After reading all the Jansport love and stories here, I just had to get a taste, after not owning a Jansport since I used a book bag in the early 90’s. I’m a complete and utter bag junky, and had to get some of that vintage Jansport goodness.
So off to eBay I went, I found myself an old US-manufactured 3-pocket Jansport backpack, for $35.00 shipped. It looked all faded and dirty in the auction pictures, but I couldn't spot any rips in the canvas or holes in the leather. It looked fully functional. And I really loved the look of the leather lash tab on top.
When the Jansport arrived at my doorstep a few days later, the condition was exactly as I suspected. Dirty, but perfect usable. The compartments were filled with dirt and leaf litter, and everything else under the sun. The black fabric looked old and faded.
So I grabbed a wash basin from the garage, filled it with Dawn dishwashing liquid and warm water, and starting scrubbing at my new purchase with a bristle brush. Wow!!! The fabric wasn't faded at all. It was just incredibly dirty. The soapy water quickly went brown as I scrubbed.
After I felt that I’d removed all the dirt, I took a garden hose to the pack, thoroughly rinsing out all the soap from the fabric. Then I hung the pack by the bottom loop, hooked to the ceiling rafters of my screen porch to dry for a day.
When I got home from work the next day, I was blown away by how great the pack looked. I could have just started using it right here and then, but decided to go the extra mile. So I sprayed down the fabric with Nikwax waterproofing liquid, and let it dry for another day.
The next day I started on the leather, by heating it with a hair dryer, and working in a healthy amount of Sno-Seal leather waterproofing. Then I took a small bit of White Lightning Easy Lube chain lubricant, and lubed up the zippers.
Afterward, I was floored by how great the pack looked. It appeared absolutely brand new, other than the lovely weathered look that the leather bottom had taken on, through years of use and a ton of Sno-Seal. And best of all, none of that new backpack stiffness. My Jansport feels completely broken in, like a comfortable pair of old shoes.
So there it is. A backpack that’s almost 25 years old, given a brand new lease on life. With a little luck, this pack will get another 25 years of service.
Submitted September 10, 2017 at 10:30PM by Buzzbait_PocketKnife http://ift.tt/2vOHvTL
