Favorite water proofing substance?

[kidwoo]

I gave up on this crap years ago because none of it worked. I've got a few things (mainly pants and a tent rain fly) that are still in good shape but don't repel water any more. Is there anything that actually works these days?

[jaobrien6]

In my experience, none of them last as long as a good factory DWR coating, but I like the Grangers products better than the Nikwax. Those are the only 2 brands I've tried.

[XXX-er]

I sprayed grangers on one side ,revivex on the other side of a arcteryx shell ,thro in the dryer and wear for a year ... they both worked the same

the arcterxy still works like it did when new 7 yrs ago IMO buy good stuff to begin with but it needs a new zipper ...gona send it in

[farmer]

I've used revivex. Worked well. I tried a nikwax wash in one and it didn't do much, but that could be wash in's not being as good as spray on's. I'm sticking with spray on revivex though.

[ski school graduate]

I use the nikwax UV and waterproofing spray on stuff on my rainfly and it seems to work pretty well. Have also tried the wash in one on my jacket and I don't think it did shit.

[kidwoo]

Yeah nikwax wash stuff was the last I tried. Useless.

I'll check out some of the revivex stuff.

thanks guys!

[GeezerSteve]

Pants vs. rain fly is probably apples vs. oranges. If the pants are WB, then see the threads re DWR treatments. Rain fly is likely either urethane coated nylon (ripstop or taffeta) or silnylon. If the urethane is shot (i.e., peeling), then fahgettaboutit unless you can find some old paint-on K-Coat. Good quality silnylon (there are at least two grades of silnylon, one of which is crap) should retain its water resistance indefinitely unless its really abused (e.g., pinholes or abrasion via sand/dirt) and I don't know of any means to treat silnylon cuz nothing will stick to it.

[kidwoo]

I'm one of the people the believes that true waterproof and true breathable are mutually exclusive.

I know the approach is different between clothing and a rainfly but they both need to be waterproofed and I don't really care about 'breathability' on either. No peeling on the rain fly, I just know I used to be able to sit out multi day rain storms in the thing and stay bone dry. This past summer in a 24 hour period, the thing was getting permeated like a beyotch.

I was just wondering if there was anything out there that really does work as an external application that would bring back some of the bead making awesomeness that each used to have. I'll rub linseed oil on the things if it helps

[GeezerSteve]

I'm one of the people the believes that true waterproof and true breathable are mutually exclusive.

I agree.

Sounds like your rainfly is urethane coated nylon. I doubt it was DWR treated because there's no reason to apply DWR on urethane coated nylon (which, if it's quality stuff, is functionally waterproof until the urethane peels or gets pinholes). Also, aftermarket DWR treatments don't work worth shit unless then are heated (in a dryer or ironed in). But the application of heat could be death to coated nylon. So, IMV, DWR is not indicated for a coated nylon rainfly. Someone might disagree with me on that and, if so, please try to persuade me.

McNett Tent Sure is designed to seal leaky urethane coated nylon -- but not via "external application." I hope it's better than the old K Coat stuff, which sucked.

I've long been a silnylon guy for tents. IME, coated nylon eventually fails. OTOH, despite years and many nights of use and exposure to the elements, water beads up on my 3R, MegaLight and 2R as if they were new. No need for DWR on silnylon -- and it wouldn't stick anyway.

ETA: when I do get a rare leaky spot (probably pinholes) in silnylon, I brush on GE Silicone II diluted with mineral spirits, per Stephenson seam sealing instructions. Works as well as the McNett silnylon sealer. I have not tried The GESII+MS on other (i.e., non-silnylon) nylon products but it may be worth a try, and it's way cheaper than buying the stuff from McNett.

[Kim Jong-un]

To bad somebody doesn't invent a synthetic version of whatever ducks use when they preen their feathers. That stuff looks bomber.

[1000-oaks]

Anyone try this stuff? Atsko Water Guard Extreme
http://www.atsko.com/products/waterp...d-extreme.html

[skimaxpower]

Nothing works as good as a good 3-layer fabric to start with. If you're putting Nikwax (etc) on top of cheap fabric, you'll always be disappointed.

On the other hand, the waterproofing is still minty on my goretex shells from Arcteryx and Marmot. I credit Gore.

[neufox47]

Nothing works as good as a good 3-layer fabric to start with. If you're putting Nikwax (etc) on top of cheap fabric, you'll always be disappointed.

On the other hand, the waterproofing is still minty on my goretex shells from Arcteryx and Marmot. I credit Gore.

It's all about the DWR. Not sure if Gore has anything to do with the factory applied DWR. I have become resigned that I am going to re-DWR my shells every year. It's just the way it is.

I will say I will never buy another "soft shell" with goretex. It's idiotic. The fabric doesn't hold a DWR for shit. So whats the point of Goretex w/ no DWR? I hate wetted out jackets, etc.

