I bought a bundeswehr waterproof jacket and pants from the 90s out of some guys basement. They are in fine condition and hold off water very well, but they smell like mold (like the rest of his cellar). I'm afraid to just wash them because of the fluorinated substances that will be torn off. I can't replace those because the perflourinated wax that should be used after washing has long been banned due to the impact of pfas on the ecosystem and on human health. What is the best way to proceed with them?
You could start with the simple: hang outside in direct sunlight for a couple days.
I'm currently doing that, see OP
These are maintenance instructions from the jacket
Says right there it's good to go for 60°C but you should take it to a professional laundry shop/dry cleaner.
It also says I should re-impregnate the fabric after washing. I can't do that because I cannot get that wax.
As far as I can see it doesn't specify which wax you should use, just that you shouldn't use silicon-based impregnation agents.
It is specified in the pants to only use fluorocarbon based resin, presumably to impregnate these specific membranes. Do you think it will still be fine if I rub in something else which is not silicon based?
Found this https://www.iho.de/aktuell/fluorcarbonharz-impraegnierung-fuer-persoenliche-schutzausruestung/
It's in German, but apparently that's standard for PPE in Germany. In the link it says that those agents are primarily available for professional laundry services so maybe just try one of those in your area?
Nice find! I'll enquire with my local laundry lady and find out if they have that stuff at her shop
if you know a firefighter, ask them were they sent their jackets.
just use some nikwax for goretex and you'll do fine (spray on or wash, it works the same).
i have, i've done it. i don't care as long as it's waterproof.
thanks for the tip, I think my hiking store has that stuff. I'll ask about it.
I just got nikwax detergent and impregnation, will report soon
I also use Nikwax it works, that's it, same goes for Granger's
>Has been in posession of germs
>Smells
Pottery.
I would just air it out. Maybe keep it in the room while you shower so it gets some steam through it.
I'll try that if the smell persists after three days outside
The smell is from the breakdown of the fluorocarbons not mold. Although they might have absorbed some moisture. Put on your prostate cancer, lukemia pants and just accept the trade off. You will get cancer but atleast you’ll be dry
Smelly germ hog detected. By the way, I don't use membrane clothing.
Oh please, Germany hasn’t smelled since hitler exterminated all the undesirables. Also not German.
He exterminated no one, the party had a number of israelites and foreigners by the way. Germs are probably the single smelliest people in western Europe.
the fluorocarbons used to impregnate clothing shouldnt break down with time, isn't that one of the problems with them? Also, I can actually see the black spots of mildew on the clothing.
>keeping clothes moist gets rid of mold
Why are you bumping threads from page 11?
why are you vigilantly watching threads like a wannabe janny and posting less than a minute later
take your meds kid
Why are you bumping threads from page 11 with low effort shitposts? Weren't you banned recently?
yeah you can definitely tell one anon from another
i was clowning you before but now, actually take your meds you clearly need
>nooo dont necro the thread ill ban you! read the forum rules!
PrepHole is populated by necromancers, you wouldn't understand, it's an outdoorsman thing.
I think anons idea was that maybe the clothes themselves aren't mouldy, but the smell has settled over the years. In that case it would certainly help to hang them outside and try to get the VOCs out.
>waterproof jacket
Anon, I don't know how to tell you this, but the Jacket is not really waterproof. It is fine for light rain, but useless in a storm or just persistent rainy weather.
I have owned one for quite some time now and the only good thing it does is camo. This is literally meme tear gear, only useful for the cool factor.
Test it out again man and you'll see that if you constantly apply water to it it will start to soak it in and you'll get wet.
As for the mold just leave it outside, the sun and the cold should kill off the active mold.
