When traveling, keeping one’s gear safe isn’t always an easy task. Unexpected weather can cause damage if one isn’t prepared for it. This makes it essential to be able to waterproof travel gear.
Anything that would get wet in the rain needs to be waterproofed before travel. This can be done with most types of pants. Before waterproofing anything, it is important to be sure it is clean. To test if any rain gear item is already waterproof, use a spray bottle of water on it. When spraying the water, it should form beads on the item. If instead, the water soaks the item, it has not been waterproofed properly. Every piece of rain gear has something applied to it called a Double Water Repellent (DWR.) The presence of drops of water means the DWR worked. If the item simply becomes wet, it is necessary to put more DWR on it.
A cleaned item should stay somewhat damp before applying DWR. Spot checking an item is the recommended course of action before travel. Letting it get wet shows what happens to an item’s texture and color when it gets wet. A properly waterproofed item will remain the same color and texture.
Waterproofing a jacket involves sealing the seams. This can be done by applying a urethane sealant. A syringe must be used to apply it. For a raincoat, it is necessary to apply new DWR. However, there are cleaning solutions that contain it. Using such cleaning solutions will re-waterproof an old raincoat. Outdoor water shield should be used on most items of travel gear. The Scotchgard brand is the most popular choice for completing this task.
To keep shoes safe from wet weather, it is necessary to apply wax to them. Alternate types of shoe wax contain lanolin and beeswax. This is the method most often used to waterproof shoes.
These tasks should be completed before travel. They will keep items safe from the rain.