making goosedown coat MORE waterproof???????/

In article <[email hidden]>, Dr Darse
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

I have just bought a Mountain Hardwear Goose down sub zero coat. Although it is allegedly
waterproof already are there any products I can buy (spray etc) that will make it more waterproof?

It sounds like the fabric already has a Durable Water Repellent treatment in which case sprays /
fabric treatment will not improve the water proofing. They or their application could even harm the
existing DWR.

The best answer is to only use it in sub-zero conditions - then it won't get wet because the water
will be solid. When carrying it in wetter conditions use a good quality dry bag to keep it from
getting wet.

--

dscs.demon.co.ukdscs.demon.co.ukOpen ↗

Dr Darse said:

I have just bought a Mountain Hardwear Goose down sub zero coat. Although it is allegedly
waterproof already are there any products I can buy (spray etc) that will make it more waterproof?

I wouldn't put "waterproof" to a serious test on a down jacket unless all of the seams are formally
taped. Which they rarely are.

In general it's the case that if it's warm enough for liquid rain then it isn't cold enough for
down, and there are better choices to wear in wet and cool.

Anything you add to the jacket has the possibility of contaminating the down, which will quite
possibly degrade its effectiveness when dry. If you must do something to it then perhaps Nikwax
Downproof, though my personal feeling is leave it as it is and don't use it in anything harder than
mist or drizzle (which the existing shell should cope fine with).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Dr Darse said:

I have just bought a Mountain Hardwear Goose down sub zero coat. Although it is allegedly
waterproof already are there any products I can buy (spray etc) that will make it more waterproof?

cheers

Yes - a thin shell overjacket that is waterproof

In article <[email hidden]>, Peter Clinch

url=''URL:/url said:

Dr Darse said:

I have just bought a Mountain Hardwear Goose down sub zero coat. Although it is allegedly
waterproof already are there any products I can buy (spray etc) that will make it more
waterproof?

I wouldn't put "waterproof" to a serious test on a down jacket unless all of the seams are
formally taped. Which they rarely are.

In general it's the case that if it's warm enough for liquid rain then it isn't cold enough for
down, and there are better choices to wear in wet and cool.

As Pete says, the best time to wear a sub zero coat is when it is sub zero and at that point it
shouldn't be raining! I only wear my down jacket when it is very cold i.e. several degrees or more
below zero and when I am not doing any physical exercise, i.e. sitting around in a tent or a hut at
sub zero temperatures. In such conditions most of the humidity is likely to be on the inside of the
jacket trying to get out, rather than on the outside trying to get in, and attempting to waterproof
it may make this worse.

Mike <URL:http://www.path.cam.ac.uk/~mrc7/>
--
o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark <\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing, "> ||
_`\<,_ |__\ \> | immunology lecturer, antibody engineer and ` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user"