Osprey - Pack Care
Caring for Your Osprey Pack
Taking consistent care of your pack will ensure it holds up optimally. Packs need love too!
Backpacks
Standard Maintenance
- After each trip be sure to clean out your pack thoroughly.
- Use mild soap like Nikwax Tech Wash, warm water and a soft brush to clean zippers often to prevent them from failing.
- If your pack is wet, hang it to dry.
- Loosen all the straps.
- Wash your pack if dirt, sweat, salt and stains have worked their way into fabrics, webbing or mesh.
Important: Do not immerse travel packs with our High Road™ Wheeled Chassis.
Washing Your Pack
- If your pack has a removable harness and hipbelt remove them from the pack body.
- Brush out and remove gear, food, dirt or spilled items.
- Don’t wash in washing machine. Clean your pack and components in a bathtub or large sink using a mild soapand warm water. Osprey recommends Nikwax Tech Wash.
- Agitate the pack gently and scrub inside and out all compartment and pockets with a soft brush.
- Brush clean all zippers and flush clean the buckles.
- Drain the soapy and dirty water from the bathtub or sink and refill with cool clean water. Rinse the pack thoroughly.
- Hang dry outdoors or in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight.
Reservoirs
Reservoir Standard Maintenance
- Rinsing it out after each use should keep your reservoir fresh, especially when using sugary drink mixes.
- Periodically use Bottle Bright Tablets to clean your reservoir.
- Using Iodine or other purifying tablets are ok to use but may stain the reservoir over time.
- Freezing your reservoir is ok but be aware of water expanding when freezing so don’t overfill.
- DO NOT pour boiling hot liquid into the reservoir; it will void your warranty.
- Watch “Cleaning an Osprey Hydraulics™ Reservoir” video on the Osprey Packs YouTube page.
Cleaning Your Reservoir
- Rinse out the reservoir and fill with warm water and a mild detergent, do not use Bleach or boiling water.
- Use the large brush from our Hydraulics™ Reservoir Cleaning Kit to scrub the interior of the reservoir.
- Remove the hose from the reservoir and the bite valve from the hose and use the small brush from our Hydraulics™ Reservoir Cleaning Kit to scrub the interior of the hose.
- Remove the silicone bite valve cover and clean it and the bite valve with warm soapy water.
- Let the hose and bite valve dry in a well-ventilated area.
- Insert the drying rack from the Hydraulics™ Reservoir Cleaning Kit through the cap and into the reservoir to hang and let dry and in well-ventilated area.
Wheeled Travel Luggage
Important: Do not immerse travel packs with Osprey’s Wheeled Chassis.
- After each trip brush out and remove all gear, clothes, food, dirt or spilled items.
- Use mild soap, warm water and a soft brush to clean zippers often to prevent them from failing.
- Wipe the exterior of the chassis and scrub stains on and in the pack fabric using a bucket of warm water, mild detergent and a soft brush or sponge.
- Use a wet towel with clean non-soapy water to wipe away any soap residue.
- Hang dry outdoors or in a well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight.

