Nikwax Tent & Gear Care

If you have an older "mid-priced" tent (like an REI half dome) - something that cost you between $150 and $300 and its over 5 years old, chances are that the three waterproofing elements it uses are compromised. This product is ONE of the things you need to bring back that waterproofness. And it works very well if you follow the complete process. As you can see in my video, I simulated a very strong rain storm for about 45 minutes with heavy rain and occasional sideways gusts (as usually happens in a big storm). After spraying the tent HARD for 45 minutes, I climbed inside and inspected the interior. I did not find a single drop anywhere inside the tent, and running my hands along the inside surface of the rain fly I could not detect any seepage, including along seams. There did seem to be some darkening of the rain fly fabric (as you can see in the photos) which indicates saturation of the nylon fabric, but the PU coating on the inside of the fly did its job and kept the interior dry. With a Saturday of effort, I totally restored my tent. Background: Mid-grade tents are mostly made of nylon fabric with three waterproofing steps - on the inside of the fabric there is a sprayed-on polyurethane ("PU") layer and on the outside there is a "DWR" coating (Durable Water Repellent). Think of DWR as like a "ScotchGuard" water repellent that is the first defense against water, and then the PU layer is the "block" against actual intrusion of water. The two act together to give a tent its ability to withstand rain without you getting wet inside. Where layers of fabric are sewn together, there is usually a third element - a PU "seam tape" that is laid on after the sewing process. (THIS IS WHERE MOST TENTS LEAK AFTER A FEW YEARS OF USE!) If you have an old tent and recently discovered that it is no longer waterproof, you have to address all of three of these issues - the failed seam tape, the PU coating on the inside and the DWR coating on the outside. But be careful - not ALL parts of a tent are coated with water repellents. In particular a double-walled tent like the REI Half Dome, only the absolute bottom few inches of the inner tent are coated. The rest is a lightweight breathable fabric that is essential to prevent condensation inside the tent. On the outside is a "rain fly" and it needs to be COMPLETELY waterproof. To waterproof the tent, follow these three steps. Make sure you WASH your tent (inside and out) with mild soap and water and let it dry before you start. Also, it is very helpful to pitch the inner tent and work on that first, THEN pitch the fly INSIDE OUT over the inner tent so that you can then work on that.. Plan on spending the better part of a weekend on this project in fair weather. Also, I HIGHLY recommend that you wear long sleeved shirt and pants, a cap, eye protection, and a respirator. This stuff is sticky and you do NOT want it in your lungs and on your skin! Don't do it near cars and don't do it on a windy day. Step 1. Inspect all seams on the rain fly and check to see if they are peeling or degraded. If they are, you will need to remove the peeling/degraded material with isopropyl alcohol, a fingernail, and some cloth towels. Often there will be interior parts that are glued on with this PU tape and they will come loose - clean them and mark their locations. Once everything is cleaned up, you need to use something like SeamGrip https://smile.amazon.com/Gear-Repair-Adhesive-Sealant-Ounce/dp/B01HEFRN44 to treat all the seams and also to re-glue the interior attachments that came off. Let dry for about 4 hours Step 2. Re-apply PU coating to worn areas. Wearing a respirator, climb into the tent and apply a spray on PU coating (ON THE INSIDE) to only the surfaces that are exposed when the rain fly is on. Usually this is referred to as the "bathtub" and you can see this as the dark gray area on my photos. (Heres the spray I use: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000M7RRU2). Note: if the entire interior surface is crumbly and peeling away, you may want to just buy a new tent or fly, since removing ALL the old PU coating and reapplying a new coating is going to take so much time and effort it might not be worth it). Apply a little extra around corners and seams (being careful not to spray it on the zippers!). Once the interior tent has dried, pitch the rain fly (inside out) over the tent and follow the same process to spray the interior with the PU spray, and again paying special attention to seams and corners (you'll be spraying over the seam tape you already applied in step 1, but thats OK). Step 3. Apply Nikwax DWR. Once the PU coating has dried completely (including a second coat if you've chosen to do that) you're ready for this product. Pull the rain fly off the tent and from the outside, spray the Nikwax DWR onto the "bathtub" portion of the tent's exterior. (the dark gray in my videos). Use a sponge to smooth and distribute the coating, allowing it to soak into the nylon and create and even coating. While that dries, pitch the rain fly the normal way (make sure the seam grip and PU spray are completely dry and cured!) and follow the same process with the rain fly. Make sure to use a soft sponge and spread the coating everywhere. Once it is dry, you can add a second coat if desired. The results in my video are after a single coat of Nikwax. Note that this entire process WILL add weight to your tent depending on how much material you apply. I have not weighed mine, but for a 2+ tent I'd guess I probably added 6 to 8 oz of weight, which is not insignificant for a 5 lb tent.

