When you first bought your bag the zipper action was smooth as silk. Now, after countless challenges, mud runs, and hikes the zippers are starting to feel a little rough. The pull isn’t as smooth and there are spots along the line that you know the zipper gets stuck at. If you have this problem you’re probably sitting there a little pissed off and wondering if you really should have beaten your bag so much. Don’t worry because there is a quick and easy way to get your zippers back to (almost) brand new.
Equipment
The following equipment is required for this repair:
- Bristle Brush
- Bowstring Wax
To complete this fix you’ll need a very rough bristle brush. You should already own one for cleaning your ruck but in the case you don’t expect to spend five or six bucks on one. In addition you’ll need bowstring wax. This can be found at most outdoor stores, especially if they sell hunting bows. This is the stuff that people use to clean and wax up their bowstrings and it runs between four and seven bucks.
The Repair
Once you have your bristle brush and bowstring wax make sure to brush the zippers to get any dirt out. Once the zippers are brushed and you’ve visually inspected that there’s no dirt on them then grab the bowstring wax. Unzip the entire backpack and apply the wax directly to the inside and outside of the zipper line. Chunks may come off of the wax and stick to the zipper but that’s fine.
Zip and unzip the zipper along each segment of wax numerous times to ensure the wax gets into the zipper and on the zipper line. You should feel it start to loosen up and become smooth again right away. It won’t feel brand new but it will sure feel better than it did moments before.