How to Dye Your White Hydration Pack

Written by Andrew Barnett, lunchbox fam member

My fiancé and I had been kicking around the idea of dying our white Lunchbox Hydration Pack since the day they were delivered. We always joked about it with each other but never thought we would actually do it. Well one day, I noticed a red stain on the top of my pack and I tried everything to get the stain out to no avail. I’ve experimented with Rit Dye before but never at this scale. So I decided to take on the challenge... and here we are a few dyed packs and tech skins later!

Dyeing your white Lunchbox Hydration Pack may seem like a daunting task at first, but if you follow these easy steps you will be a pro and create a unique colored pack of your choice in no time!

Materials You Will Need: 

Step 1 - Get Organized!

Start off by collecting all the tools you will need, grab a large stock pot filled with enough water to fully submerge the bag or item you are dying, the process is messy so be prepared with gloves and stirring utensils. Remember to take all removable objects off of your pack including but not limited to skins, bladder, hose, lightshow wires, and any other fun trinkets you use to style your pack, and set them to the side.

Step 2 - Turn Up the Heat!

After getting everything ready it’s time to turn up the heat and get that water boiling. The dye has a better chance at setting the hotter the water is. Once you see the water bubble, give it another minute or so, you're ready to rock n roll.

Step 3 - Mix It Up!

Once the water is up to your desired temp, it’s time to add the dye. The amount of dye you use is completely up to you. The more dye you use, the more vibrant the color will be. Use your large mixing spoon to thoroughly mix the dye in. Pro tip: use a tablespoon of dish soap and mix it into the dye and water to help the dye spread evenly!

Step 4 - It's Dye Time!

Start off by running the bag under cold water to get the material wet. The dye takes better when the bag is damp allowing the dye to soak into the fibers. Pop your long rubber gloves on and slowly submerge your pack into the pot. Please go slowly as the solution is hot and you want to avoid splashing. Use your mixing spoon to fully submerge all parts of the pack into the solution. Keep rotating the pack and pushing it back down into the solution using your mixing spoon and gloves. Timing may vary depending on what color you are using and how dark/vibrant you want the color to be. A good time frame is at least 10 minutes and no more than 30. 

A few pro tips :

• Don’t take your eye off of the pack while dying. The dye can take and absorb almost too easy sometimes and you may end up with a darker color than what you originally wanted.
• Make sure you let the pack soak into all the nooks and crannies so you don’t have light spots. The bag will be darker when wet, it will lighten as it dries.

Step 5 - The Rinse

Once the pack has soaked long enough and is to the color of your liking, it’s time to rinse all the excess dye out. Don’t be scared to give your bag a good squeeze to get all the excess dye out as much as you can! Keep rinsing and ringing until the water coming off the pack runs clear. This may take a few cycles.

Step 6 - Final Wash

Once you’ve gotten all the excess dye out of the pack it’s time to give it the good ole final wash. Toss the bag in your washer and run it on a delicate cycle with cool water. This just makes sure you get all the excess dye out of the bag to prevent clothes staining.

Step 7 - Dry Time

Once the wash cycle is complete, Let the pack air dry (on a hanger is easiest) for at least 24 hours. DO NOT throw the pack in the dryer to speed up the process. Trust me!

And voila! You have your own uniquely colored pack that you can proudly wear at your next festival or event!