a little more tricky! Steps - Read all of the instructions first. It is very important to read the instructions accompanying your synthetic hiking gear. Often a particular type of synthetic material will need to be treated with special care owing to its constitution - not all synthetics are alike. Some are able to be washed in a machine, some are not. Some can be tumble dried; some should not go anywhere near such a machine. If there are separate instructions that come with the gear, file it away for future reference. Often the best place is to use a shoebox that once stored your hiking boots and leave it with your stored hiking gear.
- Wash Gore-Tex and other breathable, waterproof synthetic outer shell clothing following the instructions on the label. Generally, raincoats and other items made from Gore-Tex or similar synthetic materials are machine washable, in cold water (never use hot!), using specially purchased Gore-Tex cleaning products or a very gentle powder detergent that has no bleach content. Specialized products for washing are available at outdoor stores. Often Gore-Tex etc., will require an additional heat step to seal in the restored hydrophobic qualities; an iron or a tumble on low heat might be appropriate. Again, refer to the instructions.
- Be careful with synthetic boots. Hiking shoes and boots should always be clean and in good repair. Your life could depend on it. These should be cleaned so as to improve their hydrophobic capacities. Again, refer to the manufacturer's instructions but generally it is likely that you will need to purchase a good cleaning product suited to the synthetic material that they are made from.
- Take care cleaning synthetic jackets containing down. They should almost always be professionally cleaned, because the down gets wet and clumps together, losing the insulating properties. Read the manufacturer's instructions first. The down may or may not be of synthetic origin. If it is of natural origin, you will be fine washing it in lukewarm water. If the manufacturer's instructions allows it, a bath is a good place as you can submerge it in water with the appropriate cleaning solution recommended on the label, or very soft soap such as Ivory Flakes, without unnecessary agitation. Down needs a soap which is not harsh and has low surfactants. Knead it gently, release the bath water and do a rinse. Fill and knead again before releasing all the water. Allow to drip dry over the bath without squeezing. A good way to do this is to rig up a clothes hanging device like a hammock. The item should dry flat so that the down doesn't settle. If it does, it will either dry rock hard, or it will dry from the outside, and the inside could mold and rot. Synthetic down can be cleaned similarly unless the label advises otherwise.
- Wash polar fleece (microfleece or micrafleece) in the washing machine. It is happy with cold to warm water. Turn it inside out to reduce pilling. Avoid washing with anything else as the fleece will attract fluff and will also leave fluff on other items of clothing. Fleece can also be tumble dried, although it is good to air dry it for freshness. Pilling gets worse with repeated washes.
Tips - Always clean mud off anything. Do not store hiking boots, shoes, crampons, ice picks, gaiters, pants etc. with mud encrusted on them. It will dry out and fall everywhere, it has the potential to degrade the quality of your hiking gear and it is off-putting to pull dirty gear out of storage.
- Dry off metal gear like crampons and axes. They are rust resistant, not rust proof. They will rust, just slowly. Crampons worn in roadside snow must be washed off if there is any salt used on the road.
- Never store hiking gear damp. Damp gear should be thoroughly dried out prior to storage. If not, you risk mildew and mold growth that can destroy synthetic hiking gear and can jump to other items in storage. Non-synthetic items can also rust from being stored next to damp items.
- Never dry leather items by using heat--they will end up cracking. Let them air dry. Aim a fan on them if necessary.
- Store sleeping bags loosely in large (preferably cotton) bags. A bag that is under compression will permanently lose some loft and insulating ability with it.
- You can use a sweater screen to dry wet synthetic items after washing, especially down; this helps to retain the shape.
- Do not wash down jackets in hot water or the hydrophobic properties will erode!
- Always prefer cold water over warm and warm water over hot. Never use hot water! On the whole, cold water is the safest option to help maintain the synthetic item's durability, breath-ability and hydrophobic qualities.
Warnings - Never wash or machine dry natural down-filled jackets or sleeping bags unless the instructions say it is acceptable. Down clumps, and looses its water shedding protection. It also rots if not properly ventilated.
- All equipment should be hung up to air out right after use to dry. Otherwise mildew and mold will set in and eat holes in fabrics.
