Hey guys, I've got an OR Ion and a Cloudveil Prospector Pullover. Both of these items have been pretty widely lauded in this community, but I have some problems with 'em right now.
1) The lack of a full zip on both pieces has really started to grate on me. They're more of a pain to put on and take off, particularly when layered over other stuff.
2) The DWR on both pieces is pretty much gone, even though otherwise they're in very good shape. I bought both of them before I knew much about maintaining outdoor clothing, so I suspect the DWRs were mostly gone after being conventionally laundered once or twice.
So, I'm seeking advice.
1) Will I ever regain a satisfactory DWR from applying something like ReviveX? Is it worth it? My impression is that after-market DWRs are shorter-lived, less consistent, and generally disappointing compared to the factory version.
2) I've found an outdoor-savvy guy that can do alterations for me–is it worth it for me to get him to extend the zippers? Will the altered zipper work compare reasonably well with a garment that was originally designed with a full-zip or could this be a disappointment as well? I don't know what the guy will charge, and obviously I don't know exactly what he'll do to extend the zippers, what corners he'll have to cut, etc. Can somebody handy with soft goods advise me on what to expect?
The alternative to making these improvements is to just sell the pieces on the Gear Swap. Like a whole lot of us, I figure I will eventually end up with a Patagonia Houdini, which could easily replace both of them as I understand it. But for the moment (Lent) I'm not making any online purchases. And I don't need to drop $100 more on outdoor clothing any time soon anyway.
Any opinions?
