Zipper maintance

Advice
#1

What do you do to keep your zippers on your PFD from sticking? I’ve had a zipper freeze on a fishing pack because of salt buildup. Thanks . FishHawk

#2

zipper
Silicone. You can buy it in Chapstick form. Vaughn Fulton

#3

Silicone
Buy it at Home Depot, Lowes or any Hardware store.

#4

zip care
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=7638028&memberId=12500226&storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1

#5

Plain old paraffin wax for me
I carry a block of it in my paddling gear. Works on drysuit zippers, PFD zippers, bootie zippers, and doesn’t make a gooey mess.



You have to use it a little more often than the gooey stuff, but it’s cheap, and you can buy it at the grocery store. It’s usually near canning jars and that kind of stuff.

#6

Beeswax…
…does the trick. We’ve got a little knob of it in the ditty bag we take with us - great for lubing drysuit zips!

#7

Another trick that will tickle you
CHAPSTICK…bet you never thought of it. Someone always has some and they are easy to store containers.



Good for soft lips and non-sticking zippers…and that’s as far as I’m going on this one. HaHa

#8

Fine for PFD, but maybe not dry suit
I’d be concerned about any sunblock chemicals in the chapstick that might attack the rubber seal immediately adjacent to the zipper, on dry suits.



For dry suits, I’d stick with paraffin wax.



I know, the OP was about PFDs.



Paul