Waterproofing your gear before a long distance hike?

[TheWhiteWalker]

Just curious, do any of you use that waterproofing spray on some of your gear before a long distance hike? If so, what gear do you apply it on and any particular waterproofing product you recommend? Thanks!

[nsherry61]

No, I don't.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Nope, evertyhing except my sleeping bag gets wet eventually. waterproof = slow drying

[DuneElliot]

I'll waterproof my tent once a year with the silicone tent spray, but that's about it.

[Berserker]

Nope, evertyhing except my sleeping bag gets wet eventually. waterproof = slow drying
^This.

The best thing to do is to line your pack with a trash compactor bag (or something similar like a big stuff sack) to keep everything dry while hiking, and use stuff made out of quick drying materials. In my experience things that are waterproof take longer to dry. Take leather boots with Goretex for example. I used to use these, and once they got wet on the inside they would literally take days to dry...even in my house. Trail runners on the other hand will dry in less than a day once the rain stops.

[alnitak]

I'll waterproof my tent once a year with the silicone tent spray, but that's about it. Is this safe to use with all tent material (silnylon, cuben, poly, etc.)? Does it interfere with or erode the DWR coatings in any way?

[DuneElliot]

It's fine for sil-nylon. I researched it and found a recommendation somewhere (not sure if is was here or BPL or somewhere else) from a Tarptent rep that said the Silicone Water-Guard was fine for use on their sil-nylon tents. I used a different brand but with the same ingredients and dilution on my SMD Lunar Solo.

I don't think I'd recommend it for Cuben but I've also never tried it as my new Duplex has only been put up in the yard once. Someone else might chime in on this for wore-out cuben. I have used it plenty on my poly car-camping tents with good results also.

[Dogwood]

Yes, after awhile with repeated use and washings gear sometimes needs the DWR and WPing restored. I'll like McNett's ReviveX products as well as many of McNetts other products(Sea, Grip, Seam Seal, Mirazyme, cleaners, patches, and other accessories. I use both the spray on and wash in versions to renew DWR's on sleeping bags, outer apparel, WPing certain types of non-WP backpacks, gaiters, non WP membrane trail runners, etc. Sometimes, like with non WP trail runners and backpacks, it's not about making them absolutely WP just more able to repel mud, snow, ice, water, etc. For me, it offers a spray on level of DWR or WPing for my backpack fabric coupled with a garbage disposal pack liner.

[Dogwood]

https://www.mcnett.com/gearaid/durable-waterproofing#36218

[Bronk]

I used a can of the Kiwi brand silicone spray sold in the shoe department at Walmart to refurbish the rainfly on a leaky tent. It worked great. It was a good quality tent that originally sold for several hundred dollars because it leaked in a rainstorm...I spent a few dollars resealing it and have used it in severe thunderstorms and it didn't leak. The stuff works, though I don't know if I'd go willy nilly and coat all of my gear with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wARB3Ljv404

[MuddyWaters]

Refreshing dwr on raingear or windjackets is necessary periodically. If they wet out, they dont breathe at all.