grrickar
04-17-2006, 23:15
I bought an REI Elements jacket used from an REI attic sale at one of their N. VA stores. It had been returned dirty, so I washed it in powder detergent per instructions and then allowed it to drip dry. I can't say what the coat was subjected to before I bought it - hazards of getting a good deal I suppose.
I wore the jacket last weekend and we got rained on pretty hard, and while the jacket is supposed to be breathable I take those words with a grain of salt because while it does appear to breathe, it makes me sweat something fierce too. So I sweat good in it, then I stop hiking and the fact it allows wind through means I get chilly pretty quick. Even though, I'd rather be uncomfortably damp than soaked thru.
I bought the pants to match the jacket, and they were purchased new. I noticed that the pants beaded water like a freshly waxed car, but the jacket did not - the rain did not bead up.
This makes me think that the water repellancy may have suffered due to something the owner before me did to it, and I am wondering if there is any way to correct it.
Nikwax sells some rather expensive spray on stuff that is advertised to be for REI Elements and similar breathable rainsuits. It states that it will restore the repellancy while still allowing the garment to breathe. The stuff is called Nikwax TX Spray On. The stuff is $21 for 16oz! Has anyone used it on similar items, and did it work as claimed?
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47917457&parent_category_rn=40000702&vcat=REI_SEARCH
I wore the jacket last weekend and we got rained on pretty hard, and while the jacket is supposed to be breathable I take those words with a grain of salt because while it does appear to breathe, it makes me sweat something fierce too. So I sweat good in it, then I stop hiking and the fact it allows wind through means I get chilly pretty quick. Even though, I'd rather be uncomfortably damp than soaked thru.
I bought the pants to match the jacket, and they were purchased new. I noticed that the pants beaded water like a freshly waxed car, but the jacket did not - the rain did not bead up.
This makes me think that the water repellancy may have suffered due to something the owner before me did to it, and I am wondering if there is any way to correct it.
Nikwax sells some rather expensive spray on stuff that is advertised to be for REI Elements and similar breathable rainsuits. It states that it will restore the repellancy while still allowing the garment to breathe. The stuff is called Nikwax TX Spray On. The stuff is $21 for 16oz! Has anyone used it on similar items, and did it work as claimed?
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47917457&parent_category_rn=40000702&vcat=REI_SEARCH