Sno-Seal Leather Waterproofing
TEST SERIES BY RICK ALLNUTT
LONG-TERM REPORT
April 06, 2006
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT
TESTER INFORMATION
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NAME:
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Rick Allnutt
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EMAIL:
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rick@backpackgeartest.org
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AGE:
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52
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LOCATION:
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Beavercreek, Ohio
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GENDER:
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M
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HEIGHT:
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6 0" (1.83 m)
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WEIGHT:
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170 lbs (77 kg)
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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.
Trail Name: Risk
Personal Hiking Page: http://www.imrisk.com
INITIAL REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
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| Photo courtesy of Atsco |
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
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
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.
The product comes in a clear plastic wide mouth jar with a metal screw top lid, whose volume is about 8 oz (1/4 L). Directions for use are printed on the jar. The product comes with a caution that it may darken all leather and that suede and split leathers are likely to lose their manufactured finish if the product is used. Imagine the leather wet with beeswax and this is the finish the product will impart. Packaging, Initial Impressions, Materials, Construction, and Features as appropriate.
TRYING IT OUT
For the test period, I have chosen three initial items to treat with the Sno-Seal. These include a pair of leather boots, a pair of hand-crafted natural deerskin moccasins, and a pair of unlined black leather gloves.
To apply the dressing, I began to liberally smear the outside surface of leather with Sno-Seal. This is not at all like applying boot polish to a shoe. It is more like smearing the leather with Vaseline. While doing this, a distinct smell of the solvent is present. It smells much like paint thinner.
Then I began to use a heat gun to melt the dressing. The milky thick material turns immediately into a clear thin liquid which is rapidly absorbed into dry leather. I found that is easy to play the heat gun around the surface of the boot, gloves and the bottom of the moccasins. Taking care not to heat the joint between the boot's sole and the leather upper (for fear of melting glue) it still only takes a few minutes to melt the dressing and to absorb the liquid into the leather. During this process, the odor of the thinner is dissipated.
The leather feels a little waxy after the leather cools. (The label says that regular shoe polish can be applied to the surface of the Sno-Seal treated boots.) The gloves feel slightly cool and almost damp, but there is no evidence of the material flaking off even in the creases of the gloves' fingers. Initial testing of the moccasins on wet concrete after a rain shows that the bottom of the moccasins are much more water resistant than they were before treatment. None of the items have any odor after the wax has cooled.
My hands feel a little waxy and smooth after applying the Sno-Seal. I happen to have gotten my hands wet a lot today, and the waxy material on my dry skin feels good.
In treating the three leather items, a little less than 1/4 of the Sno-Seal has been consumed. I wonder how long it will be until the items need to be retreated?
TESTING STRATEGY
As I evaluate the waterproofing over the next four months, I will be interested in the following:
- How long does the waterproofing last? How often does the leather need to be re-treated?
- How waterproof is the leather? Is it practical to use boots without a GoreTex lining in wet conditions?
- Are the gloves usable in rain? Do they keep my fingers warm despite being wet on the outside?
- Can the moccasins be used as a camp shoe in moist conditions, or in snow?
- How well do my feet and hands breathe in boots and gloves treated with Sno-Seal?
For the Field reporting period, I plan to use the leather items for several overnight trips in and around Ohio. In addition, I will be using the boots, moccasins, and gloves for a number of day hikes as well as day-to-day use in our Ohio winter weather. I will be using Sno-Seal protected items in cold, wet, and dry conditions. For the Long Term reporting period, I plan to use the leather in snow, rain, and bitter cold. Altitudes will range from river valleys to mountain tops.
SUMMARY
What I like so far:
- Natural Beeswax product
- Easy to apply with hands. Melting can be accomplished with a campfire, heat gun, or hairdryer.
- Makes my hands feel good after using the product.
FIELD REPORT
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
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.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
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.
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.
SUMMARY
What I like so far:
- Natural Beeswax product
- Easy to apply.
- Makes my hands feel good after using the product.
LONG-TERM REPORT
LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
During the Long Term testing period, I continued to use the boots and gloves while hiking, motorcycling, and working in the outdoors. In addition, I treated a large pair of leather motorcycling chaps which have been exposed to rain on perhaps a dozen rides. Several additional pairs of gloves have been treated and used in the rain and snow.
I have camped in the Red River Gorge of Kentucky, and had weekly day hikes all winter in Ohio. Temperatures have ranged down to well below freezing and we have had shirt sleeve weather occasionally. Twice we had enough snow to notice footprints, and there have been numerous frontal passages with attendant rainy weather.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The leather items I have tested have been very useful even when using them all day in the rain.
The Vasque leather boots have had nearly daily use all winter, in all weather. I have day hiked 3-5 miles every Saturday, rain, snow, or shine. Lots of creek crossings and many wet (read muddy) areas of trail have tested the waterproofing of leather, with great results. I have not needed to renew the treatment in the four months of winter.
The leather gloves have remained pliable down to sub-freezing temperatures. Despite lots of rain, even when exposed to the winds of motorcycle riding to and from my day hikes, the gloves never wet all the way through. They never seemed to absorb any water at all.
During this last period of testing, I treated a pair of leather motorcycle chaps. This is not so much a hiking item, but they had been previously treated with a silicone spray waterproofer. Despite a fresh coating with the silicone, the chaps wet through when I rode them in the rain. However, not only did the chaps accept the coating of Sno-Seal, they became waterproof, while still breathing well enough to wear for many hours at a time.
SUMMARY
Sno-Seal is one of the most satisfactory items I have ever tested. It works very well, and has made leather shoes worth wearing on the trail. My thanks to the folks that have been making Sno-Seal all these years. I am glad that they did not give up their product when newer items hit the market. Sno-Seal has earned a permanent place in my hiking cabinet and I look forward to using it for years to come.
This report was created with the BGT Report Generator.
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved.
