This is going to sound like a dumb question but here goes. There is a product on the market called scotchgard that is supposed to help things made of fabric shed water better. I have read journal entries about sleeping bags and other gear getting wet due to rain and how miserable that is. Could spraying scotchgard on sleeping bags help them not get as wet or dry out faster?
Thanks,
George
George
not get wet? Yes but I would leave it to old bags that could use a little reconditioning and not new bags that still maintain their integrity. You may be locking in moisture, a big no-no.
Dry out faster? No, how could it help drying out.
Isn’t scotchguard in the process of being banned? Somewhere I read scotchguard particles are very resistant to decomposition and have been found in the atmosphere all around the world. At least this is the rumor I’m passing around.:tongue
humm
not get wet? Yes but I would leave it to old bags that could use a little reconditioning and not new bags that still maintain their integrity. You may be locking in moisture, a big no-no.
Dry out faster? No, how could it help drying out.
Isn’t scotchguard in the process of being banned? Somewhere I read scotchguard particles are very resistant to decomposition and have been found in the atmosphere all around the world. At least this is the rumor I’m passing around.:tongue
humm
Scotchgard is (was) marketed as a product that reduces stains on fabrics, such as carpets. Never heard of it being used for waterproofing.
What does 3M say about it on their website?
Peaks
hey peaks,
what do you think scotchgard is for? it’s used for the two details you listed above.
humm
It is a teflon like product used on fibers to actually make soils slide off the fiber instead of being attached to them. So on a product like carpeting, the dirt gets vacuumed off more easily.
wayfarer
Scotchgard was manufactured by 3M for the uses Wayfarer states above. It was discontinued because, I think, it contained an ingredient which did not break down in the environment. Someone clever could check this out. It did enhance the water repellency of fabrics.
There is a water-based product, Tectron, on the market which does essentially the same things, and does not harm the environment…at least not yet that we know of. I have used it on the children’s jackets around the pockets, plackets, inside collar, etc. anyplace which soils quickly. I have found that it works quite well. I also used it on some Activent pants which I wanted to use as rain pants. Activent was not waterproof, but spraying the pants worked fine…they were very light weight which was what I was after. However, if you sat in a puddle, the water would come through.
I think I read someplace that a new improved Scotchgard might be coming out…or maybe some company bought the name. :tongue
Lady Di
There is a product that comes in a orange can in camping departments that is a waterproofer or at least makes things more water resistant. I buy it fairly often because the jacket I use for backpacking as my rain jacket is a nylon shell that was my sons. Its old and when it needs to be washed, I spray it afterwards with this substance. Can’t think of the name right now. Anyway, it adds the water repellancy back to the nylon jacket and I’ve also used it to spray nylon pants that I use for rainwear, and I’ve sprayed tents with it after I’ve had them for some time, and their orginal finish is worn down.
However, I would not spray this stuff on a sleeping bag. It smells to high heaven!! That’s ok when I’m wearing a jacket outdoors, but would not want to be closed up inside my tent with it that close to my face. When I spray tents, I let them air out well before sleeping in them.
Yes, sleeping bags can get a little damp, but I’ve never had one actually get wet, and I live in the humid South. I’ve used synthetic ones for years, and have had a down one now for about 2 years. Just keep them in something waterproof when you’re hiking in the rain. And throw them out on a warm rock in the sun whenever you can, to let any moisture that’s there escape. You body gives off moisture during the night, so air drying it is important to do as often as possible.
This stuff may be similar to the 3M product, but it doesn’t claim to resist spots and dirt, just water.
Swallowtail
Swallowtail