i had a couple bands on a new gun that i never used and just sat for a couple years, never even got wet. so i figured it'd be ok. but i was checking them out and they both snapped just by me pulling on them. anyone know of a way to store bands to keep them longer?
any tips for band storage?
- Thread starter tnole23
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dumpsterDiver
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Latex bands have a finite life span. If you do not use them often, you can remove them from the gun and keep them in a plastic bag in the freezer or fridge for long term storage. Keeping them out of the sun also will extend their life span.
Hank49
Contributor
I was told by Riffe that ozone is a major culprit in the rubber breakdown. I've gone psycho on my band care now...being in Belize and paying duty to get material here. I keep them sealed in zip lock bags in the fridge. When I go out hunting, I take them out from there and put them on ice in my cooler on the boat. I take them out and put them on the gun when I get to the hunting grounds, then rinse them in fresh water and put them back in the ice right after we finish hunting. It seems to be working. No dry cracks after 3 months in one set.
jesse23
New
The freezer/fridge theory has not proven to lengthen the life. If anything, the dry air of a fridge/freezer will shorten the life of natural rubber if it gets into the bag.
The main thing is to keep them from drying out. Put your bands in a one gallon zip lock and suck the air out before closing, (creating a vaccuum seal) then put them in a closet, not in the garage.
Speargirl
Contributor
I have always kept my bands in the Fridge. Never had a problem with them drying out.
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