Things You'll Need - Commercially purchased preparation suited for the gear
- Washing powder with low surfactants and no bleach
- Water - always cold, never hot!
- Bath
- Washing machine and tumble dryer for some items
- Scraper to remove mud from synthetic shoes and boots
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| 8 Ways to Eat Organic on a Budget Posted: In the upside down way of a world where less costs more and more costs less, it is the food without the added chemical pesticides and fertilizers that costs the consumer more these days. Is it possible to thrive organically on modest means? Yes it is; you can do your very best by following these steps and by taking a sensible overall approach. Steps - Buy food items in their raw, unprocessed form. While there are many processed organic products available on the market, purchasing processed organic products is the most expensive way to buy organic. If you have the financial freedom, go ahead. For everyone else, it is about getting back to basics and buying staple foods in their minimally processed form and turning them into other food through the means of your own cooking, brewing and baking.
- Cook from scratch. Not only frugal, but healthier for you. Cooking from scratch means that you know exactly what is going into your food, and you avoid the unknown additives, preservatives, and origins of mixed foods.
- Buy in bulk. Items purchased in bulk tend to be less costly than those packaged in smaller amounts with brand names and this is the same for organic produce. While this won't always be the case (for example, when there are specials, so do your sums), on the whole, bulk is cheaper. Research your area to find health food stores, markets, specialty grocery stores and supermarkets that carry bulk organic basics such as beans, legumes, TVP, dried herbs, spices, etc. If they don't carry organic versions in bulk yet, ask them to consider it; the more they know there is a market for something, the greater the likelihood it will appear.
- Buy in season. Seasonal produce will always be more affordable. With the wonder of the internet now, even if you can't work out what's in season right now, your search engine can do it for you. Moreover, your search engine can find recipes using whatever is in season too. Even if you don't like the offerings, doing a search can inspire you to know where to look in your own cookbooks!
- Shop locally. The benefits of eating food that is grown close include reduced costs, increased freshness and a plentiful supply. If you're lucky, it might also mean a faster shop if you have narrowed down your shopping options to a few key, ideal places near you. For more tips, see How to Save Money at a Farmers' Market.
- Befriend a gardener or farmer. Knowing someone who is growing food organically can help to reduce the costs, especially where you can set up regular purchases and you do the collecting and perhaps even the harvesting. You might even get produce for free if you barter something in return, such as your services to weed or harvest, or your professional services.
- If there are any Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in your area, consider joining one. For a fee that varies by location and amount of food, you "subscribe" to the season's harvest, and pick up your portion once a week at the farm or a farmers' market (some CSAs also deliver). These groups are often able to buy other goods in bulk and pass on the savings to members. Most are volunteer-based, with modest perks for helping out with boxing up orders and other tasks, so you get the additional benefit of knowing that 1) you're supporting local agriculture; 2) purchasing the very freshest goods and 3) saving money and the secondary environmental costs of not shipping produce from halfway around the world!
- Choose the foods that it is advisable to only ever eat organically. There are some foods that are considered so contaminated by pesticides when grown that they should always be eaten in their organic version. If you cannot afford to buy all of your food organically, at least follow this list and mix with (modern) conventionally grown foods to help the budget stretch further. For an idea of the foods to eat organically only, see wikiHow's article on how to choose the most important organic foods.
- Grow your own. There is nothing more satisfying and tasty than growing your own food. It is quite possible to hold down a full-time job and grow a decent veggie garden at the same time - weekend effort will result in brilliant garden produce.
Video Tips - Another benefit of buying in bulk is the reduced packaging involved. Less waste means less time spent dealing with disposal and paying for disposal.
- Cooking is not drudgery; that is what the advertisers of convenience, packaged meals would like you to feel. This marketing induces a sense of deprivation, of "missing out on something cool". What you're missing out on by not cooking yourself is nutrition, an enormous natural flavor range, the therapeutic and artistic benefits of cooking, and the knowledge of what is really in your food. If you start catching yourself putting cooking in the "hated chores" list, think "chef". Chefs love cooking precisely because it is an art form that feeds not only the stomach, but also the soul.
Things You'll Need - List of items that must be organic
- Carry bags or basket to avoid using new plastic bags
- Internet for research
- Good cooking equipment
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