I have an internal frame backpack made up of coated waterproof fabric tightly stretched over a wire frame. When loaded, the frame flexes and the coated side of the fabric rubs on the frame and itself and squeaks. This becomes maddening over several hours.
I have blown some talc into the small access spot that I can get to that opens into the right space in the pack, and that seems to help. I am wondering about what other sorts of dry lube I can puff in there that might work better.
I am reluctant to use graphite because I imagine the pack leaking black dust forever more, and the contents getting stained. I can’t apply this stuff precisely, I have to sort of dump it in and tumble it around. I’m also reluctant to use spray lubricants because I don’t know how the propellant/solvent will affect the pack fabric.
So what dry lubricants in powder form am I unaware of?
If you can get between the wire and fabric when unloaded, you might be able to slip a non-squeaky bit of material bewteen them. Something like denim or a cut up soft drink or laundry detergent bottle?
Thank you for the teflon recommendation; I’ll look into that.
The geometry of the pack is such that I can’t directly access the spots where the fabric rubs on the frame. I can apply stuff to the outside and hope it penetrates the waterproof coated fabric, or pour it into a small potential space and try to distribute it by shaking. Imagine a Tyvek envelope heat-shrunk over a wire hoop, with just a small slit in the Tyvek at the center of the hoop. The sqeaking bits are a couple of inches away from the access opening, with only a small gap between the front and back surfaces. So I can’t get any tape in there, or rub the inner fabric with paraffin, or slide anything between the wire and fabric.