A lightweight down jacket should be at the center of any good backpacking list (check out our list of the Best Down Jackets to see our favorites). You’ll wear it just about every night on the trail. It’ll keep you toasty warm, even after spending hours jammed into the bottom of your pack. Your down jacket will be put through the ringer in the backcountry, but it’s a tough piece of gear built to take the abuse. So, considering how essential your down coat is and how often you use it, let me ask you this: When was the last time you washed it?

Yeah… that’s what I thought.

Showing your down some love will get rid of smells and stains, but more importantly it will rejuvenate the insulation of your coat. The more loft your coat has, the better it will be at keeping you warm, which is the whole point.

Most backpackers are afraid to wash down because they think getting down wet will ruin it, but that’s not actually true. You can (and should) wash your down sleeping bag as well. When down gets wet it clumps together and loses its loft, so it performs poorly at holding in heat. But when it’s properly washed and dried, down will fluff up just like new and insulate your body much better.

In addition, washing a down coat is super easy. It’ll take a little more time than washing everyday clothes, but it’s well worth the effort. To wash your down jacket, all you’ll need is: