Beendare
WKR
Happy to report my 3 yr old Soloman gtx boots are still waterproof after treating them with a diluted silicone solution.
To recap, they were leaking like a sieve after one year. I took some 100% silicone bathroom sealer and diluted it with mineral spirits to the consistency of a very thin paint. You don’t want it too thick or it peels off. It has to be on the watery side so that it penetrates. I did a thread on this in the DIY section a year or two ago. The consistency and technique you use matters. I’ve had guys PM me that it works great..... and others that mixed it wrong say it peels off.
I just finished up a two-week elk season in some very wet country and my boots stayed waterproof- pictured.
Of course you will get some moisture from sweat build up but I was getting that anyway when they were new.
I used these boots on a backpack hunt in southern Montana last week and we had rain snow sleet constant wet and mud. No leaks- nice when on the backpack as they were my only boots.
Btw, those short Kuiu gaiters are an essential piece of gear, IMO
To recap, they were leaking like a sieve after one year. I took some 100% silicone bathroom sealer and diluted it with mineral spirits to the consistency of a very thin paint. You don’t want it too thick or it peels off. It has to be on the watery side so that it penetrates. I did a thread on this in the DIY section a year or two ago. The consistency and technique you use matters. I’ve had guys PM me that it works great..... and others that mixed it wrong say it peels off.
I just finished up a two-week elk season in some very wet country and my boots stayed waterproof- pictured.
Of course you will get some moisture from sweat build up but I was getting that anyway when they were new.
I used these boots on a backpack hunt in southern Montana last week and we had rain snow sleet constant wet and mud. No leaks- nice when on the backpack as they were my only boots.
Btw, those short Kuiu gaiters are an essential piece of gear, IMO