Rewaterproffing Nylon Packs

[dboles]

Or better yet making old nylon packs water resistant
I had read somewhere that a mixture of clear silicone and mineral spirtits could be mixed together to create a waterproofing agent that could be applied to the inside of older nylon packs
I decided to give it a try

In the picture you will see all that I used to concoct the waterproofing
The recipe called for a 3 to one mixture silicone to spirits.
It was stated that the ingredients were hard to mix.So
Not pictured I took an old spadefoot drill bit drilled a hole to fit the shaft through the lid of a canning jar,put the ingredients in and used a drill to mix.
It worked great but wasnt necessary.The next batch I used I just shook it all up for a number of minutes so that all was mixed well

I had 2 older packs that I had earlier washed up mended holes and cleaned then turned inside out.
I used foam brushes to paint on the mixture ,paying special attention to seams and folds.The coats took aroung 10-12 hours to dry.

Once dried I applied more waterproofing for a total of 3 coats.
It took around 30 hours for the smell of the mineral spirits to dissapate.
I was very surprised at the results.The packs beaded water and it ran off when sprayed with a garden hose.I even filled one pack with water and it only leaked at some seams
Results- Im happy this extended the life of these packs as they are quite waterproof/water resistant and although faded with age like new in repelling water

The second pack like the 1st turned inside out
If you have an older pack that has its water resistance comprimised I would give this a try.
I will answer any questions you may have
Dan'l

 

[fixer]

the mineral spirits and silicone is also good for the SEAMS on tents. treat the fabric with the Camp Dry silicone spray with the BRIGHT orange cap available at WalMart.

i sually use a coke can with the top cut off and just toss it when done.

 

[desmobob]

The recipe called for a 3 to one mixture silicone to spirits.

3 parts silicone to one part spirits was thin enough to apply with a paint brush?

Sounds like a great tip!


Thanks,
desmobob

 

[RoyalM]

Looks good, so you paint the inside then? I've got a daypack crying out for this type of treatment.

 

[WolfTracker]

Works great on silnylon tent seams, as well.

 

[alex]

Is the clear silicone you are using the same as is used for caulking or are you using a liquid silicone of some type?

 

[dboles]

Should be the other way around for the ratio more mineral spirits than silicone.Sorry about the mix up there.It spreads very evenly with that mixture with the foam brush.
Its the clear caulking stuff
The packs were turned inside out and I removed as much as the old waterproofing as I could by scrubbing with soap and water.Once dried I painted the insides
Dan'l

 

[Limeyfellow]

I like to use Nikwax for such waterproofing jobs. Used to be unfindable in the US, but I think Amazon have it now. You can get stuff you spray on or wash in and makes your gear nice and waterproof.

I do need to replace my tin of nikwax wax for my boots. It is the gift of Gods when it comes to dubbing your leather boots.

 

[baldtaco-II]

Interesting. I usually Nikwax stuff too but I may experiment on something. I've a can of heavy duty Silicone spray lube that seems little more than Silicone, mineral oil, and ethanol wound together. I wonder if the carrier dissipates better or worse than using white spirit.

 

[fmajor007]

This is a great tip!

I've also encountered it on lightweight backing-type forum. Initially, it was sought out to water-proof/seam-seal the sil-nylon tarps/tents the lite-wgt community are sooo into.

For my "normal" seam-sealing stuff there's *nothing* better than McNetts "Seam Grip". Nothing. However, it's spendy whereas this solution is on the cheap - i've some ingredients in my cabinet to do some sealing as well.

 

[brians]

I just use waterproof sacks that go inside the pack. Then I don't have to worry about the pack itself and can use anyone i choose.

 

[grunt soldier]

will this work with any pack, even ones that weren't initially water proofed. i got a couple camelbaks i would like to do this too

 

[Shoki]

Thanks for the tip! I've got an old EMS ruck that's been shedding it's water-proofing for some time now. It comes off in rubbery onion-skins. Do you think coating the outside as well will add anything? Perhaps just the seams?

I just use waterproof sacks that go inside the pack. Then I don't have to worry about the pack itself and can use anyone i choose.

Redundancy isn't always a bad thing, especially when you are talking about stuff that could save your life. I keep my cell in a zip-lock bag inside my otter box when I'm out overnight.