PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
52 Year old male
6' 0'' (183 cm) in height
163 lbs (74 kg) in weight
Email address: rick (at) BackpackGearTest (dot) org
Personal Hiking Page: http://www.imrisk.com
Trail name: Risk
I live in Dayton, Ohio

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 17 lb (8 kg) and skin out weight of 25 lb (11 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of about 1100 miles (1770 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and I make much of my own equipment.

PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Atsco
Year Manufactured: 2005
Manufacturer's Link: http://www.atsko.com/
MSRP: US$6.95
Listed Weight: 7 oz (200 g)
Measured Weight: 8.1 oz (230 g) after waterproofing three items

REVIEW
Sno-Seal is a waterproofing compound. Its primary active ingredient is Beeswax, and this is suspended in a volatile solvent. Sno-Seal is intended for boots, gloves and other leather garments. It is recommended for use on boots whether they have a GoreTex liner or not.  

For a detailed description of Sno-Seal, please see my Initial Report.

For the test period, I have chosen several initial items to treat with the Sno-Seal.  These include a two pairs of leather boots - one lined with GoreTex and one unlined.  I also coated a pair of hand-crafted natural deerskin moccasins.  For my hands, I coated a pair of unlined black leather gloves and a pair of natural color split leather mittens with fuzzy lining.  The items were coated with Sno-Seal and heated with a heat gun so that the wax melted and was absorbed well into the leather.

The  leather feels a little waxy after the leather cools.  The gloves feel slightly cool and almost damp, but there is no evidence of the material flaking off after two months of use.  None of the items have any odor after the wax has cooled.

As I reported in the Initial Report, the moccasins were much more water resistant after using the snowseal.  They are not waterproof enough to wear in puddles, but the moccasins are less apt to absorb water from damp ground or from dew on grass.  

The gloves have proved to be very water resistant.  I have used them in rainy conditions both while hiking and while riding a motorcycle.  In addition, I used the Sno-Seal on a pair of split leather mittens which I have used in snow and in rain.  The leather has stayed dry inside and my hands have not become wet with sweat inside the gloves.

My Vasque Sundowner boots have remained very water resistant.  I have worn them in mud, in puddles, and while riding a motorcycle in driving rain.  The same can be said for the black boots with no GoreTex lining.  They have been used in a number of conditions with no leaking and no wet socks.  

Thus far, I am very pleased with the items I have waterproofed.  The Sno-Seal is performing at or above my highest expectation. Using the Sno-Seal makes leather items "better than Gore-Tex" both by way of function and cost.  The great advantage over membrane lined footwear is that the coating is renewable, instead of becoming much less usable like a Gore-Tex lined item becomes when the lining begins to leak.  

In my Initial Report, I said that I would be interested in the following.  Here is an update on those items:

- How long does the waterproofing last?  How often does the leather need to be re-treated? No need for retreatment at two months.
- How waterproof is the leather?  Is it practical to use boots without a GoreTex lining in wet conditions? The boots stay dry inside.  Even better, the leather itself is not waterlogged, as can occur with otherwise treated GoreTex boots.  This keeps the boots from getting heavy.
- Are the gloves usable in rain? Do they keep my fingers warm despite being wet on the outside? Wet gloves are miserable, but my hands are staying dry and warm.  Life is good.
- Can the moccasins be used as a camp shoe in moist conditions?  As reported above, my feet are much drier now that I have coated the moccasins.
- How well do my feet and hands breathe in boots and gloves treated with Sno-Seal?  I have had no problem with my feet getting wet from sweat.  

What I like so far:
- Natural Beeswax product
- Easy to apply.  
- Makes my hands feel good after using the product.
- It works.

FIELD CONDITIONS FOR THE TEST PERIOD
For the Field reporting period I have used the leather items for several overnight trips in and around Ohio. While it did not rain on those days, there were plenty of wet trails with mud and puddles. In addition, I have used the boots and the gloves in snowy weather, slogging through everything from a foot of snow to several inches of wet slush. I have day hiked in rain with the boots and gloves protected with Sno-Seal. Though not specific to the backpacking environment, I have used the protected boots and gloves in rain while riding a motorcycle at freeway speeds in the rain. I have used the protected items in temperatures from about 55F (13C)  down to 12F (-11C.) Altitudes ranged from river valleys to mountain tops.