Backpacks are designed to get wet as they are exposed to the elements all the time. Your humble rain cover can only do so much. Not to mention when you’re tired and throw down your backpack onto least boggy bit of ground only to find it rolling into the puddle you were avoiding.
The good news is that they are designed to take some abuse. They possess many different coatings to ensure durability and to assist in keeping the contents dry. The water resistant coatings keep off the light showers, as does a good rain cover but eventually expect your pack to be soaked through.
Backpack materials are designed to be water resistant, therefore can be quick drying. To dry your back as quickly as possible, empty the bag, wipe off any mud or droplets, open every compartment as wide as possible and place it upside down to air dry. Tumble drying it will result in a damaged bag.
There are a few more tips and tricks you can try but waiting for your bag to dry will likely take several hours in good conditions. If you are camping, you will likely be hiking with a wet backpack in the morning but it’s not impossible to dry!
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How To Best Dry Your Backpack
Every backpack will have its own care instructions and you should always read the manufacturers instructions as it will be the best way to ensure a long product life. Not to mention you do not want to be caught invalidating any warranties you have by mistreating it.
Firstly you want to minimise the backpack getting wetter. When you are ready to stop hiking in the rain find shelter for your backpack as soon as possible whilst you pitch up camp.
Don’t be defeatist and chuck it down anywhere whilst you sort yourself out. Try and keep it off absorbent ground, such as mud or wet grass. Where possible place it up on a rock or bench. Not all wet surfaces are equal. If you doubt me, test some out by sitting down and see how wet your bottom is after!
Failing that, pitch your tent as soon as possible and get it inside. Place it at the end of the tent, away from where you will be sleeping as the last thing you want is everything else getting wet.
Now that you and your backpack are somewhere dry it’s time to deal with the wet backpack. The sooner you do this the better, and it can take a long time even with the tricks speeding up the process.
Firstly you want to empty everything out your backpack. If these are wet too, then you want to space them out too. What you are aiming for is maximum air circulation as this increases drying time.
You then want to wipe off any mud, dirt and water droplets. Squeeze any foam areas which also may be holding water. Make sure to do this bit outside your tent, or over the shower if you’re inside.
After making your bag as dry as possible manually, it’s time to open all the zips and compartments that you can. If you are able to take off parts, such as a hip belt then do this too. You then want to hang the backpack, of you can upside down.
Should you find that the weather outside if dry, then hanging it outside will be the quickest way to get it to dry. Either use a tree or a guide rope of your tent if you don’t have access to a travel clothes line. The sun and wide will aid the drying process.
Although, if you have more time, it is best to avoid constant exposure to UV as it can degrade the fabric so they normally advise placing it in the shade. If it is only going to be a short period before night draws in then the UV will not be a concern in most places.
Make sure you keep an eye on the weather and time, last thing you want is it getting wet again in a surprise shower or because condensation creeps in as the night cools.
Should you find yourself at home or in a hotel room then you may be able to make use of a few more luxuries. Do not put your backpack directly on a radiator or by an electric heater as the heat will damage the backpack, not to mention is a fire risk.
However, what you can do is use an airing rack or place it near a source of heat so it benefits from the warm air flow. If it is with a fan too then the air movement will also help dry it faster.
Anything technique I have tried is using a hairdryer. Again, you do not want it on a high heat. Most hairdryers have a low heat and a cold setting which will help circulate the air when your inside. Keep the hairdryer moving so not to stay in one place too long and go over the outside and inside. To prevent the hairdryer from overheating do short sessions and keep coming back to it.
Failing that you can move the backpack yourself to increase airflow. It is tiring on your arms but it keeps the air moving preventing the moist air hovering around your backpack.
Also a good tip is to re-squeeze any areas that could collect water at this point. You normally find that the top half will be dryer than the bottom half as the water collects at the bottom. Squeeze this out then turn the bag the right way round. This will move the water again, spreading it out, allowing it to dry faster.
You can try all that and may still end up with a damp backpack in the morning, in this situation just pop on a waterproof to stop your clothing from getting wet and carry on. Your body heat and the environment will help dry your bag quickly. Unless it rains again, you should have a dry backpack at the end of the day.
As you can see, speeding up the drying process can be quite labour intensive. The more effort you put into increase airflow, warming the environment and finding the least moisture in the air then the faster the bag will dry. The speed of evaporation is all down to physics but I will save you that joy for another day!
Checklist For Drying Your Backpack Quickly
I hope you found all my little tips and tricks helpful above, but I understand that when you are in a rush a quick list is enough. This is why I have made this summery below. If you want more information, don’t forget to have a read above!
- Keep the backpack from getting any wetter
- Wipe off any mud and excess water, squeeze sponge like fabrics
- Empty your bag and open all the compartments as wide as possible
- Hang the backpack upside down
- Increase heat or airflow without using a direct source of heat
How Not To Dry Your Backpack
Waiting for your backpack to dry is a test of patience but you can make the situation worse for yourself. Despite how tempting the following may be, they all will either delay the drying process or damage your backpack entirely so do not do them!
