I bought these pants:
http://www.outdoorplay.com/store/Product.asp?DID=93&PDID=9&SKU=PPP_NSCAW
The instructions say to treat them regularly with 303. Is this what they are talking about?
http://www.303products.com/tech/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=429&CFID=44580791&CFTOKEN=92078012
How regularly is regularly?
Thanks-Karen
Good question. I would normally
hesitate to spray a breathable fabric with anything, but the repellent fabric guard you found would certainly be more appropriate than regular 303. Regular 303 would be used just for latex gaskets, and it appears you don’t have such gaskets.
I would suggest just using the garment, and as long as it breathes properly and sheds water from its surface, don’t worry about spraying it. Treating a fabric before it stops shedding water might just clog it up. Others may have better advice from experience. I have never sprayed a breathable garment to renew its repellency.
Call NRS
Call Northwest River Sports at
1-877-677-4327
it is toll free and the people that answer the phones are NRS people. There are great stories about being put on hold while the NRS rep runs back to the warehouse to make sure they have the size or color you want. They have always been very helpful to me.
I would be cautious about putting something on a breathable fabric until I was sure it was exactly what the manufacturer recommended.
Mark
The 303 product you linked to
– Last Updated: Dec-22-08 12:09 PM EST –
competes with the better known Nikwax.
http://www.nikwax.com/en-us/products/productdetail.php?productid=261&activityid=-1&itemid=-1&fabricid=-1
303 being a product line(as others have mentioned) and not a single product .
All "waterproof breathable" fabrics depend on a DWR coating to maintaine performance. Both the product you linked to and Nikwax are DWR treatments.
Stain repellency is good as dirty membranes do not function.
nikwax
this product sucks to apply.
I use it on boots only because I have it to use up.
Boots are stiff and it is still a pain, to apply it and not have it run off and onto the floor is another challenge.
I can only imagine the headaches trying to do a drytop.
I would be alot easier doing it out of a spray bottle.Just lay it out on the picnic table and spray.
If you try the 303 fabric spray let us know how it works.
I am confused
Nikwax comes in a spray or wash in(wash in makes no sense…you dont want it on the inside!)
never seen any other form
The trouble with these products
is tha to work, they need (must) to be dried quickly and at medium-high temps. Because of the latex gaskets, you can’t use a clothes dryer. I Tried a hair dryer on advive from a McNette rep., didn’t work very well. Not being one to give up easily, I tried again only this time I used an industrial heat gun and succeeded in melting the loops on all of the velcro closure tabs. The DWR was only marginally better and had large areas where there was no visable difference, (still wetted out)
That’s what NRS recommends
http://www.nrsweb.com/repair/drysuit_and_drytop_care.asp
It’s stinky stuff - spray outside.
Use only fabric 303 on WB clothing
I have it from my local mech engineer kayak buddy that Regular 303 (the red & blue label) will hurt water-proof/breathable membranes. Use only the green-label 303 fabric spray. It forms/renews the DWR coating on the outside.
On the other hand, regular 303 works great on regular fabric to prevent UV and ozone damage. As I’ve noted before in other posts, we use it on our rental lifejackets and it really does make them look better and last longer. We give them a good spraying once a year.
and…
do not use the “high-tech fabric guard” on latex gaskets.
It clearly contains petroleum distillates that will damage latex.
So let me ge this straight
I use the fabric guard everywere except around the cuffs and at the waist, and the regular stuf at the cuffs and waist?
I am so glad I asked this question 
BTW, they have a “free sample” pack for $5 that doesn’t have the fabric guard, but has a bunch of their other products.
He might be referring to SnoSeal
I’ve never seen Nikwax in anything other than a liquid spray, either.