Sunday, June 23, 2013

Waterproofing a Real Deal Brazil



I picked up a Real Deal Brazil hat.  It is the most fantastic hat, but a major flaw is that is isn't waterproof, so in a downpour, it saturates and soaks you and your head.
I've read online that they can be waterproofed using various bee's wax-based waterproofing agents, so I decided to try Sno Seal, and set out on sunny afternoon to give it a try.

hat before
Before
  • Before applying anything, I set the hat and Sno Seal out in the sun to warm up.
  • Then, I warmed the hat a bit more with a hairdryer on low, applied Sno Seal, hair dried, applied again, hair dried, and let it sit for a while in the sun.
  • After, the hat was significantly darker, stiffer, and doesn't seem to provide quite as much airflow.

after
After
But, it's WAY more waterproof!  This is after a 10 minute walk in a soaking downpour:
after a downpour
Here's a time-lapse of the process: