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#203204 - 07/15/19 12:23 PM Can a Wind Shell be Waterproofed?
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
Quality UL rain jackets tent to be really expensive, but I've seen wind shell jackets for very reasonable prices. Take for example the Massdrop Veil Wind Shell at 2.7oz. Granted $60, plus shipping, still isn't exactly cheap, but it's much less than the typical $100+ for rain jackets. So, I'm wondering if anyone here has ever tried to rain proof a wind shell and how successful you were? For an even more affordable solution, you could look for a local store brand wind suit top, or a similar top from a second hand shop, tear out the liner and waterproof that instead. I think some/most of these are already coated with a water resistant finish, so maybe you'd have to soak it in something (mineral spirits?) to get a new coating to stick.

I'd love to try my hand at a DIY rain jacket with something like this, but I don't think I'm ever going to get around to it.
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#203206 - 07/15/19 01:21 PM Re: Can a Wind Shell be Waterproofed? [Re: 4evrplan]
BZH Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/11
Posts: 1189
Loc: Madison, AL
There are plenty of actual rain jackets in the sub $60 range. Frogg Toggs are often mentioned as a cheap light rain jacket. Sierra Trading Post is a great spot to find cheap clearance rain jackets.

I've never thought about trying to seal a wind breaker, but I did look into re-waterproofing a tent rain fly. You had to physically scrub off all of the old coating and apply multiple coats of the new stuff. It was pretty clear it should only be done for sentimental reasons.

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#203207 - 07/15/19 03:32 PM Re: Can a Wind Shell be Waterproofed? [Re: BZH]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
And the whole idea of a wind shell is something lightweight that repels most of the wind (and bugs!) while being quite breathable (far more so than a rain jacket) and a suitable outer layer for temps in the 40s and 50s. Adding waterproofing would destroy its purpose.

As mentioned, there are many sources for inexpensive rain jackets.
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#203232 - 07/17/19 10:57 AM Re: Can a Wind Shell be Waterproofed? [Re: OregonMouse]
4evrplan Offline
member

Registered: 01/16/13
Posts: 913
Loc: Nacogdoches, TX, USA
Originally Posted By OregonMouse
And the whole idea of a wind shell is something lightweight that repels most of the wind (and bugs!) while being quite breathable (far more so than a rain jacket) and a suitable outer layer for temps in the 40s and 50s. Adding waterproofing would destroy its purpose.
It's not the point to have a wind shell. The wind shell is just a means to an end - that end being to have, with modification, a jacket that is waterproof, ultralight/minimalist, durable (unlike Frogg Toggs), and still affordable.

The list of waterproof jackets on Sierra Trading Post is intriguing, and yes, some of them are very affordable, but I noticed they don't list the weights. I did look up the weight of one of them on another site (the most expensive one that was still <= my example price point of $60 [not saying this is my price point, just that it's the example I gave in my first post]), and it was over 11 ounces (size medium). Seems excessive. Some of them might be better; I'd just have to take some more time with my online research.

That, or buck up and find the time to make my own.
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#203234 - 07/17/19 01:31 PM Re: Can a Wind Shell be Waterproofed? [Re: 4evrplan]
Glenn Roberts Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 2208
Loc: Southwest Ohio
You might check Sierra Designs. They have a Microlight shell and pants on sale for $25 each, and one reviewer said spraying it with Scotchguard extended its waterproof qualities considerably.

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