Safety Pins for Hanging Clothes on Rucksack

[Gillers]

Hey folks,

I have noticed a few people saying they used safety pins to hang clothes on their backpacks during the day to help dry them out.

This will sound like a silly question, but if your using a safety pin to pin your clothes to your rucksack are you not putting a hole in the clothing? Or am I missing something with the way you do it?

Thanks

 

[C clearly]

Hey folks,

I have noticed a few people saying they used safety pins to hang clothes on their backpacks during the day to help dry them out.

This will sound like a silly question, but if your using a safety pin to pin your clothes to your rucksack are you not putting a hole in the clothing? Or am I missing something with the way you do it?

Thanks

Safety pins are like needles or pins, which are used for sewing and do not make holes in normal knitted or woven fabric! (Have you never used a pin in your clothes?)

I would not put a safety pin through my rain jacket or a waterproofed/plastic fabric, if I could avoid it. Also you should not yank on the pinned fabric or hang an extreme weight. Your backpack will have various loops and straps that don't need to be punctured.

 

[whariwharangi]

Hey folks,

I have noticed a few people saying they used safety pins to hang clothes on their backpacks during the day to help dry them out.

This will sound like a silly question, but if your using a safety pin to pin your clothes to your rucksack are you not putting a hole in the clothing? Or am I missing something with the way you do it?

Thanks

Holey crap! You might cause a sock to puncture and let the air out.

 

[Allan Morris]

The only thing I needed to pins for were my socks. Although my Dry Fit clothes dry relatively quickly, sometimes to socks are still a bit damp. Damp socks can lead to blisters. Therefore, if the socks felt damp, I pin them to the pack and let them dry thoroughly as you walk in sun the next day.

Buen Camino

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

It's funny how some things 'work' for one yet not another (vive la différence!). I brought a boatload (well okay; not THAT many!) safety pins on Camino and never used one.For the very reason you mention, I instead brought about 10 of these small plastic clamps which I purchased at Harbor Freight. They worked really great!

 

[dougfitz]

This will sound like a silly question, but if your using a safety pin to pin your clothes to your rucksack are you not putting a hole in the clothing? Or am I missing something with the way you do it?

For clothing that is woven or knitted, it is already full of holes between the threads!! I wouldn't be keen to pin something like a waterproof membrane, although clothes made with membranes like rain jackets, ponchos, etc normally have loops or other attachments that allow them to be hung up, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

 

[Deleted member 43780]

I hang my clothes with pins. No holes. No lost air either.

TIP: best to buy and use brass safety pins. The regular metal ones will start to rust and leave a mark on your clothes.

I take a piece of para cord for a clothes line. Use it when in hotel/rooms or even if the clothes lines are full at the A'berg. Then I make my own line.

 

[C clearly]

TIP: best to buy and use brass safety pins. The regular metal ones will start to rust and leave a mark on your clothes.

Actually, it's best to buy and use diaper pins, which are stainless steel, do not rust, and they lock closed so they do not accidentally open and poke a baby, or more importantly drop your drying socks. In the modern world, they can sometimes be hard to find, but they are still available.

P.S. Google "diaper pins" to know what you are looking for.

 

[grayland]

I often use safety pins instead of pegs (clothes pins). Much less likely to be taken by someone who thinks he needs it more.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon, in crowded albergues, for someone to take the peg from your clothes and use the peg if they think yours is dry.
I guess they all think the pegs belong to the albergue even if you bring them for your own use. A very good idea to mark them distinctly ..... to be able to reclaim them if needed.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Pin holes can be an issue in some fabrics, but you can sometimes simply put the clothes "in" the pin, especially if the peice of clothing is narrow. For ex., I will not put the pin through my Merino undies or my $$$ bras, so I put the sides of the undies in the pin, and then close the pin on the drying line. Same with bra straps. For my trousers I will put a belt loop in the pin. No holes. Socks never show a hole, neither do microfiber towel, fleece sweater and my syntéhetic Ts are only worn on the Camino so I don't care if they have little pin holes. I think my Merino longsleeve T is perhpas the only item I don't pin, except for waterproofs of course.

So yes to pins, not just to hand clothese from a backpack but on the clothes line.

 

[Forestgirl]

Hey folks,

I have noticed a few people saying they used safety pins to hang clothes on their backpacks during the day to help dry them out.

This will sound like a silly question, but if your using a safety pin to pin your clothes to your rucksack are you not putting a hole in the clothing? Or am I missing something with the way you do it?

Thanks

I used diaper pins with a locking clip and I never used them with any waterproof clothing. A little hole is the least of my worries. I'd rather have a small hole than wear wet socks. It worked well for me.

