Nik Wax Down Proof down DWR treatment

I have owned a few down filled clothing/sleeping items that were factory DWR treated and have been very happy with the results in wet snow & misting rain. They always retained loft. Plus I have experimented with loose DWR treated down I purchased for a repair project that proved to be very water resistant.

And then there were the down filled items that were not DWR treated to which I wanted to add DWR treatment. The only product I am aware of to add DWR to down is NIK WAX so after using NIK WAX Down Wash and rinsing twice I treated them with Down Proof. I used heavy, dryer specific “tennis balls” in my dryer to break up down “lumps” and restore loft.

The result was that the treated garments, an Eddie Bauer First Ascent down jacket, Nature Hike down pants and a Western Mountaineering Megalite mummy bag came out just as fluffy and lofty as before the treatment. I’m fairly sure that the NIK WAX treated down will be very water resistant as a few commercial down garment makers also use it, which I feel is a good endorsement.

In a surprise light drizzle last January here in Las Vegas’ mountains I found the EB jacket stayed lofty for the nearly hour it took me to get off the mountain. The shell began to soak a bit on the shoulders and forearms but these areas retained loft. I was satisfied my “science project” was successful.