INITIAL REPORT

SNO-SEAL® ORIGINAL BEESWAX WATERPROOFING

November 30, 2005
Richard Lyon

Personal Information and Backpacking Background:  I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since 1986.  I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips.  I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13,000 ft (1500 - 4000 m). I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too.   Though always looking for ways to reduce weight, I'm not yet a lightweight hiker, and I usually choose an extra pound or two over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect.

Male, 59 years old
6' 4" (1.9 m) tall, 200 lb (91 kg)
Dallas, Texas, USA
rlyon@gibsondunn.com

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Sno-Seal Original Beeswax Waterproofing® is the flagship product of Atsko, Inc. a United States-based manufacturer of waterproofing, laundry, UV care, skin care, pet care, odor control products, and a few pieces of outdoor gear.  I received one 8 fl oz (237 ml) jar of Sno-Seal by courier service directly from the manufacturer, packed in a box with newspaper stuffing.  The box also contained a two-page printed summary entitled "Proper Care of Hardworking Outdoor Leather Footwear," an insert announcing the recent release of Sno-Seal in brown and black, a printed brochure describing various Atsko products, and individual sample packs of two Atsko products for use on people rather than gear: Sport-Wash™ Brand Hair & Body Soap and Pro-Tech-Skin.  In a personally addressed letter, Dan Gutting of Atsko  describes the latter as a version of Sno-Seal intended for personal use – "so you won't be tempted to use the Sno-Seal to keep your hands, feet or face warm, moist, and healthy this winter."  The "Proper Care" summary explains how Sno-Seal works and compares Sno-Seal to other methods of waterproofing, including a direct comparison to silicone-based products. 

PRODUCT DETAILS

The available sizes and MSRPs come from Atsko's website at http://www.atsko.com/, with my metric conversions in parentheses.  Recommended uses come from Mr. Gutting's letter, the "Proper Care" summary, and the label on the jar.  All dollar references are to U.S. dollars.  Unless otherwise indicated the product is delivered without a color dye and is an opaque off-white color.

Manufacturer: Atsko, Inc.
Available in: 8 fl oz (237 ml) jar, $6.95; 4 fl oz (118 ml) jar with applicator, $6.95; black 4 fl oz (118 ml) jar with applicator, $6.95; brown 4 fl oz (118 ml) jar with applicator, $6.95; 1 quart (946 ml) can, $19.95; 4 fl oz (118 ml) tube, $5.20; 4 fl oz (118 ml) tube on blister card,  $5.20; 1/2 fl oz (15 ml) pillowpack, $0.50.
Net weight of 8 fl oz jar, per product label: 7 oz (200 g)
Total weight of 8 fl oz jar, as measured: 8 oz (227 g)
Contents: "Contains no silicone."  The only ingredients actually mentioned are beeswax and "a solvent."
Warranty: None found on website or container.
Recommended uses: All "split, sanded, suede, rough and recycled leather" (but note warning about suede below); specific products identified are boots, gloves, chaps, belts, hats, harnesses, saddles, and horse blankets.  Oiled cotton clothing.  As a wax finish for wood.  "To fill stitching holes in tents."  Horses' hooves.  "Severely dry and abused skin."

ADVERTISING CLAIMS

From the Atsko website:

"Sno-Seal® Original Beeswax Waterproofing protects leather from rain, sun, snow,      and salt. The beeswax formula dries to a solid wax that 'stays put' in the surface      of the leather so it lasts longer.  . . .
Prevents water from penetrating leather.
Lubricates and conditions leather without softening.
Preserves and lengthens the life of leather.
Does not interfere with the natural breathability of leather.
Extremely resistant to salt stains and spotting.
Does not soften heel counters or box toes.
Will not damage seams or welts.
Maintains flexibility in freezing temperatures.
Will not crack during continual flexing of leather."

TESTIMONIAL

I know from long experience that these claims are much more than mere advertising fluff.   I'm reviewing a trusted friend -- I've relied on Sno-Seal for years and years and consider it the best waterproofing treatment for full-grain leather that I've ever encountered.  Easy to apply, keeps the leather moist, wonderfully effective waterproofing, mostly natural, no long term damage to color or durability of the leather – it's great stuff.  I use it annually on any street shoes I'm likely to wear during Dallas's short but intense rainy season, and annually and after any extended trip on leather hiking and ski boots.  I've used it on leather work gloves and leather trim on other garments.  Sno-Seal kept my principal summer hiking boots, a pair of Danner Lights (leather with Gore-Tex panels), supple and my feet dry for more than a decade, through two re-solings.  As Mr. Gutting anticipated, I've used Sno-Seal occasionally as a moistening  cream or salve on chapped or scratched hands.

