Sealing silnylon (enscapulated fabric) seams

by Jay Ham 2007-09-05
"Manufacturer’s instructions vary on this, but (trust me) a silnylon shelter does require seam sealing in order for it to be completely waterproof. If you have ever seam sealed a silnylon shelter, chances are you are familiar with McNett’s SilNet Silicone Seam Sealer. You might even have followed the directions on the package, as I have, and ended up with a very goopy, thick bead of SilNet along the shelter’s seams. It’s certainly waterproof, but it’s also unsightly and unnecessary to apply such a thick layer. There is a better way.

All that is needed is a thin layer of silicone to properly seal the seams, and a thin layer is nearly invisible when it dries. SilNet can be thinned with mineral spirits to improve its flow and ease application. Backpacking Light Associate Editor Will Rietveld showed me this technique, which he learned from Henry Shires at Tarptent, and it has worked wonderfully on several of my shelters. It also greatly increases the coverage you can get out of a single tube of SilNet. For example, a pyramid shelter generally requires two tubes of SilNet when applied according to the instructions. By thinning the SilNet, one can cover the eight seams with less than half a tube.

Your next question might be, “Won’t applying thinned SilNet reduce the seam’s water tightness?” I have not found that to be the case, and suggest the opposite is true. Thinned SilNet penetrates the stitching in the seams in addition to coating the surface. I have also seen conventionally applied SilNet tear along sections of seam that were not taut during application, a situation caused when the seam’s stress transfers from the stitching to the sealer. This does not occur with thinned SilNet. It should also be noted that applying thinned SilNet is much easier and less time consuming. The seam sealer takes from three to six hours to dry completely (depending on temperature and humidity). Give the shelter plenty of time to dry before packing it away, and you’re ready for your next trip."

Fall is just around the corner. Is your gear ready?

It's that time again. Time to get your gear ready for the Fall/Winter season. Even out here in sunny San Diego the Fall cleaning bug has hit. The store if fully stocked with everything you need to clean, and waterproof your gear. The process is much easier to do while the weather is favorable and the days are still somewhat long.

Smitty's tent has been cleaned and treated (from a recent outing in the High Sierra a month or so ago) with Nikwax's TX-Direct. Knowing it will be ready for another trip next week (this time to Bishop Pass); there will be no question that it will be ready for any weather that comes its way.

Did you know that even Goretex needs to be retreated with a waterproofing teatment? A Goretex garment is generally treated with a DWR finish during the manufacturing process. It's the outer fabric that keeps you dry. The lamination is only a barrier that aids in moving perspiration flowing outward. The DWR finish is what keeps water "beading up"(rain and snow) and keeps it from penetrating the outer shell material.

Ultra-violet rays, dirt and body oils break down the DWR treatment, causing the fabric to wet out and under perform. Washing waterproof garments in a quality non-detergent soap (Nikwax, Charlie's Soap and Atsko offer the best products available) and re-treating the DWR with the appropriate water-proofing product (Nikwax TX-Direct) is essential to maintain the performance of your outdoor gear.

We carry a full line of products from Nikwax, Charlie's Soap and Atsko. We also give you detailed information on how to properly care for leather and fabrics in our 'How to' section of our site. We have compiled a wealth of information for you to use and learn from.

There are some good deals in our 'Specials' section. Same day shipping will apply to each and every order.

New products for July

We added Buff to our product line-up! Buff Headwear is a great piece of gear to add to your outdoor gear collection. I has many useful qualities, but mostly it is a great way to keep the ever encroaching ultra violet light off of your neck and scalp. That's the word from our testers here north of the border (San Diego).

Victoria, said that wearing her Buff underneath her bike helmet actually keeps her cooler during the mid summer heat and helped keep a bee that flew into her helmet from stinging her!

Our initial buy brought in 9 diferent styles. We are going to continue adding all of the styles (80 to choose from in the Original Buff category alone!) so keep checking back to see what is new for Buff.

The OGC store product inventory has reached a 100 "instock" products. As always our product focus is concentrated on the gear care and gear repair categories. We've added Camelbak's replacement gear to the 'hydration care' category and we're talking with Cascade Designs to bring in Platypus and MSR water care products.

