As the title, considering getting (ok I'm getting it anyway to reproof my ski jacket) some spray on DWR on the totally non waterproof hoody/jacket I wear for winter riding.Â
I know this wont magically make it into a watertight covering. But to be honest, if its pouring I'm not going out.
My ideal result is light rain beads on the surface and I either shake like a dog, or natural movement from riding will cause it to run off.
Acceptable result is it just stops it getting saturated (and therefore heavy).
Also would like it to stay breathable for the 95% of the time when I'm riding and its not raining.
Am I asking for a moon on a stick?
Totally depends on the face fabric. Being a ski jacket it should have a decently tight weave. Also try Nikwax tech wash before attempting to proof it. Have to make sure the garment is detergent fee before attempting to reproof. Also tumble dry at 30 once proofed.  If you're worried about the inevitable water ingress look at a better base layer to help mitigate the damp feeling. Â
It depends on the fabric. Is it a windproof jacket hoody? In that case it should work. If it's a fleecy jacket then the wash-in type waterproofing is worth a try. I've waterproofed a fleece before and water just runs off, or beads up.
Being a ski jacket it should have a decently tight weave.
sorry - this is two different things. I've got a ski jacket that is nominally waterproof but is old and could do with a reproof that I'm going to buy the stuff for.
wondering if its worth giving my biking top layer a coating of it too.
I have used balistol biker wet protect spray (got it from bike-discount.de).It just sprays on and water proofs. No idea about breathability though and durability as I used it on our garden furniture 😀Â
I've found it helps a bit but not anywhere near the extent it does on a waterproof and doesn't last long (need to redo it after a wash). I mostly do it on the backs of non-waterproof winter gloves and overshoes just to help deal with spray
It kind of works but very short lived. I've had much better success with nikwax wash-in proofer but again it needs redone regularly and washing will definitely need reproofing afterwards.
I gave up in the end but it's worth a try a few timesÂ
It depends on the fabric. I'd use the wash-in TX Direct instead of spray. You have to make sure it's really really clean and free of detergent residue too, then the proofing will stick well. I've done this on both fleeces and down jackets and it makes them viable in the rain, especially the fleece if you throw a windproof over the top in heavier rain.
The problem with doing this for MTBing is that the mud contaminates it and stops the water repellency working. The best thing I've found is wearing the right base layer and then what's on top matters far far less. Polypropylene may have gone out of fashion but it stays way dryer than everything else next to the skin.
I know this wont magically make it into a watertight covering. But to be honest, if its pouring I'm not going out.
My ideal result is light rain beads on the surface and I either shake like a dog, or natural movement from riding will cause it to run off.
It's going to depend on the fabric - polyester tends to take DWR better than Nylon/polyamide for example - and how closely woven/knitted it is plus how diligent you are with pre-proof cleaning and preparation and DWR application.Â
The bad news is that current DWRs - the PFC-free ones - are nowhere near as durable as the old planet-killing stuff, so even if it works initially, it probably won't last longer than a couple of rides. I wouldn't expect too much tbh,Â
A DWR treatment shouldn't impact negatively on breathability. It just bonds to the fibres of the fabrics, without filling any gaps etc.Â
But if you're getting the DWR spray anyway, you may as well give it a go I guess. Is/was your mountain biking jacket waterproof to begin with or just a windproof/wind resistant thing?
I use Fabsil to reproof my tent, have wondered about spraying it onto a failed waterproof jacket. Assume that it would be completely non-breathable afterwards.
But if you're getting the DWR spray anyway, you may as well give it a go I guess. Is/was your mountain biking jacket waterproof to begin with or just a windproof/wind resistant thing?
its more of a windproof type thing
will probably give it a go, but if I need to redo it every time I wash it, it might never get a proper test.