I tested it in the shower and it's still still been dry inside after like 10 minutes of getting hosed, I think the water resistance may vary between models and generations. This is one of those made from ptfe sheets, so there shouldn't be a way for water to pass through if the seams aren't broken from washing
i think you owned the policotton parka, which is indeed not waterproof.
this jacket is of a different material, goretex like albeit not the same quality and is indeed waterproof. don't expect to be as waterproof as those suit sailors use.
the real donwside is that is really bulky
>and is indeed waterproof
can confirm, worn during a few hurricanes, works terrific
is it? i own them both and the policotton one (the one you have in the picture) is not as waterproof as the goretex/simpatex one
nevertheless i'm glad you enjoy it, it's a very nice jacketa
nice pic anon
shame the new gear only exists in gay flecktarn
It's almost like it's army surplus. The exact same gear can be bought from the original manufacturer in a variety of other colours, but they are expensive.
pre 1990 had the sexy olive, but that stuff is even less waterproof
>As for the mold just leave it outside, the sun and the cold should kill off the active mold.
It won't kill off mold, only deactivate it. You need to actively remove and sterilize mold.
I finally found one of the transition pieces in Steingrau and am loving it. It is a different material than the poly-cotton but has the same cut and design as the usual poly-cotton Flecktarn parka.
>the real donwside is that is really bulky
It's honestly not that bulky, compared to GoreTexPro or the French CCE raincoat it's one of the better ones out there. Even the Austrian OD one is heavier.
i too own the old parka and im not impressed. my ES softshell jacket is warmer for 1/3rd the weight, despite the parka having the fur layer. guess it will see some use in the forest, moleskin is durable stuff. i love the shit out of the bäfo, own like half a dozen
I don't mean the moleskin parka with the removable liner (although I like mine for sentimental reasons as one of the first surp pieces I purchased), but rather a transitional BW piece that has the cut of the standard Fleck parka (two patch breast pockets, two zipped hand pockets) and is in a somewhat water-resistant fabric in Steingrau. It's weird I've only ever seen one in person and one on PrepHole.
interesting, can you look for the manufacturer date? or if that insert piece is absent, its repro
I'll get an image of the production tag when I return home. It isn't a repro. While I don't have any evidence to prove conclusively, it has no indicators that it is, and the fabric is very much of its time.
After seeing one on PrepHole I had an ebay saved search for green German coat / green German parka for months. Had to wait and dig through mountains of the standard moleskin one before it popped up. Only problem with it is that it's a size 10 when I usually wear a size 7.
>I finally found one of the transition pieces in Steingrau and am loving it
Can you provide a link to the garment?
Here's the tag. Like I said, the size is too wide for me, and too short, but it still fits fairly well. The fabric is strange, but it is a great light layer for wind and rain.
yep thats right before they transitioned, guess its a limited fielded trial sample
Checking local ebay, all I could find was a field test parka that is actually marked field test (TRUPPENVERS.), also marked 1989. Maybe related to yours?
ebay.de/itm/186098151181
That's what I assumed, but given that the field test items are marked like you found it is still an oddity.
Here's the full jacket. The fabric is not 80/20 or if it is it has some sort of water resistant impregnation I'm unfamiliar with.
I found it on eBay from some generic second hand seller who had no other surplus, it was posted as "German army jacket" or something of the non descriptive sort.
It looks really neat anon I'm a bit jealous
Throw it in the washer with a deciliter of baking soda and fill the softener tray with white vinegar. Once dry just treat it with some modern waterproofing.
Distilled white vinegar helps with mold smell.
used the distilled vinegar to kill the mold in the gloves I got from the same seller which worked fine. I'm afraid that the acid will damage the goretex.
White Vinegar, anon. It works wonders. They will smell like shit for a day, but once they completely dry, it will take the smell out.
It works by the acidic ions binding onto the odor molecules and then evaporating.
It's the same way I get the smell out of my shoes if they get wet.
I eventually took them to a dry cleaning service, now they don't smell anymore and I refreshed the dwr with nikwax. Perfectly good for years to come
It's not like I'll eat them relax my dude
>I ANT SURVIVE WITHOUT MY CANCER TROUSRERS HELP I'M GOING INSANE
KYS
>out of some guys basement
What were you doing in his basement, anon?