1. Do Not Use Direct Heat
This is super tempting as heat does make things dry faster right? So surely it will be a good idea to bang your backpack on the radiator, in front of the campfire or by the electric heater? No! Direct heat sources can ruin your backpack by damaging the materials and coatings on it. In extreme cases it can cause parts to melt or burn and no one wants their backpack catching fire.
2. Do Not Put It In The Tumble Dryer
You should always follow your manufacturers instructions when it comes to cleaning and caring for your kit. After all, they designed it (and that’s what the warranty covers!).
Backpacks are full of places to catch in your machine, leading to holes and broken zips. They are built to last but not to be repeatedly chucked around, straps everywhere. Also the heat again can cause damage to the plastic clips, fabric and protective coatings.
Should you decide to go ahead and ignore every bit of advice on drying your backpack and decided to use the tumble dryer then there are a few ways to mitigate the risk.
Firstly, use the gentlest setting you can find with a low heat and low rotation. Then place the backpack in a delicates bag or pillow catch to prevent bits catching on the drum. You also would want to try and remove any metal frame from your bag too, this should save your dryer from damage.
3. Do Not Leave Clumps Of Mud On It
Mud and dirt not only hold onto moisture like a sponge, they also prevent air reaching your backpack. This all means it takes a lot longer to dry out as effectively you have more layers of materials to dry. Your bag does not need to be spotless but get rid of any thick layers of mud. The rest can be brushed off when dry.
4. Do Not Pile Stuff On Top Of It
Covering your bag in your wet, dirty clothes is not going to help it dry. If anything it may get even wetter or make your dry kit wet. The same goes for just leaving it all bundled up on itself. You need to lay it out as best you can.
5. Do Not Leave Your Backpack Closed Or Full
Time is of the essence if you want your backpack to dry fast. Being lazy is not an option, no matter how tired you are.
Give the damp air chance to escape. This all increases the rate at which the bag will dry. It should also be emptied so that nothing is holding moisture inside of there and you can wipe away any water droplets. It also helps the air circulate into every space drying inside and out.
So you have tried your backpack quickly without causing any damage. That’s great. That being said, if your backpack has got wet from the trail, it will likely need a good clean when you get home and then you will need to dry it all over again!
I adore my osprey tempest 30L backpack women’s (as seen in the photo above). It is an ideal size for anything from overnight to several days and it is super comfortable. I have lived out this bag for 10 days in the past using hotels and doing some sink washing of underwear.
My version of the this backpack is quite old now but you can get a newer version of the tempest 30L backpack on Amazon in a green, black and purple. The mens version is the Osprey Talon 33L backpack. So get the fit that suits you best.
How To Wash Your Backpack
The best way to wash your backpack is to follow the manufacturers instructions. In many cases this will involve avoiding the washing machine and tumble dryer as even the gentle settings can be damaging to your backpack.
Firstly, you will want to wipe off as much dirt as possible. Use a soft cloth with water to get the worst of it off. Once the bag is dry, you can usually brush off the remaining mud and dirt. Try not to scrub too hard as this can rub off the protective coatings on the fabric such as water resistance.
Then you can open up all your compartments and shake your backpack upside down to get all the dirt and crumbs. For an extra deep clean, get a hoover nozzle into the crevices. Most of the time, you will not need to clean your bag any more than this before you hit the trail again.
For a deeper clean, such as one to get rid of any funky smells your pack has decided to collect, it will need a proper wash. Firstly, you need to take it apart as much as possible. Remove the frame and hip belt if you can.
Then depending on the size of your backpack, fill a sink or a bathtub with enough warm (not hot) water to cover the bag. Add a gentle, fragrance-free detergent. As I have said before, your backpack likely has a lot of beneficial coatings that you do not want to take off by something stronger. You can buy specific detergent designed for hiking kit but this is not necessary if you have mild soap around.
Now you want to vigorous swish your backpack in the soapy water. Use a sponge to get rid of any visibly dirty patches. You may want to drain the water and repeat this if your backpack is filthy, otherwise drain the water and refill with cool water to rinse. Repeat this until all the soap suds are gone.
Now you’re ready to dry your backpack all over again by hanging it up to dry. Helpfully you have a little more time if you are deep cleaning your backpack so hang it up somewhere out of direct sunlight or inside to dry.
Conclusion
Drying a backpack can be a time consuming process and more often than not you will simply just start the day with a wet pack. Fortunately, we have explored the best way to deal with a wet bag and therefore you will maximise your chances of getting that bag dry as possible as quickly as possible. For the fastest approach, it can be labour intensive but if you simple prep your bag well then it should dry fairly quickly. Happy Hiking!
