Reviews > Footwear > Care Products > Atsko Sno-Seal > Kathryn Doiron > Initial Report

Atsko Sno-Seal - Initial Report

I started backpacking and hiking seriously almost four years ago. Most of my miles have been logged in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. I have recently finished 1200+ miles of the Appalachian trail. My style is to be as light as possible while not spending a fortune. My pack weight tends to hover around 25lbs. I have recently starting getting into winter hiking and snowshoeing.

Atsko Sno-Seal

I received an 8oz jar of Sno-Seal. Upon removing the label, I discovered that the jar is plastic and clear. The label is the only place the application instructions are located. In my haste to open the Sno-Seal, I ripped the label. As such I had to tape the instructions back on the jar. The instructions are printed both in English and French. The Sno-Seal jar has a nice wide mouth. The beeswax paste is light tan in colour. It has a pleasant aroma of beeswax and, oddly enough, leather.

I applied the paste to one hiking boot for comparison purposes and a pair of shoes. Both are composed of leather with no suede. I heated the boot and shoes in a warmed oven for about 5-10 minutes. The oven temperature was 120 F (48 C). Upon removal from the oven, I spread the Sno-Seal liberally over the leather. For lack of a supplied applicator, I simply used my finger as the applicator. The paste is slightly soft and easily spread over the warm leather. I was able to push it into seams but had some trouble with the boot to sole seam where it tended to fill in the seam with excess Sno-Seal. I feel that a brush would help push the Sno-Seal into seams better and use less Sno-Seal. Even on the warmed leather, the Sno-Seal maintained a fairly solid consistancy. There was no dripping of the Sno-Seal. The only mess was having to use my finger.

In all, to cover two shoes and one boot, I used very little Sno-Seal. Based on the applications I made, I think that the jar will last me for quite some time. After cooling, the leather had a sticky feel to it. I wiped off the excess Sno-Seal with a cloth but the tackiness was still felt. I then buffed with a buffing brush and the tackiness mostly went away. The leather also took on a sheen whereas before it was dull. My shoes had some damage prior to Sno-Seal application due to rubbing. After application of the Sno-Seal, the rub marks are nearly invisible. The toe of my boot was also previously badly scraped, although the Sno-Seal did not fix it, it has made it less noticeable.

Test Plan:

I will wear my shoes everywhere while the weather holds then move into my boots. I will walk through slush and puddles rather than avoid them. I will take to the hills on several day trips after good snow falls or thaws. I will compare the dryness of both feet after each trip to see how well the Sno-Seal has sealed the boot.

Expected conditions include snow, and slush with some ice and salt. Temperatures will, on average, be mostly below freezing for most of the winter.

Pros:

- Pleasant aroma, easy to apply

- Scuff marks diminished

- Buffs to a nice sheen

- Label not printed on jar

- No applicator

Reviews > Footwear > Care Products > Atsko Sno-Seal > Kathryn Doiron > Initial Report