Leaky gear & re-waterproofing?

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Leaky gear & re-waterproofing?

Postby sthughes » Mon 27 Apr, 2009 12:37 pm

In the rain on Sunday I went outside and tried out some of my wet weather gear (with the help of a hose when the rain backed off). I found that my brand new and just Nicwaxed Scarpa Trek Pros let water in at the front of the tongue, my old overpants let water seep in, my Quicksilver raincoat leaked in the shoulder seams quite a bit, my Gondwana raincoat has a stupid pocket design that means water runs into them and the inside is not waterproof so the water keeps coming through, but on a good note my Kathmandu NGX raincoat didnt let a drip in! I didn't try my Rainbird or Rain Shield propore jacket.

How's the best way to re-waterproof some waterproof breathable trousers?
I have a pair of Mountain Designs waterproof breathable trousers that are no longer totally waterproof - they tend to let water seep in mainly around the knees and seams where they have copped a fair bit of wear.

Is that re-proofing stuff you buy at outdoor shops to put in the washing machine any good?
I notice the washing instructions tag on my Kathmandu jacket says specifically not to use that sort of stuff.
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Re: Leaky gear & re-waterproofing?

Postby Ent » Mon 27 Apr, 2009 4:58 pm

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Re: Leaky gear & re-waterproofing?

Postby corvus » Mon 27 Apr, 2009 6:23 pm

[quote="sthughes"]
How's the best way to re-waterproof some waterproof breathable trousers?
I have a pair of Mountain Designs waterproof breathable trousers that are no longer totally waterproof - they tend to let water seep in mainly around the knees and seams where they have copped a fair bit of wear.


/quote]
What is the composition of the material.
c
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Re: Leaky gear & re-waterproofing?

Postby alliecat » Mon 27 Apr, 2009 8:41 pm

sthughes wrote:In the rain on Sunday I went outside and tried out some of my wet weather gear (with the help of a hose when the rain backed off). I found that my brand new and just Nicwaxed Scarpa Trek Pros let water in at the front of the tongue, my old overpants let water seep in, my Quicksilver raincoat leaked in the shoulder seams quite a bit, my Gondwana raincoat has a stupid pocket design that means water runs into them and the inside is not waterproof so the water keeps coming through, but on a good note my Kathmandu NGX raincoat didnt let a drip in! I didn't try my Rainbird or Rain Shield propore jacket.

How's the best way to re-waterproof some waterproof breathable trousers?
I have a pair of Mountain Designs waterproof breathable trousers that are no longer totally waterproof - they tend to let water seep in mainly around the knees and seams where they have copped a fair bit of wear.

Is that re-proofing stuff you buy at outdoor shops to put in the washing machine any good?
I notice the washing instructions tag on my Kathmandu jacket says specifically not to use that sort of stuff.


Hi sthughes,

The generic answer to re-waterproofing any waterproof-breathable fabric is to wash it in something that wont dissolve the DWR treatment that is already present - just remove the grime - then wash in an appropriate DWR. For most modern fabrics, washing in Nicwax techwash then washing in the Nicwax TXdirect (DWR treatment) will do the trick. There are other products of course, but those have worked really well for me, totally revitalising an old goretex jacket whose DWR had worn out. But some fabrics need a different DWR, so you need to check what is suitable for the individual garment if possible.

It sounds to me that your overtrousers have just had the DWR wear off (which it does) so a new DWR treatment should fix those up. I'm not sure what fabric the quicksilver jacket uses, but it could just be leaky seam tapes at the shoulders, in which case either new tape is in order, or you could apply some seam sealant the same as you would for a tent. I think the rainbird and rainshield jackets use a PU DWR coating so you'd need an appropriate treatment for those if they let water through.

As for the boots, I'm not sure what to suggest. Very difficult to examine the bit of the tongue where the water got through. You could try seam sealing it from the outside, or applying a tonne of snoseal. Or wear waterproof socks :D

Hope that helps.

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Re: Leaky gear & re-waterproofing?

Postby Nuts » Mon 27 Apr, 2009 8:58 pm

I just use spay lanolin on leather. Nice and thick, let it soak in and then buff. Seems as good cheaper and easier than nikwax leaves crocs as new).
Ive been testing a gtx coat for ease of cleaning, maintenance. Using sard spray then two washes first with cold power second as a rinse. Dry in dryer. It's had about 15/20 washes and has held up well. Seems to keep its proof and the system gets them clean, sof (and smell nice :wink: ) (tech wash is expensive). Not sure about re-proofing as yet.
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Re: Leaky gear & re-waterproofing?

Postby tasadam » Mon 27 Apr, 2009 9:12 pm

There's been some discussion on waterproofing in the past, here.
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