Do you have any tips, or can you recommend any sources of information, on how to remove tree sap from the outside of a Goretex XCR shell? Thanks!
— Pete Thomson Calgary, Alberta
Got your own gear question?
That does come up on occasion. Darn trees—they just don't show any respect for our high-priced outdoor gear. And it's an XCR shell, so a pretty new one. Shame to have sticky crap all over it.
I'd suggest an escalating range of cleaning tecniques. For starters, put the thing in a freezer. That's right, a freezer. Let it sit for an hour, then take it out. While it's still very cold try to gently scrape the now-hardened pitch with a dull knife. Most of it might just flake right off.
If that doesn't work, then got to a hardware store and buy some water-based Goof-Off, an excellent paint remover that's fairly mild yet works on a reasonably wide range of substances. Give that a try. I'd shy away from the solvent-based Goof-Off (the cans are marked with ingredients), although you might try some on a discrete portion of the jacket to see if it works. For that matter, any solvent-based cleaners (most spot removers, for instance) probably should be avoided.
Next: Gasoline. That sounds extreme, but your jacket almost certainly has a nylon face fabric. Nylon is made from petroleum, so, of course, is gasoline. So there's considerable chemical affinity between the two substances. Just pour a little gasoline on a soft rag, and rub away. That should do it, if nothing else does.
Readers' Mailbag: The Gear Guy digs into some of your more bizarre, obscure (and let’s face it, downright weird) posts from years gone by to see if he can make sense of it all, or if it’s just time to run up the white flag. Previous column: Beat the Cost of Gear.
The Gear Guy reports from the 2005 Outdoor Retailer summer trade fair, with his rundown of ten products to watch in 2006, plus the inside scoop on what shook down at the bi-annual gearapalooza.
Do you have any tips, or can you recommend any sources of information, on how to remove tree sap from the outside of a Goretex XCR shell? Thanks!
That does come up on occasion. Darn trees—they just don't show any respect for our high-priced outdoor gear. And it's an XCR shell, so a pretty new one. Shame to have sticky crap all over it. 
