So I am gonna be off running around the woods of Georgia and Florida for a few months this summer. l had heard of using Scotch-Guard to waterproof my gear. l was wondering how long this treatment lasts (VERY harsh conditions). Also how will it effect the breathability of my clothes? Are there better choices out there? l will not be able to reapply too often... it will most likely be once every 3 weeks when i will even get a chance
Extra notes. My stuff will spend most of my time in a pack on my back. Things like socks and t-shirts will be zip-loc bagged, inside a ''Waterproof'' bag. Since Waterproof bags always leak when you fall into a creek or during a summer monsoon. Really this is intended to lessen the disaster when it happens. l really do not wanna be lugging a 70lb pack that suddenly turns into a 90lb pack because my jackets and pants got waterlogged

l spent 5 years in the military & found that 3m scotch guard works quite well. l can not remember what the can says but l used to do one heavy coat then let it dry & repeat it two more times. This would usually give me at least a couple of weeks of solid protection. It really wo not effect the breath ability either. Also keep in mind that mesh clothes wo not accept the spray as good as other fabrics. If u have never been to the woods down south during the summer u may find that having wet clothes is a blessing.

l have used scotch guard and a product called camp dry. l have used both of these products on clothing , tents , and other gear. They both lasted quite a long time, even through a couple of washings.

campdry is a silicone absed product.the scotchguard is good stuff..lasts about a month in the field.or 3 washings.but nothing says you cant take a couple of cans and respray your stuff after awhile.. l always retreat my tent seams after 2 or 3 good rains.my sleeping bag bottom too,even though its already waterproof

l had a nylon jacket l used for a raincoat once. l sprayed 3M Camp-Dry on it several times. For light rain, it repelled water quite well, however, in large deluges it got soaked fairly quickly. Personally, l would use a waterproof/breathable jacket instead..but given the conditions u might use it under, l am not sure even that will keep u dry. It will be so humid that the humidity outside may be too high for the material to work effectively. l have a Gore-Tex jacket does not work well at all when it is humid. Nickwax makes TX Direct waterproofing. This may work a bit more than the 3M products as it is intended to be used on breathable fabrics. When used on things like Gore-Tex it really does help increase the water repellancy of the garment. l have no clue how it would work on a non-waterproof breathable material.

I've never used 3M stuff on tents, backpacks, or anything else. To keep my vital stuff dry, l pack it in plastic bags. The only thing I've ever used on my tents is seam sealer. Spraying the tent with 3M probably wo not harm it, but l am not sure it will make it work any better either.

l would submit that you're going to get wet no matter what u do. Getting wet is part of backpacking. The trick is staying warm despite being damp.

Waterproof breathable outerwear is recommended for cold conditions. But for warm conditions I'd suggest the lightest clothing made entirely of synthetics would keep u warm despite being wet as long as you're moving. When u stop, quickly getting into shelter & changing ur clothes would prevent being chilled. At night u can wring the out & hang damp clothes inside ur shelter & either wear them damp or hang them on the outside of ur pack to dry during the day. You're going to be washing & drying ur clothes every few days anyway, hopefully, so rain or shine there is always damp clothing to deal with.

l would also submit that it is possible to keep the gear inside ur backpack dry. One method people who encounter lots of water use is to carry a dry bag backpack or to use dry bags inside a normal backpack. Ryan Jordan built his own waterproof drybag backpack system for his Arctic 1000 hike: http://ryanjordan.com/2006_arctic/2006/05/backpacks_for_a.html

Seam sealed sil-nylon stuff sacks provide a lot of waterproofness & l carry my sleeping bag in a large one, spare clothing in another. Another popular method is to line ur backpack with a plastic garbage bag.

And 70 lbs is a lot of gear. Perhaps u should check out ''Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light & Ultralight Backpacking'' by Don Ladigin for some fresh ideas about the latest gear & techniques. http://amazon.com/Lighten-Up-Complete-Ultralight-Backpacking/dp/0762737344/sr=8-1/qid=1168796878/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0601339-3354515?ie=UTF8&s=books

l am sorry to say that scotch guard got caught up in the epa is crazy rules. They were forced to change the formula a few years ago. It does not work nearly as well as it used too. Cabela's, Gander mountain and sportsmans warehouse all offer good quality water proofing sprays.

l have used that method a few times and found that it works pretty well and dosent really limit the breath-ability of the clothes.