I have an old FJ rain suit that does not bead water as it did when new. It is still in great shape and does not leak. Has anybody found a spay-on water proofing that works well and will not degrade the fabric?

NikWax.

Accept no substitutes.

I used to be a NikWax person, and still think it is a very good product. But, I think Granger's XT is a bit better. It doesn't last quite as long per application, but I think the waterproofing is better. JMO.

Either way, take your jacket to your local REI (or similar) as they usually have a guy that is an expert on this and can advise you on the best application.

Is the suit made of Gore Tex?

If so, first course of action should be to machine wash the garment thoroughly (using normal laundry detergent) but most importantly to wash it again using just plain water - no detergent to get rid of any soapy residue.

After this, don't drip dry on a hanger, instead put it in the dryer for around 60 minutes on a medium/high heat.

According to the guy who told me about this, the main thing stopping Gore Tex fabrics from working properly is dirt or any foreign material including soap. The second washing cycle without soap and the warm drying cycle reactive the properties of the fabric.

I've used this process on my Gore Tex rain gear and it makes it just like new again - water beads off just as it should.

Of course, if the fabric isn't Gore Tex then I've just wasted everyone's time.

Hope that helps anyway.

Kiwi Brand " Camp Dry". Works great.

I just treated my Zero Restriction pants/jacket along with my ski pants/jacket with McNett ReviveX Water Repellent Spray. I used my Zero gear this past week up in Nantucket with two days on the course...in the midst of 30 mph winds and intermittent rain. It held up great. I bought the ReviveX Synthetic Fabric Cleaner as well as the repellent and followed the directions. 1. Wash the garments first in the synthetic fabric cleaner to remove excess residue (Do Not Use Regular Detergent as it can affect the overall water repellency) 2. Hang the garments on hangers and spray liberally with the repellent spray (make sure to close ALL zippers so that the repellent spray does not enter the inside of the garments, that is the last thing you want to do as it will seal the inside and prohibit the moisture wicking capabilitites). Dry the garments on a "warm" cycle for 50-60 mins. and you should be all set. It worked like a charm as the Zero gear was working as if I had just bought it (they are actually 6-7 yrs. old.)...so glad I did it before I left on this trip. Also, I was told not to get the machine wash solutions (as opposed to the spray), as they can seal the moisture wicking of the garments. In all honesty, I've heard good things about Nikwax as well...but I have to say, ReviveX really did the trick. Here is a link...

http://www.mcnett.com/

+1 on the NikWax.

Have used it on both FootJoy and Nike Storm Fit rainsuits. I use the Tech Wash to clean my rainsuit and then the TX Direct (??) to reapply the waterproofing. Works like a charm. As good as the day I bought them.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I will look for some of the products locally.

How long does the original waterproofing seem to last?

My FJ rain suit is at least 5 years old (maybe 7) and I just noticed last year that the outer cover got wet as opposed to beading water. I never get wet so the inner layer must still be waterproof. Figure I better treat the outside before I do start to get wet.

I was able to find the McNett ReviveX at my local backpacker/outdoors shop. The manager said he uses the stuff on his bike jacket and it is the "best."

I followed the wash, spay on wet garments, and dry in the dryer for 60 minutes per the instructions.

Now lets hope I don't have to use my rainsuit anytime soon!

Thanks again for all the replies. Will report back on my results.

I live in WA, golf all year 'round and snowmobile. I own a number of Gore-Tex garments, had the same issue, and researched the crap out of this.

Don't confuse waterproof with water repellent. Gore-Tex is a waterproof fabric bonded to the inside of the garments outer fabric. It will always be waterproof. The outer fabric on a Gore-Tex garment is typically treated so it will be water repellent. This coating can degrade over time. The post on washing the garment with detergent and then a second time without, followed by the drying at med-high temps is right on the mark. This will often restore the water repellent properties of the outer garment. If this doesn't give you acceptable results, ReviveX will restore the the water repelllent properties of the outer garment. ReviveX is the product recommended by Gore. It comes in spray-on and wash-in forms. When using ReviveX the drying part of the process is critical to getting the product to work properly.

The previous post referred to washing with "regular laundry detergent", once, then rinsing only, a second time. The reason being that it was "regular laundry detergent". If you use the Synthetic Fabric Cleaner from the same manufacturer as the repellent spray, there is no need to "rinse" a second time...according to the manufacturer's directions.

I learned this from an old timer whose 10 yrs old rain jacket still beads water off like brand new: wash it and then iron it in medium heat. The head form iron reactivates fabric to seal off the tiny gaps that trap water. I tried it on my 4 years old Mizuno and worked like magic.

Straight from Gore-Tex:

http://www.gore-tex.com/remote/Satellite/c...ng-instructions

and a good explanation from Galvin Green:

http://www.galvingreen.com/ (click on FAQ)