Outdoor backpacks
Tips & Tricks
We are proud of our products and develop each product detail to help you to enjoy them for as long as possible. Useful information about your VAUDE products and instructions can be found here.
CARE MAINTENANCE
Our products are made with a passion for design and high quality materials. Nevertheless, or precisely because of this, they also need the right care in order to function optimally in the long run.
Use a sponge and mild soap to clean dirt and light stains. If a pack gets really grimy, you can clean it under running water. Don’t remove the metal frame of a VAUDE backpack for cleaning though. To dry it, hang it up in a well-ventilated area.
Note: Do not dry clean backpacks or try to wash them in a washing machine!
You can find more information on product care and maintenance here.
REPAIRS & REPLACEMENT PARTS
Backpacks, especially the suspension systems, are constantly exposed to heavy wear and tear. Wear and tear or damage doesn’t necessarily mean the end for your backpack. Below you’ll find some helpful hints on what you can do to make your VAUDE products last longer:
Guarantee
All VAUDE products have a statutory warranty period of two years. For all “Made in Germany” products, we have even extended this to five years.
If you’ve got a defective product, you can find out if it meets the warranty conditions here.
Repairs
You can often make small repairs yourself. Try out our do-it-yourself instructions at iFixit.
In addition, we’ve put together a few pages on this in our Sustainability Report. Here you can also find short iFixit repair videos on many topics. You can also order spare parts or any special tools needed directly from this site as well.
Open seams & webbing
Backpack seams can open; webbing seams can loosen or even come out altogether. A shop that repairs shoes can help with this. They have industrial sewing machines and can easily repair a backpack seam.
Re-waterproofing
Permanent exposure to rain and sun can cause a pack’s waterproofing to wear off. When this happens, we recommend re-waterproofing your pack with Nikwax Tent & Gear Solarproof. However, if the coating peels off on the inner surface, even repeated waterproofing can’t help.
PACKING SMART
If you’re going to be traveling long distances with a heavy load, you should take some time to consider exactly what gear you’ll need and how to distribute it so that it is as comfortable and safe as possible to carry.
Weight distribution
Balancing the weight evenly when you load your pack is important – it helps your pack sit comfortably on your back for good posture while walking, and it also helps you maintain your balance and react quickly when required. The ground rules: position the heaviest items in the middle and as close to your back as possible. The closer the center of gravity is to your body’s center of gravity with the backpack on, the better your sense of balance and the less you’ll feel the load.
Weight of your load
As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t carry more than 25 – 30 % of your body weight on longer tours. Only those who have really trained should exceed this value. Hiking with a children’s pack is also fine for children. Just be sure to keep their load very lightweight.
Organization
Good organization ensures fast access to the things you need close at hand. The compartments on your backpack have been optimized for practical use.
1 Main compartment: Take a tactical approach when packing the main compartment: Heavy items such as climbing gear (carabiners, chocks, express sets), tents, canned food or water should be stowed in the middle and close to your back. Lighter items such as clothing should be packed at the bottom, top and sides.
2 Lid compartment: A lid compartment is standard for all but the smallest packs. It’s the perfect space for smaller items of gear that need to be close at hand, such as your phone, GPS, compass, tissues, cap, chocolate bar or first aid kit. It’s definitely not the right place for heavy, bulky objects.
3 Lower compartment: Most larger backpacks (from approx. 40 liters) have a bottom compartment that’s separate from the main compartment. Smaller, lighter items that would take up too much space in the main compartment can best be stowed here.
4 Outer pockets and mesh pockets: Side outer pockets and mesh pockets offer additional storage space for small items and are recommended for things that need to be at close at hand (rain jacket, cap, tissues, gloves, etc.). They should be packed evenly with a similar weight on both sides.
5 Map compartment: Some of our hiking and trekking backpacks have side map compartment. These are large enough for all common map formats. They can be easily reached from the outside without having to open the main compartment.
6 Hydration system: Almost all VAUDE backpacks are hydration system compatible. The compartment is always placed close to your back so the weight of your fluids doesn’t influence your center of gravity. The hydration tube port is always to be found near the shoulder straps.
7 Fastening equipment: If equipment is also fastened to the outside of the backpack, the following rule applies: heavier objects (e.g. tent, rope, etc.) must be fastened upwards, e.g. under the lid compartment or to the fastening loops of the lid. Attach lighter equipment (e.g. camping mat, sandals etc.) to the sides or the front.
BACKPACK ADJUSTMENT
Detailed information on adjustment options for our backpacks can be found under Suspension Systems. We’ve put together some general info on wearing and adjusting your backpack:
1. Slightly tighten the shoulder straps and load positioning straps (1 and 2). The clasps and load positioning straps should be located between the collarbone and shoulder height.
2. Close and tighten the hip belt with your shoulders raised (3). The hip belt should sit snugly on the top of your pelvic girdle. About 80 % of the load should be carried on your hips.
3. Loosen the shoulder straps until you feel all of the weight on your hips. Then tighten the shoulder straps slightly to stabilize the backpack in the shoulder area.
4. Tighten the load positioning straps (1). This lifts the suspension off the back of your shoulders and relieves the load here.
5. Last but not least, move the sternum strap to a comfortable height and close it. Make sure that there’s no strain on the strap when you inhale – this could hinder your breathing.
