by Tony Lourens
Walk into any gear room, or open any wardrobe of a climber or mountain lover and you are likely to see multiple layers of high-tech outdoor clothing from fleeces to soft shells to down and synthetic jackets and rain shells. And that is just some of the apparel. Not to mention sleeping bags, tents, ropes and the like. The list is actually quite extensive.
All this kit costs a fair penny, that we know, and we all like getting the very best that we can afford and hope that it lasts a reasonable amount of time. Well the best way to get, not only longevity from your equipment, but also to keep them giving optimum performance, is to take proper care of your stuff, and a big part of that care is keeping them clean and making sure that your garments and other gear works the way it was manufactured to work (i.e. rain shells and tents stay waterproof, soft shells stay windproof, down and fleeces stay soft and fluffy, etc.)
The question is how do you do this and what do you use to ensure the best for your precious outdoor kit. I have often been asked, what can I use to wash my down jacket, or hard shell? And quite often, what is the best way to wash my rope and what should I use?
The answer to all these questions is Nikwax. Nikwax has a product to clean just about any apparel, shoes and kit that is outdoor related. Over many years of dedicated research and development, Nikwax has become a world leader in creating innovative, PFC-free aftercare and materials for outdoor explorers, while also caring for the environment. Nikwax products are about keeping your equipment at its optimal performance level – keeps down feathers and synthetic material soft and aerated, causing those precious air molecules to be trapped effectively, which in turn allows your generated body heat to be kept inside. It is also about maintaining DWR (durable water repellence), which allows breathability and wicking to happen. If you keep your kit clean and ‘serviced’, it will last you nigh on a lifetime.
How does Nikwax work?
Nikwax have developed easy-to-use, highly effective and long lasting after-care treatments for all weatherproof fabrics. The treatments contain elastic water repellent polymers that bond to fabric fibres, leaving the spaces between open and breathable. They stretch and move with the fabric so they work better and last longer. Nikwax will not change the look or feel of the fabric, it will just protect and prolong its useable life. The treatments are water based, environmentally safe and non-flammable. Ideal for all types of outdoor equipment and accessories.
I have used a number of different Nikwax products on various pieces of kit over the years and my tests and trials have been varied and always yielded excellent results.
- I took an old down jacket from the early ’90s, which I had all but written off. It was flat and full of clumps of feathers. The outer ripstop material was dull and grubby and it hardly kept me warm at all. Following the directions on the ‘Down Wash Direct’ product, I soaked my jacket thoroughly, and whizzed it around a bit in the bath, then after a few very good rinses, I put it in a slow low-heat tumble dryer for a while, till it was mostly dry, then hung it out in a shady place for about 24 hours, shaking and fluffing it up every so often. Man, what a difference! The jacket was soft and cuddly again and the outer material was clean and bright. And best of all, it kept me really warm on chilly winter nights.
- I decided that my often-used white work rope was looking decidedly ‘not so white’ anymore. The sheath was a dark grey and after a session at the crag, your hands came back smeared in black. So, time for a wash, but I wasn’t sure which product to use. A quick call to RAM and also an email, directly to Nikwax in the UK, pointed me in the direction of the Tech Wash product. I immersed the rope in a bath of lukewarm water and a few capfuls of Tech Wash, gave it a good whizz around and left it to soak. An hour or two later, the water had turned a deep sludgy grey colour. As the rope was properly dirty, I drained the water, gave the rope a quick rinse and repeated the process. This really did the trick. I let the rope soak for quite a few hours, then after several rinses, I splayed the rope out on a clean floor in the shade and left for about 24 hours. The result was, I had a white rope again, but also the rope was softer and the handling a lot smoother.
- I have had equal success on soft shell jackets, rain shells and tent fabric. I cannot stress enough the difference in terms of breathability between an old untreated rain shell and a newly treated one. It is useless having a waterproof layer that doesn’t breathe properly, as this negates its very purpose of moisture not coming through the garment, as it is creating its own moisture through the condensation from your body. But be warned – applying Nikwax Proofing can sometimes change the shade of your garment or shoes, etc. so do a test on a small or hidden area first, and check results.
The Nikwax product range is extensive and you are sure to find something for your application, from down jackets and soft shells, to rain shells, gloves and tents and also for footwear and leather and cotton, wool and base layer apparel. They seem to have every base covered.
And to make it simpler, Nikwax have colour-coded their bottles and containers: Green for clean and purple for proofing. To learn more and to get specific instructional videos on what to use on which products, go to www.nikwax.com and click on their very informative ‘how to’ guides.
The extensive range can be bought from www.rammountain.co.za
