For treating a sleeping bag (nylon-shell), what DWR treatment has worked best for you?
Haven't heard good things about Nikwax, and from personal experience, Tectron wasn't that great….looking for something stellar, if possible.
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DWR Treatment Options
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I've heard that NikWax is good but because it's waxed based it wears off about 2x as fast as others. I personally prefer spray on Grangers but it's still not incredible. It repels rain when it's light, but under pressure (ie. if I rub my jacket or when I'm on my motorcycle) it still fails.
Nikwax wax based? Only if you use their product for waxed jackets!
They have various products, including Down Proof for down clothing and sleeping bags.
Nate, glad to hear your evaluation of Tectron as not being that great…I was just about ready to give it a whirl as it sounded like the old Scotch Guard. I've been using Granger's, so I guess I'll just stick with that for now.
I've avoided applying it to my sleeping bag though for fear that it might damage the down. Any thoughts on that?
You might consider Atsko Water Guard. I haven't used it on a bag but on jackets, gloves, pants, etc I've found it to be as good as Nikwax, and less expensive. Not all that easy to find (Wal-Mart has it sometimes) but can be ordered from atsko at http://www.atsko.com
CAUTION!
There are two sorts of DWR treatment: silicone and fluorocarbon. They are INCOMPATIBLE!
If you make a mistake and put silicone over fluorocarbon, it will wear off quickly but you will not be able to redo the fluorocarbon either. Be very careful to use the right one!
In general the factory DWR on most fabrics will be a fluorocarbon, NOT a silicone.
Atsko make both a silicone Water Guard and a fluorocarbon Water Guard. I like the fluorocarbon one, but do bond it on with an iron.
Cheers
The bag has no DWR (other than the Tectron I tried on it). It's an REI Kilo Flash and comes with just standard nylon. Soaks up water like a sponge….
Can you in fact iron on DWR onto a nylon down bag? How does this work without damaging the down?
> Can you in fact iron on DWR onto a nylon down bag? How does this work without damaging the down?
Errr… Ummmm….
I would not try ironing a down bag myself. I am not sure what it would do to the down, but nothing good I suspect.
OK, alternative treatment idea. Spray the fluorocarbon DWR onto the bag and then sit it in the hot sun for a few hours. The fabric should heat up a bit. Turn regularly to baste all sides … Caution: I have not tried this myself.
Cheers
How about using a hair dryer on a hot setting?
> How about using a hair dryer on a hot setting?
How about on a warm setting?
I worry about frizzled nylon.
Cheers
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