Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#185886 - 06/23/14 09:45 AM Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age?
Dryer Offline

Moderator

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 3591
Loc: Texas
Can't find Sno-Seal (beeswax) in the DFW area anymore. REI, nor any camping/sports stores carry anything but silicone based products now. I like the conditioning nature of beeswax based treatments vs. silicone and have used Sno-Seal for years on all my leather shoes. What's the deal??
_________________________
paul, texas KD5IVP

Top
#185888 - 06/23/14 10:48 AM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Dryer]
Pika Online   content
member

Registered: 12/08/05
Posts: 1814
Loc: Rural Southeast Arizona
It is probably going the way of the wool-filled sleeping bag; it works but there may be better products. I have never liked the silicone boot treatments, they just don't seem to be a "real" treatment. I always liked the ritual of Snow Sealing my boots before a climb. I especially liked the aroma. Of course, I knew Ome Daiber casually and the original Snow Seal was sold under his name. It was made in Seattle, where I lived, and was used on climbing, logging, hiking and ski boots. So, loyalty to a regional product and to a climbing acquaintance was one reason I used it, the other reason I used it was because it worked. You can still get it at Amazon BTW.

The ascendency of plastic ski and climbing boots and fabric hiking boots and shoes may be the main reason for its decline though.
_________________________
May I walk in beauty.

Top
#185896 - 06/23/14 01:25 PM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Pika]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
That's great! I took an alpine travel course taught by Ome at the "U", where he shared the secret of warming the boots in the oven so the treatment would penetrate the leather. Depending on the type of welt, it could be a real challenge to seal the area along the sole and IIRC there was a second product for just that when it was an issue with a particular boot.

Leathers are tanned in so many different ways now my suspicion is the fraction of leather footwear that Sno Seal works with is a small one. The brand is now owned by a company called Atsko, who seem to sell a one-quart can for that lifetime supply (several lifetimes).

Cheers,
_________________________
--Rick

Top
#185900 - 06/23/14 03:50 PM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Pika]
Dryer Offline

Moderator

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 3591
Loc: Texas
Probably right about the fabric/plastic boots reducing the types of shoes Sno-Seal will seal.....but here in Texas, we wear western (cowboy) boots and nothing rejuvenates and protects leather better than a beeswax based sealant like Sno-Seal. A wash with saddle soap, then a rubdown with SS (i like the smell too!) brings boots back to new again.
I remember back in the early '70's, an article in The American Rifleman gave instructions on making your own beeswax boot waterproofer that looked and smelled the same as Sno-Seal. Even the ingredients are hard to come by now. Beeswax, neatsfoot oil, a dab of paint thinner as a carrier.
I typically slather on the Sno-Seal and then follow up with a hair dryer and it soaks right in. I know I can mail order the stuff. Just wanted to buy some locally. A can lasts a few years.
_________________________
paul, texas KD5IVP

Top
#185901 - 06/23/14 04:40 PM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Rick_D]
Pika Online   content
member

Registered: 12/08/05
Posts: 1814
Loc: Rural Southeast Arizona
Are you a fellow Husky Rick?
_________________________
May I walk in beauty.

Top
#185909 - 06/24/14 12:50 AM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Pika]
TomD Offline
Moderator

Registered: 10/30/03
Posts: 4963
Loc: Marina del Rey,CA
I used Sno-Seal on my leather Asolo boots I took to NZ back in the 80's. I used a hair dryer to heat the leather and melt the wax-worked great.
_________________________
Don't get me started, you know how I get.

Top
#185912 - 06/24/14 02:10 AM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: TomD]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
I bought my most recent jar of SnoSeal about 6 years ago and still have some left--it's still good. I no longer wear leather hiking boots, but I have other leather items (street shoes, purse, belts) of leather and find that SnoSeal is one of the best preservatives to keep the leather in shape longer. I've discovered that many Civil War reenactors (who have lots of leather gear) swear by it. The ingredients are all "period correct" for the 1860s.


Edited by OregonMouse (06/24/14 02:11 AM)
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#185914 - 06/24/14 09:01 AM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: OregonMouse]
Dryer Offline

Moderator

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 3591
Loc: Texas
Quote:
I bought my most recent jar of SnoSeal about 6 years ago and still have some left--it's still good.


Ha! That's part of the problem too....it lasts for so dang long. I've probably had 2 jars of it in 15 years, the second jar when they converted to plastic (one before it was glass). It does make any leather look new again and stay that way for a long time.
I was in Academy sports yesterday and noticed about 10 different kinds of glop for shoes, including a Sno-Seal knockoff.
Sno-Seal and Nikwax used to corner the conditioner markets....no stores near me carried either one.

I too don't hike in leather boots anymore but my trail work boots, western boots, casual shoes, are all leather.

The MSDS says Sno-Seal is 35% Wax (beeswax) and 65% mineral spirits. That should be easy enough! grin


Edited by Dryer (06/24/14 09:08 AM)
_________________________
paul, texas KD5IVP

Top
#185918 - 06/24/14 01:30 PM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Pika]
Rick_D Offline
member

Registered: 01/06/02
Posts: 2939
Loc: NorCal
Originally Posted By Pika
Are you a fellow Husky Rick?