 

[Tom Vickers]

I have also used safety pins to attach socks etc to the rim of my rucksack lid. Nappy (diaper) pins are better because of the locking device. Buy them from Amazon because they are very rare in shops. I also use paracord as a spare clothes line but mine is two 1.5 metre lengths tied together. This makes them a quick replacement for broken boot laces and the old boot laces become the spare clothes line. Using nappy pins with the spare clothes line put the pins through the clothes then through the paracord. You don't then need to have a horizontal clothes line and the clothes remain spread out. You can also try tying the cord along your pilgrims staff which can then become a quick grab if it starts to rain.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Actually, it's best to buy and use diaper pins, which are stainless steel, do not rust, and they lock closed so they do not accidentally open and poke a baby, or more importantly drop your drying socks. In the modern world, they can sometimes be hard to find, but they are still available.

P.S. Google "diaper pins" to know what you are looking for.

Jeez you Canuks can be a hard people at times - more worried about losing a sock than poking a baby

I heard about a couple from Alberta buying baby diapers in BC.

Sales assistant said they came to $8.90 including the tax.

The Albertan lady was shocked "Are you crazy? We don't use tacks - we use diaper pins like normal folks!"

(I've waited 40 years to be able to trot that one out!)

 

[Jeff Crawley]

A word of warning to the perigrinas out there.

Some of us have elevated blood pressure.

Remember that before you pin Victoria's Secret to your back pack please!

 

[notion900]

Just been dying to post a Sock Pic. Here's my chance!

 

[C clearly]

Jeez you Canuks can be a hard people at times - more worried about losing a sock than poking a baby
I heard about a couple from Alberta buying baby diapers in BC.
Sales assistant said they came to $8.90 including the tax.
The Albertan lady was shocked "Are you crazy? We don't use tacks - we use diaper pins like normal folks!"
(I've waited 40 years to be able to trot that one out!)

I had to think a moment about that! Maybe 40 years is a good frequency!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I had to think a moment about that! Maybe 40 years is a good frequency!

I'm still thinking about that one and not getting it. Could it be because until a few years ago moeny was apparently no object in AB?

 

[C clearly]

I'm still thinking about that one and not getting it. Could it be because until a few years ago moeny was apparently no object in AB?

No! They had no sales tax ("tacks") in Alberta and still don't have provincial sales tax. But $8.90 would be a lot, even with tax.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

ah ha! Clearly you see more clearly than I. ;0)

 

[Jeff Crawley]

No! They had no sales tax ("tacks") in Alberta and still don't have provincial sales tax. But $8.90 would be a lot, even with tax.

Bless you!

I guessed at a modern day price - in the 70's I was single and sans enfants so wouldn't have known (and also in NW Ontario where humour other than the Royal Canadian Air Farce was in short supply!)

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Just been dying to post a Sock Pic. Here's my chance!
View attachment 28157

Looks like one of those demented sock puppets my daughters used to make (with button eyes of course) - the stuff of nightmares!

 

[HeidiL]

Once, in a hotel room, where there was NO place to string my clothes line, but I desperately needed to wash some clothes, I safetypinned my drying clothes to the inside of the curtains, very carefully following the seams so I wouldn't leave holes.
Everything was dry the next morning.

 

[paul.ferris]

Hey folks,

I have noticed a few people saying they used safety pins to hang clothes on their backpacks during the day to help dry them out.

This will sound like a silly question, but if your using a safety pin to pin your clothes to your rucksack are you not putting a hole in the clothing? Or am I missing something with the way you do it?

Thanks

Also the best solution for hanging laundry at the end of the day. I always use the same holes.

 

[Albertagirl]

@paul.ferris
Merino wool base layers in 150 weight are very fragile and may get lots of holes just with the usual stresses of being worn with walking gear, and washed, and worn again, every second day for 800 (or so) km. A small hole may easily become a run. Don't use safety pins to hang them to dry unless you really want them to be much better ventilated.

 

[englishstu]

I couldn't find the later thread about safely hanging clothes. I added a paracord line just above the mesh backpack pocket and took on the idea of bendy rubber coated wire ties to secure socks etc. You can find a roll in the garden centre as plant ties and I cut off lengths. I still take a nappy/diaper pin for clothes and other uses.

 

[Nanc]

I took a paracord and never used it- in places were the clothes lines were full, there was literally no room for an additional line either
I took regular large safety pins and never missed the locking diaper pins (and I am sure I saved a gram not having the extra plastic on diaper pins ;-))
I used the safety pins to hang all my clothing on lines and never had a problem like others did of clothing coming off in the wind ( and my dozen pins were lighter than any clothing pin)
I never had to hang water proof clothing off my pack but on damper days I did have to hang wool socks = pin through the socks or T shirt caused no appreciable damage, especially compared to the day to day living in them and hand washing

 

[Forestgirl]

I never thought about the clothes line trick. Brilliant. Thank you.