My Kokatat Tropos pants leak through in the butt area. There several years old so no warranty left as I think it was just one year warranty on them. Any recommendations’ of what might make them water proof again. Its just right were I sit that they slowly seep through.
Or if I get a new pair of Kokatat Tempest pants they have both Gortex and the new stuff they replaced tropos with hydrus 3l. Not sure if there gortex pants come with lifetime warranty or not and what the hydrus 3L warranty is?
Seam
– Last Updated: Sep-25-16 8:54 PM EST –
You say your pants are a few years old, but you should be aware that both new Tropos and Hydrus pants with the neoprene waist band all leak through the seam, which is unsealed. I solved the problem on mine by putting a healthy bead of aquaseal on the outside of the seam: not pretty, but effective.
This is a flaw in the design of the pants, making them fine for canoeing, but unsuitable for kayaking, which has a different seating position and tends to pull the pants down to the point where the water on the kayak seat starts to seep through the waist seam.
I wish Kokatat would seal that seam in the factory.
not the seam
No there leaking right through the fabric itself. If I sit in just an inch of water well below were the seam of the neoprene is they leak. This just started. So either I get something to reseal the fabric or get new pants. I wish it was just the seam.
Both 303 Marine Guard and
Nikwas TX.Direct spray-on waterproofing have worked well on my stretch nylon sprayskirt.
I spray the inside and outside. It wears off eventually, but then I just treat it again.
Hydrus vs Tropos
I see Kokatat now offers pants and semi-dry (paddling) suits in Hydrus, but in my mind that’s not the same as replacing Tropos with it. I have a Hydrus dry suit and it’s quite dry and comfortable, not to mention it carries the same lifetime warranty as Gore Tex at a lower price point. If you end up having to simply replace the pants you have I encourage you to strongly consider upgrading to the Hydrus line as it doesn’t cost that much more, but I think if I needed to address that situation I’d call Kokatat and ask what they thought. They might help you out with a mod to stop the leaking, discount on another product, or nothing more than some friendly advice, but it would certainly be worth a phone call. Good luck.
Result of seat time
Likely you’ve abraded the interior coated fabric, the Tropos treatment, from lots of seat time. The 3 layer materials have the interior nylon scrim that makes for a longer lived garment.
Shy of coating the interior of the pant seat with Aquaseal, Goop or the equivalent no exterior coating is going to likely stop the seep.
The Hydrus and GTX garments are worth the extra cost in the way of extra lifetime.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
fb.me/theriverconnection
Thanks for the advice guys
I think I will just buy a new pair in hydrus.