FAQs

You can choose to have your sleeping bag professionally cleaned or give it a go yourself. First thing to know, your sleeping bag shouldn't be dry cleaned as the solvents used will damage your bag. If you choose professional cleaning you should look for a cleaner who specialises in cleaning bedding or quilts or go to outdoor gear specialists such as Remote Equipment Repairs or Venus Repairs Workshop. Washing your bag yourself isn't hard but it is important to follow these guidelines: 

Down-filled sleeping bags Buy a specialist down cleaning soap from your local camping store or use a mild non-detergent soap. Your bag will take several days to dry so warm weather with low humidity is the best time to get started. Fill your bath or laundry tub with enough warm water to cover your sleeping bag and add a small amount of soap, submerge your bag and gently massage the water through it, and leave it to soak for a while. Drain the water then add more fresh water, again, massaging it through the bag. Repeat this rinsing process until all the soap is gone - you'll need to do this at least three times. Once the rinse water is clear, drain the bath or tub and carefully press down on the bag until you have squeezed as much water as possible out of the bag. Carefully fold the bag into a bundle and lift it out of the bath or tub – don't let any of the bag hang down as the fragile baffle walls inside the bag that keeps the down in place can be damaged very easily while the bag is wet and heavy. Dry your sleeping bag flat in a warm place regularly massaging the down to separate it and restore its loft. 

Synthetic filled bags can be hand washed in the same way as down bags (detailed above) to maximise their lifespan. However, they can also be carefully machine washed in a large front loader on a gentle cycle with a specialist sleeping bag soap or mild non-detergent soap. Do not wash a sleeping bag in a top loader with an agitator as it will destroy your sleeping bag. Air drying is the best way to dry your sleeping bag. A synthetic filled bag will dry quicker than a down bag and is not quite as fragile when wet, but still take care to support the bag when wet. Make sure you lie it flat to dry.

If you've just taken your tent away and felt it was leaking inside, we've got a few tips to test the problem and get it fixed. You might be worried the seams are leaking but in many cases, we've found water in the inner side of your tent is caused by condensation. When you're camping, there are three main sources of condensation in tents: 

Weather conditions: High humidity, low temperatures and rain (even if minimal)

People: Our bodies are always perspiring and the average person eliminates 1 litre of water per day through respiration (breathing) and transpiration (sweating)

Wet environment: Wet or damp gear stored inside your tent No tent design can eliminate condensation completely but it can be minimised through ventilation. Most tents have vents, doors and windows that can be used for ventilation to minimise condensation. Any wind or even a light breeze can be harnessed to assist in moving air through vents and windows to help control condensation. Here are some points to keep in mind on your next camping trip when choosing a campsite, pitching your tent and using your tent: 

Open internal weatherproof vents; such as the roof vents in a Turbo tent or the solid fabric doors on the inner tent of a Dome for ventilation 

Guy out external window flaps or ground level vents to allow airflow

Position your tent so that the prevailing wind will assist with air flow through your tent helping to minimise condensation

In wet humid weather, be aware that wet gear will increase the amount of condensation in your tent so (if possible) store wet gear outside the tent

You can test your tent for condensation by setting it up at home on a sunny day, give it a good hosing and look for internal leaking. If the tent isn't leaking, you can almost bet it was condensation. If you've found a leak, you can contact our Customer Care team to discuss it. 

R-Value is a measure of thermal resistance used by the outdoor gear industry so you can compare the warmth offered by camping mats and sleeping bags. Simply a higher R-Value means more insulation and therefore a warmer mat. A more detailed explanation and the science behind of R-Values can be found here.

We definitely have replacement parts for packs, bags and tents available to you. You can find all our spare parts on our website.

While we stand by the durability of all our products and they are made from high-quality materials, it is important that they are used correctly in various outdoor environments and for their intended purpose. It is important to always be aware of the different surroundings before setting up or using any BlackWolf gear.

Always remember that sticks, rocks or any sharp objects have the potential to cause damage, and unfortunately this is not something covered under BlackWolf Warranty. If you take care of your BlackWolf gear, it will look after you. 

Below are the reasons not covered under BlackWolf Warranty: damage by misuse or abuse (e.g. over-packing a hiking pack beyond the capacity, standing on furniture), general wear and tear, condensation or damage caused by mould, extreme weather, unauthorised repairs, loss, theft or misplacement, not following product instructions correctly, accidents, incorrect setup, damage caused by insects, animals or children, broken poles not as a direct result of failed workmanship, damage caused by jammed or snagged zippers or damage caused by excessive force used on zippers.

BlackWolf Warranty covers the original owner only and is not transferrable. This means if you purchase a second-hand BlackWolf product, the original warranty will not be inherited.

The reasons include, but are not limited to:

Damage by misuse or abuse (e.g. over-packing a hiking pack beyond the capacity, standing on furniture)

General wear and tear

Condensation or damage caused by mould

Extreme weather

Unauthorised repairs

Loss, theft or misplacement

Not following product instructions correctly

Accidents

Incorrect setup

Damage caused by insects, animals or children

Broken poles that are not a direct result of failed workmanship

Damage caused by jammed or snagged zippers or damage caused by excessive force used on zippers.