Your Complete Guide to Cleaning Hiking Poles After a Rainy Hike

Shake Off the Mud: Your Complete Guide to Cleaning Hiking Poles After a Rainy Hike

As a person who’s followed hundreds of miles of sloppy trails and sloshed through the stuff, I know the feeling. There is something deeply thrilling about a rainy, rowdy hike – the sensation of boots pulling into the mud, the refreshing spray of rain, the thrill of conquering tough terrain. Then you get home, shed your pack, and there they are: your trusty hiking poles, smeared with gloriously obstinate mud.

While it’s tempting to just lean them in the garage and hope the mud magically disappears, trust me, that’s a disaster waiting to happen. Not drying out your muddy hiking poles after a wet hike isn’t just a cosmetic problem; it’s about keeping them performing, extending their life, and being ready for your next hike. As your go-to hiking guru, I’m here to give you the ultimate tutorial on how to scrub away that trail dirt goodbye.

Why A Small Amount of Mud Can Be A Huge Problem

It’s more than a messy look. Mud, when it hardens, can be quite devastating:

• Corrosion and Rust: Water trapped within or between mechanisms has the potential to rust metal components.
• Seizing and Sticking: Hardened mud is akin to concrete, seizing up locking mechanisms and sticking poles so they won’t go out or in smoothly.
• Abrasive Wear: Mud may include fine grit that will grind the pole sections and internal parts day by day, similar to sandpaper, leading to premature wear and tear.
• Foul Odors: If not properly cleaned up, organic matter in the mud has the potential to produce unpleasant odors.

The golden rule for after-hike pole upkeep? Wash ’em off as soon as possible! Don’t let that mud dry onto ’em.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Pristine Pole Post-Trek

It’s time to get those poles shining like new and ready to go again, performing perfectly for years to come.

1. Take Your Poles Apart Entirely:

This is your very first important step for telescoping poles. Every section requires its own special attention. Unclip every piece of your poles. This enables you to reach right into all the crevices where the mud likes to settle and ensures each area is properly dried out.

2. Wash Away the Bulk:

Send your pole section components to a hot water source – a utility sink, bathtub, or a garden hose will suffice. Ransom all outside surfaces freely to eliminate a majority of the dirt and loose mud. Let the water flow over them, stripping the entrenched grime.

3. Clean Off the Tenacious Grime:

Now that the initial mud has been washed away, it’s time for a concentrated attack.

• Use a soft-bristled brush (an old toothbrush is perfect!) or a wet cloth/sponge.
• Wash every section of the pole. Make sure to clean thoroughly any areas around locking devices (twist-lock or lever-lock devices) and joints or ferrules. These are where the mud accumulates and causes issues.

For extremely hard bits, you may need to use a small dollop of mild biodegradable soap, but for most situations, warm water and good elbow grease are all it requires.

4. Don’t Forget the Insides!

This is the easiest part to skip, but it’s really crucial with telescopic poles.

• Clean and rinse the interior of every section of pole well. Mud and grit can so easily get in, especially on a wet dunk.

Any grit still inside can cause friction, wear down the locking mechanisms, and make extending/collapsing your poles a living hell in the future.

5. Be Nice to Your Grips:

• For foam or cork grips, a soft cloth and a little mild soap will do. Use them to gently wipe off the dirt and oils from them.

Wash the grips well after that to get rid of any soap deposits.

6. The CRUCIAL Drying Step:

This cannot be overstressed: You need to completely dry each and every component of your hiking poles before you reassemble them.

• Place all the parts lying flat in a well-ventilated place. A garage, mudroom, or even in the house if you’ve got room, is perfect.
• Have them dry thoroughly in the air. Hours, or overnight, depending on humidity.
• Never store or reassemble wet poles. Secluded water is the worst enemy, producing corrosion, mildew, and mechanisms sticking up. You can dry them out with a dry cloth first, but always air dry them thoroughly afterward.

7. Reassemble and Test

Once all components are bone dry, reassemble your hiking poles with care.

• When reassembling, check all locking mechanisms to ensure smooth movement and a secure lock.
• If you determine there is stickiness, ensure you check for any dirt left behind and that all components are thoroughly dry. Never lubricate locking mechanisms because doing so causes them to slip.

Why This Effort is Worth Every Minute

Spend a few extra minutes after a muddy adventure cleaning your hiking poles properly, and it will be worth it:

• Extended Lifespan: Cleaning avoids too much wear and corrosion.
• Reliable Performance: Your poles will extend, collapse, and lock smoothly when you need them most.
• Safety: A well-maintained pole is a reliable pole, less likely to experience sudden failure on the trail.
• Ready for Anything: Your equipment will be functional, ready to scoop up and head back out onto the trail again for your next whimsical adventure.

So the next time you come back home caked with trail glory, give your hiking poles some love. Some post-hike TLC translates into more miles, fewer headaches, and flawlessly reliable stability for all of your subsequent adventures!

FAQs

How to clean muddy waterproof hiking boots?

