Spring Gear Refresh: Maintain, Replace, and Upgrade

Spring Cleaning for Outdoor Kit

The clocks have changed, the days are getting longer, and the hiking season is about to shift gear. Spring is the natural time to transition your outdoor setup — put away the heavy winter kit, bring out the lighter gear, and sort out anything that took a beating over the dark months.

Waterproofs: Wash and Reproof

Your waterproof jacket and trousers have worked hard all winter. The DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating on the outer fabric degrades with use, dirt, and UV exposure. When water stops beading on the surface and starts soaking in (even if it doesn't come through), the DWR needs refreshing.

How to reproof:

1. Wash the garment with a tech wash (Nikwax Tech Wash or similar) — not normal detergent, which leaves residues that block the DWR
2. Reproof with a wash-in or spray-on waterproofing treatment
3. Tumble dry on low or iron on low through a cloth — heat reactivates the DWR treatment

Do this once a year and your waterproofs will perform like new for years longer than if you neglect them.

Boots: Inspect and Treat

Take a proper look at your boots:

• Soles: Check tread depth and look for separation between the sole and upper. If the sole is coming away, a cobbler may be able to re-glue it, but badly worn soles need professional resoling.
• Leather boots: Clean off mud, apply leather conditioner or dubbin, and check the stitching.
• Fabric boots: Check the waterproof membrane — if they're leaking, the membrane may be compromised. Some can be resealed, others need replacing.
• Laces: Replace them if they're fraying. Fraying laces snap at the worst possible moment.

Tent and Shelter

If you didn't pitch your tent during the January audit, do it now:

• Check for damage — look for tears, broken zips, and damaged poles
• Clean the groundsheet — wipe down with clean water and a sponge
• Lubricate zips with a specialist zip lubricant or candle wax
• Check seam sealing — apply seam sealer to any areas that look thin or are peeling
• Inspect pole elastics — if the poles are slow to snap together, the elastic cord inside may need replacing

Store your tent loosely — not compressed in its stuff sack — to prevent the fabric and coatings from degrading.

Sleeping System

• Wash your sleeping bag according to the manufacturer's instructions. Down bags need a specialist down wash; synthetic bags are less fussy.
• Check your sleeping mat for slow leaks by inflating it fully and leaving it overnight. If it's noticeably softer by morning, you've got a leak to find and patch.
• Air everything out. After a winter of storage (or use), sleeping bags and mats benefit from a good airing in spring sunshine.

Transition Your Kit List

Spring weather in the UK is wildly variable — freezing mornings, warm afternoons, horizontal rain, blazing sunshine, and sometimes all four in the same day. Your kit list needs to handle this:

Swap out:

• Heavy winter base layers for lighter merino or synthetic options
• Thick insulated jackets for lighter midlayers
• Winter gloves for liner gloves (keep the big ones accessible)
• Gaiters (unless you're still in snow country)

Add in:

• Sun protection — hat, sunscreen, lip balm with SPF
• Insect repellent — ticks become active as temperatures rise
• Tick removal tool if you don't already carry one
• Lighter, quicker-drying trousers

Keep accessible:

• Waterproof jacket (always)
• Warm layer (a down or synthetic puffy, even in April)
• Hat and gloves (spring mountains are still cold)

Buy Winter Gear on Clearance

Spring is when outdoor retailers clear their winter stock. If you've been eyeing up a new down jacket, insulated boots, or winter sleeping bag, March and April are often the cheapest months to buy them. The gear doesn't expire — buying winter kit in spring for use next winter is just smart shopping.

Check Your Navigation

• Update your OS Maps app if you use digital mapping
• Buy new paper maps if yours are falling apart — the 1:25,000 Explorers are updated periodically
• Check your compass — hold it flat and make sure the needle swings freely and settles on north
• Replace GPS batteries or fully charge your GPS device

Set Your Spring Goals

What do you want to do this year? A long-distance trail? Your first wild camp? A new mountain? Now's the time to plan it, check you have the right kit, and start getting fit for it.

Spring walks are the perfect training ground — gradually increasing distance and elevation before summer trips. Your gear refresh ensures you're not held back by equipment problems when you should be enjoying the outdoors.

Spring Refresh Essentials

Check our March and April gear picks for what's worth buying this season.