BEFORE - This jacket is completely soaked with water, and the outer layer has absorbed it. This jacket also leaks.
New raingear is great – for about one downpour, it seems, and then, no matter how prestigious the brand (or expensive), a used rain jacket just never seems to keep you as dry as it used to. This is frustrating, particularly since a good rain jacket will set you back about $150 or more.
At least part of the problem can be traced to the user. Fresh-from-the-factory raingear is treated with a durable water repellent, which only lasts so long – perhaps more than one heavy soaking, but not much more. After that, water will soak into the outer fabric of the jacket instead of beading on the outside, like water droplets on a newly waxed car. If your raingear is a breathable material like Gore-tex, or even if it’s not, eventually the soaked outer layer will soak right through to you.
AFTER - After treatment with a durable water repellent like Nikwax, water beads on the surface of the jacket (and runs off rather than soaking in.)
Like any gear, if you treat raingear right it will treat you right.
This boils down to:
1. Dry it properly after use, i.e. hang it until it is completely dry, with no chance for mold or mildew to form on it.
2. Wash it properly – preferably not at all, or if necessary, by hand and without soap, just scrubbing the exterior lightly with a soft cloth. With persistent stains, apply a detergent designed just for raingear.
3. Store it right – hung in a cool, dry place, draped naturally. If you wad raingear up for extended periods, it is apt to develop leaks near the wrinkles.
4. Rejuvenate it when necessary with a durable water repellent product designed for that purpose and recommended by the manufacturer of the garment. I use a product called NIKWAX TX-Direct. One bottle treats three garments. The directions on the bottle call for putting them in the washing machine on the heavy cycle. I compromise by using the delicate cycle, which is easier on a garment’s seams.