APPLICATION

Although it's more work than spraying on a silicone-based product, applying Sno-Seal is simple and straightforward.  I make sure the leather is clean by removing surface dirt and if necessary washing with saddle soap or leather cleaner (Atsko claims that ordinary soap will do, but I've never tried it), then heat the boots or other item to a moderate level (per Atsko, below 120 F [45 C]).  At home I do this by placing the boots in the Texas sun for an hour or two; on the rare occasion when I take a jar of Sno-Seal in my pack, as I did in Patagonia, a spell in front of the campfire suffices.  Then with a cloth or my hands I rub in Sno-Seal until no more can be absorbed.  Wipe away any excess and voila!, finished.  Atsko states that finished boots may be buffed with a cloth and that shoe polish may be applied over Sno-Seal, but this is strictly for appearance and doesn't add to effectiveness of the waterproofing. 

Atsko warns that Sno-Seal will darken leather, especially after repeated applications, and I found this to be true on my Danner boots, which went from light tan to dark tan over the years.  I've noticed no change in the darker cordovan color of other footgear, however.  It is for this reason that Atsko advises that its customers might prefer to use silicone-based products on suede.  ("Not recommended for suede leather. If used on suede it will darken and flatten the nap, changing the appearance. It will water proof and preserve the leather.")

Paraphrasing Atsko's explanation, with quotes from the instructions: Sno-Seal's effectiveness comes from "the combination of its ability to remain fixed in the outer layer of the leather and the superior water resistance of the beeswax."  Wax occupies more of the leather than silicone, whose slickness reduces surface tension to cause water to bead rather than be absorbed.  The silicone "skin" wears off far more quickly than the Sno-Seal deteriorates, meaning fewer applications of Sno-Seal are necessary.  I'm not a scientist and can't verify this as a matter of physics, but long experience has taught me that a single treatment with Sno-Seal will outlast a single application of various  silicone waterproofing treatments  by a wide margin. 

TEST PLANS

My old cross-country and telemark ski boots have given way to plastic.  This past summer the old Danners departed this life, finally worn through beyond repair.  I bought a replacement pair, but Danner now makes these boots (called the Light II) with nubuc suede instead of cowhide.  Danner recommends a silicone-based waterproofing, and its Customer Service rep specifically discouraged use of Sno-Seal for functional as well as cosmetic reasons.   So the following products will be tested: my heavyweight, all-leather Scarpa hiking boots; two pairs of Timberland casual shoes that are standard weekend wear, the daypack that I use when skiing inbounds, a thin mostly-leather rucksack just large enough for a sweater, water bottle, sunscreen, and snacks; and alpine ski boots that have decorative leather panels that require waterproofing.  I am particularly interested in how well Sno-Seal works on the ski pack, whose leather parts have a tendency to pick up salt stains from the combination of powder snow, perspiration and grease from the back of lift chairs, and rolls in the snow after falls.  In the past, for no particular reason, I've used a silicone-based waterproofing on the pack.  This winter, after application of a leather cleaner that will remove dirt and the current waterproofing, it will get a Sno-Seal massage.

I regularly treat my hiking boots with Sno-Seal immediately after any trip longer than a day or on which the boots meet up with rain, stream crossings, mud, or an undue amount of dust that has to be washed off.  That is in addition to a complete winter treatment of two or three applications.  For this test I'll ensure that all the products identified above receive the winter treatment before year end. 

With a more focused eye than before I shall examine the following:

Effectiveness of waterproofing.  In addition to checking after ordinary use I'll do some intentional hiking in a stream with the Scarpas.  They are relatively new, not entirely broken in, and one needs to stretch a bit to fit my foot.  Will Sno-Seal actually prevent absorption of water and consequent increase in weight, as Atsko claims? Will my feet stay warm and dry? Will the Gore-Tex lose any breathability?

What's the proper dosage?  I've always applied it once, let the boots dry, then apply a second (and sometimes a third) round.  I'll test one pair of shoes with a single application only.

How long does a treatment last? The shoes that receive a single application will be examined for "leaks."

Preservation.  I shall examine older shoes and my ski pack for any sign of leather rot or deterioration.  I'll examine the ski pack for salt stains.

Cosmetic effect.  I'll check each pair of shoes and the ski-boot panels carefully for darkening of the leather.

FIELD INFORMATION

I've already tested the Scarpas on a long day hike in Yellowstone over Thanksgiving weekend, having treated them just before the trip with Sno-Seal already on hand.  My first ski trip, for testing on my day pack, is in two weeks, with another in early January.  If necessary I'll test some of the treated shoes in the sink to simulate heavy rain or stream crossings.

I'm looking forward to testing Sno-Seal and thank BackpackGearTest and Atkso for the opportunity to do so.