Arktis B310 Drop Liner failed - options?

[MrEd]

Hello Chaps and Chapesses.

I have an Arktis B310 (the smock with the waterproof drop liner)

Its a great jacket, and i have personally had it a few years after buying it used. I have worn it a lot out in the woods, off roading, walking etc. Its around 10 years old and its holding up well externally.

However, the waterproof drop liner has failed around the area where the hood is sewn onto the main body - the seams are still intact but the liner has failed and come away from the inner mesh . As a result if i am wearing it in the rain, my head and my body stay dry (the drop liner is fine everywhere else) but i get a wet area across the neck, between the collarbone and, say my jawline.

Not too much of a problem in light drizzle but when its hacking it down water gets in at this point and eventually goes down inside the jacket (almost bypassing the liner).

I have no idea how to fix it, and not sure if i even can so am asking for suggestions/ideas, as otherwise i get a lot of use out of the coat and loathe to bin it. I doubt it would be cost effective to send it back to arktis for repair tbh.


a) - wax the head and shoulders area
b) - buy a new one (£££)
c) buy a lightweight goretex shell and just put that underneath if the weather is that bad
d) rip out all of the liner and jsut have it as a ripstock windproof smock and do option C - perhaps modifying so its a zipped in liner.

e) any other ideas welcome.

thanks

Ed

 

[C_Claycomb]

Photos? Not sure that I am following what the liner looks like, what the seams look like, what the mesh looks like, what has come away where.

 

[MrEd]

yeah hang on will try and take some that show what i mean.

But basically imagine the outer canvas rip stop layer, then internal to that is the waterproof dropliner - like a thin version of goretex (pertex maybe)- thats comprised of a fine mesh that appears to have a layer of very thin rubbery type material bonded to it.

It is that which has come away and split.

Photos to try and illustrate, the dropliner is only sewn in at the seams so i have been able to hold it away form the main body of the smock so you can see the light through it.

First photo show the intact area of the drop liner and what it should look like

Next 2 photos show the damaged area around the neck, i presume this is a high wear area and thats why it has happened. You can see how the layers of the drop liner have separated and split. Which allows water through.

The last photo illustrates it most clearly.

I am wondering whether to jsut cut the drop liner out and wax it maybe. Not sure what to do.

Ed

 

[MrEd]

hope they help lol, oh and i have messaged arktis to see what they suggest

 

[Janne]

I guess you have to buy the bullet and buy a new.
10+ years old, been used a lot = good value!

 

[MrEd]

I guess you have to buy the bullet and buy a new.
10+ years old, been used a lot = good value!

I am tight though! And the rest of the cost is fine, I could cut out the waterproof liner and just wear it as a windproof jacket.

Or just wear it and try not to worry to much I suppose!

 

[Janne]

Yes, you can ”modify’ it and still use!

 

[C_Claycomb]

Wow. I haven't seen a liner like that before. It does look totalled though! Not just the odd tear. It almost looks like the material has biodegraded (hydrolysis?) If it is only that area it might be possible to get some somewhat breathable waterproof fabric and do a patch job. If it was a favourite and I wanted waterproof I might try something like that before turning it into either a windproof alone, or buying another. Of course patching does depend somewhat on your sewing skills. If all I could do was hand stitch I might not want to try, but a machine might even the odds a bit.

 

[MrEd]

Wow. I haven't seen a liner like that before. It does look totalled though! Not just the odd tear. It almost looks like the material has biodegraded (hydrolysis?) If it is only that area it might be possible to get some somewhat breathable waterproof fabric and do a patch job. If it was a favourite and I wanted waterproof I might try something like that before turning it into either a windproof alone, or buying another. Of course patching does depend somewhat on your sewing skills. If all I could do was hand stitch I might not want to try, but a machine might even the odds a bit.

yep i wondered about getting a bolt of pertex, and some seam sealing tape. cutting out the old liner in the shoulder, neck and hood areas then sewing the new liner in on a machine (oversewing the original seams rather than unpicking them) then seam sealing tape over the top. That would probably work.
If i cut the old liner out carefully i could use it as patterns for the new liner, would have to factor in seam allowance though.

Worth a try i think, i will see what Arktis come back with - i have messaged them on their facebook page. If its £££ to fix then i will try DIY. I found black pertex for £3.99 a metre.

 

[MrEd]

i have ordered a metre of PU coated knitted polyester - the drop liner in the arktis is polyester aswell and the weave looks very much the same. £5 per metre. Ordered some PU seam sealing tape aswell.

If arktis dont want to repair, or its to £££, i will cut out the damaged area, make patterns and sew in new myself and then seam seal over the top of the stitches on the inside of the jacket.

I have a couple of sewing machines (and can use them) and my mother in law used to be a seamstress so i am sure it can be done.

this was the fabric
https://www.pennineoutdoor.co.uk/fabrics/lining-fabrics?product_id=534

 

[C_Claycomb]

Best of luck!!

Do let us know how it goes, good or bad.

Cheers

Chris

 

[MrEd]

Best of luck!!

Do let us know how it goes, good or bad.

Cheers

Chris

Thanks Chris, been in contact with Arktis - not cost effective to repair BUT they would like the smock for their archive of used jackets (product improvement maybe?) and offered me 30% off a replacement B310 smock.

However I am still undecided what to do, I am debating buying one of their rainshield lightweight jackets and just sending them my b310. I have another similar jacket I can wear instead.

Need to ponder on it, as I could also just rip the lining out and wear my jacket as just a windproof layer

I will probably go with the ‘send it to arktis’ option tbh. I don’t really need to start stock-piling jackets

 

[MrEd]

Okay so thinking about it for a bit I decided to cut out the failed liner, and then re-sew the seams.

My plan is to wax it, I was thinking I have nothing to lose if it goes wrong.

I am going to mod it a bit more by changing the buttons and some other bits, maybe adding some extra buttons, perhaps flattening the ‘bellows’ pockets

Photos when it’s done. It’s in the wash at the moment without the liner as it’s filthy!

 

[Trojan]

I would take out the liner and keep it as a spare jacket and buy a new one - ether Arktis or 2nd hand on ebaba

 

[MrEd]

I would take out the liner and keep it as a spare jacket and buy a new one - ether Arktis or 2nd hand on ebaba

Yeah that’s the plan. Will basically be a b110 windproof smock, which is fine!

 

[Trojan]

What colour you going for??

 

[MrEd]

What colour you going for??

Aah sorry I realised my post wasn’t clear, I am keeping the smock as a spare, I have waxed it, it’s just tumble drying.

Can’t justify a new one tbh

 

[Ogden]

Once the wax is worn out maybe it's an option to wear it 'naked' with a medium Pertex/Pile jacket underneath. I always thought the excellent Arktis smocks to be best without coating or liner.

 

[MrEd]

Once the wax is worn out maybe it's an option to wear it 'naked' with a medium Pertex/Pile jacket underneath. I always thought the excellent Arktis smocks to be best without coating or liner.

I have actually been enjoying the smock more without the liner actually, I haven’t waxed it heavily like a Barbour jacket, just more given it a slight bit of water repellency.

I brought an a310 rainshield in the clearance sale to wear under it in really heavy rain which I think will work well, it’s mini ripstop nylon with a pertex type liner