Easy to apply and it works, but it's not a waterproofer, only a water repellant, so unless whatever you're spraying it on is already waterproofed it's only going to work for a short time before it becomes overwhelmed. It's best use is as a first line of defense for waterproof outdoor gear like tents and backpacks, but it does also work as a repellant for jackets, etc. It is not permanent and will need to be reapplied to gear at least yearly, depending on how much you use it. If your tent is old and the waterproofing is shot (it's sticky and/or flaky and it smells like antiseptic), this will NOT fix it, not even for one trip. On clothes you're going to have to reapply it every time you wash whatever it's on and you'd be better off buying the wash in stuff from the same brand. For nylon gear, this is all but essential because sunshine basically eats nylon and the UV blocker in it prevents most of that. How much can you get out of a bottle? For me, it's enough to thoroughly treat both a 13' long 2 person tunnel tent (Naturehike Opalus 2) and another fairly large 1 person bivy tent (Sierra Designs High Side 1) with enough left over for a pair of boots. That's pretty good. Also, on Amazon this stuff can shoot as high as $30 or fall as low as $15. If you see it for $20 or less, buy it! If you see it for $15 or less, buy two! Also also, trapped vapors, whether it's water or chemical vapors from the material and waterproofing, is what causes waterproofing to fail and seam tape to peel. To prevent it, never store your tent in it's carry sack, especially if it's nylon, and never ever put it away wet. Always store it loosely piled in a mesh laundry bag and make sure it's 100% dry when you do. Nylon in particular absorbs water and the molecules can stay trapped in the fabric for hours even after it feels dry. If it got rained on, leave it out somewhere (away from sunlight) to be extra sure and then store it loosely. This goes for all your waterproofed gear. Tents, tarps, sleeping bags.... Don't store them rolled up and stuffed in a bag, preventing any vapors from escaping.

I used most of a bottle to re-waterproof my tent and fly before heading to the Wind River Range in Wyoming for 5 days. It rained every day, and I was glad I used it. I scrubbed the entire tent and fly thoroughly with warm water and a scrubber sponge first. I didn't use Tech Wash, so keep that in mind. Then i followed the instructions and sprayed a coat on, waited one minute, then wiped excess liquid off with a cloth. A piece of advice: this is water-based, so unlike some coatings and adhesives, it really does DRY, not cure. I started to work in the sun, but it was drying too fast, so i moved to the shade, which gave me more time to work. For the most part, it kept water out of the tent. Through steady, constant rain over two days, the floor stayed dry, and the fly didn't drip. However, during a high-intensity precipitation event, the floor was essentially in a puddle before the water could drain, and it pretty quickly penetrated the waterproofing. This did NOT happen at the seams, but rather, in the center of a panel of nylon that I had thoroughly re-waterproofed. I'm still giving it 4 stars because it was relatively easy to apply, and performed well, given that I would not expect a spray-on coat to keep out water under a positive pressure. Will update in future re: Solarproofing

The first time we used our untreated pop-up tent we got hit with a spate of bad weather and had to get a hotel room. The pop-ups (the round kind you just unzip and throw in the air) don't have the surface tension qualities of a staked-out tent so after two wet nights the tent was damp through to the liner and would not have withstood any more water. For our next trip, we treated the surfaces with Nikwax and the seams with Gear Aid Seam Sealant and despite the rain we couldn't have been happier. No leaks, no problem. This time, instead of absorbing moisture until it hung down to our noses in the night, the liner stayed where it was supposed to be. When we got home and unpacked the tent it was still soaking wet in places, so it the rain was substantial but none of our gear inside had got wet and we slept well. Nikwax is so easy to apply - we sprayed it on and spread it with a soft wallpaper brush, blotted off any excess which pooled at the bottom and the next time I looked at the tent it was dry and otherwise identical to what it had looked like (felt like etc) before Nikwax. It's hard to imagine when it's dry that it will be waterproof because there is no visible difference until it gets wet. I made the mistake of spreading some with my hand and had a waterproof hand for a while. It felt waxy, as though I had rubbed lanolin on my hand. Nikwax looks and feels - as others have said - like watered-down Elmer's glue but is not hard or shiny when it dries. Would love to know what's in there! This is only tangentially related, but the other point is that water pooled on the ground sheet and the tent kind of sat in it, which meant that the edges became damp. I can't remember if we waterproofed the outside of the base of the tent (duh, gonna get right on that now) but in any case I had a cotton dust sheet in the car which I had already lined the floor of the tent with (under all our gear before the sleeping mats and bags went in) and that was very successful in stopping any small edges of damp from spreading (was nice and warm too). Also good when we needed a bathroom break in the night in the rain and came back with wet shoes. So even if your tent is totally watertight after Nikwax, an absorbent layer (or at least a towel or similar in the doorway) is helpful too. :-)

