caring for switchback pants

[eghiglie]

I know that boys are hard on clothes!

 

In our small Troop the boys and the leaders all gravitated to the nylon switchbacks when they came out and although they are comfortable and dry FAST, they don't wear well. Most of the pants started pilling recently and they really are not that old.

 

Does anyone have any care tips to make them last?

 

 

[infoscouter]

I don't know of a way to stop the pilling - my regular uniform pants - both green and blue do this as well, it just takes them longer. I use a clothes shaver when it gets too bad.

[GernBlansten]

I've had pilling where the hip belt on my backpack rubs on the hips. And a little on the butt from sitting on rocks. Other than that, they are holding up well. I view it as a badge of honor. That these pants don't do parlor scouting! Then again, I don't iron my shirt either!

 

I have a pair of REI supplex pants of very similar material, but they don't pill like the switchbacks do. Must be the cheap Chinese fabric.

[insanescouter]

A few things I have heard, but do not know if any of these items work...

 

1) it is possible to wear them with out the legs (ie. as shorts) and you may be tempted to wash just the part worn... the problem is then the two parts (legs and shorts) will fade at different rates and will have slightly different color

 

2) they may hold up better if washed on a gentle cycle and inside out

 

3) sew up / patch any problems at the first sign or it will get worse quickly

 

Anyways hope my ideas are of any kind of help ...

 

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

Helping leaders one click at a time....

[Gunny2862]

I'm, surprisingly, not having any problems with the switchbacks. Just wore them on a three day trail hike (stinky but serviceable) and no worse after the wash cycle than they were before we started the trip.

 

Plus of course Troop meetings, Roundtables, Popcorn sales... they're getting a lot of wear and normally getting washed after every outing, no special care given and mine seem to be doing well.

[Gold Winger]

Mine are pilling after less than a dozen wearings. I was surprised to see that they are made in China, after all the years of BSA hoopla about American made uniforms.

 

Two problems.

 

Not cold enough for long johns yet but not warm enough for thin plastic pants.

 

They wrinkle like mad and hold their wrinkles. Can't iron them like I cn with regualar pants. Yes, I press my poly-cotton shirts and IRON with starch my cotton shirts. Wear and tear may be a badge of honor but wrinkles aren't.

 

 

[resqman]

Why can't you iron your switch backs?

 

I iron mine on the hot cotton setting with steam. No problems. Been ironing both my sons and mine for about a year.

[eghiglie]

I learned the other day that the material used supplex has skinnier fibers than regular nylon so there are more threads per square inch than regular nylon. This makes the pants softer. Because there are more threads that are smaller, there is also more air-space which makes them fast drying.

 

The care recommendation that was suggested was to put them in a mesh laundry bag and then wash the bag (with the pants inside) in the gentle cycle. Also, to cut back on the detergent used.

 

I'm going to try this out for the next few washings and see if it makes a difference.

 

 

[Vicki]

I would also suggest not putting them in the dryer. Sustained heat will wear out the nylon faster.

 

Vicki

[eghiglie]

Thanks vickie for adding that no dryer tip for others. We don't use dryers here but I imagine lots of other people do.

 

At summer camp this past year we dried most of our the shirts and pants we had that were made of nylon in the sun. Cotton was rotten as it never dried!

 

[Gunny2862]

I agree about no dryer for the Switchbacks. But we don't consider that special care.

 

I do iron my shirts, can't get past wanting a creased sleeve. But haven't yet ironed the trousers.

[SSScout]

As with the boys trou, we usually iron on patch material INSIDE the knees of the cotton/poly trou pre-emptively, thus reinforcing the area that wears first.

We haven't bought the switchback types yet, having not really liked previous 100% nylon stuff. When and if we do, should we consider the reinforcing of the knees? Will iron on stuff STICK to the nylon anyhow? Nylon always does "pill" in reponse to abrasion. Goes with the territory.

Chinese, eh?

[SSScout]

As with the boys trou, we usually iron on patch material INSIDE the knees of the cotton/poly trou pre-emptively, thus reinforcing the area that wears first.

We haven't bought the switchback types yet, having not really liked previous 100% nylon stuff. When and if we do, should we consider the reinforcing of the knees? Will iron on stuff STICK to the nylon anyhow? Nylon always does "pill" in reponse to abrasion. Goes with the territory.

Chinese, eh?

[SSScout]

As with the boys trou, we usually iron on patch material INSIDE the knees of the cotton/poly trou pre-emptively, thus reinforcing the area that wears first.

We haven't bought the switchback types yet, having not really liked previous 100% nylon stuff. When and if we do, should we consider the reinforcing of the knees? Will iron on stuff STICK to the nylon anyhow? Nylon always does "pill" in reponse to abrasion. Goes with the territory.

Chinese, eh?

[SSScout]

As with the boys trou, we usually iron on patch material INSIDE the knees of the cotton/poly trou pre-emptively, thus reinforcing the area that wears first.

We haven't bought the switchback types yet, having not really liked previous 100% nylon stuff. When and if we do, should we consider the reinforcing of the knees? Will iron on stuff STICK to the nylon anyhow? Nylon always does "pill" in reponse to abrasion. Goes with the territory.

Chinese, eh?