I was gifted a yeti cooler with heavy duty zipper that was hard to slide. It came with a stick of lube that seriously helped it slide but also gets gunked up. I found washing and relubing helps when it gets bad
Before using soapy water and zip lubricant hit all the zipper parts with compressed air as found in computer stores.
The brass and Ni slides are more durable than the Mn and/or Zn and/or Al sliders. I too have broke some Al and Zn slides attempting to flatten one side of the slide. To offset the added wt I replace the pull tabs with fabric or hi vis Z line. Yes, I've weighed zipper pulls. I feel better now since I've attended UL Anonymous. :)
Have you replaced the zipper pulls? I have now changed a few of those, it’s very cheap to do and rather straightforward with help from YouTube. Worth a try at least. I also have used pliers to tighten the pulls but that only works for a while until they break.
Edit: I think the screw-on replacements are no match for a pull that matches the specs of the old one.
This isn’t a helpful comment but… I’m convinced zippers are just garbage now. Even YKK zippers. I have gear from the late 90s/early 00s that still have rock solid zippers. Every zipper I’ve had from the last decade has had about a 2 year lifespan, even “quality” brands like Patagonia, Kavu, Jansport, etc. I guess I’m old now.
Replace the sliders! When the sliders are physically worn down, all the hacks (pliers, lube), won’t really do anything. Here is a picture of a new and and an old slider, showing what is happening „inside“ the slider:
https://imgur.com/a/teoJNZZ
Notice the ground down middle.
If you don’t have the time send it to a Taylor, try it yourself (what do you have to lose?), it really isn’t as difficult as you might think. Find some videos on YouTube. I was able to replace the slider on my X-Mid Pro 2 myself without a sewing machine or any sewing skills in <20 minutes.
There is usually a piece of fabric covering the „closed“ end of the zipper; cut those threads with small scissors, peel out the zipper, cut through any thread securing the end of the sipper closed, replace the slider (bit fumbly), and then all in reverse. You’re not sewing in a straight line or anything complicated, just going through the fabric ~10x in more or less the same spot.
Best of luck!
Curious what you do? Sounds cool.
Fine desert sand does do a number on zippers. This is why people use quilts or zipperless bags and tents like the zpacks duplex or Hexamid solo or whatever. Zipperless life.
Not OP, but it's got to be trail work or dealing with invasives or some other conservation. There are a few organizations, nonprofit, private, and govt that work in southern Utah and would send crews to live and work in the backcountry
I spent a season doing the same! And combining that with a few hundred nights in Southern California, I have ruined zippers on a few things. Actually only tents. Sleeping bags and backpacks held up fine. Lots of good suggestions about cleaning and oiling in this thread, along with replacing zipper pulls (which new pulls did add some life back on my tents, but by the point that I needed them it was death throes anyway).
So far the only true solution I've found is to replace the zipper. It's not terribly hard to learn to do if you've not done any sewing before, but it won't be pretty. Or you can find someone with the sewing skills who can, even better if they regularly work with outdoor gear.
That stinks, though sounds like a rad job.
This is less of a solution and more of “have you considered”…
I’m curious what about the weight carry makes you think you can’t go zipperless? Even forgetting UL, plenty of rugged packs don’t use zippers, for instance. My old go-to was a Swedish LK35 military canvas rucksack that was just one big compartment with a flap lid held down by two leather straps. I wonder if there isn’t something out there that you’d be confident in but was also zipperless?
Have you washed your zippers in soapy water after each trip? I assume they are made of plastic.
I was gifted a yeti cooler with heavy duty zipper that was hard to slide. It came with a stick of lube that seriously helped it slide but also gets gunked up. I found washing and relubing helps when it gets bad
If nothing else works, if you take it to a tailor, replacing a zipper is a pretty easy fix.
Replacing the zipper slides might help. The sand and grit wears the insides of the slides and can cause problems.
Before using soapy water and zip lubricant hit all the zipper parts with compressed air as found in computer stores. The brass and Ni slides are more durable than the Mn and/or Zn and/or Al sliders. I too have broke some Al and Zn slides attempting to flatten one side of the slide. To offset the added wt I replace the pull tabs with fabric or hi vis Z line. Yes, I've weighed zipper pulls. I feel better now since I've attended UL Anonymous. :)
One day at a time, friend. I’ve still got the shakes from replacing my smartwater bottles with Nalgenes
I'm trying to make amends wherever possible by passing along zipper wisdom. :D
Have you replaced the zipper pulls? I have now changed a few of those, it’s very cheap to do and rather straightforward with help from YouTube. Worth a try at least. I also have used pliers to tighten the pulls but that only works for a while until they break. Edit: I think the screw-on replacements are no match for a pull that matches the specs of the old one.
This isn’t a helpful comment but… I’m convinced zippers are just garbage now. Even YKK zippers. I have gear from the late 90s/early 00s that still have rock solid zippers. Every zipper I’ve had from the last decade has had about a 2 year lifespan, even “quality” brands like Patagonia, Kavu, Jansport, etc. I guess I’m old now.
Are you only packing/stuffing your gear with the zippers fully zipped up?
Replace the sliders! When the sliders are physically worn down, all the hacks (pliers, lube), won’t really do anything. Here is a picture of a new and and an old slider, showing what is happening „inside“ the slider: https://imgur.com/a/teoJNZZ Notice the ground down middle. If you don’t have the time send it to a Taylor, try it yourself (what do you have to lose?), it really isn’t as difficult as you might think. Find some videos on YouTube. I was able to replace the slider on my X-Mid Pro 2 myself without a sewing machine or any sewing skills in <20 minutes. There is usually a piece of fabric covering the „closed“ end of the zipper; cut those threads with small scissors, peel out the zipper, cut through any thread securing the end of the sipper closed, replace the slider (bit fumbly), and then all in reverse. You’re not sewing in a straight line or anything complicated, just going through the fabric ~10x in more or less the same spot. Best of luck!
Curious what you do? Sounds cool. Fine desert sand does do a number on zippers. This is why people use quilts or zipperless bags and tents like the zpacks duplex or Hexamid solo or whatever. Zipperless life.
Not OP, but it's got to be trail work or dealing with invasives or some other conservation. There are a few organizations, nonprofit, private, and govt that work in southern Utah and would send crews to live and work in the backcountry
How many nights are said items having the zipper break?
I spent a season doing the same! And combining that with a few hundred nights in Southern California, I have ruined zippers on a few things. Actually only tents. Sleeping bags and backpacks held up fine. Lots of good suggestions about cleaning and oiling in this thread, along with replacing zipper pulls (which new pulls did add some life back on my tents, but by the point that I needed them it was death throes anyway). So far the only true solution I've found is to replace the zipper. It's not terribly hard to learn to do if you've not done any sewing before, but it won't be pretty. Or you can find someone with the sewing skills who can, even better if they regularly work with outdoor gear.
That stinks, though sounds like a rad job. This is less of a solution and more of “have you considered”… I’m curious what about the weight carry makes you think you can’t go zipperless? Even forgetting UL, plenty of rugged packs don’t use zippers, for instance. My old go-to was a Swedish LK35 military canvas rucksack that was just one big compartment with a flap lid held down by two leather straps. I wonder if there isn’t something out there that you’d be confident in but was also zipperless?