RH, I've had this happen with all kinds of gear. It's a couple of steps to smell free bliss.
First of all - wash the thing regularly. After really wet rides, I tend to hose all of my gear off and either tumble dry or let it dry in a well ventilated area.
MEC also has some stuff to wash sports clothes with which supposedly rids it of the smell.
And last of all, there are a tonne of nice new models out annually. Not a bad idea to start fresh and take good care of the thing from day 1.
I try to never let mine dry lying down. It just gets rank.
4 years with the same backpack and it doesn't smell...
Oh yea - never leave it in your car after a ride... Peee yoooo!
Getting the stink out
Tuesday, October 4 2011 at 6:59am
#2
Friday, October 7 2011 at 9:08am
#3
if it gets dank, stick it in the freezer four at least 12 hours. kill off some of those microbes. it will also work for gloves,jerseys, and helmet padding.
Saturday, October 15 2011 at 9:18am
#4
My ice cubes may never be the same... :)
I have a stinky Camelbak. It seems it's been collecting lactic acid, etc., and absorbing it into the straps and back cushioning. The "funk" stays on me long after a ride (reminds me of the stinky car episode on Seinfeld).
Just ran it through the wash for the second time. The first didn't seem to do the trick.
Any advice on how to clean it? How do the hockey guys out there clean their gear? Do you?