What I have noticed most on Amazon about this product is the widely mixed reviews. From excellent to horrible. The thing to remember is this: this is one part of a waterproofing SYSTEM. This product is applied to the underside of your fly. Then you might apply a separate DWR (durable water repellent) coating to the exterior of your rain fly. I used a scotch guard product also bought on Amazon. You will get poor results if you just try to apply this quickly without taking your time to do it right. This is not a 5-minute quick spray and go deal. There is one reviewer who has provided excellent instructions and he is correct in what he says. Clean your tent with solar wash. I then applied new seam sealer to all tent floor seams as well as rainfly seams. I knocked off 1-star because the spray nozzle failed right at the beginning of the application. I had to run to the hardware store and grab a spray bottle and use it for application. Plan an afternoon on a warm sunny day to apply this solarproof, and then the DWR to your tent. The solarwash and solarproof and DWR took me 4-5hrs (which includes drying time between applications). My tent is a good quality Sierra Designs 3-man backpacking tent that is from 1995. Yes, it’s 25yrs old. It has seen moderate but regular use over the years. On my last trip I noticed that nearly all rainfly vestibule waterproofing was gone and it was a wet trip. Using solarwash, solarproof, and a DWR has restored the tent to its original level of protection. It’s all about how you care for, and maintain your gear. Solarproof worked great for me. Just wish that the sprayer hadn’t failed in the first few minutes.

This Nikwax Tent & Gear SolarProof spray works exactly as promised. Application is simple: just spray it on and spread evenly with a damp sponge or cloth to avoid drips or streaks. It dries fairly quickly and cleans up easily with water. I first used it on a brand-new patio umbrella right out of the box—no color change at all, and it beaded water beautifully. Then I tested it on an older patio umbrella whose fabric had already started fading badly after just a few months in the sun. I treated only one panel with the leftover Nikwax and left the rest untreated as a control. Visually, there’s almost no difference in appearance—the treated panel didn’t darken or change color (which is great for most people, though I secretly wouldn’t have minded if it had slightly restored some vibrancy). The real proof came during a rainstorm: water beaded up and rolled right off the treated panel while soaking straight into the untreated ones. The difference is dramatic (see my side-by-side photos). I’m ordering a second bottle right now to finish the whole umbrella. Highly recommend for patio umbrellas, tents, or any outdoor fabric that needs waterproofing and UV protection without altering the look.

Arrived timely worked as expected and better than all other brands I’ve used. Application is easy and does the job. I do this at least once every spring and if I’m in a lot of rain maybe again in the summer. I only camp spring summer and early fall. It’s helped a lot. I highly recommend

Works really well as long as you follow the instructions. For the guy who made a review on the SF 49er’s tent….lol ok. You know….whatever. But it waterproofs boots and gear really well. My hunting tent went a whole year and looked very good after the season. It’s a good purchase I promise. You won’t be disappointed.

I purchased this product to re waterproof covers for outdoor furniture. I purchased 1 bottle, tested it then purchased 3 more. One bottle did one cover of a two seater.

I've been using this stuff for the past decade when I first got into camping and it's the best thing! Long gone are the nights you wake up because you just received a drop of cold water right between the eyes, now you can let the soft melody of the rain hitting your tent bring a well deserved night of sleep. It is easy to apply and provide a great water repellent finish on a veriety of synthetic fabrics. Whether it's to give that old tent an extra life or treat your brand new gears, you can't go wrong with Nikwax, simply make sure the product is compatible with the fabric you're using it on and that the surface is CLEAN. I noticed that when you hose down a tent, the area most susceptible to leak wil get soaked up instead of water beading on it and that's were Nikwax really shine; since it's water based it will penetrate into the seam or area that lost it's water repellency and work it's magic. Make sure to follow the instructions and wait at least 2 mins for the product to dry a bit before removing the excess with a microfiber or soft cloth. I suggest you wear gloves as your hands with take a few washing before water stop beading on them, that's how good this stuff is. Side note, it does have a noticeable vinegar-like odor when applying it but it goes away after drying completely and one 500ml bottle is enough to treat a 3-4 person tent (rainfly, walls and maybe floor) for a normal application on sil-nylon or poly tent. Please note that this product is not intended to stop a pinhole, small rip or broken seam from leaking, first repair any physical damage then you can treat your item with Nikwax and expect good results. Happy adventure!

This waterproof spray is super easy to use — I just spray it on my tent, tarp, or backpack, and it helps keep them dry even when it rains. I liked how it felt safe and light because it’s water-based and doesn’t have a strong smell. The only thing I didn’t like is the sprayer nozzle sometimes clogs if not cleaned after each use. 😕 Still, it worked well and kept my gear protected so I’m happy with it!

Hard to confirm if the product worth it or not. I’ve used it on a brand new Coleman tent. Spent a completed camping week-end under the rain. No issue but I can’t tell if it’s because the tent is brand new or because of the product Quick and easy to apply. It’s great because it can also be applied while raining. To me about 15 min to protect a 10x14 tent. The coverage seems to be pretty accurate since I’ve used a bottle for 70% of the tent.

I brought this to reproof canvas horse rugs that were in good condition but had lost their waterproofing. Followed the directions exactly. Canvas was soaked through from a light rain after the first time the rugs were used. Waste of money and time. I have found a product that actually works called Bradproof.