FJÄLLRÄVEN Greenland Wax

Product Information

If you’re concerned about changes to an item’s color or texture, spot-testing on a small area is always a good idea.

A wax will require application by hand and then heating (by iron, hairdryer, or campfire) the product to seal it. Waxes are generally only used on canvas, denim, and some cotton materials, so they’re not helpful for most technical gear. But no one likes soaked shoes, purses, or any other type of leather goods, and too much water can eventually damage these items, causing that dreaded drying out or molding. Chamberlain’s Leather Milk Water Protectant No. 3 bills itself as a protectant—creating a water-resistant layer that stops the material from absorbing liquid—and a conditioner. Some sprays contain perfluorochemicals (PFCs), a group of synthetic chemicals the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns remain in the environment—and in the human body—for years, so you’ll want to be especially careful using any of those, especially around pets and children. (Or just avoid them in general.) And aerosol sprayers, though they work well for consumers, also have a negative environmental impact. If you’re seeking to prevent those issues, choose a non-aerosol spray that doesn’t contain PFCs. All items were tested before waterproofing products were applied and then again afterward to assess their effectiveness, with copious notes taken on all aspects of the products. We also consulted the following experts when choosing the best waterproofing sprays: Granger’s Wash + Repel Down is easy to use: You just add the liquid to your washing machine’s soap slot using the bottle’s cap as a measuring device. This product has the added benefit of washing and waterproofing at once; it’s a one-step process that only requires running the machine once. After washing, you machine-dry the item on low heat, and Grangers recommends using dryer balls to help fluff the down inside.Many items require at least 24 to 48 hours of time to dry before you can use them again, so planning ahead before a big trip is crucial.

to improve matters im going to tumble dry the bag to even out wax after ironing it to remove excess wax. Lastly, we considered the cost and environmental issues like aerosol and PFCs. We wanted to ensure we tested and considered sprays in a range of costs and included sprays that are easy on the planet and people using the product. While people are sometimes intimidated by the products, assuming they can potentially ruin a much-loved item or that the process of application is more complicated than it is, Heidi Allen, vice president of marketing at Nikwax, is working to spread the gospel of re-waterproofing. Whether you decide to use a waterproofing spray, wash-in, or wax comes down to the product you’re waterproofing and your personal preference.water initially beeded up, and then became 'flat' and i thought it had soaked thru but the inside was dry and the water just pushed off with my finger like a sheet Allen notes you can even waterproof items you might not have imagined. Nikwax and other manufacturers sell waterproofing products for cotton, fleece, and softshells, and you can use them on everything from your jeans to your Patagonia Synchilla Snap-T. Our tester left the rainfly to dry for about 48 hours before testing it, and, voila, the treated item was vastly improved in terms of how well the water beaded off it. We’ll add this product to our toolkit and apply it at least once a season—ideally in the early spring before the first camping trips of the year—to help preserve some of our most expensive items. The final results were impressive: Even a complete soaking had no impact on the material; it was ready to defend itself against all levels of wetting, and the breathability felt as good as new when hiking afterward.

Even with its lower price, this is one of the most effective waterproofing sprays we tested, and no amount of water applied to the boots used for testing was enough to penetrate its shield, yet the boots felt as breathable as before. It didn’t take much product for a thorough double coating—recommended about four hours apart—making this an even more cost-effective product. Since you’re applying to cloth items, you shouldn’t expect an utterly waterproof item. Though the product doesn’t last as long as some others, it was still very effective in our test, causing water to bead up and stream away until it wears off. Once it does, you can simply reapply the wax. The perfect waterproofing product makes your gear feel like new—waterproof and breathable again, with no negative changes to the material. That’s precisely what Grangers Performance Repel Plus, a non-aerosol spray from the British brand, did for an older pair of rain pants that were wetting out. In fact, the waterproofing on these pants was better after applying this spray than it was before.They actually kind of adhere to the individual fibers, like an old-fashioned telephone cord—they wrap around the fibers," says Heidi Allen, the vice president of marketing at Nikwax. "They have a little stretchiness to them." The Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On, a non-aerosol product, was designed to help your waterproof and breathable outdoor wet-weather gear, including Gore-Tex items, return to a water-resistant state. That’s certainly what it did for our tester's favorite rain shell, which before testing was wetting out—absorbing water in patches, on the sleeves especially, and becoming heavy and clammy—on rainy hikes. And in some instances, you might find washing is all that’s necessary. Putting your waterproof clothing in the dryer can also help reactivate the DWR coating.