Suppose not officially, as I only took a classes there while in high school. Guess that might make me a pup. smile

Cheers,
_________________________
--Rick

Top
#185922 - 06/24/14 03:20 PM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Rick_D]
PEARL DRUMS Offline
member

Registered: 09/18/13
Posts: 42
Loc: Central Michigan
Have you tried mink oil yet? I use it on my OLD Timberlines and it works flawlessly. Those boots have oogles of miles on them and they don't leak a drop. That's why they are going back on the trail with me. My new pair let me down in a big way last weekend. Sat around camp all day Saturday trying to dry my boots over a fire in the rain.

Top
#185930 - 06/25/14 09:46 AM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: PEARL DRUMS]
Dryer Offline

Moderator

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 3591
Loc: Texas
Yes, I use mink oil when I want to soften leather. That's the difference between wax based sno-seal and oil based mink oil. Beeswax doesn't soften leather you don't want softened. Good stuff though for what it's made for.

After doing some searches, I'm finding all sorts of leather waterproofing recipes and methods. Even Johnson's floor paste wax is used by lots of folks. grin Heck, why not? It's got all the right ingredients.
I'll probably just start making my own "sno-seal" type stuff since there is really not much to it.

_________________________
paul, texas KD5IVP

Top
#185931 - 06/25/14 09:53 AM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: PEARL DRUMS]
JPete Offline
member

Registered: 05/28/09
Posts: 304
Loc: Eastern Ontario
Finding this topic interesting.

Used Sno-seal extensively (learned about it when my ship was in Bremerton (had contact with Mountaneers on Hurricane Ridge). Worked very well for me for almost thirty years (three jars, I think) always on cheap boots. Later I got a pair of Limmers, and they specified Mink Oil. It worked very well for the 20 years that I used those boots. I think I could still use them if I wanted to pack the weight. Both products work very well.

Incidentally, I never met Daiber, but his name must have come up at least five times in that Hurricane Ridge conversation (which lasted maybe three minutes).

Another reflection: Returned to Hurricane Ridge a few years ago. The road is now paved and one can drive almost to the very top and the setting is grand. They've done a wonderful job. But all the civilization does take a little something away from the grandeur.

best, jcp

Top
#186003 - 06/30/14 11:11 AM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Dryer]
Dryer Offline

Moderator

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 3591
Loc: Texas
So........after calling the makers of Sno-Seal directly, asking for a retailer in my area, I find that 1) they are slightly confused about their own product and it's naming. It could be called "Penguin Sno-Seal", which I found at Gander Mountain, but it was thin silicone spray and not what I wanted.
2)REI doesn't carry it anymore. 3)The stuff doesn't exist in my area!!!

So.........I decided to make my own. It works great and even better than the real stuff.
Recipe:
1 Part white beeswax. (found a 1lb. block at Hobby Lobby)
.5 part boiled linseed oil. (Home Depot or Walmart)
.5 part paint thinner. Sometimes folks use turpentine but the original Sno-seal uses mineral spirits, which is paint thinner mostly.

Melt wax in a mason jar sitting in boiling water. Mason jars have graduations on the side and make mixing a cinch. Once melted, stir in the other ingredients. Some wax will solidify when the cold ingredients hit it, but keep stirring it will go crystal clear. Let cool and your are done.
The linseed oil is an addition that original Sno-seal doesn't have. It darkens leather slightly but makes the wax coating harder and tougher. You can adjust the mineral spirits to your liking as that component is what dictates the consistency of the paste. It evaporates away once applied. My quest is over!
_________________________
paul, texas KD5IVP

Top
#186004 - 06/30/14 12:02 PM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Dryer]
PEARL DRUMS Offline
member

Registered: 09/18/13
Posts: 42
Loc: Central Michigan
I found 6 jars of the real deal at a local outdoor store this weekend. I ALMOST bought them for you.

Top
#186005 - 06/30/14 02:53 PM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: PEARL DRUMS]
Dryer Offline

Moderator

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 3591
Loc: Texas
Aw, thanks! I can mail order it. Just never thought such a good product would disappear off our local Texas shelves.
Now that I know I can make it, their loss, my gain!
_________________________
paul, texas KD5IVP

Top
#186382 - 07/31/14 04:24 PM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: Dryer]
finallyME Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 2710
Loc: Utah
I still have my first jar that I bought in Texas. smile

I have recently seen it in local stores here though.
_________________________
I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.

Top
#186392 - 08/01/14 09:34 AM Re: Sno-Seal.....am I living in the stone age? [Re: finallyME]
Dryer Offline

Moderator

Registered: 12/05/02
Posts: 3591
Loc: Texas
It's just flat not sold here in the DFW area anymore. No worries. I make my own now. grin
In fact, adding a bit in boiled linseed oil brings a shine to the article if you want it. Otherwise, the stuff is 1 third beeswax, 2 thirds mineral spirits according to the MDSS.
_________________________
paul, texas KD5IVP

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
2 registered (), 174 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum