My waterproofing experiment

Beendare

WKR
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May 6, 2014
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Corripe cervisiam
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.
6E49E0C5-19BC-4D8C-8145-1779E9174EF0.jpg
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
 
Joined
Jun 1, 2012
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352
That'll work. Reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad gave me an old pair of leather Wolverines to hunt in. Of course they leaked like as sieve so he proceeded to put multiple coats of silicone tile grout sealer on them. He probably put 10 coats as the leather kept soaking it up. Worked like a charm in the end.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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Feb 27, 2012
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Colorado Springs
Btw, those short Kuiu gaiters are an essential piece of gear, IMO

To me......the Tall KUIU gaiters are an essential piece of gear.

A few years ago in the rain, after stepping over a blowdown I slid down the slope to the next one and about a 3" long broken off stub of an old branch hit me right in the shin. It actually penetrated about 1/2" into the fleshy part of my leg right next to the shin. I still have that scar. I wasn't wearing gaiters then. This year I wore them every time out except once. On that one occasion my pants caught a snag on a blowdown as I stepped over and ripped a big hole in my pants right near the top of where my gaiter would have been.
 
OP
B

Beendare

WKR
Joined
May 6, 2014
Messages
8,247
Location
Corripe cervisiam
When you say silicone bathroom sealant, do you mean silicone caulk? And if so, what type?

100% silicone bathroom caulking, clear

To me......the Tall KUIU gaiters are an essential piece of gear.

........

^Yeah, I like the tall ones too.....when its really wet.........but when its not those are too warm. It was pretty wet in MT last week but those short gaiters worked great.
 
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