1. Remove laces and insoles: This allows for thorough cleaning and drying.
2. Scrape off dried mud: Use a stiff brush (an old veg or toothbrush) to brush away loose, dried mud from the uppers and especially the outsoles. If the mud is moist, first dry it off for easier removal, or hose it off outdoors.
3. Rinse and scrub: Wash boots in warm running water. Lightly scrub off underlying dirt with a gentle brush, sponge, and a boot cleaner, saddle soap, or diluted dishwashing soap and water. Do not use strong detergents or bar soaps, as they will distort leather or waterproof membranes.
4. Rinse thoroughly: Make certain all soap is removed.
5. Stuff and air dry: Fills boots with newspaper or paper towels to draw out internal water from the boots and hold their shape. Air dries them naturally at room temperature, but not close to direct heat (like radiators or sunlight), which will dry out materials.
6. Re-waterproof (if needed): On drying, treat with a re-waterproofing product if water no longer beading on the surface.

1. Disassemble immediately: Release all the telescoping sections as soon as possible after your hike.
2. Clean thoroughly: Wash with warm water (from a faucet or a hose) to remove all caked-on mud and dirt from all sections, inside and out.
3. Clean grime off: Remove any heavy dirt using a soft brush or damp rag, especially around locking points (twist-locks or flick-locks).
4. Dry thoroughly: Important! Allow all sections to dry thoroughly in a well-ventilated area before reassembly. Seizing and corrosion are fostered by trapped moisture.
5. No lubricants: Never oil or grease locking mechanisms, for this will make them slip and fail.

When to use mud baskets on trekking poles?

Use mud baskets (the wider, circular attachments near the pole tip) in muddy, slushy, sandy, or deep grassy terrain. They prevent your poles from sinking too deeply into soft ground, providing better stability and preventing mud from splashing up onto your clothing.

How to clean Leki trekking poles?

Leki poles follow the same general cleaning principles as other trekking poles:

1. Disassemble and dry: Always draw sections of poles apart after use, especially if damp, and let dry out completely. This prevents oxidation on the inside.
2. Wipe with damp cloth: To clean the exterior, a damp cloth is usually sufficient.
3. Prevent lubricants/cleaning agents: Leki itself prevents the application of any lubricants, oils, fats, or powerful cleaning agents to their poles as these will impact performance.

How to clean wet boots?

Regardless of them being muddy or simply wet, the essential steps are:

1. Scrape off dirt: Brush away all dust or mud from the exterior.
2. Dry towel: Remove excess water from the exterior.
3. Remove insoles and slacken laces: This facilitates drying from the inside.
4. Fill with newspaper/paper towels: This dehydrates and prevents the boot from losing its shape. Replace the paper every few hours if it gets wet.
5. Air dry naturally: Let boots air at room temperature in a well-ventilated area, not in direct heat or sunlight.
6. Re-treat if needed: For leather or waterproof boots, apply appropriate re-proofing or condition treatments when completely dry.

How do I clean dirty wet shoes?

For most dirty wet shoes (trail runners, hiking shoes, etc.):

1. Remove laces and insoles: Reserve to wash on their own or dry.
2. Shake off excess mud: Shake or brush away as much wet mud as possible, preferably outside. If mud is stuck on, sometimes allowing it to dry a bit makes it simpler to brush off.
3. Wash with cold running water: Wash with cold running water (hose or tap) and a soft brush (an old toothbrush) to clean off excess mud and dirt. Avoid using hot water, which can destroy glues.
4. Stuff and air dry: Stuff with newspaper or paper towels and air dry in good ventilation. Avoid using washing machines, which are harmful.

How long do trekking poles last?

Trekking poles are highly durable. With proper maintenance and care (dry-cleaning and drying especially after muddy or wet use), a quality set will last in service for anything from 5 to over 10 years, and 20 years or more for others. The most likely items to wear out will be tips and baskets, which are typically available as replacements. Carbon fibre poles are lighter but more susceptible to snapping than aluminium ones.

How do I clean my pole?

To wash trekking poles, you actually only need warm water and an old toothbrush or a wet cloth/sponge. Mild soap on very oily sections but rinse thoroughly off. Never use lubricants, oils, fats, or heavy-duty cleaners on the shafts of the poles or locking mechanisms.

How do I clean waterproof trekking shoes?

Cleaning waterproof trekking shoes (e.g., those with GORE-TEX membranes) is the same as other muddy shoes with an added step of re-waterproofing:

1. Remove laces/insoles: Wash them separately and air dry.
2. Rinse exterior: Wash with water and a soft sponge/brush to wash off mud and dirt.
3. Dry air thoroughly: Fill it with newspaper to extract moisture, and let it air dry at room temperature. This preserves the waterproof membrane.
4. Re-activate waterproofing: After a complete drying, treat it with a proprietary re-waterproofing spray or treatment for waterproof footwear (for example, for GORE-TEX, fabric, or leather) in order to restore its water-beading capabilities.