We have partnered with Klear Water and we're selling their 15 minute activated water treament. This product has many uses outside of the obvious backcountry water treatment. Dilluted it works great for washing vegetables, cleaning hydration reservoirs, backcountry wound care and even works as a oral rinse. We've all added Klear Water to our emergency/survival kits. Greg carries it with him on his Sierra backpacking ventures and swears buy its claims of safe, clean water on demand.

Enjoy!

Sherpa

Outdoor Gear Care Announces a New Business Venture and Outdoor Community

Combination Creates New Opportunities for Backcountry and Outdoor Enthusiasts

ESCONDIDO, Calif., June 1, 2007 – Outdoor Gear Care announced today it opened it’s website for business. The idea for Outdoor Gear Care born from a lack of consolidated information regarding outdoor gear care techniques and recommended manufacture care requirements for literally everything in use in the backcountry.

What originally started off as a technical apparel care website has spawned into a web based gear care community, information portal and e-store. The category structure is set to include bicycle, backpacking, camping, climbing, snowsport, watersport, and personal care advice. While the web-store’s product selection encompasses a full range of gear care products and fixes to help “Protect Your Investment” in all of your outdoor endeavors.

“Outdoor Gear Care is open to all, as a resource. Our desire is to create a community in which information can be shared openly by everyone looking for the best performance from their outdoor gear. We have simplified the process through the implementation of an online forum and news blog,” said Greg Smith aka Sherpa, co-founder and President of Outdoor Gear Care. “Our attention at the moment is to welcome the outdoor community in for a closer look.”

“We’re inviting everyone who has proven methods for caring for your outdoor gear to share their experiences and maybe learn something new from others.” We have just started to cover all categories and our team is busy developing new content. The Outdoor Gear Care Store product selection is growing daily. “We’re sourcing the best products to support every category. If there’s a product that has worked well and we don’t have it. Let us know and we’ll bring it into our product line-up”

Outdoor enthusiasts generally buy the best products. Outdoor Gear Care wants to aid in the proper care for all of that gear. What good is buying the best gear only to have it under perform or break down when you need it most? This is where Outdoor Gear Care hopes to have all of the answers and products to help you protect your investment.

Visit the website at:
http://www.outdoorgearcare.com/

To request more information:
Email: tiler.cabot@outdoorgearcare.com

OGC - Speak your mind

New... just installed! Outdoor Gear Care receives a discussion forum. Through the beauty of the Open Source community we had the opportuntiy to implement a new forum based on phpbb.

Our hope is that the outdoor community will have access to valuable gear care advice, gear reviews, news and a place to share their stories. If anyone wants to create a new category or wants to volunteer to moderate a category? Please let us know.

We're not fully sure what this new addition to Outdoor Gear Care will bring? "Hard saying not knowing..." but we hope this will benefit everyone.

Outdoor Gear Care - Forum

Check it out. =)

The team @ Outdoor Gear Care

We are actively seeking contributors

Do you have a tried and true method, or an anecdotal remedy regarding caring for your gear? Is there something you know that works well for you and would like to share with the outdoor community? We are actively seeking new contributions for the 'How To' departments.

We are still working out the details, but if your contribution gets published on our site you will receive discounts on goods and services. Or, if you wish to receive publishing credit and world-wide-web notriety we will give you credit for your advice, by including your name for everything that you contribute on the site. Our hope is to create a community where information can be gathered and shared by all.

Send all inquiries and gear care advice to: greg@outdoorgearcare.com

Enjoy!

Sherpa

5....4....3....2....1..... Ready for Blast Off

The latest news.... If all goes according to plan we should have the store setup for business by the 1st of June.

There is a lot of reference information already availble for you in the 'How To' departments. We are actively working on some new categories. Soon you will find information on bicycle repair and ski/snowboard tune-up advice. So, give us your input and share your experiences for your brand of gear care. We'd love to here from you!

Learn, Explore & Enjoy!

Sherpa