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Vast mountain landscapes.
Epic walls of rock.
Perfect powder.
Serene trails.
This is how life in the outdoors is usually depicted. But unfortunately, for most of us, these things are not our everyday routine. Many of us do not get to experience those beautiful outdoor scenes as frequently as we experience our bus commutes into downtown, shoveling snow off our driveways, standing outside for hours at a time at our children’s sporting events, working out in the yard, walking to a local cafe, or taking our dogs outside to leave behind some yellow snow. Even though our everyday routines are less adventurous than ski resort weekends and grueling alpine excursions, we can still ensure that we are prepared to beat the elements while doing them.
Below are 5 simple suggestions to help make your everyday “explorations” a bit better.
1) Show your winter jacket some love.
A good jacket goes a long way. Keeping it handy and easily accessible can be the difference between a warm, dry outing and a miserable one. Today’s jacket technology is astounding, but in order to keep repelling water, jackets need to be cared for.
Suggestion: Clean and re-waterproof your rain jacket, as needed, with Nikwax Tech Wash and Nikwax TX. Direct.
If you start to notice that your jacket is no longer repelling water, it is probably time to clean it, and possibly even re-waterproof it. Your walks in the rain down to the post office or the brewery don’t have to be a miserable experience… simply show that jacket a little love.
2) Winterize your footwear.
Winter brings all sorts of wet, unpredictable weather. Your footwear can sometimes be the first thing to alert you to just how wet it truly is out there. The moment you accidentally step in a puddle and feel your sock get damp, you realize that maybe you should have taken a few minutes of preparation.
Suggestion: Waterproof your footwear with Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather or Nikwax Fabric & Leather Proof, to keep dry feet.
You don’t have to always sacrifice style for functionality. If you waterproof them ahead of time, you can wear your smooth leather boots and shoes and not have to worry about them soaking up water and losing the integrity of the leather. The same thing goes for your mixed fabric boots and footwear. Waterproof those puppies! Knee-high rain boots don’t have to be your only option for staying dry.
3) WASH. YOUR. DOWN.
We wrote this one in all caps, because we want to continue to help set the record straight… down-filled jackets and puffy vests perform best and last longest when they are cared for and clean. There are many myths out there about “never washing your down” and we’re here to debunk them.
Suggestion: Keep your down jackets & vests clean and in top shape with Nikwax Down Wash Direct.
Washing your down-filled garments in standard detergent, or ignoring the garment care label is truly a recipe for frustration and agony. Household detergent leaves behind water-attracting residue that impairs the insulation properties of down. A down cleaner, like Down Wash Direct, will safely clean the down feathers and increase loft, keeping you warmer…for longer.
4) Make the most of your fleece garments.
Fleece pullovers are one of the staples of many ‘a winter wardrobe.’ They keep us cozy and we swoon at their softness. They make for great warming layers, but they have the capability for more.
Suggestion for fleece: Clean and waterproof your fleece pullovers and zip-ups with Nikwax Tech Wash and Nikwax Polar Proof.
What’s better than a warm, breathable piece of outerwear that will bead up water? Not much! Now you have a comfortable and effective option for those pesky, grey, sprinkling days, when a rain jacket seems like overkill but a sweatshirt would leave you damp and too cold.
5) “Upgrade” your cotton outerwear.
Cotton is one of the most versatile materials out there, and there’s a good chance that the majority of your closet contains garments made of cotton. The bummer about cotton is that it usually has the same level of water-repellency as a sponge. It’s decent as a layer, but when it comes to protection from precipitation, untreated cotton will absorb it, adding weight to the garment and passing that moisture through to your skin, creating the “chilling” affect.
Suggestion: Add water-repellency to your cotton outerwear with Nikwax Cotton Proof.
Your sweatshirts, denim jeans & jackets, canvas jackets & pants, and corduroy garments can all have water-repelling functionality added to them. Now, don’t make the mistake of thinking your cotton will magically turn into GORE-Tex or some elite, impermeable membrane; hopefully, you have some technical outerwear that does the heavy lifting. The idea here is to upgrade your everyday clothing to help you avoid those uncomfortable moments of suffering through damp outerwear. And don’t forget to avoid standard detergent once you’ve “converted” one of your cotton garments, otherwise, you’re back to where you started.
Final thought:
All in all, you don’t have to go through your everyday cold-weather routines, tasks, and endeavors with underperforming apparel and footwear. Take a few minutes every now and then to give your daily-drivers some love. They will love you back!
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