What you need to know about waterproofing
Whether you’re working towards your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, or helping others to do so, keeping your kit dry on expedition will be a top priority.
With the British weather as unpredictable as ever, keeping your outdoor clothing and equipment dry could be the difference between a comfortable and enjoyable expedition and a miserable, soggy one.
Having gear that protects you from the rain, wind and cold is an important part of your expedition kit.
Your waterproof coat, fleece, base layer, fabric or leather boots all help to keep you dry, warm and comfortable; even your sleeping bag, tent and rucksack too.
As with all items like these, they’re usually made of technical fabric and need the right care. These fabrics are designed to breathe, whilst keeping you dry and warm. Over time and through use, dirt and grime will reduce their effectiveness. This can all mean your waterproof gear no longer works as well as it once did. To make sure it stays water repellent and breathable, you need to clean and re-waterproof it regularly.
How Nikwax can help
Nikwax has a range of easy to use aftercare products specifically to care for outdoor clothing and equipment. Nikwax products clean them effectively; reviving their breathability and water repellency. It means your clothes and boots will work as they should to keep you dry and comfortable on expedition.
Very importantly, as Nikwax footwear products are designed for the fabric and leather your walking boots are made from, they‘ll keep you dry and comfortable whilst maintaining their essential supportive features.
How can you tell if you need to clean and re-waterproof your gear?
There are two key times to check and treat your outdoor gear – before and after your expedition.
You can tell if your clothing and equipment is losing its water repellency if it ‘wets out’. This means you’ll see darker patches forming where water is being absorbed through the surface of the material.
For your clothing, cleaning and re-waterproofing with Nikwax Tech Wash® and TX Direct® will revive breathability and restore water repellency and make water ‘bead’ on the surface – forming into droplets. This means you’re ready for the off.
For your boots, if they’re dirty, cleaning them using Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel™ will gently remove this and revive their breathability. Then applying Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof™ afterwards will restore their water repellency.
Nikwax aftercare products are all really easy to use. Depending on which product you’re using, you can either use them in your washing machine, apply it by hand or spray it on.
Nikwax is safe on the environment
Producing high performance, low impact products that improve everyone’s enjoyment of the outdoors is really important to Nikwax. All Nikwax products are safe on the environment, water based, non-flammable and don’t use harmful chemicals like fluorocarbons (PFCs).
Nikwax is incredibly proud to be the first, and only, outdoor company to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and is recommended aftercare for the DofE Award and many leading outdoor equipment brands.
You can also play the Web Quiz click here to win free Nikwax samples.
