Test Report by joe schaffer - Backpackgeartest.org

Product: Hardshell DuoPack

Manufacturer: Nikwax North America

    Website: https://www.nikwax.com

    Tech Wash
        Prolongs gear life and optimizes performance
        Maintains breathability
        Maintains original water-repellency
        Easy to apply - can be used in a washing machine
        Suitable for all fabrics
        Lifts dirt that can attract water and mask water repellent finishes
        Does not leave water attractive residues which encourage ‘wetting-out’
        Does not contain fluorocarbons
        No propellant gases

    TX.Direct
        Adds / renews water repellency and revives breathability
        Prolongs gear life and optimizes outdoor performance
        Easy to apply - can be used in a washing machine, no drying required
        Will not affect cosmetic appearance
        WaterBased - environmentally friendly, biodegradable, non flammable, non hazardous
        Does not contain fluorocarbons
        No propellant gases
        Guaranteed performance for 4 years from manufacture

Country of origin: Great Britain

MSRP: US $20.75

My Specs:
        Net Weight, each bottle: 10 oz (300 ml)

Received:   May, 2020

My Description:
    Technical fabrics lose water repellency from use, allowing water to saturate the fabric and block breathability. DWR (durable water repellent) finish on technical fabrics can be restored with appropriate cleaning; and occasional application of a water repellent finish. The DuoPack offers both the cleaner--a soap-based product that, unlike conventional detergents, is claimed not to damage water repellent properties; and the restorative. Tech Wash can be used with machine or hand washing. The cleaned garment does not need to be dried. The restorative finish can be 'washed' in or wiped on. Gloves are indicated when applying products by hand; so it stands to reason that the garment should be dry before wearing it. Tech Wash can be used six to eight times before a restorative application of TX.Direct is required, according to directions. These products are also available in a larger size as well as individually.

    Tech Wash is good for a maximum of six garments in a top loader, two in a front loader; 1.7 oz (50 ml) per garment by hand. TX.Direct treats up to three garments in a top loader; two in a front loader; and 1.7 oz (50 ml) per garment for hand washing. Directions for each product are printed on the bottle labels.

Impressions:
    These two products are certainly easy to use. I particularly like being able to apply the TX.Direct on wet garments. I hand wash technical garments and dump the water on the ground. I don't know if I'm poisoning the ground water, but at least I'm not putting synthetic microparticles into the nearby bay and ocean.

LONG TERM REPORT

Field Conditions:
    With kitchen gloves on, I washed two hats in a bucket in the sink. Then I soaked them in TX.Direct as directed. When they appeared to have saturated, I sponged up the remainder with a wool shirt. All three items were worn on three backpacking trips totaling 22 hot days and unseasonably warm evenings. Two evenings thunderstorms lashed out for three hours and one hour respectively so severely I huddled in the tent the whole time. One afternoon the hats endured a light pasting of thundershowers as I wandered aimlessly in search of my cross-country destination. The wool shirt never had occasion to get wet.

Impressions:
    The hats came remarkably clean using only 1.5 oz (44 ml) of Tech Wash. The cape of one hat had quite a grimy edge, and the other hat was, to put it nicely, filthy with dirt. I followed that with a soak in TX.Direct. There was enough product left in the bucket to immerse a wool shirt. That's not what the product is intended for, but better there than the bushes off the deck. When dry, both hats looked refreshed as new when done. One tan hat showed no discoloration. The other hat was black when new, and now looks more gray, which may be the result of substantial UV exposure as much as any cleaning of it. The wool shirt didn't look any different, but (perhaps only because I knew it) the fabric felt like it had been treated with something to make it feel maybe a little slick.

    There was not enough hiking or sitting in rain on any outings to assess the durability or effectiveness of the TX.Direct. Our heads didn't get wet in the one afternoon of light dribbles, so in what I would regard as too little exposure to draw a conclusion, I can say the product did not fail. I did not notice any difference in many hours of wearing comfort, so I would conclude the product did not inhibit breathability. The wool shirt soaked up a lot of product, and also did not feel any different in terms of wearing comfort. Whether the TX.Direct might have helped the shirt shed water was not tested during the many hours of evening wear.

SUMMARY: Both products are easy to use. Tech Wash works great. Garments did not get enough rain exposure in the field to determine effectiveness of TX.Direct.

Thank you NikWax and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product. This report concludes the test.

Reviews > Do It Yourself > Nikwax Hardshell Duo Pack > Test Report by joe schaffer

Reviews > Do It Yourself > Nikwax Hardshell Duo Pack > Test Report by joe schaffer