Nikwax is a brand that has made it into all four editions of our Green Gear Guide now. For good reason too. Ask any one of our testers what they consider to be the most eco-friendly outdoor brand out there and Nikwax would be the first name on their lips. The company itself follows some brilliant ethical and environmental practices, but what we really like about this brand is that their stuff helps to preserve and restore the gear we already own – saving items from going into the landfill and saving us from having to make new purchases.
This particular offering, the Nikwax Outdoor Complete Protection kit, is your one-stop-shop for keeping your core items of gear in tip top shape. For the price of £25, you get a bottle of Nikwax Tech Wash, TX.Direct, Footwear Cleaning Gel, Fabric and Leather Proof, a handy boot brush and a waterproof storage/carry bag too. And altogether these are going to clean your boots and restore a water resistant barrier to them and they’ll safely clean your waterproof jacket and trousers and restore a water resistant barrier to them as well.
For Footwear
Dirt on boots is bad. It attracts moisture, causing fabrics to become saturated and in turn hindering the overall breathability. Not only that but when that mud starts to dry on boots made from leather, it sucks out any oils that naturally keep the leather supple, therefore creating the risk of it cracking or tearing. The green bottle, Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel, is the antidote to this problem. It’a a special solution that makes mud and grime easy to remove – basically doing a tough job quickly and effectively.
The purple bottle, Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof, is the stuff that adds a brand new water resistant layer to your boots. All you need to do with this is spray it on and rub it in with a damp cloth and once you’ve done that you’ve got a pair of boots that will be like they were when you first bought them – causing any moisture to run off instantly in beads and, in turn, letting the fabric breathe properly.
For Rainwear
The two rainwear solutions serve the same purpose and produce the same results as the two footwear solutions. You know when you a jacket ‘wets out’ – basically when it becomes completely saturated – that’s when the durable water repellent treatment that was added when it was made has essentially lost its effect. And when that happens, that’s when a jacket loses its breathability and becomes clammy.
