Silicon waterproofing spray for bags

[michael]

Hi,

I've been a lurker for a while and thought I might finally join the forum

I have a TB Western Flyer (In Steel/Wasabi) as my carry-on bag and a few days ago, put my order in for an ID bag (black/black/cayenne) as my personal item bag.

Anyway, my question is, do any of you spray your bags with silicon spray for added waterproofing? Is it really needed? I have sprayed my previous bags (MEI Voyager and a Country Road messenger bag) and it seems to help somewhat if you are caught in a shower or rain for brief periods. I know the ballistic nylon seems smoother and slicker to the touch than cordura etc, but does that extend to water as well?

I'd like to hear peoples thoughts on this.
Thanks.

[backpack]

Tom Bihn Inc sells Nikwax to protect bags.

http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/ACC/NIKWAX

[michael]

Thanks for that, I didn't realise they sold it otherwise I would have bought it at the same time as the ID bag.

[Shiva]

Hi Michael:
In general, these bags are pretty good in the rain and snow. I have trudged my Imago through downpours and not had any problems; ditto Cafe Bag. Nikwax is good. You can also find them in most REIs or similar camping goods stores.

[moriond]

Hi Michael,

I haven't had to treat any of the Tom Bihn bags I've owned that are made of Ballistic Nylon with extra water-proofing (this includes the ID Bag and the Western Flyer.) Nik Wax can be used to reinforce the water resistance of the Cordura bags, if you've owned them a long time, but these bags also do pretty well just as is, as Shiva noted.

I don't know how long you've lurked in the forums, but you might be interested in an old discussion thread about rain protection for bags, and specifically this post and the ones that followed it. The You Tube video (that has since been removed) depicted Zephyrnoid performing his 10-minute "Shower Test" on the Aeronaut, including hosing down the bag with a directed spray from the shower head for some minutes. At the end of the video, he opened the bag and displayed that three sheets of paper towel that had been inserted just under the flap were perfectly dry. Although you can't view the video yourself any more, you can get a sense of the convincing nature of the demonstration by the forum posts that followed (smile). It was a great video.

moriond

[MsMoon]

Here's a report on how waterproof the Aeronaut is when fully submerged (and full of luggage!).