I have heard of old timers using Thompsons water seal. Mainly on canvas. They claim it makes it water proof and breathable. Might work on your rain fly. Will definitely stiffen the shit out of it though. Probably a bad idea. But give it a shot

[coldfeet]

I have an old backpacking tent, I'm sure the rainfly is coated nylon, it's before the silnylon era. No peeling, but water would no longer bead up on the fly, it seemed to soak in - it kept us mostly dry one rainy afternoon, but I didn't trust it for anything more. I used that Nikwax Tent and Solar Proof spray on stuff, and water does now bead up on the fly as it should. It took an entire bottle to do the fly of a 2-man tent and you have to pace yourself, I nearly ran out before finishing one end.

This the tent waterproofing case, not DWR garment or a breathable fabric. It was relatively inexpensive and easy to do so worth trying.

[Sinecure]

I sprayed grangers on one side ,revivex on the other side of a arcteryx shell ,thro in the dryer and wear for a year ... they both worked the same

the arcterxy still works like it did when new 7 yrs ago IMO buy good stuff to begin with but it needs a new zipper ...gona send it in

I sent in a pair of Arcteryx pants this summer for failed zippers. They emailed me to ask if I'd like them to put gore-tex patches on some of the spots inside that have gotten worn/frayed from ski boots and knee braces. They said it would be a $25 charge for adding the patches. I'd done some similar patching, but when you add up the cost of the patches and the sealer, $25 seemed like a good deal. I said OK to the charge (there was no charge for replacing the zippers). Got the pants back and they look awesome. Their patches are perfect and the new zippers work great. Ready for another 180 days of hard use.

[Alexander1310]

This was posteed in the Trewth vs Flylow bib thread

finally a product that will keep the tall tee kids dry!

but seriously, spray this on a discount wallmart bib pant and you're set.

[XXX-er]

I sent in a pair of Arcteryx pants this summer for failed zippers.

I have since sent in that shell for the free zipper replacmentment, piggy backed with someone elses claim and even got free shipping, I do my own patches with aquaseal

I sent the gortex in during winter because I don't use it when the weather is either fucking cold or fucking cold when i use the soft shell or down ... hard shell is for the 3 "wet" seasons

[Dude Bro]

tried to find the NeverWet stuff on the web. still looks like its in development stages

[Hugh Conway]

West System Epoxy

[Tri-Ungulate]

Neverwet looks to finally be available. Looks cool, I'm gonna get some next time I head down to Home Despot. Among other things, thought I'd spray it on the topsheets of my touring skis.

Hell, I might even try it on the bases of my rockskis as an experiment.

[altis]

And another:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPM8OR6W6WE

[Tutuko]

Looking forward to some maggot reporting on neverwet, I think it's power will inhibit breathability from what I've read. But for top sheets, goggles? Maybe critical areas of jackets? They report good durability but.... Il believe it when I see it

[GoldenBC]

Would the neverwet work for a ski wax? It is hydrophobic but would it reduce the attraction between the Polyethylene base and the H20 snow? I'm not smart enough to figure that out but that would be neat. What about as a glide enhancer on skins? sex lube? contraception? possibilities are endless

[spook]

i'll spray it on my ass every time i go skiing so i don't have to keep trying to wipe my ass under a tree with all my gear on. in fact. i might just stick a 1" food grade tubing up my ass and run it down my rear leg and spray the inside of it with neverwet. then i can just open the cap at the end once i'm relaxing on the lift ride up.

[guroo270]

Any updates on any of this stuff? My BMW motorcycle suit used to be bulletproof, but I got caught in a heavy downpour last night and got soaked. It definitely needs some treatment. Suggestions? Updates on Neverwet?

REI Reviews have me leaning towards this stuff.
http://www.rei.com/product/783563/ni...rwear-care-kit

edit

Ahhhhh.....

Test Notes

The cans don't go far. We went through an entire set simply spraying down the lineup you see above. And we didn't even get to do the highest recommendation of 4 coats of the second spray.
We didn't quite manage to fully coat the chips, but you can clearly see the parts that got good and sprayed. So even though the sides catch some salsa, for the most part, it's totally effective.
This stuff smells like dead brain cells.
Should I Buy It?

At $20 bucks a set with only about 15 square feet of coverage per set, probably not, especially given the lack of long-term efficacy, the filmy white gunk, and the cancer stuff. If you're using it for practical purposes, it doesn't quite make sense to invest in water-proofing any decent-sized area with something that will almost definitely require constant touchups. But if you just want to buy it so you can spray it on a bunch of weird crap, go right ahead! We did.

Supposedly, though, the minds behind NeverWet are currently working on clear-drying version that could make this stuff far more commercially viable. No word yet as to when that might hit shelves (if ever), but now that might be something worth having.

Specs

Best for: Metal, wood, concrete, aluminum, galvanized metal, PVC, masonry, asphalt, vinyl siding, plastic, "and more."
Good for: Fabric, leather, and canvas—assuming you don't mind changing the color of your fabric, leather, and canvas goods to a "milky haze."
Kit coverage: 10-15 square feet.
Re-application suggestion: "NeverWet should be reapplied when water no longer rolls off the surface."
Step 1 spray contains: methyl isobutyl, ketone, butyl acetate, and mineral spirits.
Step 2 spray contains: acetone.